Tell us a little bit about you, the person behind Mokoko. Where are you from? What's your background? Maybe a little something that doesn't meet the eye.
My name is Mari Maripuu I was born in the university town of Tartu and later lived years in Saaremaa (Estonia's biggest island) before coming to the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA) in Tallinn. My initial plan was to study biochemistry and later specialize on viruses, but with my exam results it would have been impossible to study it for free. My family was not financially secured and I did not want to get a loan from the bank.
My other interest was in fine bookbinding. I have gone to art schools all my life, but the one in Kuressaare had the biggest impact on me. Piret Männa introduced me to bookbinding and leather craft. Teachers have the ability to change lives. So, at the last minute I decided to take the entrance exams to EKA Leather Art, Accessories Design and Bookbinding department, and I got accepted. I decided to first study this for free and later pay for my biochemistry studies. But, by the time of my BA graduation I saw millions of possibilities what to do with design, so I decided to continue my studies in the Product Design (MA) department. So, basically I am still able to work with viruses, but from a different angle – machinery design, process design, design solutions for improving hygiene so that people would not spread viruses or get ill.
I love your slogan "Buy nothing you do not need". One would think that being an independent designer, you'd want more sales rather than encouraging people not to buy. How did you come up with this tagline and how does is translate into what you make?
The slogan I use on one of the wallet designs is actually “buy nothing”, but to make it not so radical I specified it a bit for my overall brand. I was a little bit afraid that it could be interpreted in different ways.
When the slogan is on the product and the person goes shopping he might get the impulse to (maybe) buy nothing at all from that shop. So, when the slogan is on the daily-used wallet, the person might buy less. Of course, if they really-really need or want something they will get it anyway. But, having this small reminder in your wallet might make the purchasing decision more thought through and this is what I’m after. Because really, you don’t need that much stuff.
Being independent allows me to try things that are not that traditional and carry the values I believe in. There’s one book (Gabriel Zaid, So Many Books: Reading and Publishing in an Age of Abundance, 2003) that I had to read for an bookbinding exhibition last year and there it was said that if you give someone a book, you actually give them the obligation to read it. When you buy something, you will get the obligation to use it. And when you are not using it, you are constantly reminded that you should take time to use it and it gets you even more stressed. So, mentally, it is better to have less.
What does a typical day look like in the Mokoko studio?
At the moment most days of the week I am at the uni or working on other projects, so I probably go there 4x a week to make stuff that is needed. I am not alone in the studio, I have two other leather designers there, we split the expenses and they rent some machines and equipment from me. There are lots of different machines and tools needed to do this work, so it’s best to be friendly and share. We use this space mostly only as a workshop, not as a open designer studio. It’s very ascetic, but beautiful things come out of it.
Take us behind the scenes. What does your design process look like? Where do you get your inspiration from?
I am inspired by different constructions and technological trends. For example, when I started it all, I saw a change in how people pay for the products, card payments are increasing and people use less cash. So, I decided to focus on different types of card holders because there were not much competition on the market. Basically, the “wallet” has somewhat changed because of the technological development. The next step, that might come with mobile payments, includes no wallet at all.
I also just play around with paper, fold it in different ways and try to have the item in one piece. Small leather goods need to be functional, so I try to find some clever details to make my products stand out.
At the moment, I have quite a few products, so the design process focuses on expanding the product family in a logical way, or connecting the products aesthetically. Then, I’m making some new samples and try to get different shops to agree to take it in for testing, or I show the prototypes at different fairs, get some feedback and act accordingly. Improve, and test again. This way, I'm letting the market shape the product and business a bit.
I think it has a lot to do with my background and education. Leather is a very durable material and when I spend my time on making something, I want it to last a long time. I love working with vegetable-tanned leather because it has a special superpower – the edges can be rounded. It is more work, but the result is ideally timeless.
I always admire talented young designers and makers, and there are many of us who secretly (or not so secretly) wish to take on a creative career path. What would your advice be to someone who's thinking about pursuing a creative career?
1. If you want to know whether you have it in you, make something and try to sell it (not to your friends or family).
2. For a professional creative career you need to learn to be organized and measure everything, that takes your time, and find ways how to become more effective. You need to design products and also the way your business works.
3. You do not need to do it alone. Businesses that start with small teams perform better (but there is also a risk of changes in vision, etc)
4. Bootstrapping makes you creative. When you do not have large amounts of money to put into your business, start with what you have and do it legally. When you start rotating the money like a pile of autumn leaves, the pile will (hopefully) start growing.
5. It takes time to build up a business. I got the studio space in Telliskivi 57 in Feburary 2013 (only because of the machines and the need of industrial electricity power). My first products were ready in May and when I offered them to Nu Nordik (a shop specializing in Estonian design) I also registered a company to do it all legally. There are no jobs in this field in Estonia anyway, so I needed to create one for myself. Later, there have been some interest in hiring me, but my hands are already full. Being able to do what I like has spoiled me.
Thank you Mari for sharing your business story!
You can find Mari and her work at the Mokoko website and Etsy shop.
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