ST YLE“If you have a dream
to start a business, it
won’t happen unless
you make it happen.”- Vashti Uys
Since then, MOOI has met with vast success
and popularity in the industry. Although —
like with any business — the entire journey
has not been smooth sailing, Vashti has found
that the company has only grown through
overcoming these obstacles. As a brand based
devoutly in high quality standards, many of
these challenges have simply involved
maintaining MOOI’s top value and excellence.
“With every MOOI bag individually
handcrafted and our extremely high values of
quality and consistency, getting the
productions team to ‘buy-in’ to our brand
values took some time,” explains Vashti.
“But it now works seamlessly.”Ensuring this calibre in her products has
proven to be an ongoing challenge. As
a result, Vashti works closely with her
suppliers to ensure products are made with
the proper grade, colour and quality of
material to meet her high standards of
production. One glimpse at the stunning
and reliable nature of MOOI products,
however, proves that the time and energy
invested is well worth the result.Another difficulty for Vashti has been
navigating international markets to discover
cultural differences and the best approaches
to marketing and communication. “It is
almost like I need to start each marketing
plan with a clean slate, a blank canvas, and
work out that market’s intricacies and
differences,” she says. “This is a challenge,
but one that I find exciting, and love to
conquer!” As a whole, all of these
experiences have only pushed MOOI to
reach new heights. “These challenges have
become learnings,” Vashti declares.In addition to supplying top-grade products,
MOOI also recognises that the process is
equally as important as the product. The
company has adopted sustainable practices
by sourcing materials that are bi-products of
the economic food industry, for example, by
utilising the hides of animals already culled
for meat. In this way, MOOI works with local
famers and tanneries in order to support
sustainable farming practices. Furthermore,the business has also lent a hand to
disadvantaged people in South Africa by
offering employment opportunities to those
with little-to-no training at the Uys family-
owned factory, Indigo. Now creating as
much as 80 per cent of the company designs,
Indigo allows new staff to gain experience in
different roles and work towards a permanent
position in the company.Even the name ‘MOOI’ itself reflects the
brand’s pure and genuine values. Meaning
‘beautiful’ in Afrikaans, MOOI was originally
meant to represent the elegant and unique
crafts Vashti had come across in her travels.
However, over time the name came to
symbolise so much more. “When we started
working with the team in Cape Town I
quickly realised that the depth of talent and
design application from South Africa would
be all consuming for me,” she explains. “I
wanted my business name to resonate this
talent, craft and design. I wanted something
that would encapsulate the beauty of this art.”In terms of her own values, Vashti certainly
exhibits the drive and ambition of a true
leader. While creating her signature
handbags, Vashti has been known to name
her designs after family members and women
that she knows. According to her description,
a handbag named after herself would contain
all the qualities that have shaped her into the
successful entrepreneur she is today. “The
Vashti would be strong, versatile and hardy!”
she describes. “Not very sexy. Sorry!”In terms of providing advice to other women
hoping to start their own business, Vashti
believes in taking a leap of faith. “If I waited
to have the perfect idea and the perfect
business model, I would have never begun,”
she states. “I look back at our first website,
business cards, and merchandising material
and chuckle. Put your product or service
out there — the market will let you know
where to from here.” As MOOI’s success has
shown, the reward is well worth the risk.
“Just start!” she exclaims. “If you have a
dream to start a business, it won’t happen
unless you make it happen.”We want
MOOI