DESIGNER INTERVIEW: HMÉTÉ
Hikmete Morina launched her impeccably stylish workwear brand for women, HMÉTÉ, this summer in New York, after two years of research and hard work behind the scenes. The brand offers stylish, affordable and high quality clothes, exactly what Morina herself struggled to find.
You had a long and successful career in finance. What encouraged you to take the leap and focus on Hmété full time?
I studied business in Switzerland, worked in banking before moving on to Price Waterhouse Coopers and the CPA track (accountancy qualification). It was extremely challenging and I learned a lot. I really enjoyed the challenge. I spent five years in Switzerland with PWC before being promoted and sent to New York to work on one of the company’s biggest clients. I did this for several years before leaving two months ago to launch my business, Hmété.
Eventually, I realised I was so passionate. I was working all day in my actual job and then working in the evenings past midnight and at weekends, often all weekend. I realised that if I didn’t do it, I would regret it. I thought to myself - if I quit now, I would be giving up. It took two years from starting to research the initial business concept to launching HMÉTÉ this summer.
Do you have a background in fashion or any training?
I don’t have a background in fashion but I’ve always had a creative side. Growing up my hobbies were drawing and painting though at school my analytical mind pushed me towards more technical subjects and eventually to study business at university.
These two aspects of me connected (especially after my move to the US), when I couldn’t find anything to wear for work that was work appropriate, affordable and young. I asked myself - how hard can it be to do that? I wondered if it was a matter of cost so I began to do research.
I surveyed all my friends. I did extensive internet research. I looked at new brands like Everlane which was great but too casual. What was clear was that there was a gap. I then had to convince myself that this was a business idea.
Is a typical HMÉTÉ customer starting to emerge? Did you have someone in mind when you started the brand?
Most of my customers are 25-35, fashion conscious, wanting to look good in an office/corporate environment and then be able to go straight out after work without having to change.
I designed the collection with myself and my closest friends in mind. During my research phase, I asked my friends what challenges they faced when buying clothes for work. Like me, they had all had enough of Zara and low quality fabrics at one end of the scale and at the other, they were fed up with only being able to buy the more expensive brands at the end of season sales.
Feedback from friends was invaluable on sketches as I asked them: would you wear this? shorter? longer? what about the fabric? It was critical to the design process.
HMÉTÉ FW 18/19 collection, the new dress code
Hmété’s mission is to offer the best design, top quality fabrics and ‘fair and affordable’ prices to its customers. How challenging is it to adhere to this model?
It is pretty challenging as we are a completely new brand. I think as we grow it will become easier. Now we are buying fabric in lower quantities so fabric is expensive. Everything is taking more time as this is the beginning but I know things will become easier. That said, being small and new we have advantages. We don’t have to go with every new trend, every season. Nor do we have to compete with big high-end or casual brands. We can grow gradually, building on the customer base we have season by season.
There’s a lot of talk by fashion brands about ‘sustainability’ but do you think it’s genuine or driven by customer demand and expectation? What is your approach to sustainability with Hmété?
I think it is definitely driven by customers. Personally, I think it’s very important that a brand is sustainable. I try to only buy brands that are truly ethical. Regardless of whether or not a company has good reporting, it’s hard to know exactly what goes on in every aspect of the production cycle. Even if they are working with an ethical factory (paying its workers a decent living wage and providing good working conditions), it’s impossible to know everything like how the fabric is dyed or what the transportation policy is.
As for us, the first thing I started with was building a relationship with factories in India. I established a relationship with a team with a base in New York and who manufacture in India. I buy a block of manpower and I made a commitment for a year which means that the people employed in the factory know that they are employed for a year. Working closely with the production team in India, I calculate how much manpower and time I need to budget in order to produce my collection at the required volume to meet my deadlines.
I also try to work with as much natural fibre as possible - silk, wool and cotton - avoiding polyester but one of my challenges is making clothes that look good all day and that’s a long day, often twelve hours or more!
What do you see as the greatest challenges ahead of you?
I would say the scaling of the business and getting people to know the brand. We have a lot more work to do in that area. I am in the process of raising money so that we can invest in those two key areas.
I have freelancers supporting me at the moment but my focus continues to be on design and sourcing.
How has your background in finance influenced your decision making process now that you are running a fashion brand?
When I speak to the team in the factory in India, my starting point is always an excel spreadsheet. I always explain things in numbers, especially with production. When I talk to the designer, I calculate measurements. At the beginning of this process, I didn't just start straight away, I had a budget in place.
How important do you consider social media to be as a marketing tool for emerging brands? Do you engage in influencer marketing?
It is extremely important. It is our only advertising channel and I have been surprised by what it has delivered. I’ve had connections to service providers through it who I’ve since developed meaningful relationships with. When I reach out to influencers, I look at what their profile stands for and if it’s in line with our brand. For a fashion brand, I think instagram is the most important of all the online marketing channels.
HMÉTÉ, affordable workwear for fashion conscious women
Which are the brands you admire, big and small?
In terms of smaller brands, I really like Everlane. I admire their business process, ideology and what they stand for. M Gemi, the footwear company, follows a similar idea by focusing on what’s important: a good quality product at an affordable price.
As for bigger brands, I love Victoria Beckham, Jason Wu and Brandon Maxwell.
Do you think New York is a good place to start a business? Is there support for fledging businesses?
Absolutely. I wouldn't have started Hmété if I had been in Switzerland. When I discussed my idea for Hmété here, people immediately said ‘do it, you should do it!’. People’s reaction in Switzerland was ‘are you sure? what about your career?.’ In Switzerland, people veer in the side of caution but in New York it’s about taking a risk and giving it a go.
Based on your experience starting Hmété, what advice would you give for someone considering starting their own fashion brand. What are the pitfalls?
Financing and supply chain management are two extremely important things. It’s relatively easy to have ideas and make samples but what you really need before you even begin is finance in place and a clear budget for your first six months. The same thing applies for your supply chain and fabric; where will you source your fabric from? how will you ship it? how will get your product to your customer? what quality control procedures will you have in place? It takes a long time to get the final product right. One of the major pitfalls is not planning.
As I discovered, whoever you are working with must be on the same page. I worked with a designer on initial samples and what she produced was completely wrong. It was a total waste of money and I found the process devastating. My advice would be when working on samples with a designer: take your time and try one sample before you commit more money and resource.
What are your favorite parts of NYC? Any interesting hidden gems you’d like to share?
I love the West Village and Greenwich Village but the East Village has more to offer in terms of hidden gems. My favourites include Amelie on 8th which is a a cosy French restaurant with great wine and great bread. I also love The Eddy, a tiny restaurant with a small bar and small menu. It does amazing cocktails and fresh, local food. www.ameliewinebar.com www.theeddynyc.com.
