What makes mothers successful entrepreneurs

By |Published On: November 22nd, 2016|

Photography by German Osorio

Sometimes you go for a business meeting with the intention to get things done and move on, but things just click and it gets personal—like a first date gone really well. You know, the other person is just so cool and really just… gets you. It’s inevitable to become friends. At least, that’s what it was like the first time I met Kristina, the owner of a small second hand boutique in Lucerne, who is also a successful entrepreneur and a passionate fashionista.

Kristina and I share many passions – fashion, artisanal pieces and craftsmanship, a natural curiosity about how things are made. And of course admiration of all those women who somehow live a life on their own terms, dress to express and follow trends for the love of fashion. Kristina is surely one of them and this life comes at a cost. Doing things your way can cause a lot of judgement and opposition, sometimes isolation and lack of understanding. But both of us very well know that being disliked or called selfish is not be the worst thing in the world.

Like every iconic woman Kristina is quite complex, she has a lot of passion and energy that she invests into more than just one thing. She runs a beautifully curated fashion space where high name brands co-exist with very unknown talented designers from around the world, offering a chic playful collection of handmade jewelry, the cutest one-of-a-kind rag dolls, the most elegant embroidered wool clutches, artistic and playful cushions and super chic wool hats. In her spare time Kristina loves baking and decorating birthday cakes.

Kristina is full of life, ambition, style, and kindness. She is Bulgarian, just like me and a mother of two, just like me. She is running her own business not quite following a particular business model, but her gut and her passion.

As you can imagine, our conversations often evolves around the topic of how hard it is to find a balance and stay true to who you are without too much sense of deluge and guilt. Following your passion means that you kind of have to be prepared to be knocked down, to be hurt and disappointed so many times, and yet be able to wake up every day and put your red lipstick on, dress up and walk the same road again with a smile on your face. Both Kristina and I just don’t believe in giving up, we also don’t understand the modern culture of “it’s alright to show that you have a bad day as long as it feels authentic”, because for both of us authentic means to try to be your best version every single day.

I love what Kristina says about clothes and appearance: “Never underestimate the power of a killer high heel and a red lipstick”. We both believe that when we dress well, we feel well, even on a bad day.

When I ask Kristina about her daily routine, she tells me:

I get up early to prepare my older son for school, make him breakfast and then read the news with a cup of coffee. Then I play with my younger son and try to work on my website and social media. Then I make lunch and leave for work, while my little son stays home with the nanny. I am at the shop the whole afternoon and I come back in the evening to make some dinner, play with the kids and then put them to bed. Then comes my time, I start surfing on internet, or doing my nails, nourishing my face with a really good mask or just soak in the bath.

Kristina´s background is in private banking where she worked for almost 10 years. She met her husband during the time she worked in Raiffeisen in Bulgaria and they had their first son. They stayed in Sofia for about five years but then decided to move to Lucerne where her husband is from. The first three years after moving to Switzerland Kristina stayed at home and had their second child. She was studying German and taking care of her kids, but she never felt comfortable not working outside of the house so she kept looking for opportunities.

Kristina has always been interested in fashion and perhaps her mother encouraged her because she used to tailor clothes for her for her dancing classes. Her father who was at the time a professional football player used to bring her clothes from his travels abroad and that way Kristina developed a taste of handmade, for artisanal and really good quality pieces. She loved styling herself with the different clothes she had collected almost like her own treasure at home.

That’s why it felt natural to her to start her own business here in Switzerland with an online shop, where she used to sell Bulgarian Designers’ clothes. As it turned out Bulgarian Fashion did not appeal to Swiss women´s taste. It was a little abstract and perhaps a bit “too much” for the Swiss market. For Christina, women in Bulgaria love to experiment and embody their feminine side, while in Switzerland there is a tendency for unisex and even more masculine style. “I guess “made in Eastern Europe” was another thing that made people a little unwilling to buy. I can say women here like to invest in well established brands and they are less willing to take risks with new labels they don’t know”. I can see this makes her sad because we all know that good quality exists beyond labels such as GUCCI and Prada.

Kristina decided to slightly change direction, but her passion for craftsmanship and style stayed on focus. She started selling hand-made accessories, like handbags, jewelry and lambs wool home slippers. Then the opportunity came and she bought a small second hand boutique in Lucerne where she now sells second hand pieces from high brands like Bally, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Dorothee Schumacher, Versace and many more.

Here is what Kristina says about fashion, modern women and motherhood:

Tsitaliya: What is fashion for you?

Kristina: Whenever I think of fashion I am not thinking of trends, but rather energy and a way of expressing what the potential is of every woman. Fashion for me is an attitude. I am a mother and often don’t get enough sleep, I go through mood swings but no matter what, being able to get up and dress well, wear mascara and red lipstick can change any bad day into a good one. I also believe that it’s important to teach my children to be able to see what’s beautiful and aesthetic, be able to mix colours and forms. I really think if you dress well you can feel better about yourself.

Tsitaliya: What do you like about vintage clothes?

Kristina: Well when I was little I loved altering my grandmothers clothes and wear them. Even now I still buy clothes, sometimes bigger, but if I like the piece and I have an idea, I alter it and add something to it so I can own and wear it my way. Sometimes people think that wearing second hand means they don’t have money, but that’s not really the issue. Here at second vogue I’ve got a really good selection of high-end brands in great condition.

Tsitaliya: What are your criteria for choosing clothes for your boutique?

Kristina: As much as I try to take clothes that my customers would like, I can’t escape from my own taste and who I am. Most of the time I take clothes, bags, shoes that I myself like and wear. Then I often take pieces because I remember a friend or a client who would look amazing in it. I also like clothes that are feminine and have a creative twist. It can be a normal black blazer but with a different lining or a black dress but with an added element of romanticism.

Tsitaliya: Do you have a style obsession?

Kristina: My obsession is mixing pieces in an unusual way. I don’t get obsessed with seasonal trends. I like to wear things that make me feel good about myself, and that is what I want to communicate to women when I give them advice when they come to my boutique.

Tsitaliya: Do you believe women are born with a sense of style or can they learn it?

Kristina: For sure you can learn style.

Tsitaliya: How?

Kristina: With curiosity about your own needs and how to express yourself, what makes you feel good. Style evolves, it is not constant, we change as a person all the time and our style evolves.

Tsitaliya: Who is your favorite designer?

Kristina: Fabiana Felipe, Bruneo Cuchinelli, Dorotea Schumacher.

Tsitaliya: What would you like to change about the way women dress?

Kristina: I wish people would stop blindly following what celebrities wear and the obsession with big brands.

Tsitaliya: You and I are foreigners in this country and we have a very different attitude to fashion and what we wear. Can you tell me what you have discovered about the way a Swiss woman dresses, what matters to her when she buys a piece of clothing?

Kristina: I think for Swiss women number one thing is comfort. They would never sacrifice comfort for just looking good. Now here at Second Vogue I like to show women how a look can change simply by wearing the same thing with different accessories. My ultimate goal is to help women see what complements them and to choose what makes them look and feel good.

Tsitaliya: What your friends don’t know about you?

Kristina: I am a very open person and my friends know me well, but what I want to say is that I am usually a very determined and dedicated when I want to achieve something. I don’t give up easily and I accept the fact that I can make mistakes. They make me in fact more motivated and better at what I do. That’s what I try to teach my children as well.

Visit Second Vogue in Lucerne on Dornacherstrasse 7 or the online boutique here.

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About the Author: Tsitaliya Mircheva

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Tsitaliya is a writer and fashion journalist for more than 20 years. She founded Mums in Heels 10 years ago and keeps growing and evolving together with her community or fashionable mums and responsible consumers. Fashion and Wellness are her most favourite topics to write about.