oochi poochi…

oochi poochi is a fabulous children’s brand producing luxury quality woollen goods. I am so very excited to share their collection with you. I have watched proudly as they have introduced new pieces and gained more followers over the last year. The collection includes pixie hats, scarves, ponchos, head bands and arm warmers. The perfect pieces for Spring. Even better oochi poochi embodies thoughtful and refined slow fashion (oh and they love a pom pom). It’s timeless designs and generous sizing reflect their respect for the environment. They only use natural, sustainable and biodegradable materials to make environmentally sound items of value. Each piece is lovingly and meticulously designed and handcrafted in Austria by the magnificent Brigitte, who I had the pleasure of interviewing.

When and how did you 1st come up with the idea of oochi poochi?

I have always been fascinated by craft and things hand made. Growing up with a grandfather who was a gilder and a grandmother who was a trained tailor, seeing how passionate they were about the things they made by hand, has been a great inspiration. These early childhood memories had a strong impact on shaping what is actually the core of oochi poochi and why I founded my label: passion for what you do, and the incredible joy it brings to create something that will be passed on and become part of someone’s family memories.

Yet there would be no oochi poochi without my daughter. When I was pregnant with her, I hesitated for quite a while to buy a layette. Somehow it did not feel right to purchase something at a shop. Furthermore the majority of even the most expensive knits contained synthetic fibres and the thought of delicate baby skin and synthetics made me cringe. I wanted the best for my daughter. So I decided to make something myself. I knitted a tiny cashmere sweater and from then on I was hooked to knitting again (I have been knitting since I was seven years old).

The birth of my daughter in 2014 was a turning point and – as many new mothers –  I began to rethink my life and career. Meanwhile I got asked by other mothers about the knits for my daughter and I realised that there are many like-minded women who appreciate handmade as well as quality, but who don‘t know how to knit. And so the idea of creating a children’s label for knits from sustainable, supreme quality yarns that will produce cuddly childhood memories began shaping up. In 2017 I took the plunge: oochi poochi was born and looking back on the amazing experience the past year was, I can’t help but wonder why I haven’t done it any sooner.

What were you doing before oochi poochi?

I am a bit of a split personality: On the one hand I have always been into drawing, painting, making things by hand and was fascinated by theatre. So I went to university and studied stage and costume design. On the other hand I have strong interests in everything language-related, so I also studied English and Italian literature and earned a university degree in philosophy and theatre studies. After a long-time career as theatre dramaturg in Austria and abroad, I am now returning to my craft roots with oochi poochi.

How do you juggle family life with working at oochi poochi? Any tips for my readers.

Finding a good work/life balance is tricky. I think that this much discussed perfect balance is one of these myths that put a lot of pressure on us women by being another one of these unachievable goals that make us sometimes feel like a failure when actually we should pad ourselves on the shoulder and celebrate for managing everday’s challenges so well.

Like everyone (or rather like every woman) I do my best every day, and on some days I succeed, on others I feel guilty either towards my child or towards my work. I guess we all have to learn to be kinder to ourselves and accept that there is no perfect solution.  

Especially when you are at the beginning with your business, it has the tendency to take over your whole life. Being a single mother with a day time job and a growing small business, my days are pretty much non-stop from the moment the alarm rings at 6:45 in the morning until my daughter goes to bed at 8 pm. It is mostly after her bedtime when I work on oochi poochi.

I think the biggest present you can give to your children is time, to really be with your kids when you are with them. No matter if it is half an hour of playing together, or going on excursions into the woods on the weekend or taking an exciting trip together (my daughter is half British and we travel to London often to visit her father), all these things are part of what is most important: Creating memories.

What’s the best bit of running your own business?

Besides from the obvious answer, „being my own boss, making my own decisions, flexibility etc.“, I think one of the best bits is that you truely get to learn yourself in the process. Founding your own business will push your limits, make you discover hidden talents and often take you out of your comfort zone. Especially when you are a small business like me (or rather a tiny business because so far I have been basically a one-woman-business and only now I am beginning to build a small team of supporting knitters), you will be in charge of so many different things: production, marketing, graphic design, photography, social media, accounting etc. I find it tremendously enriching and the past twelve months have been an incredible and fantastic ride.

And the worst?

I find it sometimes difficult to „call it a day. Having my own business comes with the challenge to learn how to „switch off“. Lately knitting has also made an appearance in my dreams at night, so I think I still haven’t figured it out sufficiently.

What advice do you have for people wanting to launch their own business?

I am still at the very beginning of setting up my own business. So I don’t want to sound patronising or give the impression that I know it all. Having said this, my advice based on my experience so far is:

Don’t procrastinate. Just do it! What’s the worst thing that could happen? I think the worst thing is having to wonder at the end of your life what it would have been like, if you had followed your dream.

Perseverance, patience and hard work are key. And focus, focus, focus, don’t offer too many things. Create a strong focal point in whatever it is you are doing. The problem is often having too many ideas and not too few. Also: Follow your own path persistently and don’t get distracted by your competitors. It is good to be informed about what your colleagues are offering, but being envious is deadly.

What are your 3 favourite things on your site this season?

oochi poochi is dedicated to slow fashion. I try to create things that are not only hard-wearing, but also versatile. So this season we have added ponchos, hand knitted from organic cotton, to our styles. They can be used in so many different ways – as a cape, a scarf over a jacket, a bath robe, beach cover up, a blanket etc.- and furthermore they are easy to wear (children can put them on themselves, because there is no front or back side, they just slip over the head), easy-care, machine washable and due to their generous sizing will fit your child for several years (size large makes a cute scarf for mummy, too). Not to mention that they are super cuddly.

Another favourite style are our “herald“ vests knitted from targhee wool, they make the perfect little transitional piece that you wear over favourite dresses or shirts whenever spring decides to show its chilly side. With these vests we are not only introducing a new style but also a new material. The luxuriously soft wool that is used for our vests comes from targhee sheep grazing in Montana and South Dakota, the wool is spun and dyed with organically certified dyes in Maine. I love it when something is good for your child and the environment at the same time. Furthermore I find the colours of this wool extraordinary (from sophisticated blue to a very unusual shade of mustard yellow). I can‘t think of a better spring herald.

And number three: our cashmere scarves. oochi poochi is a sucker for pompoms. We find them irresistible and believe that they are instant mood lifters. Since the very beginning they have been part of my designs. For this season I have taken these jolly fellows to the next level and they are having a comeback in the shape of mini pom poms that we use as embellishment for our most luxurious item: our cashmere triangle scarves. Hand knitted from 100% Italian cashmere, it doesn’t get any cuddlier than this.

Cashmere is an outstanding material to work with and to wear, not only is it super soft, light, durable and three times as insulating as wool, it also is a yarn that you can wear throughout the year because of its temperature regulating qualities.  Our cashmere scarves are investment buys that will bring you joy for many years. We offer them in three sizes, from baby to kid (on request we also knit adult sizes). True to the motto „it’s always cashmere season“, these scarves are a beloved staple of all oochi poochi collections.

How to order from oochi poochi:

We don’t have a webshop, we have an Instashop. Meaning: you browse our Instagram or Facebook  account oochipoochivienna. And when you like something you just send us a direct message or an email to oochipoochi@gmail.com. We will then send all details to the customer. All items are made to order, knitted especially for our customers.

Shelley x