We are pleased to introduce Valentina, the founder of the Swedish brand Fabulous Goose. Faboulous Goose are renowned for their beautiful, high quality blankets. In this interview, Valentina tells us about herself as well as her gorgeous designs.

Tell a bit about yourself

I turned 40 in 2015, have been married to my better half for quite some time now and have three kids. I speak five languages and would describe myself as curious. I adore art, fashion, architecture, sociology, anthropology and learning about cultural differences.

I believe that the world would be a better place if education was provided to all girls around the world, and sports were made accessible to all kids.

What is the story behind Fabulous Goose?

'Wonderful Adventures of Nils' by Selma Lagerlöf was one of my favourite stories when I was little and has definitely inspired me. The goose itself is a free and modest bird. Every time I look at the sky and see geese flying by, I know that I chose the right mascot.

How would you describe the design process for your products?

With regards to the design process itself, I don't have a design background but I collaborate with different people who do. Sometimes I have a particular product idea and get help to design it. On other occasions the design process is more of a co-creation process where I contribute with concept ideas or thoughts on elements that should come with a particular product. The simplest design process we use involves choosing patterns from a selection and then creating the collection that I have in mind.

My personal focus is on three elements: quality, comfort and durability. It goes without saying that all our products are produced locally and certified. I truly believe that we help our customers to make safe and rewarding choices, we never skimp on any part of the production process. As the focus of our products is on comfort, soft materials are key in order to create a pleasant feel and therefore the perfect balance to the busy outside world. I want our products to enhance well-being and help one enjoy the everyday through their special and comforting qualities.

Where are your items produced?

We produce in Denmark, Sweden and Germany. This year we’re planning to add a new merino wool quality that is made in Italy.

What is your favorite item in your collection?

I am very proud of our paper ornaments DIY kits and the cushion Mr. Fly Guy. Both products have a very complicated artistic design but they look great.

Where can people find you and your products?

Our Goose is a very international bird. So far we've worked with retailers in 38 different countries. Through our webshop www.fabgoose.com we receive orders from even more countries around the world. This is one of the things I like most about having my own business, all the interesting people that I get the chance to connect with. Social media is another beautiful place where I also get to meet our customers. I use Instagram nearly daily, Facebook is more about sharing our blogposts and Pinterest is the place where I get inspired. We also send out newsletters. You can sign up for them here.

How would you describe the perfect heiter moment?

I am actually quite melancholic, therefore seeing your daily updates on Instagram and being reminded of cheerful things are good for me. I would say that for me heiter is connected to a bright and sunny day. It’s also about time spent with other people.

I feel heiter when I am genuinely surprised and that is probably why I enjoy going to the theater with my daughter so much. Positive feedback from our customers does really cheer me up too.

Images: Fabulous Goose

Interview: Katharina Geissler-Evans, heiter magazine

Optimism (noun): hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something (synonyms: hopefulness, hope, confidence, good cheer, cheerfulness, positive attitude)

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This is a love letter to the optimists of the world; the beautiful souls who are brave enough to choose to work for the best possible outcome despite terrible circumstances, to look outside of themselves and find meaning and beauty in the world in spite of potentially devastating heartbreak and loss.

Dear optimists, I believe that the world desperately needs more people like you, but it doesn’t always realise it. All too often, optimism and optimists are misunderstood. All too often, you’ll raise your hopeful offering to the world, only to be met with disdain and derision. In a world where cynicism is often confused with wisdom, assuming a world-weary attitude is the safer path; choosing a hopeful, optimistic outlook leaves your heart wide open and vulnerable to those who want to scorn you for standing out. It takes strength and courage to be optimistic.

Optimists are often accused of being naïve, unaware of evil, of living a sheltered and blessed kind of life. Optimism is often seen as a luxury that not everyone can afford. But in its truest form, optimism doesn’t mean always being happy, and it certainly doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to bad things. It’s not something you’re necessarily born with, or into, either. It’s a choice, and sometimes a daily battle, to stay open and receptive and keep looking outwards, to keep engaging proactively with the world instead of retreating inwards and strengthening the hard, protective walls you’ve built to try and shelter yourself from your fears.

I think A. J. Liebling was right when he said that “cynicism is often the shame-faced product of inexperience.” Some of the most famous optimists of the world are the very people who have endured the worst that life has to offer, living in Nazi concentration camps or in hiding and terror, like Viktor Frankl and Anne Frank. People who have achieved great and world-changing things, like Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr., more often than not achieved what they did precisely because they had a dream, a sense of hope spurring them on to take action.

As Anne Frank said, “It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.” Or, as Nelson Mandela put it, “Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

In Man’s Search for Meaning Viktor Frankl described how you could tell when a prisoner in the concentration camp was about to die, saying that the characteristic that united them was total despair and loss of hope: “The prisoner who had lost faith in the future—his future—was doomed… he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay… He simply gave up.”

In other words, the world needs you, dear optimists, because your outlook is a powerful life-giving, world-changing force for good. Frankl’s theory of “tragic optimism” explains that optimism comes from the Latin word, optimum, which means “the best”. Through his experiences in concentration camps, Frankl became convinced of “the human capacity to creatively turn life’s negative aspects into something positive or constructive”, even in the face of great tragedy and horror.

We may not be able to change how we feel, and we certainly can’t force ourselves to be happy, but we don’t have to because that’s not what true optimism is about. What we can do, is to choose to change what we focus on, little by little, day by day. We look to you, courageous optimists of the world, to inspire us to find the #heitermoments in our every-day lives.

Sophie Caldecott is a writer, Intuitive SEO coach, aspiring podcaster and founder of A Better Place Journal. She lives and works in the UK.

Image: tobetold

Fabulous Valentina: meet the founder of Skandinavian blanket brand Fabulous Goose

Why the world needs optimists