I kind of mentioned it on Instagram in an unofficial way but as the press release has now been sent out and it is now official news, I can finally share with you all the exciting plans for the BODIE and FOU shop. Read on…

PRESS RELEASE – JANUARY 2016
“Following ten innovative and successful years at the helm of the Award Winning Concept Store BODIE and FOU, Owner, Founder and Creative Director Karine Kong is stepping down as Managing Director. Karine will be focusing her creative energies and retail and social expertise into an array of lifestyle and commercial projects beginning in 2016 under the BODIE and FOU brand name, with a dedicated readership and social following of over 100,000 design and lifestyle devotees.
The e-comm concept store at bodieandfou.com will continue trading under the new direction of retailer Paul Wells. Paul brings a decade of retail experience to the brand following roles at successful multinational retailers, luxury lifestyle brands and boutique interiors stores. The new collections at BODIE and FOU, beginning with the launch of Spring ’16 will build on the aesthetic framework of inspiring European design with new and stylish designs for the home. Maintaining close ties with the retail arm of the brand, Karine will continue to blog under the name ‘BODIE and FOU’ and support the store with the continuation of projects such as the design and creation of the exclusive Bodie and Fou print collections.
In line with this new dynamic set-up, the retail store bodieandfou.com and the BODIE and FOU brand look forward to the success of the next ten years.”

If you run your own business, you will probably know that for an Entrepreneur, the journey of creating something is often more interesting than running what you have created.

Despite all the challenges we had to face over the years, which frankly are often part of the game when you run a business (if it was that easy, everybody would do it!), I feel tremendous joy and pride to have started the BODIE and FOU lifestyle brand from scratch and taken it to the international level it is today.

I’m delighted that it is now in the hands of someone who has a great deal of experience in the e-commerce industry, the passion, the drive and a great aesthetic to take it further.

As for me, I will now dedicate my time, passion and energy to a number of creative projects dear to my heart, including becoming full-time Editor of the BODIE and FOU Blog, freelance interior Stylist and from March 2016, Consultant on a series of branding, styling and social media workshops designed to help small businesses and corporates.

I’m also excited to learn new skills and one that I want to master this year is making videos so I can share with you all the fab, creative and fun people I’ve met in the industry over the past ten years. Based on the look of my first video, I think I have a few skills to improve on this side but I will get there:-)

Last but not least, I would be grateful if you could join in and subscribe to my Enews .

Thanks for everything