Fashion is a reflection of what is happening in the world: Marina Terentyeva, founder of the 1811 brand, about the fashion industry, inspiration and unsuccessful rebranding

In modern realities, import substitution is everything to us. In the last six months, local brands have rapidly gained momentum, weight and importance. Almost every week, new players with big ambitions and obvious talents appear on the fashion scene. We always follow such projects closely and realize the most promising ones.

The heroine of our fashion interview today was Marina Terentyeva, the founder of the 1811 brand. If you are a fan of minimalism in the spirit of The Row and Jil Sander, we are sure that you are most likely familiar with the promising Russian brand. And if not, it’s definitely time to learn and learn a little more about his main ideological inspiration.

Marina wears her own products with pride, shoots for the brand and truly shines with her work. In the seven years of its existence in 1811, it suffered a failed rebranding, loss of customers, and an epidemic. But all this only gave her the strength to move forward. Now a strong community has formed around the brand and all urban fashionistas dream of something from the sensational “Where is Roerich” collection.

We met Marina at the office in 1811 (inner sanctuary), where we looked at the inspiration board for future collections and chatted about fashion, inspiration and, of course, plans for the future. Shall we begin?

Tell us for our readers, how did you come up with the idea of ​​creating a brand?

My life has always been connected with fashion. I loved and still love to dress well, and clothes have always been seen as a way to express myself. Even at school, I tried not to look like everyone else and remade something with the help of improvised materials. And when they announced that they would bring us school uniforms in the eighth or ninth grade, I gathered the whole class and went to the principal. As a result, it was never introduced! Of course, this had little to do with our protest, but then it seemed to me that I was involved. (to laugh.)

I think it was then that I realized that I wanted to devote my life to fashion. Therefore, when he grew up, he went to the best – Central Store. I worked there for seven years, gained experience and decided it was time to make something of my own. I did not want to be a cog in a large mechanism, I dreamed of creating my own coordinate system.

You once said that you communicate with people through your brand. What exactly are you telling them?

That a woman can be different and that there is no place for stereotypes in the modern world. You cannot tell girls to dress like this if they are at home, or to dress like this if they are making a career. We have different clothes. Yes, of course, with its unique aesthetic and original design, but still different. It is important to us that a woman be as she wants.

Every designer is inspired by something or someone. Do you have a role model like a designer or brand that you take as an example?

Of course, there is a list of trend-setting brands. Many of them were like a lighthouse for me at the very beginning of the journey. While working at TSUM, one of them was Lavnin from the time of Alber Elbaz. I was very close to his business approach. He said that through clothes, sexuality does not shout, it whispers. I’ve always been impressed by what Loro Piana has done. Their attitude to work, the quality of things and the color palette. So where is Totême without The Row and Jil Sander? The clothes of all these brands do not hide the personality, on the contrary, emphasize it. And that’s the most important thing to me.

But I want to make it clear right away that syncing and borrowing are completely different things. You cannot do the latter. It’s important to create your own story and find your way.

Let’s dream a little. If you could choose anyone from any era as your 1811 brand ambassador, who would it be?

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Princess Diana. He has never been a style icon for me but now his image has gotten very close. It probably came with age. (to laugh.) I adore Penelope Cruz, one of the current heroes, and would be very proud if she wore our dress. I also admire Sharon Stone, Julia Roberts and Michelle Pfeiffer. They are very different but cool in their own way. And yes, it is important to me that there is something behind personality.

In the description of the brand it says “1811 is for women who are at peace with themselves”. How did you find this fit?

Adaptation comes with age. Thanks to the experience, family, teachers and people nearby. You know, you can tell how compatible a person is by the way they dress. And it is very easy to understand. If you see a person first instead of trendy clothes when meeting, that’s a sign that he’s found himself.

This year 1811 turned seven. Can you tell a fact about the brand that is not on the internet?

There is a story that starts with a failure and ends with an incredible success. At the very beginning of the journey, we decided to make a V-neck sweater. A very beautiful sample came to the office, so without hesitation we ordered a batch in three colors. And one day these sweaters arrive and we realize that they have a completely different thread and the collar is very deep. So much so that it is impossible to wear anything. Yes, we were deceived.

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. It was a very large party for us that we invested a lot of money in. But there was no way out, so the thing was still in the store. Then the most interesting began. I broke up with my husband for a few days and then I see these sweaters are on sale and they are so good. He called the team and said, “Girls, what happened?” I ask. To this they answer: “Marina, the sweaters are simply gorgeous! We put them from back to front and the cutout is on the back. As a result, we sold the entire batch, and what was made to the wrong molds was a hit.

You founded the 1811 brand with your spouse. Many say that it is better not to mix personal life and work. But when you look at you, you get the feeling that there are exceptions and very successful ones. Tell me, what are the pros and cons of working in such a duet?

Now I only see the advantages. But the first six months were tough. But we had a frantic desire to achieve a great result, and it helped. We played the part and the fact that we’ve been together for over a year. She managed to get married, give birth to a child, go through repairs. And as you know, not everyone after that manages to save a marriage. (to laugh.)

All five years of relationship before the creation of the brand, we “feeled” each other, we sought each other. Therefore, when we decided to do our own business, it was easier for us to come to terms. Vanya initially asked me not to mute anything and always speak up if you don’t like something. Hearing each other helped us achieve such results.

In 2018 you rebranded, changed the logo and name. As a result, this step turned out to be unsuccessful. If you had the opportunity to go back in time and change everything, would you accept it?

Yes and no. We would still rebrand, but in a different way. We should have changed the name of the company anyway, but we overestimated ourselves and thought we were cool business people and everything we touched was easy. Therefore, it was very painful to understand everything that happened. But on the other hand it was a good experience, we took a lot of blows and learned lessons. Before this situation, everything was easy for us. Yes, we worked hard, but the puzzle itself took shape. But after a while I began to realize that we were lucky in many ways.

You said that in the first stage, you communicated with the customers in person and knew many of them by sight. Do you remember a nice compliment that made you think you’re doing everything right, moving in the right direction?

Yes it was. I remember opening a showroom on the first day and making good money. Few people knew about us back then, and there were a little over 2000* on Instagram. So the income of 60,000 rubles for the first day was beyond imagination. But then came three days of calm. I still remember how I sat in this empty gallery and thought: “Maybe I didn’t do anything at all? Maybe you should have stayed home? And customers arrived the next day! They measured things and said insanely pleasant words: “How cool you are! We saw you on Instagram*.” This made it clear that everything was not in vain.

Were there times when you wanted to drop everything?

Yes, but I don’t want to remember. First a failed rebrand, then an epidemic. In the first days of quarantine, the thought constantly flashed: “Maybe you’d give up everything?” But then it passed. Thanks to the people who were nearby and were able to provide timely support. Vanya helps when I lose my heart and vice versa. The team also always comes to the rescue and cheers in every possible way.

What do you think are the qualities a person should have in order to create a successful brand?

It seems to me that this is a person who should be able to charge. I always say: “There are no lone warriors on the field.” You can be infinitely talented, but if you can’t hear people and energize them, nothing will work. There will always be difficulties, but if they believe in you, then everything is on their shoulders. And it’s not just words. I really know what I’m talking about. During the difficult times of 1811, everyone supported us: the suppliers, the factories and the team.

What do you think is the main problem of the fashion industry in Russia?

Many people think that the main problem of the Russian fashion industry is the lack of production and textile factories. But I don’t think that’s the real issue. Brands follow the consumer and do not educate him in any way. Let’s take content for example. Sometimes we didn’t like what we did ourselves but still posted posts for likes and comments. There are also cases where a brand sells 1,000 pink dresses and decides to do the same in the new season just because people are buying them. This is the wrong approach. Western brands create something new in each collection and are not afraid of being understood.

It seems to me that it is important for Russian brands to look deeply within themselves and understand exactly what we want to give and what we are going to teach. That’s why we started making capsule collections with artists.

What are your plans for the future? What will you strive for?

Become the number one Russian brand. I want people to be proud of wearing an 1811 and understand what they’re spending their money on. I want to be an important and powerful brand that will raise and lead important projects. I want to bring some benefit to people, society, children. And that takes money and power.

What is fashion for you?

Fashion is a reflection of time, a kind of litmus test. Fashion is a reflection of what is happening in the world. When we look at the photos of women with fluffy skirts or girls with mini skirts, we understand very well what period we are talking about.

* Considered extremist and banned in Russia.