THOSE ENTERPRISING BRUNGERS
by Anita Sarko
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| BRACELETS (Horn Bangles, $48; One Strand, $136; Large Blue, $215/Currently 60% off; Three Strand, $112.50/Currently 75% off). |
| There’s an interesting trend of family members coming together professionally from previously separate directions and interests. Whether it’s through blood or marriage, it’s the nouveaux version of the mom & pop/ the family firm/ the family farm. A big difference is that the outlet for the goods and/or services might not be fixed or made of mortar and brick; instead, it is fluid and virtual. As for WHY this is happening NOW ... it could be the economy or people having “mid-life crises” at varied times of their lives or they’re willing to be less rigid about their dreams and more willing to adapt to change in the pursuit of happiness. Whatever: That’s something to discuss at your next cocktail party or holiday gathering ... Which brings us to the Brungers.
Two years later, she complied. Andrew, then a marketing consultant for websites, lived in Austin. Andrew suggested a road trip. Sally decided she had nothing to lose. And I will now be tacky enough to say she did have something to lose: Her heart (Awww ...). Yes, love bloomed in the dessert. Two weeks later, Andrew followed Sally back to NYC. He thought Sally should expand her artistic endeavors into graphic design. “Everything he’s suggested has always been a smart move.” Says Sally. When Andrew became the marketing director at Worldly Investor, he hired Sally to design their Identity Kit. Andrew was so impressed, he suggested that they start their own branding agency, a virtual company geared towards small businesses and websites. After proving to be a successful team via their first client, the lovebirds married in June, 2001. |
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| On September 11th, their smooth ride hit a major bump. Sally, in LA, was woken up, told the news and that, luckily, Andrew and their dog were okay. Since they had been living/working in the “red zone,” it took two months before they were allowed to return home. Everything had been destroyed or contaminated. Andrew’s bachelor pad had actually been sold on September 10th, but the co-op board, siding with the Brungers, turned down the new owner. Back in the couple moved, living on furniture left by the realtor. |
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| Köl Design El Maroc Pillar Candle ($80). |
| “Here we were in a small apartment with no business and no money coming in.” Remembers the now Sally Randall Brunger. “So, we took a LOT of baths.” Andrew hated all of the bath products. His suggestion: To make their own. Combined, they knew marketing, graphic design, websites and how to do PR (from Sally’s club days). They wanted the scents to remind them of places around the world they had loved visiting. The name, KÖL, was what they would have named a child (“We liked the sound and it’s not gender-specific.”). Through the Internet they procured ingredients and began experimenting at home. They melted glycerin and melded scents with base products in their kitchen (“Just like Estée Lauder!”). |
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| L. to r.: KöL FOAMING BATH in Curacao (Available in the following scents: Curacao/Picnic/Bethlehem/El Maroc. 9 Oz., $28; 17 Oz., $40). KöL Mini Therapeutic SEA SALT VIAL in Curacao (Available in the following scents: Curacao/ Bethlehem/ El Maroc/ Picnic. 2.75 Oz., $12.50. Available in gift sets. Also available in 17 Oz Tubside Containers: $28/ 21 Oz. large aluminum containers, $36). KöL FOAMING BATH in Picnic (Available in the following scents: Curacao/Picnic/Bethlehem/El Maroc. 9 Oz., $28; 17 Oz., $40). |
| Then, they created packaging. By the time a friend of a friend in a large UK department store heard about their experiments, the Brungers had a product line of foaming bath liquids, bath salts and soaps ready to be shown. The store loved everything and, within 5 months, the couple brought the products up to the regulatory standards required for selling in the UK. A famous German fragrance house took them on as clients and recommended chemists and factories. A showroom was found in Murray Hill. Everything was financed through credit cards. They hit more bumps. The UK store never ordered the products because the buyer who liked them left the company. Then, Henri Bendel’s ordered, but the deal was unacceptable. |
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| KöL HYDRATION CREAM (Available in the following scents: Curacao/Picnic/Bethlehem/El Maroc/Unfragranced. Check website for descriptions of scents, $42). |
| Three days later it was made sweeter and all ended well. Months later, Bo Concept picked up the line. Then came Fred Siegel Studio, shops in Sweden and Japan ... The product line expanded to included dry facial clays, hydration creams, candles (“We developed these for the 2006 Oscars goody bags”), spa supplies and a hotel amenities line. “Nothing ended up happening because of friends. Everything was because of the quality of the products.” Sally says proudly. “We didn’t want friends in the business to feel obligated.” |
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| KöL MILK FROTH powdered foaming milk bath (No scent or color). |
| When asked who their market was, the Brungers answered that they read Wallpaper. “That’s our market; people like us.” Coincidentally, Wallpaper was the first magazine to do a feature on their products. “We thought that was amazing. We nailed it!” With Köl “running on auto pilot,” Andrew took a job with Coach, running their global web program. Then, when a knitwear designer Sally knew didn’t have a particular piece Sally was looking for, the designer asked Sally to sketch it. The next day, the designer met with Barney’s in LA and showed them Sally’s sketches. |
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| CROSS TURTLENECKS by THE BRUNGERS (Alpaca made in Peru, $500). "We are creating the knitwear in Peru for two reasons: First, this is where alpaca is sheared and spun, so there is the ability of having them custom dyed and blended and it is much easier to get the fibers to the factory without shipping fees or a middle man. Secondly, everyone has their mission: For us it is having goods made where the skills of the indigenous people can be applied and poor families have work. We believe in people having autonomy over their lives, and it doesn't happen without opportunites and employment." |
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| CABALLERO CARDIGANS ( Alpaca made in Peru. $460). |
| They loved them. Because Sally had been making clothing since she was a child and knew enough about knitting to recognize how something should be done, the designer hired Sally as part of her design team and to oversee the line’s production in Peru. Four years later, Andrew left Coach and Sally left the designer. Andrew had another suggestion: “I asked her why we shouldn't design our own line? I was ready to create again after having navigated the corporate landscape." |
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| Long and short DJELLABA DRESSES (Peruvian Woven Cotton. $950/$640. Available in Navy/Apple/Pumpkin with Natural). |
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| LACED-UP TURTLENECK (Peruvian Woven Cotton. $300) TAP PANTS (Peruvian Woven Cotton. $170) BANDEAU (Peruvian Woven Cotton). |
| So, off to Peru they flew and THE BRUNGERS, a clothing and accessories line, was born. “Sally and I fit together seamlessly; Sally's hands always fit perfectly in mine. When I hold her, she tucks perfectly under my chin. As my professional partner, is it surprising that she and I would fit together so well?” Andrew concludes. |
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| Stone and Quartz Jewelry by THE BRUNGERS ($112-$360). |
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| HORN BANGLES & WIDE CUFFS by THE BRUNGERS (Bangles: $15 each/5 for $60; Cuffs, $52); HORN RINGS ($30); HORN HOOP EARRINGS ($48). |
| Remember: This all began on the set of a Merchant Ivory production. For product, shop and price details, check out their sites: Bath/Body: www.koldesign.com Apparel: www.thebrungers.com Corporate: www.koldesignllc.com Design blog: www.studio.koldesign.com |
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