A multifaceted entrepreneur with a broad and exciting background, with a journey from aupair to one of Sweden’s most famous housewives, to become a successful entrepreneur with a driving force that never seem to take a break. Home styling is an area where we are used to see her, in addition to this and under the brand name Maria Montazami Collection she has designed her own collection of bags, jewellery, cosmetics, together with beer, wine and champagne glasses manufactured by Reijmyre Glass work in Sweden. Now days we can enjoy Maria’s own Cava, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Rosé or Shiraz in these beautiful glasses, which by the way are totally worth trying.
Montazami viner och cava
Maria has had delicious criticism on her beverages. Agneta Sharp how is sommelier at Trosa Stadshotell & Spa have tasted and expressed herself as follows; “I must admit I often have a preconception about these so called celebrity wines, but I really had to think twice this time. All wines were consistently of very good quality and character”.
Together with the Swedish company Fyrklövern, Maria designed a series of tableware, softly formed with a tasteful décor of vintage spirit and a feminine strand of pearls. The series is called Moments by Maria Montazami and radiate Maria’s own warmth, femininity and elegance!
Moments by Maria, Fyrklövern Servis
Together with the Swedish company Fyrklövern, Maria designed a series of tableware, softly formed with a tasteful décor of vintage spirit and a feminine strand of pearls. The series is called Moments by Maria Montazami and radiate Maria’s own warmth, femininity and elegance!
Maria has published two books, has a web shop and is also a frequent blogger.
It absolutely bubbles of activity around Maria, and how she is able to make time last is for undersigned a complete mystery! One thing is certain, Maria is a woman with a big and pursuing heart; in the middle of her daughter Emma’s birthday she takes time off from her making of banana pancakes and makes room for an interview with svip.se!
You were a housewife and combined that with working with Home styling, when did you decide to become an entrepreneur?
Well, those things come with time… At first one is young and work really hard, then one becomes a mother and stay at home. When the children are growing up a little, it is then you get the chance to advance and refine yourself, and that is what I have done in a very good way, because it has not destroyed my life at home and we have still been able to… there is nice food on the table for when everybody comes home and I have had time to help with school work and been able to do things on the side.
Home styling is a lot of fun! I was supposed to style a house today, but I have to do that tomorrow instead, and it is so much fun! With the home styling, my husband is very happy, since a house sell so much quicker and looks a lot better even if you just make the toilets and the kitchen look nicer and so on (Maria’s husband is a real estate agent).
Which are your focus products today?
We are about to start with our own line of clothing and this is a huge step to us… We are in this on our own now, me, Sara and Hanna we feel it is the right time and we are starting from scratch. We are in control and it is us! Just imagine, our own responsibility and we are very nervous but so excited and we will see what will happen!
Tell me more about these plans…
Yes we have made, no we are not done yet because we are still waiting for the pattern drawings. We have designed six different outfits, two for Sara, two for Hanna and two for me with the help from Malin Hedlund, who’s an autodidact and creative designer down in the city of Helsingborg and who have made dresses for mw now during the past two years.
Malin has her own company, E.Mallassockertopp where she makes one of a kind dresses for different people in Sweden. Anyhow, we have been to the garment district in Los Angeles and picked our fabrics, it is so big and there are so many different fabrics. And I had to think about how the fabric will look when made into a dress, we do know a little about what’s cool. But there is a lot to think about. We are quite simple people and we just can’t make a dress, one have to think of details… Naturally I will make two long dresses that will suit anybody, at any time (giggle) together with these classic t-shirt dresses, that we can make changes to and swap fabric, and make the slit on the side or in the back, you know!
Sara and Hanna designed theirs, two-pieced and structured; Sara also designed a going out dress with lace in the front and all beautiful at the back. Hanna has a totally different style and also designed hers. Yes, we are simply working it from there!
What colours are you thinking Maria?
Well, this time I have actually been weak in colours and will start with one black dress and the other dress is in the colour velvet, it is called Mayfair velvet cut, I don’t know how to explain it… the black comes with lace off course!
When is it time for this?
We are trying to sort everything out for May, but it would be silly of me to say something really, because you know how things might go… It could go Oh My God!!
At the moment the pattern drawings are cut in England by a Swedish woman called Vanessa Hansen and who is supposed to be very, very good. She is sending us the pattern drawings when done and you know how much time it will take by mail. So we are doing what we can!
How important is it to you with a Swedish connection to your manufacturing and the origin of your products?
Well, what do you think? (laughter) The Swedes and their way of working are effective, I feel they are trustworthy and I know that the quality and all that will be very close to a hundred percent. But my friend, we will have these dresses made up here in California. Which we personally think is really cool. At the moment we are speaking to a family company to do the seaming. It is very much about doing research and I am sure we will make a few mistakes in the beginning.
Your biggest difficulties so far within your entrepreneurship?
The most difficult in the past has been the distance between Sweden and here, California. When business is dealt with in Sweden and with minimal telephone communication about stuff, and when the people I work with in Sweden are making decisions on their own. That’s been quite annoying if I think about the business area. This is why we are so happy about being in charge with this particular area.
But if you are referring to that one thing has suffered over another thing, this has not been the case just yet. Det har ju ändå varit i ganska liten skala. Du vet det här med att sy kläder, de sköter ju allt det i Sverige, de är så väldigt duktiga de kan det där och de fixar och donar…
The most time consuming for us is social media. I’ve been bloging for nearly six years now, and I mean… It is not fun every day and sometimes you just don’t feel like it and you think what the heck am I supposed to take a picture of…? That is when it is lovely to have two dogs that are always there for me!
How do you make time for everything Maria? You reply to nearly everyone on your blogg…
Yes, I know… I am very effective. Yes, I am effective and everything will be just fine for some strange reason. I don’t know, but I am very loyal to my fans and I want to be a good role model. I have a lot of young fans, which in some ways perhaps would like to see a secure and reliable family. You know, that is something we all would like to feel. I know from personal experience how it was when I was young, you wanted to run home to daddy and say “Oh daddy could you help me with this?” But back then you didn’t have that opportunity and that is mostly irritating!
That is why we have made a point of giving our children that and you can see that in them, how they have become and how they are doing in school and also in their choice of friends. My children are absolutely not perfect, but they have a solid foundation and for that I am very happy!
You are a very down to earth sort of woman Maria; do you have any success advice for new entrepreneurs?
Yes I have and that is; Believe in yourself, don’t give up and be honest from the start to the end, be as honest you can. Do the right thing and do research, don’t be afraid to ask questions, and don’t be afraid to say no! Sometimes one is very polite and perhaps don’t want to say no. Follow your gut feeling, what is right and wrong. You can start small and build up more and more, the better it goes. And if there’s a set down, stand up and brush it off, try again and/or continue to research!
We are also prepared for that people might think “Oh yes, Maria! What a beautiful dress and it’s lovely on you, but I would never…” you know, you just don’t know what people might think!
And finally, what was your first LP record that you bought as a child?
Oh, I know exactly which one! It was Anita Hegerland, Mitt sommarlov (My summer break) I believe it was called! Or it might have been Sudda, sudda with Gullan Bornemark. My sister and I listened to them over and over again while our mother listened to Lill Lindfors!
Svip.se would like to thank Maria for a lovely chat and thank you for your time. We wish you all the best and lots of success in the future!
