Design bag making workshop organized by leather workers in a Budapest downtown studio. With professional help, anyone can design and create a unique accessory.
Due to digitalization and industrialization, the fashion industry is becoming extremely fast-paced and the value of goods are decreasing rapidly. Mittersisters, established by Anna Róza Mitter along with her two partners in 2015, responded to the fast fashion industry by creating an exclusive and unique experience incorporating sustainability and awareness. Mittersisters workshop is based on a unique system: the core conviction that nothing in life beats the mutual support that comes with the power of being part of a community, even a community that emerges during one of the one-day workshops Mittersisters holds, where participants can create the bag of their dreams and accessories. Customers are educated to become conscious buyers. 3 types of workshops are available: short type (2-3 hours), half day long (4 hours), long type (8-14 hours). These workshops have helped develop solid relationships between the founder and costumers, giving the founder an indication of the type of concepts customers are open to. The main stakeholders and beneficiaries of the practice are customers including Meglepkék, AirBnB, Hungarian Tourism Agency, and companies (Samsung, Mercedes Benz, Richter Gedeon, HPS).
Resources needed
- In the beginning 3 people (founder-craftsperson, graphic designer, business development expert), now only 1 person is needed
- Co-workers are needed at the workshops (at least 1 person is always required to participate as extra support)
- Yearly 14.000 EUR cost Evidence of success - 1.200 people
Evidence of success
- 1.200 people participated in long type workshops
- 10.000 people participated in smaller worhops
- 25% of the participants are coming from foreign countries
- foreigners were coming from 43 countries since 2017 (the workshop was uploaded to AirBnB website)
- customers are between age 12-78, women-men, creative minded-non creative minded
- 70% of the participants come back or suggest the workshop to others
- Yearly 14.000 EUR cost is proper to run the business
Difficulties encountered
- The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult but this helped the founder to have a creative break which avoided burn out.
- It was difficult to make a deal related to the workshop atelier, also, it was an empty space where she had to move walls, finish electrical works.
Potential for learning or transfer
- easy to transfer
- small amount is required to set up and run such a business
- plenty of further development opportunity is available
- mouth to mouth marketing: as soon as customers start to participate they immediately suggest to friends/family/colleagues
- there is no competitor in Europe (several bag making workshops are available, but those are focusing on the traditional techniques rather than the modern, unique and tailored to the customers ones)
Tags: Circular economy, Community, Creative, Creative industry, Reuse of waste, Sustainable, Sustainable development, Urban, Value chain, Waste, Women, Youth
