I originally took my business name ‘Hannah Zakari’ (photos from my shop above) rather straightforwardly from the Japanese ‘hanazakari’ (花盛り), which means blossoming or blooming, and it really informed the aesthetic that infused the shop and website. The name has been with me for so long, that it almost became a symbol or alter ego for my creativity over the years, and is still very special to me.

The Japanese ‘hana’ (花) simply means ‘flower’. In Hawaiian it means ‘craft’ (or ‘work’) and in other languages where the word is used it has a universally positive meaning, from ‘happiness’ (Arabic) to ‘hope’ (Kurdish). Using the word/name ‘hana’ for my new business creates a really nice connection to Hannah Zakari, I definitely want ‘hana’ to stay with me.

And I’ve been making jewellery under the name ‘dotpop’ for many years now, so it makes sense, right?!