Sustainable fashion to empower women during pregnancy
Mia Seipel inventor and founder of Boob Design - the Swedish brand making sustainable fashion to empower women during pregnancy and nursing. It all started 20 years ago with their patented nursing wear that makes breastfeeding very relaxed, sophisticated and possible everywhere.
Where did you grow up? Are you from a family of entrepreneurs, was business something you talked about around your dinner table?
“I was born in Stockholm but moved to the country side when I was nine years old. I still feel like I am a 50/50 city slicker and country kid and I like to have both parts in my life.
Our mom is a serial entrepreneur who has been driving her own businesses as well as been involved in all sorts of projects like our schools, local food, jazz festivals etc. So yes business, and even more important, the possibility for change and moving things forward has always been discussed around our dinner table.”
How come you started Boob Design, was it a long time dream to own your own company - or did it just happen?
“I've been self-employed most of my life and had a company of my own when I got the idea for Boob. I was 30 and didn’t have any own kids but my sister just had her second son. It was fall and we were sitting outside having coffee an my sister was breastfeeding with the Northern wind sweeping around her bare belly. ( as she had to practically undress while feeding her son.) I thought there must be an easier way to do this! The idea behind Boob Design was born right there and then. I was working with graphic design and advertising and the assignments I had for other clients made it possible for me to finance the start up of Boob."
In the beginning, how many times did you hear: it won't work? Was it a lot of hard work to start? What qualifications are needed to build a successful company like yours?
“Ha ha, yes I remember that some students in a high school made a case regarding Boob before it came out on the market and they predicted that I would sell zero nursing tops at the price range I was planning for. I would say that perseverance is crucial when starting up. You need to believe in your idea more then anyone else and keep repeating the message. Then you need to get the right people on board and get them just as excited as you are.”
The entire Boob collection is made from sustainable materials - Have you always been a ”green” person or was there a life changing moment that made you conscious?
“It is something that me and my sister are brought up with as our parents has always been very eco conscious. If we didn't get it when we where smaller it became clear to us when we moved full time to our family farm where we pretty much have our own water, waste and energy system. Taking a hot shower or bath wasn’t given.
When I started Boob it was natural for me that our clothes should be produced with care for people and planet. Since 2008 we have replaced all materials with better environmental choices and today we only work with sustainable materials like for example lyocell, organic cotton and recycled polyamide.
But off course having kids of my own as well as the urgency in the environmental development are pushing us to work even harder and always question what we do and how we do it.”
Do you have any new plans for Boob Design you can reveal?
“We have just joined STICA, The Swedish Textile Initiative for Climate Action. Together with the other Nordic network members we have taken on the challenge and agreed to reduce our GHG emissions by at least 30% by 2030.”
What do you think about climate change?
“It is inevitable and we are passing tipping points rapidly. We all need to raise our ambitions as companies as well as on a private level and we all need to act.”
What makes you happy?
"Being close to nature, family and friends."
All images copyright Boob Design, follow them on Instagram.
