© Sandra Eckhardt
Aninaw ⎪ Munich ⎪ Germany
« Fashion Label Aninaw - Another Success Story of a Small Business »
Young fashion entrepreneur Anja Wuerttemberger established her small fashion business Aninaw a couple of years ago after she and her husband relocated from Munich/Germany to Dubai.
It all started with a visit of Munich's famous Oktoberfest when she decided to design herself a truly unique dirndl dress using exotic textiles such as Indian Sari fabrics.
But how exactly did the pieces fall into place, what made her turn her idea into a small business? And, what made her design dirndl (=Dirndl) dresses in Dubai? It’s not evident why you would go East to design traditional Bavarian costumes – rather the opposite. This is why we have contacted Anja to find out more about her story, the unique business idea and how things got started. Here is a summary of what she has told us.
What Exactly Made Her Decide to Design Dirndl in Dubai?
Anja's appreciation for Bavarian traditions had increased while living abroad (one thing all expats can very likely report, too) she decided to get herself one of these fancy and currently so popular Dirndl for a visit of Munich's famous Oktoberfest.
Unfortunately she wasn't the only one wearing said dress and she got quite disappointed. This experience triggered her desire to get a custom-made Dirndl that is truly unique. In order to avoid any duplications going forward she decided to design it herself upon her return to Dubai, which offers an abundant choice of textiles and tailors. Said and done – once she was back she was searching for the ideal fabrics and for a tailor to make her dream a reality.
Due to previous travels to India and her admiration for saris, she identified them as the perfect match for her Dirndl – colorful and with delicate embroideries but at the same time harmonizing perfectly to give her Dirndl a classic touch.
Of course it was not that easy to come up with the perfect Dirndl made in Dubai at once. There are many tailors in Dubai but none of them ever worked on Bavarian traditional costumes before. It is fun to hear her talk about her early struggles such as communicating the Dirndl essentials using hands and feet as well as randomly asking someone passing by to translate as her tailors don't speak English.
Since her friends back home were raving about her unique Dirndl she realized that she might have found a niche. She did some more samples, which she tried to sell in Germany. The rest is history.
Did she never fear the competition – it’s a tiny market?
She says she never thought about it. What outsiders would call a weakness has proven to be her biggest advantage/strength. Not knowing the competition or the market size has allowed her the naivety to dare the risk taking. Only now she realizes how lucky she has been. In terms of distribution she for instance simply asked herself where she would like to see her dresses sold and went to see them.
Does she regret anything or would she do anything differently?
No, she really loves what she does. They only thing she would probably not not do anymore is doing business with friends. She says she would rather keep business relationships at a professional level.
Any other thoughts about running a start-up?
Sometimes you can’t envision what’s possible or how your business will develop. She for instance had no idea that her online boutique might ever work so well as Dirndl have to fit perfectly and with prices around Euro 1,000 they are quite an investment.
Anja's advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Listen to your gut feeling. There will always be someone criticizing or telling you to do and see things differently. You need to be open minded but be sure that you stay true to yourself. You can’t be everything to all. If you do what you like you are authentic and your customers will feel and appreciate that.
Isn't that another inspiring story about young entrepreneurship at its best? We really like what Anja has come up with so far and can't wait to see more. Besides Dirndl she designs lovely scarves, tunics and dresses using Arabian patterns, which she again interprets in a contemporary manner. Beautiful, we have bought one of her unique scarves and received plenty of compliments.
But go and see for yourself.
Enjoy!
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