FAMILY, FAIR FASHION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A CONVERSATION WITH SARAH KOKAL

MUM MAKES FASHION – HOW COOL IS THAT?

She designs sustainable fashion for parents and kids, runs her own business and still manages to juggle everyday life with three children. With we samay, Sarah Kokal has not only fulfilled a dream project, but also found her own balance between family and entrepreneurship. In this interview, she explains how she manages to do it all and what challenges she still faces today.

From idea to decision: I want to start my own business. How did this process unfold for you?

“Relatively quickly. The idea for we samay and sustainable matching outfits came from my daughter. She was almost three and always wanted to wear whatever I was wearing. Thanks to my many years at the Holy Fashion Group in Kreuzlingen, where I worked for JOOP! and strellson, I knew the value chain in the fashion industry very well.
I quickly found my producers in Izmir – my husband is from Turkey and has good contacts in the textile industry there. I created the online shop myself with Shopify, which was really easy. The biggest challenge wasn’t how to build we samay, but how to manage it all with two children. My eldest wasn’t even three at the time, and my youngest was just a few months old. And the issue remains relevant: we had another daughter this summer.”

When you think back to your first steps, what would you have liked to have known back then?

“Mistakes are part and parcel of starting your own business. There will probably never be a day when I say, “Now I know how everything works.” There will always be new problems and issues to overcome. Launching a fashion label on a small budget was very risky. I couldn’t afford professional support in online marketing, so I relied on contacts from contacts: I put my entire marketing budget into small freelancers, whom I didn’t know if they were even the right people for the job. But their price was affordable for me. Unfortunately, nothing really came of it. So the budget was gone within four weeks, with no positive results.”

Were there moments of doubt, setbacks or uncertainty – how did you deal with them?

“Even after almost five years, there are still moments of doubt every day. The fashion industry is currently more difficult than ever. Everyone is calling for sustainable fashion and demonising fast fashion – but very little fair fashion is being consumed, and when it is, it’s mainly in the sales.
So much time, energy and passion goes into my own start-up. I develop all the designs myself. It takes weeks to design an entire collection. Many consumers are often unaware of this work. Most – I would say around 80% – pay attention primarily to the price and not to the story behind the pieces. As a mother of three children, I often ask myself whether it’s really worth it. But the creative freedom, the sustainable value creation and the customers who really appreciate we samay keep me going.”

What part of founding a company do you enjoy the most today?

‘The flexibility in everything, the creativity and the close relationship with my customers.’

What opportunities and challenges does the Lake Constance region offer as a location?

“The Lake Constance region – especially Constance – is, of course, a tourist magnet. While other regions report a summer slump, it’s peak season for us in brick-and-mortar retail. But Constance is also a good location throughout the year. I have regular customers from the other side of the lake because there are few shopping opportunities there, especially in winter. Even regular customers from Stuttgart and the surrounding area come to Constance several times a year. One challenge remains the proximity to Switzerland: the city benefits greatly from shopping tourism, but this dependence also carries risks.”

Is there a place in Constance or the surrounding area where you like to develop new ideas?

‘At the lake, of course. That’s always the place that gives me relaxation, energy and positive thoughts.’

Which networks, initiatives or associations in the region do you find particularly valuable or have helped you personally or professionally?

“Last year, I organised a female founders’ meeting in Konstanz on International Women’s Day. I am still in contact with many of the women I met that evening, and I even work with some of them now. I also run a project on entrepreneurship every semester with HTWG Konstanz.”

Do you have any connection to LAGO – whether through customers, events or collaborations?

“In the winter of 2023, I had the opportunity to run a 200 m² pop-up store with we samay and partner brands at LAGO for two and a half months. That was definitely a huge highlight in the history of we samay. This month, I’m also attending the Female Business Brunch organised by LAGO. There will be an exciting panel discussion on the topic of ‘Women in Retail,’ which I will be participating in. I’m really looking forward to the exchange and the event!”

How long have you been living in Konstanz – and what do you like about the city?

‘I came to Konstanz in 2009 to study Southeast Asian Management at HTWG. I’m originally from Dresden. Life on Lake Constance, especially with children, is simply unique.’

How do you recharge your batteries when things get stressful?

‘Always at the lake. I love the water.’

What does your perfect day at Lake Constance look like?

‘Sunshine, sun cream, my family with me, a blanket on the grass and into the water.’

What developments would you like to see in the start-up and corporate culture at the lake?

‘I think even stronger cooperation with the universities in the region would be important.’