Menstruation Underwear Entrepreneurship Blog 3/3

Hello again all dear classmates,

Hope you all doing well in summer! I feel very happy to update my progress in this entrepreneurship project. This would be my last post for my field study, I hope to see you all in the upcoming new semester!

Here are things that I have done and some new thoughts during the summer vacation. I finished the these thing down below and regarding what I have found in the pre stage research.

1). Product Planning & Strategy Deck done. Since this is a preliminary deck and the research direction is a little bit changed due to considering overall situation.

2). After the competitor research, changing the market to start in Shanghai and Xi'an two cities in China should be a correct decision as a start due to starting within a familiar culture and policy environment is easier for control the entire situation. In the beginning I thought to develop this business idea in European countries, but the more research I do, I feel in general more business opportunities in China other than in European countries with some corporate giants in a monopoly situation and some giant supermarkets find their small opportunities with cheap OEM menstruation products. In a nutshell, living space is tiny for a start-up.

3). Tech-packs are done which is the easiest part for this project so far. Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang has the geographic advantage to develop business idea due to qualified factory, fair trade potential, transparent supply chain and the consistency for local production policy. After this field study, it would be better to analyse the market preference in Yangtze River Delta to push the idea to come true.

Thank you.

Lujia

Menstruation Underwear Entrepreneurship Blog 2/3

Hello again all dear classmates, 

I'm glad to update my progress in this entrepreneurship project.

Here are things that I have done and some thoughts during May:

1. I researched to get more information about how women in different cultures and background to handle their menstruation, and to how big possibility they would like to switch their previous habits.

2. Competitor research to get status in quo how these menstruation products selling working in currently European market.

3. Made tech pack for 2 basic products I plan to make, should consider how big the challenge is to make the sourcing with local production policy and material and service sustainable. To be honest, local production policy could be a very much hard thing to achieve to start-ups due to low quantity order. and no solution so far unless abandon it in act.

Besides something I realized during this month are: From this early-stage research and preparations, I understand that entrepreneurship with a specific concept or leading a lifestyle is a huge thing. Self-discipline is strongly needed and it should be driven by the inner motivation. I deeply agree the word that is women are a situation, and a lot of need  remains unseen. To help people in need and give women with more options in comfort, security, hygiene and environment sustainability is way more important than provide the market only beautifying products. Secondly, planning is good, but to do, to act is more important somehow. Get shitty work done first and allow mistakes to happen then learning from mistakes is way more important than only have ideas stay in mind. 

Thank you.

Lujia

Menstruation Underwear Entrepreneurship Blog 1/3

Hello all dear classmates, 

This is Lujia Yang. I'm glad to update my progress in this entrepreneurship project.

Here are things that I have done during the April:

1. Got help from mentor in Drivhuset and conducted qualitative research that interviewed some females and drew several common pain points during their menstruation (thank you all lovely interviewees for sharing your experience and opinions) and based on the conclusion I finished designing the questionnaire to ask more specific questions on the products' functions that user may expect.

2. Participated the 4 days entrepreneurship boot camp Level-Up held by drivhuset, I get to know some like-minded people and in the lectures and workshops it give me basic ideas of 1) What should be included in a business plan 2) Useful template such as TAM SAM SOM, 3) How company registered in Sweden and some basic concept for tax and import. 4) Pitched this business idea and got useful suggestions and feedbacks to improve.

3. Finished positioning the brand as a women-centred brand that starts with functional menstrual underwear, and will scale up to menstrual products, lingerie and sportswear in the future. The brand name is confirmed as Mokna, which stands for the sense of awakening and the awareness of born to be as mighty as a mountain. The brand logo, slogan,  colour matching are also confirmed. 

Here are things that I will proceed in the upcoming month:

1. Collecting the data for the questionnaire and confirm underwear's tech pack.

2. Writing the business plan with more detailed costing sheet from suppliers.

3. Designing the dummy website with toning brand colour in shopify.

4. Research more on material for disposable fabric or non-woven fabrics, maybe will get help with Spacerpad founder.

Thank you.

Lujia

Marketing Intern at a Sustainable Swimwear Company

 As my time as a marketing intern at a sustainable swimwear company in Helsinki, Finland, comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on the incredible journey it's been.

After returning from our company trip to Italy, where we shot extensive content for the upcoming collection, we had to quickly adapt back to the colder weather of Helsinki and dive into our office tasks.

In the past few weeks, we dedicated our efforts to another exciting project: launching a community initiative called the Swim Club. This club invites everyone based in Helsinki to join us on Thursday mornings at 7:30 for a beach swim. The project required significant brainstorming and planning. To cater specifically to our local audience, we launched a new Instagram account, ensuring we didn’t overwhelm our global followers with city-specific content. Our team even spent a day at the beach creating social media content that highlights our goals: to casually meet up, enjoy the swimwear, and connect with like-minded individuals. With this initiative, we aim to strengthen our local community, attract new customers, and foster a positive, emotional connection to our brand.

We also introduced a stamp card for the Swim Club participants, rewarding frequent attendees with discounts and, eventually, a free product. However, to maintain our focus on sustainable and conscious purchasing behaviors, we chose not to promote this incentive publicly on social media.

Throughout the last few weeks, I deepened my skills by creating at least three reels per week, enhancing my ability to edit video content quickly, find suitable audios, and create authentic representations of our brand’s personality. Additionally, I supported the team with preparations for our new collection launch, which is happening tomorrow. Planning the launch event, complete with food, drinks, and our new pieces, taught me a lot about the fast-paced nature of small businesses and the numerous decisions required to execute a successful event.

I am excited to share that I will continue working with the company as a Social Media & Customer Experience Coordinator over the summer. This role will allow me to gain even more experience, including working shifts at our flagship store in Helsinki.

This internship has been incredibly educational. I've gained confidence in my strengths, tackled various challenges, navigated new experiences like our photoshoot in Italy, and witnessed how a small team of five can build an impressive sustainable brand and make a significant impact.

I am looking forward to gain even more experience in the sustainable fashion industry in the future.

Kind regards,

Hana

Marketing Intern (3/3)

Hi again!

My internship has now come to an end, and time has truly flown by. As I mentioned earlier, I was working on a third and final project, which involved exploring the possibilities for the company to introduce a second-hand concept. It was an exciting challenge that allowed me to think creatively about how we can reduce our climate footprint while offering customers a more sustainable option.

During my internship, I also had the opportunity to visit the headquarters in Åre.  Åre is truly a magical place, and it was incredibly inspiring to be part of a photoshoot in the beautiful nature for the launch of their new fabric that I had previously worked on in a launch plan.   Seeing the whole process—from idea to finished product and then marketing—has really given me a deeper understanding of the industry and the company's operations.

I have learned so much during my time here, both about marketing and the industry as a whole. It has been fantastic to work with such dedicated and knowledgeable people!

Exploring Fashion Ads 3/3

 Here is the last post reporting on my finding of How design elements (text, brand, product, model, pictorial) affect visual engagement and memory retention.

The experiments were really fun where participants realized themselves that they needed to remember the pictures I showed them on the screen. Everyone said it is like a game where they can compete on the score of quizzes for their recall ability.

The findings are that the increase in size, no matter which element has increased the attention and recall rates. This just inspires me for the WOW effect and Giant model trend that is going on in the market right now.

The strategic placement and sequencing of the advertisement also have an influence on memory retention. That what we see first kind of occupies our brain capacity that later stuff has no place to squeeze in. It also takes our brand energy and capacity to process and store. So this is a very interesting topic how to fight in this data-overloaded world where everything competes to gain our attention and time. 

So factors such as clear and concise messages are evident but need to be engaging and have a strong brand imagery connection. As it has been found in this study as well that people don't really associate certain colours to shapes with any particular brand or product. Our brain just doesn't function that way unless we get a message that emphasizes that frequently. The repetition of key messages is also very effective in enhancing the encoding and retention of data.  

There is a lot more finding to this. Hope I can manage the data, make it nice and clean, and publish it if possible for everyone to read. 

Best to everyone for the Summer!

Sara

Logistics Intern 3/3

 Hi! 

As my last week as a logistics intern has just passed, I would like to assign this post to summarize my experiences during these past ten weeks. 

Since a couple of years back I have worked within logistics during the summers, and I therefore had an image in my mind of how the processes at my internship company would be like in general terms. However, I quickly realized how different the task of supplying products to customers can be depending on the company and which industry it operates in. From my experiences, I believe that logistics within the fashion industry differs from many other industries, due to it being highly dependent on both seasons and offshoring production to the east. This combination creates an additional need for speed within the logistic operations, since the time frame from when purchasing a new collection from the manufacturer to it being delivered to the customers need to be as short as possible. 

Furthermore, supplying to B2C customers was a new experience for me, and something that has really made an impact on me is how much resources the handling of returns require. When returns are free and easily accessible as a consumer it is easy to not think twice before placing an order with items you are not 100% sure of, however, the work behind the scenes when sending a return are major and causing both additional emissions and costs for the retailer. I believe that this is something that consumers need to become more aware of to achieve a more sustainable fashion industry in the future. 

Finally, it has been amazing to be a part of a workplace where everyone feel so passionated about their work and committed to the brand they represent. It really shows that standing for the right values as a company both attracts and remains amazing employees, which is necessary for long-term success. I am so thankful that I took the chance to be an intern during this course, and I highly recommend everyone everyone else who has the possibility to do the same.

Days as a Garment Tech at GANT #2

Embarking on my journey as a garment tech intern at GANT has been an enriching and transformative experience. Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to work closely with the youth and women's outerwear team, a dynamic and innovative group that has broadened my understanding of the fashion industry. One of the most exciting aspects of my internship has been my hands-on experience with CLO 3D, a revolutionary software that has significantly enhanced my skills and knowledge. CLO 3D has proven to be an invaluable tool, not just for me, but for the entire product development (PD) team. This cutting-edge technology allows us to create detailed and accurate 3D garment simulations, streamlining the design process and reducing the need for physical samples. Through my work with CLO 3D, I have learned how to visualize and adjust designs in real-time, making the process more efficient and collaborative. It has been fascinating to see how this software aids in achieving precise fits and finishes, ensuring that each piece meets GANT’s high standards of quality and style. Working with CLO 3D has also highlighted the importance of technology in modern fashion design. The ability to experiment with different fabrics, colors, and patterns digitally has opened up new creative possibilities and enhanced our ability to innovate. For the PD team, this means faster turnaround times and more sustainable practices, as we can make better decisions without the waste associated with traditional prototyping methods.

Exploring CLO 3D for Enhanced Digital Product Development (3/3)

Hey,

As our field study project on developing a self-learning module for CLO 3D in apparel design concludes, I would like to share the valuable lessons we've learned. Our first major takeaway was understanding the importance of tailoring the module to meet beginners' needs, ensuring it was both accessible and relevant. This focus on the target audience was complemented by the power of teamwork, where sharing tasks and supporting each other led to enhanced results and a more streamlined process. Embracing feedback from learners allowed us to view it as an opportunity for continuous growth, making significant improvements to the module. Integrating multimedia elements such as text, images, and videos made the content more engaging and catered to various learning styles, enhancing the overall learner experience. Overcoming technical challenges, like software compatibility and hardware limitations, underscored the need for preparation and creative problem-solving. Additionally, effective time management and planning were crucial in meeting deadlines and ensuring the project's success. This entire process has not only improved our instructional design skills but also highlighted the importance of adaptability and ongoing enhancement. We are grateful for the support and encouragement we received along the way and look forward to applying these lessons in future projects. Thank you, everyone!

 

Best regards,

Thilini

An unforgettable company trip

 

24.5.

Today, I want to share a bit about the company trip which I was extremely privileged to join in late April. To briefly explain the context of the trip: at the sustainable swimwear company where I work, we were creating a new collection of swimwear, which the founder wanted to do a photoshoot for. However, since the company is based in Helsinki, there were still no summer feelings, not even green trees in the city (it was still snowing in April). Therefore, a one-week company trip was booked to --- Italy!!

It was an extremely long process organizing the trip and finding locations where we could shoot. When the whole team — three employees, two interns, two models, and one photographer — finally arrived in Italy, it felt a little surreal. For me, being at a photoshoot that wasn't just in front of a white wall was a dream come true! This whole week was indeed a dream come true!

I learned a lot about being flexible when it comes to photoshoots since you have to keep an eye on the weather. Unfortunately, we were not too lucky with the weather and had to change our plans very often, so when the sun came out, everyone started to do their job and work as efficiently and quickly as possible. I was in charge of taking a lot of behind-the-scenes content from the photoshoot, which was a lot of fun! Seeing the photographer and models being extremely confident and in their element was super inspiring to me!

Now, being back in Helsinki, we are slowly starting to share the footage on our social media accounts, and it seems quite surreal that I was part of this experience and this new collection. Experiencing the whole process, from creating the pieces to finally sharing them with the customers, is exciting. At the moment, we are busy planning a launch event for the new collection in Helsinki and also starting a community project to offer weekly swims at the beach in the early mornings.

I am beyond grateful for experiencing such memorable things, and it is wonderful to see that the company is growing a lot this summer!

Summer has now finally arrived in Helsinki. I hope you're enjoying the warm weather too!

Kindly,

Hana Schwalbe