In 2017 I found out about Spanish sustainable brand Rita Row. I saw a photo from a cotton rib corduroy jumpsuit and I fell in love with their playful design language. After researching the brand I contacted them immediately and we got along well!
From the start of the shop my focus is on independent designers, sustainable fashion and unique brands that weren’t yet for sale in Utrecht. Rita Row became one of them. I’m proud that I was their first stockist in The Netherlands! 😊
Their first collection we had in store was actually ordered from photos. I hadn’t seen the garments with my own eyes and hadn’t had the chance to feel the fabrics with my own hands. Normally I’d say it would be too risky to buy without seeing the garments in real life, but I was so in love with their collection that I trusted the quality would be good. And I’m glad I did!
Now, three years later, I am still so happy to work with the ladies from Rita Row. Their collections are getting better every season and it's good to see that they’re staying true to their own distinctive style: lighthearted, cool, feminine and quirky.
Now that we all find ourselves in a challenging situation, we decided to have a little chat with Imma Serra and Xènia Semis, the two women behind the brand.
From the start of the shop my focus is on independent designers, sustainable fashion and unique brands that weren’t yet for sale in Utrecht. Rita Row became one of them. I’m proud that I was their first stockist in The Netherlands! 😊
Their first collection we had in store was actually ordered from photos. I hadn’t seen the garments with my own eyes and hadn’t had the chance to feel the fabrics with my own hands. Normally I’d say it would be too risky to buy without seeing the garments in real life, but I was so in love with their collection that I trusted the quality would be good. And I’m glad I did!
Now, three years later, I am still so happy to work with the ladies from Rita Row. Their collections are getting better every season and it's good to see that they’re staying true to their own distinctive style: lighthearted, cool, feminine and quirky.
Now that we all find ourselves in a challenging situation, we decided to have a little chat with Imma Serra and Xènia Semis, the two women behind the brand.
About you
How did you two meet? When did you decide to start a brand together?
We first met when we were teenagers. We both worked as waitresses during the summertime. Our ways coincided again in Barcelona, where we were flatmates while studying Design.
Our ways parted during a period, but we met again in our hometown after a few years. We both wanted to live in Figueres, but it wasn’t easy to work in design if you’re not located in a capital city like Barcelona. After sharing coffees and dreams, we decided we should give it a try to start our own project. We shared the idea of the Rita Row woman, the imaginary character we would like to dress. And here we are!
Work
Do you have a morning ritual?
The first thing we do at the studio is turn on the music and have a coffee! We talk, check our e-mails and then we start the rest of the work day.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
We both bring our babies to the Studio. Imma first brings her 5-year-old kid to primary school and then she arrives at the Studio with Lola, her 6-month-old baby. Xènia has a 1-year-old baby, Tom. We are quite busy with them!
It depends on the day whether we do our creative work, make designs, focus on payments, check materials and create campaigns. Every day is quite dynamic!
Speaking of which: How do you combine motherhood and your business? Do you have tips for our followers who sometimes struggle to combine these aspects?
Motherhood and business can be hard to combine at times, but we do our best in both worlds! Never lose hope, neither optimism! It’s hard, but it’s possible! We hold on to our feelings and passion for what we do, we have this feeling for both our babies and vocation, se we keep moving in between both worlds!
Have you experienced difficult moments before during your business? If yes, what do you do to feel better?
We have been through both tough and sweet times… but we have always fought and overcame obstacles. We have a passion and trust in our project, and we always do our best to keep going! We are the Yin and the Yang, one strip of the other and we complement each other perfectly.
Inspiration and design process
Could you tell us something about the fashion films you make?
We make fashion films to explain and show our collections. We usually make them with our dear friend Núria Tolos. She’s amazing with fashion films, and she has actually won some prizes in Fashion Film Festivals!
What are your future aspirations/goals/dreams?
Our goal is to keep growing, keep our Rita Women Community going and become as much sustainable as we can!
Can you give us an insight in how your work process goes? Which steps do you take from scratch to collection?
We always look for inspiration of any kind. Then we create and design, pick fabrics, make the technical sheet, send it to the Pattern Department who make the garment… till we get the final samples.
Then beautiful shops like yours pick their favourite styles from the sample collection, and that selection goes to production and finally to the shop where the #Ritagirls buy the pieces! :)
