Hunter & Folk Founder + Editor—Hande Renshaw
A creative conversation with Hande Renshaw, the founder and editor of Hunter & Folk! Here we share her journey and a glimpse into a ‘typical’ work day.
Photography: Alana Landsberry
Hande Renshaw, founder and editor of Hunter & Folk.
The mornings are spent uploading new content and also checking socials.
The Hunter & Folk office is conveniently across the street from Juno & Sons, where the team often meet up for a meeting and coffee!
‘Not a day goes by that I don’t feel grateful to be doing what I do,’ says Hande Renshaw.
Hello Hande—can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hande: I am the founder and editor of Hunter & Folk… thank you for having me! I was born in Istanbul, Turkey and came to Australia when I was seven years old. I now live and work in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. I spend my time working on Hunter & Folk—writing, shooting and editing features. I sometimes struggle to put myself on here and prefer to stay behind the scenes, but I’m taking a leap and sharing my journey…
Take us back to the beginning… what were you doing before you started the H&F journey?
I’m a graduate of interior design and studied at Enmore Design Centre. While working as an interior designer, I walked into my local newsagent (remember those?!) and picked up the very first issue of Dumbo Feather. I was completely blown away, and although I had never written for a publication before, I knew that I had to write for this one. I emailed the editor, Kate Bezar, who was so lovely and supportive—she took a chance and gave me my first big shot at writing. I started freelance writing for Dumbo Feather from issue three onwards and loved every minute.
Slowly, I started writing for other publications such as Inside Out, Real Living and Vogue Living. The writing journey led me to also work on styling homes for shoots, so I could then write and style features, drawing on my interior design experience. I left my interior design job after a couple of years to work in magazines, and in 2007, I landed the role of homes editor at Australian Women’s Weekly magazine, where I stayed for almost ten years. Around six years ago, I decided to create a platform to showcase design and art, a space where I could be in control of all the creative decisions, and so Hunter & Folk was born as a passion project, which I worked on in my spare time.
When did you decide to make Hunter & Folk your full time gig?
I came to a point where I was desperate to focus solely on H&F. After delaying it for a long time and waiting for the ‘right’ time, I took a leap of faith and jumped in, which was almost two years ago now.
When did design first have an impact on you?
Like so many creatives we interview and feature, I have been creative and design obsessed for as long as I can remember. I’ve always loved to sketch, paint, read and write. My teenager years were mostly spent loitering in book stores, art stores or the local newsagent! I was an art and design junkie, to say the least, and still am to this day.
Why is this your dream job?
I had a self indulgent idea of what my dream job would look like, and then I threw myself into it. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel grateful to be doing what I do. As cliché as it sounds, working on Hunter & Folk never feels like 'work'—it's incredibly rewarding and a privilege to be doing what I love.
What does Hunter & Folk mean to you personally?
I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to share the stories of creatives, and I always come back to this as our core focus at H&F. I get to be of service to others and provide a platform to showcase their incredible talent. H&F was never meant to be about me and in the six years I’ve worked on it, this is the most I’ve ever shared.
Nicola Higgins in her studio space at a recent Hunter & Folk shoot.
Behind the scenes at a recent shoot with Nicola Higgins for the Hunter & Folk Arts & Culture pages.
‘We have so much incredible talent on our doorstep, we’ve only skimmed the surface.’
‘I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to share the stories of creatives, and I always come back to this as our core focus.’
“Working on Hunter & Folk never feels like ‘work’—it’s incredibly rewarding and a privilege to be doing what I love.”
‘Working for yourself can be incredibly challenging as there are so many hats you need to wear—the majority of it isn’t the fun creative stuff. But no matter how challenging it gets, the incredible positives far outweigh the challenges.’
The most rewarding part of your job is…
Meeting, interviewing and featuring artists and designers. We have so much incredible talent on our doorstep, we’ve only skimmed the surface. I used to think that we might run out of artists and creatives to feature—turns out it’s the opposite!
And the most challenging aspect…
Working for yourself can be incredibly challenging as there are so many hats you need to wear—the majority of it isn’t the fun creative stuff. But no matter how challenging it gets, the incredible positives far outweigh the challenges.
The most valuable piece of advice you would give to emerging designers looking to break into the industry is...
No matter what creative field you're in, the biggest advice I would give is to be curious and do the hard work—even if it’s unpaid, for a few months. You never know where a new connection will take you or what door can open for you while you’re on the journey.
What do you like to do in your down time?
A stroll through a farmer’s market is always time well spent. I make a habit of going to my local markets each Saturday and stock up for cooking for the week ahead. Something about this ritual always feels purposeful and grounding.
What’s your most valuable possession?
Handmade cards (or any card) gifted to me by my two sons! Nothing makes me happier.
You’ve recently embarked on photography for your features on H&F—what does photography mean to you?
Although I have always loved taking photos, I am still relatively new to taking them for H&F, so I am still learning. For me, photography is a language and a beautiful insight into seeing the world as the person capturing a moment sees it. It’s definitely one of my favourite hats I get to wear at H&F.
Are there any dream projects or collaborations you aspire to undertake?
Countless! We have a few in the pipeline—watch this space!