Maker of The Month: Morgan Conner of MOCO Candles

Photography by Mikaela Helane

Morgan Conner of MOCO Candles has been creating delicious-smelling, eco-friendly, zero-waste candles since 2018. Now, they’re available at over 50 locations nationwide, including some right here in Indianapolis. Thanks to Conner’s background in art and design, she’s been able to customize every element of her candles from the scents to the branding and packaging. These luxury fragrances are a must-have in any candle lover’s collection. PATTERN sat down with Conner to learn what it takes to start a candlemaking business—check out the interview below for all the details!

Name: Morgan Conner
Business Name: MOCO Candles
Social:
Instagram: @mococandles
TikTok: @mococandles
Pinterest: @mococandles 
Website: moco-candles.com

What do you make?
I make eco-friendly soy candles that are contemporary fragrances.

How long have you been doing this?
I started in October of 2018 but became an official business during May 2021.

Retail locations where people can find your products:
You can see a map of nationwide stockists on my website, but here are some local spots:

Lux & Ivy 
1051 E. 54th Street, Suite A Indianapolis IN 46220

Howl & Hide
1046 Virginia Ave, Indianapolis IN 46203

MerMarché
301 S Rangeline Rd, Carmel, IN 46032

What piqued your initial interest in designing your products?
They’ve always been something I really enjoyed. So when stopped doing hands-on art in college, I needed a hobby where I was making something with my hands rather than just digitally. So I picked up some wax and jars and fragrance online and made some in my kitchen. Since I have a background in design and marketing, I decided to craft it into a business after people were asking.

What principles do you use when designing?
I like things that are very simple but still have some visual interest. So I wouldn’t say minimal, because I think that sometimes minimalism can be a little boring. I tend to lean towards ‘simple contemporary,’ but sometimes it’s 70s-inspired design.

Who and/or what influences your design style? How would you describe your design aesthetics and values?
That’s a tough question. I don’t necessarily look at any one particular designer or artist for inspiration, but I really like looking at interiors. Interior design, fabrics, and spaces that I could see our products in are more so what inspire the design.

I would describe the aesthetic as groovy, contemporary, and fun.

What comes first for you, the design materials or the design concept?
I would say a little bit of both. Especially when it comes to crafting a particular fragrance, sometimes I’m starting from scratch and want to evoke a specific mood. Sometimes I’ll smell something in nature that I want to use as inspiration, but not reproduce.

Could you describe the process of creating a piece – from conception to finish?
The first thing is beginning with the research, what kind of materials you’ll need. Then collecting all the materials and creating a library of fragrances to start playing with. Once you find something that works, it’s melting the wax, adding the fragrance, stirring everything, pouring it into the candle jar, and then hoping that what burns mirrors what was in my head! 

What is your favorite tool, and why?
I’ll say a straw. It’s just a neat little tool to put the wick into the jar, rather than just reaching in with your hands. You can put the wick through it.

Describe a piece you’ve created that you are most proud of. What was special about it?
I would have to say the Matcha Milk fragrance. It was the first one that I started in that collection and it’s my best seller as far as wholesale goes. I created the body wash in Matcha Milk since it was popular. And I thought it was something really unique that I wasn’t smelling in any other candle or any other fragrance in general. It was ambitious to try to make something smell like Matcha because I knew what it smelled like, but I couldn’t really describe it. It took a few trials until I found something that I really liked.

What collaborations have you done and what is the collaboration process like?
I’ve had a custom candle for Mama Ochre, and MerMarché, and then a few for some other boutiques around the country. I try to align with businesses with similar values as my own.

The process really depends on whether someone wants just a custom label or if somebody wants an entire new fragrance. If they want a fragrance, I typically ask “Do you have any inspiration for the fragrance?” Then, they usually send me ideas, and I try to make a few samples and help them formulate something for their brand. I love brainstorming different fragrance ideas. Sometimes, I’ll have an idea and then I’ll mix it, and it smells like dirt [laughs]!

What advice would you give to aspiring designers like yourself?
I would say don’t invest in a lot at once. Start small and see if you like it. If you do, you can buy more and build your collection materials. If it doesn’t end up working, then you can try something different. The first thing you start may not be for you, and that’s okay.

Dream commission/client?
I always envision my products in retail. I think online is definitely growing, but there’s something about the tactile aspect of seeing something in a store. I think my candles will look nicely in somewhere like Anthropologie. Logistically, I’m very independent with my business. I don’t want to make any compromises just to get in that dream retailer. But some big retailer that aligns with the ethics of my business would be really cool.

What makes your work different from anyone else’s?
I think everybody has a unique point of view as creators. Even if a candle—or anything, really—is made of the same materials, I think because it came from a different brain makes it unique in itself.

What’s your most rewarding memory in your business?
Maybe just being extremely busy all the time, which I always complain about. But thinking back to how I wish I were in more stores, and now I’m almost too busy to keep up—I just have to remind myself it’s good that I’m busy!

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