Jarina Hasi and Ana Polack working on Mookaite's first silk scarf collection
Launched only 3 weeks ago, Mookaite silk scarves will make a great Valentine's present for your loved one. Honestly, you may as well take advantage of the super discount code that Jarina Hasi and Ana Polack have kindly offered for the whole month, and buy a few more. We caught up with Jarina to find out how these two entrepreneurs took an idea and ran with it.
Why did you start? What has been the inspiration?
The inspiration started off with a business meeting between Ana and myself on an entirely different topic. The interesting part of the story is that we are competitors in our work career. During a business meeting our conversation quickly deviated to art, fashion and design. We realized we had a lot in common; we shared the same desire for a more creative lifestyle, and we were both scarf lovers. I graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and Ana comes from an artistic family as well as being a surface pattern designer. The combination of our skills, experience and entrepreneurship sparked the idea of creating a scarf collection together!
Was the idea of designing scarves something you had been working on?
We had both played with the idea of doing something more creative one day, and with the Covid-19 lockdown, the opportunity to reconsider what is important to us. We wanted to be creative and be able to share a tangible product.
Where does the name of the brand originate?
The name “Mookaite” comes from an Australian Jasper stone that carries an invigorating frequency of strength and vitality. This stone promotes an ageless spirit willing to accept change and seek new experiences. And this meaning resonates with our values and our brand. We aim to bring a touch of positivity, beauty and color to women through our designs.
What is the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
The pandemic was challenging as we were not able to meet in person to brainstorm and work together as we had expected. We developed the company and created the collection completely virtually! Creating a company during a pandemic has advantages and disadvantages... I don't think we would have followed our instinct and have so much passion if we had had our normal busy pre-pandemic lives. This project gave us hope and energy to improve the quality of our lives by doing what we love.
What are your plans for the future?
We started with a collection of 5 scarves: silk twill, handrolled edges, sized at a generous 90 x 90cm square. Right now our plans are to grow in a sustainable way and to continue designing and producing our scarves in limited editions. If everything goes well, we plan to include some more accessories in our assortment. We are currently producing a small collection for Spring of Twillies: smaller sized scarves, that will be available in about 2 months.
Why choose scarves?
We love silk scarves, because they are beautiful, they comes from a long tradition of craftsmanship, and they give that extra touch of sophistication and elegance to any wardrobe. All our scarves are ethically produced by a family-run business in Lyon, France.
What have your clients said so far?
We just launched the company at the beginning of January 2021 and so far the feedback from clients is very positive. They love the colors and quality, and one client who usually doesn’t wear scarves said, “Wearing this Mookaite scarf makes me feel elegant and puts the final touch on my outfit.”
Jarina and Ana, www.mookaite.ch, have kindly offered a 10% discount on all orders through the month of February 2021. Apply the discount code knowitall at the checkout page.
Note: Free delivery within Switzerland. International delivery with fee is possible.
Mookaite
www.mookaite.ch
Switzerland
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