FASHTALKS WITH ETISHE

What inspired you to name your brand?

The name is a play on the words ethical and fashion. The first one is our core value. The second is our passion.

What is your earliest design memory for your brand?

I remember working first on the pumpkin trench coat, drawing up some concepts.

Do you have a favorite piece that you have designed?

In general, the one I’m working on at the time is probably my favorite. What’s the point of working on it if you’re not excited about it?

If I had to point out an iconic or personally significant piece: I wear the Serious Pumpkin Trench a lot. We have prototyped it to be very functional and beautiful. I’m really proud of it.

“We started the brand because we wanted to build premium quality and sustainable products that are easy to wear and are still beautiful and timeless in design.”

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in both art and nature.

What do you envision for the future of your brand?

We hope to become an example of how to build an ethical and sustainable fashion brand business, and we hope more similar brands are founded.

What sets your brand apart from the rest?

We started the brand because we wanted to build premium quality and sustainable products that are easy to wear and are still beautiful and timeless in design. These are products that we haven’t seen others designing and are items that we want and need.

How important is sustainability to your brand?

Sustainability is a core value. We exist to produce such products.

What were some hurdles you had to overcome in your business?

It’s the nature of the business to always have obstacles to overcome, so I can’t really point out a single thing. In general, building credibility is hard and it takes time – and you need to have patience. Making sustainable products price-competitive is very difficult because there are multiple factors that creat hiher costs than for a conventional fashion business. We find it difficult to communicate this to customers.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to a new designer?

You are probably focusing a lot on fashion design, and you should continue that and continue becoming better.

However, in order to run a business, in addition to having well-designed products you need to understand financials and accounting, marketing and communication, supply chains, production, quality checks, fulfillment, customer care, sales, planning and so much more. Find people who know how to do this well or better than you and have them become part of your vision.

“You should be the curator of your own wardrobe.”

How important is social media to your brand?

Social media is important because we have a direct channel to our customers.

What is the most important thing you would like your brand to be recognized for?

We want to be recognized for fashion pieces that customers love and that have a positive impact on the world and environment.

How would you define fashion?

My own philosophy, which ETISHE also represents, is that you should be the curator of your own wardrobe. You pick and choose beautiful products that make you happy and you combine them into unique styles that bring out your personality.

Fashion helps me communicate who I am on a different level.

What is your favorite fashion trend? Least favorite?

We don’t follow trends.

How has the fashion industry changed since you first started out?

ETISHE is fairly new, but I have been working in the domain for over a decade and have been interested in buying fashion items for a lot longer.

The biggest change is the obvious rise of fast fashion and aggressive consumerism. A lot of people have become distanced from the idea that you are like a curator of your own wardrobe - you own a collection of pieces that you adore and style your own looks. Unfortunately, it’s become more quantity over quality. We hope this will change with the advent of slow fashion and sustainable movements.

What can consumers expect to see next from your brand?

We are working on new pieces for 2023 to complement our existing line. As mentioned before, I believe in being a curator of your own wardrobe and owning quality fashion pieces. Therefore, don’t expect that we will keep replacing products with new iterations. We’re looking to complement and add, as well as find out what is missing.

If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your career, what would it be?

You can’t do this alone.