Time for questions

I bring you a series of questions and answers that I often receive regarding the establishment of the brand and its operation so far. Make a cup of coffee or tea, find a favorite spot and relax for a while. I wish you a pleasant reading!

What was the inspiration for founding the MOONIA brand and what values ​​are you trying to spread through your brand?
I was originally looking for a nice nightgown for myself. I was under a lot of stress at work and we had linen sheets at home. I already knew linen and its properties and it suited me. I couldn't find any nice linen shirt that I liked in the Czech e-shops. So I had it sewn (and Pluto was born, by the way, it's our best-selling piece).

It is important to me that our customers look beautiful in our nightwear. In short, that the pajamas suit them. We (women) often take care of ourselves and twice as much behind closed doors. I wish we paid more attention to our appearance at home as well.

Could you describe what you offer and what makes your brand unique?

The main segment is nightwear. I would dare to say that the combination of local production, certified fabrics and sleepwear in particular makes us a unique brand on the market.

Gradually, I expanded the offer to include home clothes. After Covid, many professions have moved a lot to the home office, and customers value mainly comfort and pleasant material.

What is your process for choosing materials and ensuring the sustainability of your products?

I probably spend the most time choosing and looking for fabrics and suppliers (and I also enjoy it a lot). I have several criteria and I go by the elimination method - composition, certification, origin. Then, unfortunately, sometimes I come across a price that is too high for the material, with which I would not succeed on the market. If the fabric keeps me awake, I'll try it as a limiter. I just recently found a beautiful pajama fabric. Unfortunately, the supplier didn't even know if the material was certified and where it came from... so it's just a stop sign.

What is the biggest challenge right now?

Clearly combine family and work life. I am currently on parental leave, my daughter turned two in January. Until recently, I also worked part-time in a corporation, took care of the household and my daughter, and I was also developing the brand. I decided that it was a bit too much. So since January I'm back "only" on maternity leave and working on Moonia. It's just that the people around me interpreted it to mean that I'm "home" after all, so I can catch up on more things... Well, it's a lot about communication. But it's exhausting at times to still make time to work for Moonia.

How do you see the future of the brand?

I have a vision, such a Severka of mine, that nightwear is one of several main pillars of the brand. The area of ​​rest, well-being, mental well-being, quality eating and an overall quality life is quite topical for me. Today's 30- and 40-somethings have high time to think about how they want their old age to look like. I was very inspired by the book Surviving, to be written by Peter Attia. I think that the topic of longevity, or life expectancy in health, will be very important for our and future generations.

What were the main challenges when starting the MOONIA brand and how did you overcome them?

Perhaps I will repeat myself, but primarily to defend myself to others that Moonia is something more than just a hobby. And honestly, I haven't overcome this challenge yet..

Could you share a moment you are most proud of?

Well, honestly, it's probably the situation when someone tells me that they thought that a professional team of several people was behind the brand. As I struggle with the constant mistrust of those around me, I actually try to show all the more that it makes sense. So the moment when someone is literally surprised that it's actually a one women(mom) show, always makes me feel good :).

One woman show?

Of course, I have professionals around me, but they are external and occasional collaborators, so I literally don't have my own team (although I would really like to have one sometimes).

You said you sew in the Czech Republic. How is it going?

For me, local production is one of the main pillars on which I built the brand. I'm an optimist (otherwise I wouldn't be doing this job) and so I still think it was the right decision, at least at this stage.

And how is it going..? Now, at the turn of March and April, I can say that I am very satisfied. I have one workshop, one backup workshop, designer, one external seamstress and a sheltered workshop, so the absolute ceiling for now. Maybe, but last year at the end of the year I didn't have any of that. And actually not even the ordered Christmas orders. I lost a lot of fabric, the last production increased the price by leaps and bounds, but it didn't deliver and the quality went down.

Textile production has a strong tradition in the Czech Republic, and in addition, almost everyone has a sewing machine at home. Our grandmothers and mothers sewed our clothes themselves. It saddens me to see how few textile establishments remain in the Czech Republic. In short, with the arrival of cheap foreign competitors, quantity and price took precedence over quality Czech products. On the other hand, I see that slowly and gradually it is turning back. So I believe it will be fine again.

Why should someone buy pajamas for 3,000 crowns, when they can buy them at HM for half as much?

Here my answer will probably be a bit longer. Sure, someone can say, that's stupid, no one can see me in my pajamas, I just need a t-shirt and shorts. But.. We spend a third of our lives in nightwear. We regenerate during sleep and it is important to keep in mind sleep hygiene, which includes, among other things, the appropriate material of pyjamas. And next to that, there is a group of women who do not want to give up on tasteful nightwear. They express that they value themselves.

We are here for customers who prefer quality over quantity. These days, it's very easy to throw in pajamas for a few hundred, but you're sure that you'll have to do it again in six months, because your clothes will fall apart or you'll find that you really can't sleep in them. And you end up paying more.

Our high price reflects the certified material and production in the Czech Republic. We do not use any artificial materials, which are often several times cheaper, have traveled halfway around the world and may contain toxic substances. Considering that the laundry is intended for our free time, when we regenerate, we want to gain strength and have a good rest, the material must be of high quality.

In addition, pajamas are a wardrobe item that we use every day and spend a third of our lives in. The price tag may seem high at first glance, but calculate now how much it will really cost.

Let's assume that the price of one quality pair of pajamas is CZK 3,000, we sleep in them for half the year (the other half we replace what we already have at home) and the pajamas will last at least two years.

3000 CZK / 178 nights = 17 CZK per night / 2 years = 8 CZK

I think that 10 CZK (when I round it) for one night in a quality piece of clothing is an acceptable price.

Of course, there are customers who are distrustful and think about their purchase for a long time. I am even more pleased with their feedback when they write to me and "confess" that they no longer sleep in anything else.