11 Questions for... Franziska Klee

Hello, we are Franziska Klee! We are a young label that just moved from Munich to Leipzig - back home. We make bags and accessories out of genuine leather, which are made by us in our small studio. We love clear, minimalistic designs with an eye for detail. To achieve this, we combine classic craftsmanship with new ideas. It is important to us that we work with high-quality as well as sustainable materials. All the decisions we make serve only one goal - to create a true favorite piece that you want to take with you wherever you go.

02. What did you want to be when you were little and why?

I probably had a girl's dream par excellence. I was so fascinated by Anna, the ballet dancer, that I showed my 1A splits everywhere. It was not quite enough for a great career. :)

03. What do you like about your work or what makes it special?

First and foremost, I love to live out my creativity. It is an exciting challenge every time to develop a finished product from an idea. Every single step challenges my mind anew. The individual work processes couldn't be more different. It starts with the development of the pattern, the choice of the right material, the production of the first prototypes. Even setbacks within these development cycles bring me further. When the product is finally "finished" and my sewing machine is just purring, it's like meditation for me. It clears my head and makes room for new ideas.
But I also find the contact with my customers incredibly great. This is best demonstrated by our "dream clutch". With our configurator, you can design your own bag from a variety of options. The requests and the feedback I get are really overwhelming. I don't sew the bags for myself, but for someone who has stories to tell with them. When I get an email thanking me for the nice contact and sending me a picture of the wedding, it makes me proud and happy at the same time.

04. ...and what not at all?

Filing! Bureaucracy is a nasty time eater, I'm afraid. Grrr.

05. What is your most important work utensil?

Let me introduce. My Pfaff industrial sewing machine from the last millennium. Hopefully it will last forever.

06. What is the most beautiful thing about your workplace?

Without my accomplice Flo, I certainly wouldn't be at the point I am now. He takes care of photos, the website and has my back. At the same time he is my biggest critic. And he can cook, too. A good combination. :)

07. Where do you get your ideas from? What inspires you?

Source of inspiration No.1 for us is everyday life and the people who surround us. Solutions arise from problems. From "You should really..." something that you later hold in your hand and others fill with life.

"It is an exciting challenge every time to develop a finished product from an idea"

08. What went really wrong in the last few months?

Fortunately, nothing really wild has happened. There was one moment, though, after I put a few hours of work time into a complex backpack and then realized I sewed the strap on wrong. If you're working with cotton or canvas, that's not a problem. Leather, unfortunately, never forgives. The only thing that helps is to grit your teeth, unpick everything and sew something smaller out of it.

09. What is your next goal? What projects do you have coming up?

We launched our most important "project" so far in May ;) We became parents of a little boy. This immediately gave rise to new ideas. One or two weeks ago we introduced our baby shoe line MOQ. Small, soft runners made of vegetable tanned genuine leather. We are currently working on two bag models for mothers and their strollers. Standard models in baby stores often just look incredibly ugly. Something has to change. So you can be curious.

10. You recently became a mom. Congratulations. How do you manage to balance job and family in your new role? Any insider tips for all you working moms out there?

Thank you. After all, I've only been a mom for four months, so I'm still in the "comfort zone" of parenting. Unfortunately, I have to say that it is really difficult for self-employed people to keep their business alive during this time. There is definitely still room for improvement. I kept the first two months free just for the little one. I'm enjoying the time with him, but I also want to continue to live out my passion. Finding the right balance is extremely important. We are therefore very carefully restarting our business. In addition, we have added a few nets with a false bottom. For example, the delivery times in our stores are a bit more flexible. The most important thing is not to stress. Luckily we have a great family behind us to support us.

11. What you always wanted to tell the world:

We should all listen more. No matter where you come from or what your opinion is.

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