A weekly edit of brands with products to look out for including vibrant stationery, soothing soaks and crystal amulets.
Pawpear
The Irish word for paper is "páipéar" - pronounced "pawpear" - making this the perfect name for a sustainable stationery company obsessed with the stuff. Pawpear makes beautiful, vibrant paper stationery that’s bursting with colour and Irish spirit and designed to brighten your day. There’s something so special about receiving a handwritten note or card and Pawpear products make sending that message even more thoughtful.
Founder Kim Whyte previously worked as a stationery designer in London and founded her own brand in 2022. She works with Irish suppliers, printers and binders to keep her production as local as possible. Whyte is showcasing her work this January with the support of the Waterford Local Enterprise Office. She plans to turn her display stand into a “vibrant stationery emporium” from where she’ll present Pawpear’s new Flora & Fauna and Land & Sea collections as well as a soon-to-be-released collaboration with an iconic Irish brand.
Find Pawpear at Stand L92 in the Local Enterprise Hall.
Soak
Soak founder Kaz Kearney noticed that, when her son spent time surfing in the Atlantic ocean, it made a huge difference - not just to the condition of his skin and hair but also to his overall wellbeing. Convinced of the therapeutic power of the sea, Kearney began experimenting - launching her business Soak in 2021.
Her products are made using Atlantic sea salt, Irish seaweed, homegrown organic herbs and quality aromatherapy oils. They are designed to have specific therapeutic benefits on sleep, mood and energy levels as well as being great for the skin.
All Soak products are vegan and coeliac friendly and are individually made by hand. Ranges at Showcase 2024 will include Bedtime Bliss which helps with sleep and anxiety; Joy Connects designed to help uplift one’s mood, and Breathe Deep to help recharge and heal after exercise or to help after a cold or flu.
Find Soak at Stand L9 in the Local Enterprise Hall.
SIADBH
Siadbh Duffy, founder of the eponymous brand SIADBH creates handcrafted crystal amulets that are “made with intention and designed with tactile vision in mind” to become “sacred allies”. The brand honours the ancient tradition of wearing amulets and seeks to provide ethically-sourced crystals paired with other high-quality, sustainable materials.
Attending Showcase for the very first time in January, SIADBH appears with support from Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office. The brand is no stranger to publicity however, having been selected during the rigorous curatorial process for CREATE at Brown Thomas in the past two years.
The brand is currently available online as well as at the Finders Keepers store in Waterford City and at the Limerick store of Aoife McNamara - Ireland’s first B-corps fashion brand.
Visitors to Showcase will be able to view the brand’s best-selling Goddess collection as well as rings, amulets and earrings in different styles made using ethically-sourced natural gemstones such as amethyst, moonstone, aquamarine and rose quartz.
Find SIADBH at Stand L13 in the Local Enterprise Hall. 
