Mosey Me
Q&A WITH ELIZA O’SULLIVAN – FOUNDER AND TEXTILE DESIGNER
What inspired you to start your business? How did you go about it?
I wanted the challenge and the freedom. The freedom to create something that I truly believe in and that would inspire me on a daily basis – I’m challenging myself every day to see what I can become. I worked in the commercial design industry for seven years before launching my own business, which was a vital part of knowing what I did and didn’t want in my life. I gained so much knowledge and experience from working for other companies and I’m forever grateful for those years, however I also felt restrained and very frustrated in that environment. I knew I was going to go out on my own one day so I just had to wait until it felt right. When the time came I was able to take all of my knowledge and experience and bring it into my own business, which was amazing and pretty necessary.
Was there a turning point when you knew you were onto a good thing?
There is no one particular point for me however anytime someone or a business I admire reaches out to me is pretty amazing. Surface Magazine got in contact with me this year and I was also featured on Design Milk – they are both New York design royalty in my eyes so the fact that they are appreciating Mosey Me gives me a lot of confidence.
What do you find to be the most rewarding part of your business?
Seeing new ranges come together is pretty rewarding, knowing that all of that work came from months of thought, consideration and persistence. There is so much decision making involved in business and design and quite often you don’t know if you’re making the right ones. It’s not until you start selling and seeing the response from the customers and the industry that you know if they were good decisions or bad ones. It’s a vulnerable state to be in but either way you learn so much and become smarter and more successful both personally and professionally. That growth is very rewarding.
What sort of person buys your products?
Mosey Me appeals to anyone who likes unique design. My customer base is predominantly female however I know a lot of men have Mosey Me surrounding them in their homes as well. My product walks the line of playful yet contemporary, so my customers appreciate colour and pattern and aren’t afraid to experiment.
What makes your product different? Why do you think it has succeeded?
I work hard on delivering a strong consistent message in my design aesthetic so customers can understand Mosey Me when they come across it. It literally is me poured into product, I love creating and designing it and I think customers can feel that energy in my products – they’re fun!
Have you identified any design and/or business trends you have had to address in the last year?
I feel as though I’m constantly picking up on what’s around in the marketplace and what’s on the horizon, which is when you start to see the trend threads connecting. This often happens subconsciously, so without realising it I’m already addressing design trends, then it’s the decision to see what works with Mosey Me’s core and if it relates. For homewares, I think the most important thing is colour; I work really hard on colour. You have to be aware of what people are purchasing for their homes because you want your product to compliment it, but also to stand out and be unique. It’s important to identify in some ways but you don’t want to lose your brand identity in doing so.
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