Hardly any connection in life is as intense as the relationship between mother and daughter. But we at REFISHED show that mother and daughter can also make a perfect duo in business life. A look behind the scenes.
How it all began: Are you coming on board?
Salzburg-born Sissi Vogler returned from a trip to Asia in 2012 with the idea of making sustainable accessories out of fish food and cement sacks. Designer Isolde Vogler was initially sceptical about her daughter's lateral entry into the world of fashion. But enthusiasm is known to be contagious and soon Isolde is equally fascinated by the idea of upcycling and the many design possibilities of the robust material: Isolde comes on board and quickly develops into a central anchor for REFISHED.
The perfect symbiosis.
The distribution of roles is quickly clear. Sissi, a graduate of the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, is a born entrepreneur and power woman: she organises production, draws up the business plan and starts to build up sales. Marketing and the development of the REFISHED brand are also in her hands. Isolde, a beautiful mind and certified master tailor, has been responsible for the creative side from the very beginning. Already during her employment at a renowned fashion company in Salzburg, she was known for her fashionable skills and her sense of style.
Quality you can feel.
Especially when it comes to developing the product range, mother Isolde has been an indispensable sparring partner for REFISHED founder Sissi from the very beginning. The two often spend days experimenting on new designs, discussing ideas and developing the product range together. Thanks to Isolde's craftsmanship and her flair for that certain something, Sissi's vision of a sustainable fashion label can really unfold.
From an early age.
"My mum influenced me from an early age with her love of beauty and her sense of style". From opera ball gowns, to creative costumes, to home furnishings - her mother showed her daughter early on how to create something unique with the smallest of means. Sissi also picked up the conviction of sustainable and conscious consumption as a child: "Before we bought anything new, we always looked at what we had at home and made something out of it if possible.
A fish takes wing.
Especially in the first years when Sissi founded REFISHED alongside her full-time job, many things would not have been possible without Isolde's helping hand. Whether as support at design markets and pop-ups, with shipping the products or with the improvised sales base in her parents' house in Salzburg - Sissi could always count on her mother.
In the meantime, REFISHED has developed into a well-known label for sustainable accessories beyond the borders of Austria. The preliminary highlight was the opening of the REFISHEREI last year, the first own REFISHED boutique. And here, too, Mama Isolde has left her stylish mark on interior design and decor.
Today, Isolde is still responsible for the development of the designs and the products as well as for quality control. Most of the prototypes are made by her and implemented with great attention to detail. Just like her daughter, mother Isolde is an incorrigible perfectionist. Besides, the trendsetter has developed into the perfect brand ambassador: "My mum is the best dressed woman in Salzburg, and not just for me. This has the effect that as soon as she wears new products, there is a demand for them in her surroundings," smiles Sissi.
A new generation.
For the future, Sissi and her mother are planning many more REFISHED adventures and are already thinking about new product lines that will be created through upcycling. After all, despite all their differences, the two women are united by their desire to try out new things and their love of unusual design. Thanks to their intensive collaboration over the past nine years, they are now closer than ever. And with Felicitas Vogler, Sissi's little daughter, the next generation of strong REFISHED women is already growing up.