Empowering Women-Owned Businesses: An interview with Christina Stahl, the co-founder and CEO of AMELI ZURICH
Hi everyone! I am happy to be back with another post from the new series about empowering women and female-owned businesses. The last interview you could read through The Closet Journal was about sustainability in fashion – you can read my entire conversation with Sonia Mota, co-founder of knitwear brand Francis Stories, here.
Today, I am pleased to introduce you to another guest - Christina Stahl, the co-founder, and CEO of AMELI ZURICH, a Swiss brand of business handbags for women. If you follow my social media, I am pretty sure you already know this brand from my daily outfit inspirations. Last year I shared a few facts about the brand on my blog and reviewed their VIADUKT WORK model here. I admit that over the past years, I have discovered a lot of great and quality women's brands, including those offering beautiful handbags. However, AMELI ZURICH purses caught my attention not just because of their fantastic quality, versatility, practicality, and timeless design but also something more.
Ok, let's be honest. Working women have come a long way, and faced many challenges, often stemming from discrimination, hidden sexism, fewer opportunities, and lower wages. Luckily, the situation for women in the workplace is slowly improving, and what I genuinely love about AMELI is that they want to be more than just a bag brand. As a team that consists of (almost) entirely women, one of their fundamental beliefs is that, as women, we can learn and benefit from each other. That is why, on their blog and social media channels, Christina and her team focus not only on promoting and selling AMELI designs but also support and encourage women in their careers. Their posts are full of positive motivation and offer advice and perspectives. For example, they created a series of interviews, 'Strong Voices,' about women's empowerment and self-development - I highly recommend checking it out here. In addition, to help women feel like the best version of themselves, they speak a lot about the need for women to be empowered and informed and support charitable causes.
As I mentioned, I recently had the opportunity to chat with AMELI's brand co-founder. Christina was kind enough to share her journey and experiences in running a business and the obstacles she faced as a female leader. We have also been talking about sustainability and transparency in the fashion industry and the importance of supporting women in business. I hope you enjoy the whole interview!
Hi Christina! First of all, I would like to thank you for your time and for joining us in today's post. You are the founder of AMELI ZURICH - a handbag brand that makes a life of a businesswoman easier. What or who inspired you to start the label, and why you became an entrepreneur in the first place?
Christina: What inspired me most to start AMELI was the lack of existing handbag brands that combine functionality and elegance. I used to work in consulting, and I had the choice between quite functional (ugly) unisex laptop bags or more female shoppers/totes that weren't adapted to my 'business' needs. The willingness to change something in the existing handbag industry was also one of the main drivers for me to become an entrepreneur.
Could you please tell us about the fabrics and production processes you use at AMELI?
Christina: Our products are handmade by a small family business in Varese, Italy. The process is that we first start with a prototype made of paper, before we have a leather prototype, and then the real production. Thereby, we work very closely with our producers and visit them every 1-2 months. As the main fabric, we use different kinds of leather. In addition, we use reinforcement and metal parts - all materials are carefully selected and sourced from renowned manufacturers in Italy. Our producers help us a lot in making the right decisions to ensure our products' high quality and longevity.
In your opinion, what are the qualities that make a brand sustainable?
Christina: I think the term sustainability has been greenwashed a lot in recent years and that there is always more one can do to be sustainable. For me, being sustainable is producing high-quality products that last - transparently and with integrity. For AMELI, that means that we know every supplier in our supply chain and can guarantee that they follow the high EU standards. Also, we only produce small quantities to avoid overproduction and use leather leftovers for our accessories. As we visit our producer on a frequent basis, we can ensure fair working conditions. We also offer a complimentary repair service, as we truly believe that it's most sustainable when you invest in long-lasting pieces.
As someone who writes about slow fashion and intentional living, I fully agree that the term 'sustainability' has recently become greenwashed and that, for many brands, it has become just another marketing gimmick. So, my next question is: how do you stay motivated to continue advocating for fair and transparent fashion industry?
Christina: I stay motivated because I wouldn't sleep with a good consciousness with every other option. The more I learn about the fashion industry, intransparency, illegal sweatshops, and offshore sourcing, the more I am disgusted. I don't want another human to suffer because of my business, so there is no way around fairness and transparency.
Quite recently, you shared a little reminder on the official AMELI profile that running a business isn't all roses, and Instagram isn't always the reality. Behind the beautiful photoshoots, events, and brand promotion, there is a lot of hard work, chaos, and never-ending to-do lists. So let me ask you - what biggest challenges and significant barriers did you face as a female leader, and what do you wish you had known before launching the AMELI brand?
Christina: Especially when we have been searching for a producer in Italy, there has been so much sexism. My husband was with me, and everyone treated us as if my husband was financing my naive idea. I hated not being taken seriously. Besides that, I must admit that I also had a lot of very positive experiences as a female leader. There are so many other female leaders out there with whom I got in contact and exchanged experiences. And actually, I don't know what 'beforehand' knowledge would have changed our journey. I have learned that everything takes longer than expected, that you make a lot of mistakes and that you need to prioritize. And I think that is what every founder would tell you, but it's something different to actually go through those learnings than hearing them.
How has your life changed since you first became an entrepreneur? Do you have any advice on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance?
Christina: My whole life changed. Before AMELI (and Covid), I would take the plane Monday, work, sleep in hotels, and return on Thursday. Expensive restaurants and hotels, business outfits and heels, appearance and performance highly professional. Now, I work mostly from home. I still work a lot, also on the weekends, but I have way more flexibility. I can go out with our dog when I want to. I can decide not to take a shower and stay in my casual outfit the whole day. I can be transparent with my community and don't have to pretend to have answers to all issues. But as it is 'my' business, it is tough not to think about work. So actually, I do not have good advice on how to maintain a healthy work-life balance. I am rather seeking advice myself (laugh). What helps me is being in nature with my dog, doing yoga, and trying to practice self-care and love.
As a team that consists of (almost) entirely women, on your social media and the AMELI blog, you focus not only on product promotion but also deal with other topics like motivation, women empowerment, and self-development. Could you tell us more about your 'Strong Voices' interview series and the education program for girls you support?
Christina: Let's be honest - bags can't change the world, but I believe that the women who wear them can. For me, it is important to have a greater impact than designing bags. Strong Voices is an interview series that interviews inspirational women so our community can learn from their experiences. Those women are from the start-up, consulting, corporate and entrepreneurial world, and I have learned so much from them - I hope that is also true for our community. We, in our bubble, are extremely privileged. With privileges comes responsibility. There are so many women who do not have the chance to follow their dreams, who cannot read, don't have a free choice. I believe that education is an important lever for a world with equal chances and opportunities. So we are spending yearly part of our profits to support female empowerment. Last year, we donated 5000 CHF to the Malala Fund, and this year, we have already spent 2500 CHF on Women's Hope.
What is the best advice you would give to someone who wants to start an online business? Are there any resources, effective marketing initiatives, or tools that have helped you build and promote your brand?
Christina: Go with the standard, best-in-class tools - Shopify, Klaviyo. Don't make it too complicated at the beginning, and focus on getting your product out. Then it's a continuous improvement process.
What do you think the future holds for women in the business world, and how would you explain the importance of empowering women and women-owned companies?
Christina: There is still a gap between men and women, be it in terms of stereotypes, payment, and inofficial work, BUT there has already been so much improvement over the years, so I think the future for women is bright. Thereby, I feel that women's empowerment is one of the big game changers. When we women learn to support us even more, connect better, and network, we can close the existing gap much faster.
And my last question - given the fashion industry's environmental impact, what steps do you take to make your personal fashion choices more mindful? Do you have any recommendations for quality and sustainable woman's workwear brands?
Christina: I try to live by a capsule wardrobe, focusing on core pieces with great fit and good materials in timeless colors - so I simply love your inspirations. I really must compliment you on that! Also, I try to avoid impulsive buying and only shop when I really have a demand for a specific item. Recently I also rediscovered my love for second-hand items.Regarding workwear brands from female entrepreneurs, I could recommend Nina Rein, Lotta Ludwigson, Vestaire Personnel, and Nort Swiss.
Thank you so much for all the recommendations and the honest and inspiring conversation.
