Light Work

What happens when a biochemist and an event planner have a meeting of minds? In the case of Okra Candle's Michelle and Erik Rust, the result offers fresh takes on one of the oldest forms of craft on the planet: candle making

- Robyn Alexander.

In 2019, Okra Candle’s Michelle Rust was on the lookout for a particular style of candle for an event she was curating—but could not find what she wanted anywhere. “I went to a candle maker and what they came up with was not a success,” she says.

When she talked it over with her partner Erik Rust, they decided to try making their own candle prototypes. Armed with a reasonably priced 3D printer and plenty of enthusiasm, the couple embarked on the project that has, in just three years, become their burgeoning business, Okra Candle.

The couple complement each other perfectly: she has a creative eye and loves nothing more than to style beautiful tablescapes, events and spaces; he is a biochemist by training who also happens to be an instinctive teacher and gardener, as well as a musician.

“Before I knew Erik was a biochemist, I actually thought he was just a musician,” says Michelle. But most of all, she adds: “Erik is a tinkerer. If something is not working, he will tinker with it until he has mastered the skill of creating it himself, or getting it to work again.” Unsurprisingly, this blend of practical and conceptual abilities has served Okra Candle very well.

The brand’s name came to the duo during a road trip at the very end of 2019. They had created their first successful candle designs, and were ready to go beyond using the results in Michelle’s work to roll out a range for sale to the general public. “We were playing with names and we knew we wanted something short and powerful that would be remembered quite easily, and ‘Okra’ just stuck. And then we added the ‘Candle’ to tie in clearly with the nature of our business,” Michelle explains.