Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - May/June 2020

UP AND COMING 87 Tell me a bit about how the label was started. What was the inspiration etc? Handbags have always been my thing. I’m originally from Stockholm and have been interested in branded bags with a strong story, and ones that inspire or have a unique look. Bags with an optical illusion or innovative design are also something I look for when I go to buy one for myself. The market didn’t offer exactly what I was looking for, so I decided to create it myself. Scandinavian minimalism and simplicity are important in my designs and for POA London. We created a pattern that we called Stockholm Syndrôme; it’s a very minimalistic and simple pattern. The pattern can be found on all of our bags and is our signature style. We are not afraid to use colours and different materials, but our core pattern will always be the simple black and white. Our Stockholm Syndrôme pattern is inspired by tree trunks and their ageing lines. We are a new brand and we gain experience and shape ourselves each and every day in the direction our world is going. We are reactive and we represent nature and minimalism while remaining on trend and in fashion. We are the go-to accessory brand for people that want to do more for their sense of self, and our planet.  As a new brand we will be able to grow with an audience of millennials and generation Z to influence market trends. Because POA was founded by a millennial, it understands the desire of a growing generation, and reflects on growth and change in a positive way. The changes in policies, politics and who we are is demonstrated in the geometry of the design and its connected lines. Our print symbolizes a growing generation emerging from the lines to create their own shape while staying true to nature. The name POA comes from my mother’s name and means flower it reflects on the nature & our brand. I have named each bag we offer after important people in my life. How were the initial products developed and what was the response? I first created the POA bag as a sample. I wanted a simple, classic and timeless bag that fits all your daily necessities and that inspires curiosity on the outside. I also found that not many brands use alternatives to leather. After watching documentaries about the leather industry and how it affects animals and our ecosystem, I was surprised that no high-end brands used any of the new, innovative vegan alternatives that are out there! I didn’t want to contribute to massive pollution and harm animals, so I produced a sample with vegan leather. Wherever I went, people stopped me to compliment my bag and ask where I bought it. So, I decided to continue, and created two more styles. We aim to make a bag for every woman, and made our signature everyday classic, timeless POA bag as the ideal product. Then we made an on the go and ‘out-and- about’ bag –The Ella. Next came a statement fashionista bag – The Donna. We received huge interest on social media and gained around 9000 followers almost overnight. Victoria Secret models and celebrities were liking, following and wanting bags. Influencers asked about collaborations and we landed a Gala Style magazine feature in Germany just two months after launching. What challenges did you face and how were they overcome when starting the business? We had challenges with finding the right team in the beginning, making sure we had people with knowledge of accessory design, marketing, PR and e-commerce. We quite soon realised the difficulties being a female-only business in the fashion industry. Me as a female founder and creative director realised that there isn’t as much help for women entrepreneurs as there is for men. We hadn’t realised until we were in the industry that most brands are owned by men, and fashion is a very male dominated industry, even though most people think the opposite. Basically, men are telling women what to wear. If they are not the creative director they are the funding behind the brand and own a majority stake. Right now, we are a small team of women working together on the design process, social media, PR and logistics. What is it that sets you apart from your competitors? We have a strong, inspiring story about our Stockholm Syndrôme pattern. We use our pattern as our signature style, keeping it simple but never boring! Mixing the Scandi minimalism with a bit of colour, and most importantly, we don’t use animals to produce our accessories. Our upcoming bags are made in Italy out of a new innovative Italian material that is completely vegan and biodegradable.  How important is the location and history of the company to its success? Being based in a city like London gives us the opportunity to visit other cities during fashion weeks to gain inspiration as well as networking.  Do you engage in social media and how does this help your business? Social media is important for us as a lot of our customers find us through these channels. We put a lot of time and effort into our social media content; we scout locations and have great photographers and models working with us. Our content is always interesting and relevant.