SUSTAINABLE swimwear brand Mittsu was launched last year by childhood friends Christie Eccles and Karoline Hermansen. Karoline studied textiles at Glasgow School of Art and then worked as a manufacturer for two years in the knitting industry, while Christie studied international business at Edinburgh University. After a promising first summer, the duo want to secure interest in Australia over the next few months.
Names: Christie Eccles and Karoline Hermansen
Ages: They’re both 25
Position: Founders
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Mittsu
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Glasgow
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
WE are childhood friends and as we got older, we wanted to combine our business and textiles degrees to set up a sustainable swim and ready-to-wear brand: Mittsu. We are dedicated to having a positive effect on the environment through choosing lower impact materials and processes. We believe in conscious creation and are passionately dedicated to driving change in the fashion industry.
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Our collection is inspired by vintage photographs, our travels and has been created in luxe fabrics that will stand the test of time. We wanted to create clothes and swimwear that are amazing quality and will last, that you can mix and match together and wear day and night. At the moment we are planning on focusing more on swimwear and bringing in vintage clothing later to compliment it.
Our aim is to become as sustainable as we can. We have been in touch with Lycra companies that specialise in ethical materials and we are planning on using fabric which is made from recycled plastic bottles. We’re really excited about this as we feel more and more customers want to know where their clothes are from.
WHAT IS YOUR TARGET MARKET?
WOMEN aged 18-30
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
ALL our items are made in small limited-edition batches to avoid waste which also means each piece is special as very few people in the world will have the same Mittsu item as you! We are fashion focused but create classic pieces that can be a staple in your wardrobe for years to come.
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We are dedicated to having a positive effect on the environment and global community, through choosing lower impact materials and processes. We believe in conscious creation and are passionately dedicated to driving change. Each one of our orders is packaged in 100% re-usable or recyclable packaging, using no plastic whatsoever. All of our pieces are made in luxe fabrics designed to last and we plan on future collections being made from recycled fabrics and yarns.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
THERE are a lot of opportunities in Scotland. Many people move down to London but as there are so few sustainable fashion brands here, we feel this is a great opportunity for us – we have a niche product that no one else in the country is selling.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
EVERY DAY there is something new to learn and new challenges which come with running our own business – which keeps things interesting! Working with your best friend is also amazing, not many people get that opportunity and we have so much fun travelling together for photoshoots.
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WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN RUNNING THE BUSINESS?
GETTING to grips with everything that running a business entails is a real challenge. There were gaps in our knowledge, but The Prince’s Trust Enterprise course helped us to fill these and we learned so much from it. Another challenge, especially when you first set up a business, is money. We were able to access funding through the trust that allowed us to travel to London to get our pieces seen at vintage markets which was brilliant.
WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS’ TIME?
WE are working towards all our items being made from recycled plastic bottles and yarns – sustainability is at the forefront of our business and this is something we are very passionate about. We hope to grow our business in Glasgow and employ creatives from the area to keep talent in Scotland. In the next few months we want to expand into Australia.
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