Creating a fashion brand in Russia is generally not an easy task. Surviving all the crises, the departure of Western competitors and the transformation of the market is even more difficult. And at the same time, being a husband and wife managing your own clothing brand at the same time generally seems like an overwhelming task. But Maxim and Diana Ryabykin, the founders and ideological inspirers of the Daisyknit brand, deliberately chose a hard level – and won!
You can talk with this couple from morning to night and ask everything: how they managed to maintain recognition against the background of a sharp increase in the number of Russian clothing brands, how the fashion business works – and how to work together and then go again home to be together without burning out. We actually started talking about all this with Diana and Maxim – join us!
-Diana, Daisyknit started with you, didn’t it? How did it happen – you are never “sick” fashion?
Diana: I never thought I would suddenly get into the fashion industry! Since childhood, I dreamed of being a businessman – somehow I finally became one, because we are still developing our own brand. I graduated from the Faculty of Economics, then a master’s degree in Innovative Economics, received grants, went to study abroad and never thought about fashion.
ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUED BELOW
And how did you get into this field?
D: After returning to Tomsk, Russia, I realized that it is simply difficult for me to find clothes for myself. Yes, and in my school years I just exhausted my mother, who walked with me around the market and listened to how I didn’t like anything.
After university, I remained the same picky eater, so I started ordering clothes from the atelier: I bought the fabrics in the store, and after seeing enough European brands, I chose some minimalist styles. People asked where I bought all this, I answered that I figured it out myself, gradually uploaded the first works to social networks… It was kind of natural that I immersed myself in creating clothes.
– Did you immediately think that it could be monetized?
D: No, it all started as a hobby and the first profit felt like a bonus. In 2014, I casually studied the subject of machine knitting, found the only knitting studio in Tomsk, and together we created a collection. I put everything on social networks – the buyers, one might say, found me themselves. It was probably at that moment that I realized that it could develop into something more: I saw with my own eyes that without advertising and influencers, girls come just because they like it.
-But you haven’t quit your main job yet?
D: Just remember, I was working in a woodworking business at the time. In the evening, I went to my showroom (19 m2), which I rented with a make-up artist friend. I did the assembly myself and gradually developed – it was my outlet. I don’t have a higher education in the field of fashion, but I have completed many courses for stylists and studied at the Fashion factory school. I no longer studied fashion and design, but fashion business.
-And when did Maxim join the project?
D: I did it as a hobby for about a year. At that time, Maxim worked as the head of the financial department in the company. I was very tired and wanted to quit Daisyknit because I couldn’t keep my balance at work. But Maxim wanted to leave his job to start a business, and he saw potential in my hobby.
– It turns out that in the beginning Maxim looked at the brand from the point of view of a manager, right? So you went into sole proprietorship – what pros and cons did you see right away?
Maxim: Among the advantages of doing business in Russia, I can note a relatively easy entry, well-developed social networks, tools for promotion and a relatively strong interest of the Russian consumer in domestic brands. It is a big market with enough space for all emerging brands, so it is too early to say that the industry in Russia is overcrowded. There are still plenty of places where good brands are needed.
From the minuses – a weak production base, which does not allow to quickly increase the volume of production. Expensive logistics because our country is very big and the fabrics are mostly imported. And even now that the fashion market is on DIY tracks, we are still dependent on imports in one way or another.
Let’s go back to the issue of division of labor. How did you divide the responsibilities between you? Daisyknit became a full-fledged brand when you got married, right?
D: Yes, we were already married when we decided to start Daisyknit as a business venture. At first we did everything together, but as the company grew, we divided our areas of responsibility. I was and am responsible for the creative component, and Maxim is the organizer, financier, therefore he is responsible for all business processes. This decision helps us to avoid conflicts, even if they still happen at times. I don’t remember serious arguments about work, we somehow get used to it.
-We want your lifehack advice for couples who work together! What is the secret to a peaceful family and work life?
M: I don’t have a special life hack, but if I realize I’m wrong, I always admit my fault and apologize. And if I understand that Diana is wrong, I will give her arguments. Despite the fact that they don’t always agree, I will take a “thinking” break to make the right decision. In general, it’s good practice to cool down and talk afterwards.
– Are there any advantages to working in pairs?
D: The most important plus is 100% trust, help and support, because your partner is your closest person. This is such a tandem of a female creative approach and a male systemic approach. We have common goals, we develop together as individuals. And frequent joint work trips to different countries are of course also a plus. Consider family travel!
Of the minuses: it is difficult not to confuse the roles of wife / husband, colleagues, business partners, boss / subordinate. One way or another, we have all these roles, so it’s hard to disconnect from it when you come home. It can also be difficult to enjoy a carefree family life when there are some problems in the business. But over time, with experience, you will learn how to live with it and how to build a husband / wife relationship at home. Anyway, the pluses are much more than the minuses (smiles).
-It even sounds inspiring: you grow together as partners, your business also develops. How have you changed since Daisyknit has been around?
D: At least we’ve picked up a few new professions over the years. When you do everything yourself, manage social networks, work in 1C, unload and pack parcels, study sales, create an assortment matrix as a stylist and product manager, it requires constant training. With the growth of the company, it is already necessary to acquire managerial skills, to study psychology, because there was no such experience before. Accordingly, you grow strongly as a person.
-And the brand itself, how has it changed? Does Daisyknit now look the way you and Maxim originally planned?
D: A lot has changed! At the moment, the brand is very different from how we imagined it at the beginning of the journey. In general, there were no expectations then, but now we already have a team of 200 people in different cities, several production plants, a customer base of more than forty thousand customers in Russia, and the 9th store is opening in June – this is the third in Moscow.
The funny thing is that I didn’t notice how it all happened. And it’s great that our approach to business hasn’t changed in those 8 years. It was always a project not to make money, we wanted to create a quality product from natural fabrics and provide decent working conditions. Of course, it was very difficult, but everything worked out (smiles).
M: If we had embarked on the brand journey from the very beginning, then I wouldn’t have made any mistakes. But every year is an experience. When the team changes, so does the business and its philosophy. Over the years, I began to pay more attention to the professionalism, attitude and training of my employees. Therefore, the only thing I would change is my attitude towards the team, I would invest more in it already in the first stages of brand development. It’s good that we had a “customer for life” concept from the beginning, I’m happy with that.
-By the way, let’s talk about this in more detail: in order to preserve the “client for life” format, you need to at least roughly imagine what Russian fashion will look like in 5, 10 years. Do you have any perspective on this?
D: I have been actively traveling for the last 15 years and I can say with confidence: Russian girls are always visible. But recently I noticed that they were not different for the better before. And now I see stylish girls and understand that they are Russian – this is very pleasant!
It is also due to the development of the fashion industry in the country. Because brands also have an educational function. The content we create is educational. We invite stylists who talk about trends, what to wear with what. In recent years, girls have learned to understand themselves and their character traits. You can look cool in any form if you choose the right clothes. There is also a trend towards self-acceptance. It’s great that the fashion industry in Russia has grown from a material need to “cover nudity” into something more.
What about street stylists? Usually, from the photos from Fashion Weeks, you can immediately see where the fashion wiki takes place, the fashion girls and guys have a kind of signature, recognizable “national” tokens. From the outside looking in, what do you say: does our fashionista have this signature?
D: Honestly, I don’t consider myself a fashion expert, but it seems to me that Moscow street style has not yet been created. Moscow is such a huge cosmopolitan city that you can meet both an elegant Parisian woman and a slightly disheveled Danish woman in a monochrome look. But if we compare the style of girls in Moscow and in the regions, then the capital is still one step ahead.
Although over the past few years, with the development of social networks, the situation has begun to change. We see it in our clients as well. When we tried to introduce some more minimalistic products in trendy shades to the range a few years ago, they didn’t sell well at first. However, over time, more and more people are defining their style, girls in the regions have become more fashionable – it’s nice to know that Daisyknit-girls, although not a big but tangible merit, are in this big breakthrough.
:
Source: The Voice Mag
I am an experienced professional with a passion for writing and the news. I have been working in the news industry for several years, specializing in fashion-related content. As an author at 24 Instant News, I strive to cover stories that are both compelling and informative. My goal is to keep readers informed while also providing interesting content they can engage with.
