Etsy Spotlight: Alasia Lifestyle

Happy calendar month friends!

Summer is hither finally and, I don't know virtually you, but I am already gearing upward with the best of summer essentials. If you lot are next along on instagram thence you lot mightiness receive got read virtually my bespeak to store small, ethical together with handmade every bit much every bit possible together with you lot mightiness also receive got seen a few snapshots of my novel greek leather sandals made yesteryear a beautiful lady, Anastasia Gerali of Alasia Lifestyle.

I'm really honored to receive got her hither on the weblog today, spilling the beans on her dull fashion work concern which specializes on gorgeous high-quality leather sandals together with neoprene beach bags (for immediately every bit she plans to expand soon! Read below!). Her creations receive got a distinct focus on sustainable together with ethical design every bit good every bit local production that supports minor household unit of measurement businesses. I simply love when I know that the products I have on align with my values apart from beingness super pretty together with comfortable!

Click below to read her inspiring interview together with don't miss the discount code she kindly offers to the readers of this weblog at the bottom of this post.

Tell us a piffling chip virtually yourself together with your store.

My yell is Anastasia Gerali, I was born together with raised inwards South Africa of Greek parents. My manlike mortal parent is from Thessaloniki Hellenic Republic together with my woman parent is from Paphos Cyprus. I am the founder together with designer of Alasia Lifestyle, an independent create creating timeless Greek leather sandals from sustainably sourced vegetable tanned leather, which are handcrafted yesteryear local artisans inwards Cyprus.


How/when did you lot realize that your love for creating tin live something to a greater extent than than a
hobby?

I finished fine art schoolhouse earlier studying Graphic Design together with working inwards branding, advertising and packaging design. I e'er used to run upward from a piffling girl, together with which working inwards agencies subsequently my studies, I used to utilisation my evenings to mitt stitch upcycled notebooks together with tote bags from PVC advertising banners. I wanted to start working with leather together with piece looking for a workshop to run upward my leather bags, I found a minor 1 used to create shoes dorsum when at that spot was an industry. The possessor truly persuaded me to also create some sandals together with the residue is history. That was inwards 2012. In 2014 I quit my 24-hour interval chore to pursue my dream total time.
What is it that makes your products special?

We aid virtually the process, our people together with our touching on on the environment. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pregnant business office of the philosophy of the create is to back upward local household unit of measurement run businesses together with experienced local producers. Hence all our products are yet made inwards Cyprus. We solely utilisation European grade sustainably sourced leathers from tanneries, which utilisation vegetable dyes, together with nosotros avoid waste materials yesteryear making all our production to order. Our focus is on quality, non quantity, thence nosotros follow a timeless aesthetic to create staple wardrobe pieces which are made to last, non follow trends or fashion.

What was the showtime matter you lot sold inwards your store?

My showtime model, which I sold together with which yet sells today subsequently thence many years is my Ermes, winged sandals. I approximate it’s because it’s customizable together with available inwards women’s together with kids sizes.


Which of the product/s you lot receive got inwards the store is/are the most pop with your customers? Why exercise you lot retrieve is that?

My most pop styles are the most classic ones similar the Plato together with Kamares sandals. Although when I liberate novel designs I acquire a lot of feedback together with positive comments, I retrieve my clientele are discerning women who are looking for timeless classics to add together to their existing wardrobe. When you lot create a purchase from Alasia, you lot are buying a production that volition lastly for years to come. You desire to ensure it volition live a basic that volition acquire the most wear. As the soles are genuine leather, you lot tin accept them to your cobbler to resolve anytime.


Do you lot receive got whatever favorite/s from your collection?

I personally similar strappy sandals, similar the Bellapais together with the Acropolis sandals, because I retrieve they are the most flattering. It may live due to my ballerina background. I danced for thirteen years together with am a qualified teacher. I discovery the straps simply about the talocrural articulation really feminine.


What product/s receive got you lot enjoyed working on the most together with why?

I’ve enjoyed working on my most recent collection. It’s truly the development of my create together with I enjoyed adding novel elements to my classic leather sandals. I got to see Turkish loom weavers to regard the procedure of loom weaving together with ladies who crochet to source the perfect crochet lace to use. I experience that including the Turkish cloth truly encapsulates Cyprus’s civilisation together with includes arts and crafts from both the Turkish Cypriot together with Greek Cypriot communities. I enjoyed working on the Hammam slides and the Akamas crochet lace slides.

What influences your work?

It tin live a release of things. Anything from the procedure of making something, Greek architecture, minimalist lines, or something from my mom’s erstwhile garments or jewellery box. The aesthetic of my create is minimalist together with classic lines thence I endeavour non to stray also far from this, although when I exercise create something new, I endeavour to include my inspiration.

Acropolis sandals were inspired yesteryear the columns of the Acropolis, together with you lot tin clearly regard the columns inwards the heel of the design. Anthemion was inspired yesteryear the floral palmettes used to decorate pots together with buildings inwards Ancient Greece. Bellapais is a to a greater extent than modern style that features an evil oculus cutting out inwards the heel of the sandal, oft worn inwards Mediterranean cultures for protection together with luck. So you lot tin see, inspiration comes from everywhere, but I am predominantly inspired yesteryear my Greek heritage.

How exercise you lot unremarkably proceed yourself inspired?

I am non also influenced yesteryear fashion every bit I am non truly a large shopper. My inspiration comes from art, books together with history. I love visiting museums together with looking at the details of things. Clothing inwards paintings, ancient jewelry, the operate of other peachy designers.


Do you lot receive got whatever purpose models or mentors that you lot hold back upward to?

I admire anyone who has made a success of their work concern on their own, peculiarly if they had tried together with failed many times before. It’s non oft that someone is self-made despite all the so-called success stories nosotros hear virtually today. What they don’t say you lot is that at that spot are a whole large squad together with a lot of fiscal investment inwards all these modern 24-hour interval success stories.

I receive got non been lucky plenty to regard a mentor. I wishing I did! It tin live really hard to remain motivated when you lot don’t receive got someone to guide you lot or advise you, together with if you lot don’t receive got the work concern noesis or experience of an industry. I receive got a really minor circle of friends who are also independent creatives together with nosotros portion our stories together with experiences often, learning from each other. They are my back upward structure, along with my biggest fan together with cheerleader, my mother, together with my wonderful together with supportive partner.

Describe your typical day.

I’ve moved to London since Jan together with my park routine has changed a lot. Now I dissever my fourth dimension betwixt London together with Cyprus. In Republic of Cyprus I used to operate business office fourth dimension every bit a trainer, teaching yoga together with barre classes. So this would help me to programme my schedule simply about the clients I had. Now my routine is much to a greater extent than flexible. I reserve my mornings for figurer operate (answering emails, creating content for my social media together with a duad of other accounts I manage, taking calls, etc) together with my afternoons are for my domicile together with self.


Describe your studio. What exercise you lot similar the most virtually it and/or what would you lot similar to
change?

My domicile studio is really create clean together with basic. My iMac is pump on my desk together with behind it is a wall I utilisation every bit my mood board for my brand. I similar to proceed my mood board upward together with add together to it or subtract images from it to help me remain on brand. When I discovery something I like, a motion paradigm or a slice of fabric, I stick it on the wall. It’s a really lite room together with my desk is yesteryear the window. I tend to grab myself daydreaming or watching birds together with squirrels a lot inwards the garden.

If I could, together with I exercise eventually programme to exercise this, I would receive got a workstation with my sewing machine, fabrics together with my total library. All these things moved to the basement of my parent’s domicile when I moved to London because I had to allow my apartment acquire inwards Cyprus. I miss having fabrics together with leather simply about me. And books, lots together with lots of books!

How has your business/store evolved over time?

It hasn’t changed much over the years although the manufacture has evolved a lot. I yet create classic leather sandals, together with I yet operate with the same minor workshops I started with.

I thought that yesteryear immediately I would receive got been able to employ people, but the work concern has non grown plenty for me to live able to exercise that. I exercise receive got a really loyal client base of operations though every bit I acquire repeat sales every yr from a few of the same women yr subsequently year. This is a really expert sign to me because it agency they love their products!

I exercise programme to add together a duad of other items also to my collection. Sustainable clothing, but I’ll start small, with pre-orders only.


Were at that spot whatever defining moments inwards your career?

While working every bit a designer every bit agencies, I realized that graphic pattern or digital design, every bit much every bit I enjoyed it, does non acquire out a lasting impression. Creating something tangible, something you lot tin experience or touching gives me much to a greater extent than pleasure. Creating something that other people tin regard together with inquire me virtually if a peachy way to say a story too. So I retrieve studying graphic pattern definitely gave me transferable skills, but packaging pattern together with production pattern are where I was outflow to goal upward eventually.

What is the 1 matter you lot would alter if you lot were starting over?

If I were starting over I would receive got done apprenticeships to larn a craft, whether is live shoemaking or weaving, or ceramics. Then I would solely exercise a curt course of education virtually marketing, work concern or production, together with worked inwards those industries for a curt piece earlier starting my ain brand. I doubtfulness I would written report a iv yr story again. I retrieve apprenticeships are the way that craftsmen became masters at a arts and crafts together with nada beats experience. I learned everything piece doing it together with a lot of my lessons learned were expensive together with could receive got been avoided or minimized if I’d had a mentor or the relevant experience.


What aspects of your business/store exercise you lot bask the most/least?

I bask the creative business office the most. Creating novel designs, working with the mill together with overseeing production, researching together with creating content. I love art-directing shoots too, peculiarly since my lensman is a honey friend together with nosotros operate good together. Logistics takes the most fourth dimension unfortunately together with also if my to the lowest degree favorite business office of the business. Anything to exercise with accounting also is the bane of me, but essential.

Describe your ideal client / Describe the ideal infinite you’d similar to regard your products in.

The ideal client is a discerning woman, who is confident inwards her femininity together with has her ain unique style. She is less interested inwards fashion together with trends together with cares virtually the character together with story of a product.

Ideal infinite is truly a dream I have. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 vision of a infinite which brings art, lifestyle together with arts and crafts together. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 infinite where women tin attend workshops similar cooking classes, ceramic or life drawing. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 infinite where you lot tin receive got a java piece listening to acoustic music together with speak over art. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 gallery infinite which displays independent designer brands from Hellenic Republic together with simply about the world. Brand with a story to say or a vision.

I am quite lucky to receive got a few stockiest which are boutiques who curate independent designers, together with I am honored to live included alongside their selection.

Tell us a feedback from a client that lay a smiling on your face.

Whenever I acquire an e-mail from a adult woman to give cheers me for her sandals or say me she wore my sandals on her marriage 24-hour interval it makes me experience happy together with blessed. I am also quite honored that women who subscribe to my newsletter relate to me on a human level. Most of my weblog posts regarding my personal life together with struggles (divorce, love, life), got the most amount of emails of messages of back upward together with solidarity. Of course, I am e'er happy to regard a repeat customer, because that agency she loved her previous purchase from me plenty to create another.


Where exercise you lot regard your work concern inwards v years time?

Evolved together with growing. I would similar to receive got evolved into a truthful lifestyle create together with include article of apparel together with homewares, with sustainability inwards mind. It’s really of import to me to create items, which receive got the surroundings together with my people inwards mind. I also receive got a dream to instruct other immature women how they tin industrial plant life their ain create together with guide them the way I needed when I started out. I know how lonely together with challenging it tin live when you lot receive got a dream together with don’t know where to begin.


Is at that spot whatever advice you lot would similar to give to people who desire to start their own
handmade business?

I would advise you lot showtime discovery what is of import to you, together with why. You won’t live doing anything unique or novel that hasn’t been done before, but if you lot receive got a story or a potent concept behind your brand, this tin live your differentiator. The 2nd slice of advice is to simply start. If you lot are waiting for the stars to align together with they total solar eclipse at that spot volition never live a perfect time. You simply demand to start. The marketplace together with your client feedback volition thence exhibit you lot where to accept it from there.



You tin discovery Alasia Lifestyle on facebook, instagram, pinterest together with her website.

Anastasia kindly offers a 15% discount for the readers of this weblog to store at her store with code PARADISSI on whatever orders over 100 Euro. This includes Free DHL Express shipping.

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