Join us in an exclusive interview with MOST, where the keys to their success are unveiled. Delve into the nuances of the online entrepreneurial world and explore the journey that positions MOST at the forefront of e-commerce innovation.
1. Can you introduce yourself and MOST?
Hello, my name is Izabela Sojka and I’m the founder of the MOST – the studio of decorative textiles. As always in my life I wanted to create a brand focused on something that I obsessively look for but cannot find in stores. This time: beautiful natural textiles for accessible prices. Textiles that I remembered from my early childhood: this feeling, when you touched them, wore them, sat on them, admired their harmony and proportions, almost united with them with incomparable pleasure. Sounds crazy, I know, but during the communist times when Poland was deprived from almost all luxury items, we found the real comfort in the few prewar relics, especially from the modernism era, simple in form but complex in the ideas behind them. Often bespoken, made with passion, ununiformed.
2. How was MOST born? How did you start?
The MOST was born when I was forced to sell my cement tile factory. It was a disaster then, but soon I realized that it was part of the natural process. I learnt a lot, starting that previous company from scratch, customizing the technology with my staff, working with great designers but also searching for something that could be as unique as every cement tile, but made with less people and effort and yes, more affordable, yet still handmade-like, personalized.
The first MOST fabric was created completely by coincidence, almost by accident. I happened to have this beautiful Italian linen and wanted to use it as a curtain, but the space was very empty or dull, so I thought why not paint it. I kindly asked my friend, a designer, to do it using bold abstract motifs, that she is famous for, but also making them huge. The effect was unbelievable, but again totally handmade, so I started to experiment with screen-printing technics and finally decided to print the cotton-linen blended heavy fabric using a 5 meter long pattern and it was what I wanted. When you cut this fabric in order to make a curtain or tablecloth or even a table mat, every piece is different, customized, but on the other hand, machine manufactured.
3. What makes MOST different? Can you explain your products with details?
I hope what makes the MOST different is the idea of producing textiles, making as few compromises as possible. In every possible way. Starting from hiring great designers, then embodying their designs in high quality natural fabrics, finding experienced specialists, carefully looking for every detail, overcoming as many trials as necessary. Then carefully examining sample fabrics and correct mistakes.
It is especially important while working with woven fabrics. It’s not surprising at all that in order to operate jacquard looms people had to invent operating systems, that then were developed into the first computers. So many variables! Every detail matters! So many tedious obstacles on the way. Why it is so hard to find a loom with cotton warps? To find reliable cotton or linen threads in chosen subtle colors while barely anybody uses them now? Eventually, how to make natural woven fabric more customizable and less expensive?
And the most important issue. How to negotiate design with technology? How to find a way not to negotiate at all? I dare to believe that thanks to great MOST cooperators today we are closer to answering this big issue than 3 years ago. But as we gain more confidence in our work, our appetite for perfection is only growing.
4. What reactions do you get from your clients? Do they love your products?
Well, it depends, I would say that we never had complaints concerning the quality of our products or their design. We have returning clients and when people come to our stationary shop, they are first surprised, then intrigued, then sometimes they say the design is too bold for them, but some of them are really pleased with our approach and quality of products. Only one client so far has returned our product, saying that the color of the plaid was different on the picture. I wish we could have more clients, more people could see our products in reality and have the possibility to touch them.
But the most important thing to us is to fulfil our clients’ dreams. That is why we are working on some kind of textile creator to offer people printed and woven textiles on demand. And I’m so pleased to say that the prototype version already exists.
5. What are the advantages of MOST?
We use only natural yarns, our products are unique, but not expensive because they are woven on professionally equipped loom factories. So we can make really bespoke fabrics in small quantities, not only printed but also jacquard ones.
Our idea is to love the most, create the most and care the most!
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