Maki is a hair stylist who cuts and styles hair in a cute little salon on the Lower East Side. When she’s not wowing patrons with her skills, she tends to her plants, hangs out with her daughter and makes adorable bunnies. Maki makes little bunny dolls under her brand Yume (pronounced “yu-meh” and meaning “dream” in Japanese). Her meticulous attention to detail is evident in her process, and is clearly visible in the end result. She says that it took her a while to come up with a template she was happy with, which reflected the cuteness of the bunny she had in mind. For the fabric, she browsed in vain for the right pattern in New York and finally settled on Liberty of London’s fabrics. She incorporates Liberty’s patterned fabrics with other Japanese textiles (including fine linen) to create cute outfits for her bunnies. As for the stuffing, she skipped over the cheaper stuff, which she says never bounces back once it is pressed down. She says the Japanese stuffing she has shipped over makes a huge difference. The bunnies’ pressed-in faces, the orange string to highlight their noses, the pretty fold by the base of the ears, and their cute little white underbellies are just some of the details that make this bunny unique.

We had a few questions for Maki to get a better understanding of how she works and where she finds inspiration:

Were you creative as a child?
I don’t consider myself as having been an especially creative child, but I was always attracted to small things/projects.

What kind of creative projects did you take part in when you were little?
My mother was very deft with the needle and I grew up watching her teach patchwork and make cute clothing for me and my sister. Sewing and fabric work is therefore near and dear to me, and I was constantly stitching together little satchels and such.

When did you start making bunnies? What made you think of creating your own?
I started making them last winter. I also make clothes for my 3 year-old daughter and thought it would be cute if she had a little doll dressed like her.

Are they designed as toys or decorative items? Are you planning on marketing them eventually?
They can be toys or decorations . You can find the bunnies in some stores in New York and Brooklyn.

What does your daughter think of the bunnies, and does she motivate you to make them?
My daughter loves the bunnies’ clothes, and when she tells me how cute they are, she motivates me to keep going!

Any future plans for your bunnies?
My plan is to create seasonal clothing for them so you can dress them appropriately for each season.