Vienna based Now Wow is our go-to shop for sustainable lifestyle products. I had the chance to chat to the founders Imke and Orsolya and ask them questions about how it all started, sustainability and more.

If you had to describe Now Wow in a few words, what would you say:

It matters that you try!

When did you have the idea of opening up your shop? What was your motivation?

We both have completely different backgrounds but once we had the concept for Now Wow planned out and in front of us, we knew that there was no way out: we simply had to do it and let our idea become reality. Responsible consumerism and the use of plastic were topics that got more and more important in our everyday lives (and families) and that is why we decided to open up a small, carefully selected & curated plastic-free store in Vienna’s 7th district. That was back in 2020. Now Wow was the answer to our everyday struggles. The idea started off small but grew into something bigger that is now our full-time job.

Tell us a little bit more about your selection. What are your favourite products?

Now Wow offers a versatile range of products for all sorts of everyday situations. We stock finest beauty and skincare products, sustainable alternatives for the household as well as beautiful lifestyle items for the home, office and travels. All of our carefully selected products are ecological, wholesome and widely plastic free. It is very important to us that whatever we offer feels “right” throughout: it starts with the ingredients, packaging, production process, where it is manufactured, what people got involved in creating them but also the aesthetics. It is important that an items suits us and our selection; not that we offer all products by one brand and/or manufacturer. We also want to make sure that our product range covers all areas of a zero (or less) waste lifestyle.

Our whole store is actually filled with favourite products. Entering the shop feels like entering the “Best of Our World”. What we both love are products that come with a story e.g. about the people who were involved in making it. For instance, small manufacturers always do things a little bit differently and that’s very appealing to us too.

In your opinion, what are the first steps to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

I think the willingness to start. It is not about being perfect but about realising that small steps can impact the bigger picture, e.g. trying to make changes in the bathroom is a great start: replacing plastic bottles with natural, more sustainable alternatives is good for oneself and the environment. Another possibility is to introduce small changes in the household. We need less than we think: a few basic cleaning products - products that are refillable, washable and re-useable are so much better than most of the stuff that’s being offered at supermarkets.

Being a responsible consumer also means questioning items: where do they come from? Who produced them? How long did it take for them to get here? How can they benefit me in the longer run? Apart from just thinking practically about the journey of a product, we also believe that the aesthetics are important and can add to our lives.

Where can people find (or find out more) about you and your shop?

Surrounded by other lovely little shops, we are based on lively Zollergasse (in the 7th district of Vienna). We always enjoy having visitors and chatting to them.

Our website www.nowwow.shop was created with love and attention to detail. It is a great place to find out more about us, our motivation and projects. Now and then, we share tips on how to live a more sustainable and plastic-free life on it too.

Last but not least: what is your definition of “Heiterkeit”?

The willingness to actually live life - and to be carefree, no matter how hard and worrying today and the future might seem.

Interview and translations from German: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magahine

Photography: provided by Now Wow

Deutsche Version

Please introduce yourself:

Hello! I'm Lisa, founder and creator of Indigowares. I live in Hertfordshire and I’m a 47-year-old mother of two.

When did you start Indigowares and what inspired you to do so?

I started Indigowares in 2016 after working in fast fashion for 20 years. At the time I had taken a break from the industry to have children, but when I went through a divorce I had to find a way to make a living and be there for my children at the same time. Since then, Indigowares has become the perfect intersection of following my dream to start an independent ethical brand, and a way of working from home and being able to bring up my kids.

The idea for Indigowares initially came because I had taken up indigo dying as a hobby. I fell completely in love as I learned about its magical dyeing processes, as well as the cultures that did and still do use it. I grew really disillusioned with the fast fashion industry after working in it for so long, and this brought the focus back to making pattern – which was always my passion – and the traditional processes and history behind it.

This evolved into a business through Etsy first. Then I learned to build a website and slowly started adding products there. And as I grew my knowledge of how to run an online business, Indigowares grew alongside that. The goal is always to create something that is timeless, seasonless, and keeps traditional processes alive with a contemporary twist.

What steps go into creating your pieces?

It starts with the design, which has to be tested in order to come to life. We create sample garments, I indigo dye on different fabric contents to see how they take, test different patterns and natural dye techniques – everything needed to land on the perfect combination of things for production.

Production is split between my home studio here in Hertfordshire and our collaborators in India, so the process of creating pieces also looks different depending on where the resources are coming from. For garments like our Kantha Jackets, the process starts by working with our collaborators to source kantha quilts to be repurposed, then created in our classic styles.

Are you in charge of all the steps or do you have a team that supports you?

I design and oversee all the steps, but I have a number of people who collaborate, input, and help throughout production and running the business. So here in England, I work with a seamstress called Caroline, who helps with sewing and general day to day running. Then I have Kay, my virtual assistant who puts together our blogs, newsletters, and different bits of content.

Then we have a number of really close relationships with our collaborators in India. There’s Kiran Sandhu, who owns and runs the farm where our Indigo is grown. Kiran is a fantastic indigo artist and samples pieces for us as well as collaborates on our Seed to Closet designs, which are made on her farm and are 100% traceable straight from the earth.

Our kantha quilts are also sourced from vintage bedding and materials in India – I work closely with a few suppliers in Jaipur to select these for each design.

What is special about choosing these techniques over chemical dying?

Water consumption is lower, for one. Natural dyes prevent the pollution that chemical dyes cause. Chemicals dyes are also harsh against your skin – they can cause allergies and irritation that you may not even think about when buying something chemically dyed. Our indigo dye is certified and tests at over 50% pure, which is an amazing amount for natural indigo. You can even see pictures of where our indigo was grown and the process of harvesting on our website. This models the cyclical process fashion can take - materials that come from the earth and can be returned to the earth.

But aside from all the environmental and person benefits, natural dyeing keeps alive traditional techniques. It allows us to celebrate history, culture, and artistry.

What is your favourite Indigowares piece and why?

I fall in love with each one at the beginning when I’m making them. Then stay in love until the next piece comes to mind, and the process starts all over again!

I think with designing something, it's like having children in some ways. You develop it and grow it and love it and nurture it. And then you set it free into the world and hopefully it does well. You're always there to support it – to share it and keep trying to sell it. Then to enjoy when customer reviews come in and other people fall just in love as I did!

I think a lot of artists, at the beginning, you put all that time into your creation. And that’s why you love what you do, but nobody can love one thing forever. We’re always evolving, finding new fibres, new processes, more sustainable methods. That’s what I'd love more than anything – the evolution.

You worked in the fashion industry for about 20 years. What is different now that you work for your own brand?

So many things. We don't work into seasons. We don't work under pressure. We don't have to follow trends. We can be flexible and more human with suppliers, flexible with timelines and the creative process.

The biggest thing is that when you run your own brand, you are in control of your own destiny. Which hopefully means that we can help shape the future of the fashion industry, if we’re the change we want to see.

Indigowares is only a little brand, but if the bigger brands see what we’re doing and the huge positive impact on the environment it can have, then maybe they’ll also start doing what we were doing. Maybe we wouldn't be in this situation, and maybe we can really reduce the pollution of the fashion industry. At the end of the day, the biggest thing I can do through Indigowares is take care of the earth, and help others do the same.

How can people find your beautiful designs?

On our website and on Instagram.

Images: Indigowares

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