They create magnesium bags – a sort of talc for drying hands that is a must-have for rock climbers. Colourful furry creatures, monsters, muppets and other animals instead of ordinary textile bags? Something that could be perceived as a funny campaign proved to be the right business idea. Bags created by a pair of Wroclaw entrepreneurs conquer the world. We invite you to learn more about these young people.
Why did you choose to sew magnesium bags? How did that begin?
Karolina: Everything began from Marcin. His mother was a tailoress, so he often watched her work as a little boy. He must have unconsciously got hooked on sewing at that time. When he studied, climbing became his passion, but he could not find the ideal bag. Just like climbing shoes, it is a very important accessory for every climber. Because of this, Marcin sewed a few bags for himself. When I met Marcin, I didn’t even know that he is so good at sewing. Our friend gave us a sewing machine, and Marcin sewed a climbing bag for my birthday. Then he sewed further bags, reworking any possible materials within the reach of his hand. All works by Marcin immediately found a new home.
So Marcin was the first to sew climbing bags?
Karolina: Yes. For a long time, he was the only one who sewed them, and I took care of other things. But now I sew, too.
What is the origin of the name of your company?
Marcin: We did not plan to set up a company and we did not suppose that our bag story would develop on such a great scale. That’s why we used the Polish name at first. The entire fanpage was established in a little humorous form. We invented the name ‘The climber is a tailor, too.’ We thought it was funny, because climbers usually have thick fingers, and the needle is so small. Our message was that a climber can be good at sewing, too. But when our bags began to be more and more popular abroad, we adopted an English name.
How do you find ideas for further “stars” of the collection?
Karolina: Initially, a part of ideas was submitted by our friends and customers. Then I found out that designing is my hobby! I love to invent new designs. I am inspired by everything that I can find on the Internet and that surrounds me every day. I have recently found inspiration in funny motifs on caps that I see in the city.
First it was fun and bags sewn as gifts, and now it has become very professional. You have created your own brand. Which countries do you receive orders from?
Marcin: Virtually from all parts of the world: from Australia and Singapore, through Germany and Great Britain, to Canada. Surprisingly, a large part of orders comes from the USA.
Do customers submit requests for customised bags? Which were the most interesting?
Karolina: We always try to meet the challenges set by our customers, although sometimes this may be difficult. I think that orders are the most interesting when the presented figure is interesting, funny and colourful. My latest favourite order was the one for Kermit from Australia :)
How did you enter the international market?
Marcin: We both travelled much around Europe during studies. For example, I studied in Great Britain for 3 years. Many of our friends are scattered around the world. At first, they bought bags from us, but the news about them spread fast.
Your bags are becoming still more popular? What are your professional plans for the future?
Karolina: Now we are waging an eternal battle with time. We have a multitude of plans and designs that we want to put into practice, but the day is still too short! On my desk, I have lists of tasks written out on four A4 pages – from marketing, through daily business matters, to bag designs themselves. I slowly carry them out one by one. Part of new designs for climbing bags that we have not uploaded yet is partly completed and is awaiting a good moment. For the time being, there are only two of us, and we have prepared 30 different designs so far. With regular sales, we sometimes find it hard to add anything else. We will see how the company will develop in the future.
