Nothing is forced. I think it’s important to take time to sit down before you even start designing a product and figure out your brand values and goals, your customer identity and how you’re going to help that customer with the product you provide. I worked on this for a good couple of months or so to make sure everything was clear before the design process even began.

If you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of advice – what would it be?

Good things take time! I was (and sometimes, even now, still am) in such a rush to achieve a certain goal or reach a certain point in my life when, really, it’s important to look back at everything you have already achieved so far and life isn’t one big rush. Just like when I was initially disheartened that the brand launch was pushed back due to the pandemic, it worked out better in the end with that extra time to fine tune every part of the business.

What does the future for Monika the Label hold?

Our next big goal at MTL is to work towards a circular economy. Last year, our first step was to offer our garments on rental platform By Rotation and this summer we launched with Rotaro at their Carnaby Street pop up. At the end of this summer, we will be launching our own take-back scheme, encouraging consumers to send back their unwanted MTL garments to us in exchange for a discount voucher towards future MTL purchases. We’ll upcycle (and mend, if needed) the returned garments and resell them as an Archive Collection.

We’re also in the process of forming a partnership with Oxfam so garments that are beyond a reselling state will be donated to the Oxfam recycling scheme. I also want to work with more charities to give back to the community. Last year, profits from our face masks were donated to two charities: Healthcare Workers’ Foundation and YoungMinds. This year, profits made from selling our GuppyFriend wash bags will be donated to Stop! Micro Waste, which is an organisation that aims to educate about plastic pollution and clean beaches from plastic waste. I’m so excited to see the brand grow and I would also love to have my own shop one day.

Designer Diaries: Monika the Label is the retro-inspired brand making some of Instagram’s favourite clothes