Gift Focus inc Attire Accessories - September/October 2020

UP & COMING 145 Tell me a bit about how the label was started. What was the inspiration? We’ve been working together as business partners for a couple of years. Young and ambitious, but also always working and rushing through life – one more last-minute project, another network gathering, a not-so-quick coffee with an old acquaintance. With fully booked calendars we’ve tried to rescue our sanity by collecting an unnameable amount of books, activities and events to try and live in the now. However, through all this soul-searching we forgot to look around us and actually do it. We found ourselves forgetting to enjoy the moments as they were happening, because we were too busy planning how to live our lives. In a quest to start appreciating this journey called life, we needed a little daily reminder. That is why we created this new Watch Now collection. A meaningful awareness accessory to provide us with the memo to not be so aware of time, but just be thankful for the moment that we are in. How were the initial products developed and what was the response? With a team of 10 we designed the product, developed the website, shot the images and tested the prototype with our friends and family. With all the feedback we worked towards the final product. What challenges did you face and how were they overcome when starting the business? It was the first time we really worked from scratch when launching a new product. From idea to design, to finding the right factory that could produce the product we had in mind. The feedback we got from the first five factories we got in touch with was, “A watch with no clock? Sorry this is not possible.” So, it took a while to find a good and trustable partner that wanted to think with us in possibilities instead of problems. What is it that sets you apart from your competitors? We found some competitors with the same idea but all of them had a clockwork in the watch. The time is not what the product should have because it’s all about the now moments. How important is the location and history of the company to its success? It’s not important at all. But with both