Attire Accessories - Nov/Dec 2018 (Issue 73)

UP AND COMING 41 Tell me a bit about how the label was started. What was the inspiration? Even though we officially started trading in 2016, you could argue that KASHKA has been alive for almost as long as I have. I first saw the word “kashka” in a magazine at the age of 16, and from that point on, I dreamt about one day owning a business with the same name. It took a few decades to turn that dream into reality, but I always knew that this wasn’t going to be just any business. Regardless of what KASHKA was going to become, I knew it had to make a difference, make people happy and have meaning and heart – whilst also being true to myself. My academic background is in history of art, gemmology and anthropology, which exposed me to the harsh realities of the jewellery industry and its mining practices. It was awful, and I believed there just had to be a better way to produce pretty and good-quality jewellery at no sacrifice to either the people making it or the environment. How were the initial products developed, and what was the response? What challenges did you face, and how were they overcome when starting the business? In the very early days before we were trading, the challenge was building a likeable brand from the ground up whilst working in a full-time job. Arguably, we are still a very young company, as we only started trading in 2016, so we are still overcoming many challenges and learning every day. Our main challenges are combating a lack of brand awareness and securing buyer trust. We are working hard to get our brand and products in the right places and in front of the right people, which is taking time but is making a move in the right direction. What is it that sets you apart from your competitors? We are transparent, fair and honest in everything we do and say, which is something we pride ourselves on. Consumers will always know how our products are made, and we will never lie to make money. We will always price our products fairly and will never add a premium on to anything. Our designs will always be pretty, dainty and wearable whilst still incorporating the the unique and quirky elements we have become recognised for. How important is the location and history of the company to its success? We don’t currently have any bricks and mortar stores and operate solely online, although we occasionally participate in pop-up shops across London and are looking to expand our physical presence across the UK over the next 12 months. We are learning that the location of the pop- ups isn’t crucial to our success, but the interactions we have with people are. Being an online business means that location, in the physical sense, doesn’t matter, either. We are a global brand and are accessible from anywhere in the world, but the location of where we are seen online and in print matters. In the past couple of months, we have worked with fashion stylists who have dressed a selection of globally recognised celebrities with our jewellery, which I think will be an avenue that adds to our growth and success. Social media is also an important tool for us – especially Instagram and Pinterest – along with user-generated content and influencer marketing, which is an area we are quickly growing within. At the moment, history isn’t important to us as we don’t really have one, but it will be as we get older. How has the product offering changed since you started, and how would you describe your current collection? When we first started, we were everywhere. We wanted to be offering children’s keepsakes whilst producing adult jewellery. Trying to do multiple things at the same time wasn’t working, and I quickly realised that we needed to focus on one area and do it well before we could grow. I decided that this should be adult jewellery. We now have five jewellery collections, offer corporate gifting, run an affiliate programme and provide a bespoke jewellery service. Eventually, we will look to expanding into children’s jewellery, amongst other areas, but will always ensure that we do it properly. How often do you launch new lines? We don’t believe in fast fashion and hate conforming to the idea that we have to have a new collection each season. We are always developing ideas, finding ways to expand our current collections and developing our product offering. However, we are doing it slowly and in a way that won’t harm the environment or the people making our products. We take things slowly, as it gives us the breathing space to think consciously and enables us to produce products that are in our signature style, of good quality and can be worn every day. Likewise, they are timeless pieces that can be a part of all the special moments in its owner’s life. What trade shows do you attend and why? Being a relatively young brand, we haven’t attended any trade shows yet. It is something that I want to do, as I know that they will take us to a level that we haven’t yet reached, but I am conscious of participating in trade shows and won’t until the brand is on the path that it should be.