From hand-cutting and packing her initial orders by hand in her parents’ house to collaborating with established designers and winning awards, Dupenny’s road to success is the fascinating tale of how a young designer can turn her dreams into reality.
A humble start in her parent’s house
Like many other companies’ stories, Dupenny’s origins are quite humble. Having completed her bachelor’s degree in illustration, Emily began dreaming of bringing her concepts and ideas to wallpaper. Unfazed by criticism that her designs were too “wacky” for this industry, Emily moved back to her parents’ house in London. It’s here that the dream of transforming her doodled vintage pin-ups took shape as her first website was launched.
A low-key launch at 100% Design and a surprise grant get the company moving
Having started her little online shop, she began printing wallpaper lengths by hand in a London workshop, then cutting them up in her parents’ hallway. Knowing she needed funds to launch her company, she spent months preparing for the 100% Design Award. A surprise victory turned into a bursary grant that allowed Dupenny to become a company in its own right.
Where the name Dupenny originates
The name Dupenny is a play on words based on the family name Dupen. It was one of the nicknames her mother was known for. Emily loved the moniker and used it as the company name. It was meant to be just a temporary choice, a placeholder until something more definite was chosen. However, over time the name stuck, and remains the official company name to this day.