#awinewith Karinne Silva Dowling & Eliane Da Silva
MEET Karinne & Eliane, Co-founders of Silvas Stitches
You can find them here:
Transcript
Danielle Lewis (00:04):
Karinne, Eliane, welcome to Spark tv. I'm so excited to have you both on the show.
Karinne Silva Dowling (00:10):
Thank you. Thanks for having us.
Danielle Lewis (00:13):
Of course. I love it when we've got two people. It always makes it fun and it always is interesting, the different answers to questions. So I'm so glad you could both be here today. Let's just start out by telling everyone who you are and what you do.
Eliane Da Silva (00:30):
Well, my name is Eliani. DaSilva is the name of the business, silver, which is my family name. I'm always being a woman in career, and I thought I will never retire my life. Always studying, doing degrees and working policy in contract management in government, state and federal government. And then I had to retire and look after my mother. She lives with me. She's nine four her. So when I retired age and I said, now I'm going to retire, because it was too much stress. And then I decide, then I start to feel a bit isolated and I lost the sense of my life being studying a work my whole entire life. I never stopped studying. And I said, well, it's time to do something. And then I start to crochet, doing crochet for the kids, for the family blankets. And do you know how we start the business or you
Danielle Lewis (02:01):
Just tell me, I know the story, but our listeners don't know the story and it's a great story.
Eliane Da Silva (02:08):
Yeah. So my granddaughter asked me, she's 15, Olivia. She asked me, Nana, can you teach me to do crochet? So I gave her the yarn. I gave her a hook, and we start doing something. And I said to her, okay, I taught all the basic stitches. And I said, okay, now we're going go home, go to YouTube and find something. So two days later when dad, she was doing a bag.
Danielle Lewis (02:43):
Oh wow. Yep, a bag.
Eliane Da Silva (02:45):
Cool. And I said, what? You are my mini me. So I call her. So she has the same talent that I have and the whole thing grow from that. And she said, I said to her, let's put a business. And then she chooses the name, she designed the logo, and it grew from there. And then now I'm a very happy retire person because took all my stress away.
Danielle Lewis (03:16):
So good. I love it. Three generations crocheting, beautiful bags
Eliane Da Silva (03:22):
Of products. Then from there, and then the other daughter, even my little one, she's nine now, but at the time she was seven, she said, Nana, I want to be part of the crew as well, and you're teaching me how to crochet. And that creates a huge bond between me and my granddaughter, especially my mini me, Olivia, which is the soul of the business.
Danielle Lewis (03:55):
It's just gorgeous because, so I'm a knitter and a sewer. Now, I haven't delved into crochet yet. However, I just think it's so beautiful when we pass down crafting skills and when generations understand what goes into something that is handcrafted,
Eliane Da Silva (04:19):
I start to meet. When I was seven, my auntie taught me, and even my godmother, she used to do crochet. So when I was to go to her house, I used to sit down next to her and just watching and just watching. I love it craft.
Danielle Lewis (04:44):
So
Eliane Da Silva (04:45):
I retired, said, okay, wow. I think I
Karinne Silva Dowling (04:47):
Found myself again. But she's always been a crafter. She's done knitting, she's done crocheting, she's done sewing. She made my dresses for my formal, for my graduation. She's always been, I'm a self learner, very talented.
Danielle Lewis (05:04):
I'm just impressed as well that you told Olivia, go to YouTube and look it up. I'm like, you are very progressive as well.
Eliane Da Silva (05:13):
It was amazing when I went there, she did granny square bags, and I said, how you did that? You told me to go on a YouTube. You got a talent girl, you got, she's amazing. She's amazing.
Danielle Lewis (05:34):
That is so cool. So now the business, you have a line of handbags and you also do kits now as well, is that right?
Karinne Silva Dowling (05:44):
Yeah, so we created a line of bags for all the different generations. So basically Olivia was designing some for her age group. Liliana, my older daughter, she was designing some as well, rose, which is our 9-year-old niece, my 9-year-old niece. She kind of said, well, how about making some little purses and then adding some chains to it and that type of thing? So we have bags for all different ages, but we also have bags for different occasions. So we didn't want just the tote bag to go to the beach, which Olivia made, or the shopping tote. We wanted to create really fashionable, really elegant bags that you can go to a wedding with or you can go to a really nice restaurant. And yeah,
Eliane Da Silva (06:34):
It was interesting because was that three to four years ago, I went to Brazil to visit my family, and then I found out that crochet bag was a huge business in Brazil, in America, in Europe, not in Australia. It took long time. We start picking up and I said, oh my goodness, what are they doing? And then I found this beautiful yarn that I came to come back to Australia and I said, okay, let's look for a yarn. Like I saw in Brazil, I couldn't find anything. So from there it came our desire to improve what we'll be doing. So I contact the company in Brazil, and I said, look, do you want us to bring your product to Australia? Yes. So we are representing that company in Australia. So we are bringing to Australia a total new product that people are not used to in Australia. You can go into China Buy, but now we've got in Australia.
Danielle Lewis (07:48):
So what's so amazing about the Brazilian version of the yarn?
Karinne Silva Dowling (07:53):
So the yarn is specifically designed for bags. So it's a particular material that it's got elastin in it. It's really nice to crochet. You can knit with it as well. We're also bringing in polypropylene, so it's a nautical yarn that it's easy to knit and crochet with as well. And the colors are amazing.
Eliane Da Silva (08:22):
So
Karinne Silva Dowling (08:23):
The bits inside it, so the qualities, it doesn't fade with sunlight or anything like that. So the colors are really vibrant. There's no knots. So crafters understand that. Yeah, good. Because they don't stop.
Danielle Lewis (08:45):
You
Karinne Silva Dowling (08:45):
Just keep doing continuous.
Danielle Lewis (08:49):
I love it. That's awesome. So where can people buy your bags now?
Karinne Silva Dowling (08:55):
So we've got our bags on our website, and you can customize your bags as well. So we've found that a lot of people through our markets and that type of thing, they want a particular color or a particular style, and so we can customize that so they can order online. We've also got social media so they can message us through there as well. So we've brought out the kits so that the crafters can make it themselves, because a lot of the customers were coming in and saying, oh, we really like this, but my friend would really love to make it herself. And so we came up with that idea of allowing the customers to actually produce their own. All the
Eliane Da Silva (09:43):
Improvement we have made along the business is through client's. Feedback is interesting how the client pushes you to a different direction, even accessories. And the other important thing is keep your eye on the trained accessories. And because you can't find anything in Australia, you have to bring from overseas. So we keep eyes also on the European style because in Europe, crochet bags are very expensive.
Danielle Lewis (10:30):
Yeah. Well, it's interesting because we talk about the craft of it, but it's a real fashion industry trend, isn't it?
Eliane Da Silva (10:40):
Even the big names. Are they all bringing crochet bags? Which ones that
Danielle Lewis (10:47):
I've seen? Even Prada has Prada, Prada tote. Yeah,
Eliane Da Silva (10:53):
All of them crochet bags. And their bags usually is over $2,000.
Danielle Lewis (10:59):
Yeah, they're very crazy expensive.
Eliane Da Silva (11:02):
I saw one that they sell in the bag is a big travel bag that I can do easily $25,000.
Danielle Lewis (11:15):
Wow. Oh my god.
Eliane Da Silva (11:17):
And people pay. Some people pay. So Australia market is really at the beginning. So actually our competitors in Australia are really
Danielle Lewis (11:34):
Not quite there yet.
Eliane Da Silva (11:35):
No, they're trying to, guys
Danielle Lewis (11:38):
Are ahead. You are ahead of the market. I love it.
Eliane Da Silva (11:41):
I am. I am. And talk to my trip to Brazil that I realized because in Brazil or in Europe, you can go to a shopping just to buy accessories for beds. Oh wow. Anything, every type of yarn, hardware, everything here that is no shop.
Danielle Lewis (12:08):
Wow, that's crazy, isn't it?
Eliane Da Silva (12:11):
Yeah. People are doing online.
Danielle Lewis (12:14):
Yeah. Well, that's what I was just thinking is that I wonder if that's where people are going. They're going online for their sourcing if the industry in Australia just isn't there yet.
Karinne Silva Dowling (12:25):
No. Yeah. And that was one of the reasons why we're bringing out the kits, but also we're selling the accessories for people to buy for themselves. So you can buy the handles. There's different styles, different colors. You can buy the chains. We've even got zippers that we pre-roll pre-drill,
Danielle Lewis (12:49):
Cool
Karinne Silva Dowling (12:49):
Crochet. We want to make it affordable and easy for the crafter to make for themselves.
Danielle Lewis (12:57):
I love it. It's so cool.
Eliane Da Silva (12:59):
And the idea for the kids, because the whole idea is to bring the generations together. I'm with daughter, grandmother with granddaughters, and the other day we were in the market and a little girl, she was seven seven, and she said, mama, I want that kit. So mama said, okay, well let's do it. And then I said to her, look, let's start. It was amazing, the little girl. She was so happy. And then I said, now you go, do you have a nana? She said, yes, your nana does go. She go back and ask her to help you
Danielle Lewis (13:38):
And
Eliane Da Silva (13:40):
Was coming to school holidays. And her mom said, okay, she is going to grandma and grandma help her to put the bed together. And I think that is the whole idea of crafting.
Danielle Lewis (13:52):
I know. Well, I must admit, when my mom and I get together, we knit and we just have a glass of champagne and a little gossip together and it's the best
Eliane Da Silva (14:02):
It is. Especially in the winter.
Danielle Lewis (14:04):
Yes. It's so good. Oh, that's awesome. That is so awesome. So how about the business side of the business? How have you gone navigating, obviously you've got this amazing product, you all banded together to produce the amazing product. How are you finding the business side? So the admin, the marketing, has that been a learning curve? How have you felt about that and how are you managing it between the two of you?
Eliane Da Silva (14:32):
Every day is a learning curve.
Danielle Lewis (14:35):
Yeah, me too. Me too.
Eliane Da Silva (14:38):
Every day, every day we learn so much it, it's interesting. Through the small market, you learn a lot. The feedback of people, it's amazing. It can a struggle to manage, especially for Karen, that she works full time for us as a woman who struggle is an ongoing struggle to look after house kids, DNA and clothes and plus do the business. But we can't give up.
Danielle Lewis (15:12):
No, it is too good. It is too amazing product. Yeah.
Eliane Da Silva (15:17):
And women doesn't give up easily.
Danielle Lewis (15:20):
No, we're very tough, aren't we? Yeah,
Eliane Da Silva (15:23):
We are not male.
Danielle Lewis (15:27):
Exactly. Oh, that's awesome. What do you think one of the biggest challenges has been so far that you've overcome?
Eliane Da Silva (15:37):
I think it's the website. For me. The website is a major drummer.
Danielle Lewis (15:41):
Yeah.
Karinne Silva Dowling (15:42):
Yeah. Just learning everything from scratch. I am in teaching, so I didn't know anything about running a business, although my husband had a business and my dad had his own business as well. But just navigating the social media, the marketing, the little bits and pieces that we have to do every day. It's not just crocheting the bag. For my mom, her big stress reliever is the crocheting. She just wants to sit on the lounge and she just wants to crochet.
Danielle Lewis (16:20):
Yes,
Eliane Da Silva (16:21):
My mind go the way I'm in a little world, so comfortable when I'm crocheting to get everything it is. Technology is a big challenge.
Danielle Lewis (16:36):
And do you find that's how you stay motivated? So if the business is challenging and the tech is challenging, it's almost the product is kind of the bit that's the joy actually creating the product. Yes,
Karinne Silva Dowling (16:51):
Creating the product, but also selling the product and seeing the interactions of people. When we go to the markets, just when they order their own, they designed their own. There was a lady that wanted to go overseas and she wanted a particular bag and she wanted a zipper, and she wanted to put her passport in it, so it had to be a particular size. So we made it to her specifics,
Danielle Lewis (17:18):
And
Karinne Silva Dowling (17:19):
It was just lovely to see her opening it and going, wow, this is exactly what I wanted. Because it's really hard to find a business out there that actually does all that for you.
Danielle Lewis (17:28):
Totally.
Karinne Silva Dowling (17:30):
So that kind of motive keeps us motivated to find new designs. And what I've
Eliane Da Silva (17:40):
Found is the impact and people seeing the bag on the website and actually seeing the market is totally different because people are not used to bags, especially with the product that we have. It's a totally new product in Australia, not in Europe, in America. It's a big thing, but they need to see it and through the local markets, and now we are going to big craft as a vision. The feedback has been amazing.
Danielle Lewis (18:15):
Wow.
Eliane Da Silva (18:16):
For me, that is, this is what moves me is the feedback. Especially when they look at the product. They say, how can you do this? Or amazing. The most comment that we have is usually seniors stop and say, oh my God. I remember my mom to do. I remember that when I was young. Crochet was a big singer in Australia, could find crochet everywhere. So actually it's bringing a lot of people, the memories of their childhood.
Danielle Lewis (18:58):
Yes.
Eliane Da Silva (18:59):
It's really amazing.
Danielle Lewis (19:00):
That's so cool. I love it. I know you just made me think. My mom had a crocheted bikini that she, and it was hilarious. My mom was like a supermodel, like ballerina size six tiny, and she's got this crosha bikini, and I've ended up with it and I could never wear it, but I always keep it for every time I clean out my closet, and every time I move house, I keep it. I'm like, one day I'm going to get that framed or something. It's just this gorgeous handmade thing that's iconic seventies and it's just unreal. So I really resonate with people looking at it and going, oh my God, I remember it brings back so many memories. It's awesome.
Eliane Da Silva (19:40):
But it's in fashion now.
Danielle Lewis (19:42):
Yeah, yeah.
Eliane Da Silva (19:44):
Even because we are representing Circle of product in Australia, they have a special yarn that we haven't bought yet. It's a specific design for bikinis. For bikinis.
Danielle Lewis (19:58):
Oh really? It's got the elastic in it. Oh my God, that's
Eliane Da Silva (20:02):
Awesome. Amazing. We haven't bought yet. We're going to, although bikinis
Karinne Silva Dowling (20:06):
In Brazil a lot different
Danielle Lewis (20:08):
Than bi. Yeah. They're a little bit more body confident. Oh my God, that is amazing. Oh, it's so beautiful. What markets can people find you at?
Karinne Silva Dowling (20:23):
Well, we've been all around Sydney. We've been to, we've been to Mossman, we going to be going to, recently we went to the Craft a live fair, and we're going to be going to the quilt and craft exhibition in Rose Hill in September.
Danielle Lewis (20:41):
Awesome. I love it. I love it. It's so incredible. It's such a beautiful story, such a beautiful product. I will definitely link up where everyone can find it and buy a bag of their own. It's so exciting. I always like to leave these podcasts with one last piece of advice. So reflecting on your time in business, would there be a piece of advice that you would give to other women on their business journey?
Karinne Silva Dowling (21:08):
I would definitely say believe in your dream. Find a gap in the market and stick to it. And because chances are, if you are not able to find something, someone else isn't able to find it either. So if you are able to plug that gap in the market, then you'll be able to sell your products. Networking also is a huge thing, being part of a community, not just of other business owners, but of women in business. Because chances are, if you are having some problems with marketing or sales or this, that and the other, then it's everyone that's having the same problem, the same issues. So you can be able to support each other and bounce ideas and work together
Eliane Da Silva (22:01):
Is really important, I think. And keep your eyes on the trend that is very important. What's happened in Europe, what happened in America? Because Australia takes a while to follow what happened outside. Yeah. For example, one lady came to me in the market. She said, oh my God, I just came from Greece. A bag like that would cost 600,000. Wow.
Danielle Lewis (22:33):
Yeah. Incredible.
Eliane Da Silva (22:36):
Yeah, that is.
Danielle Lewis (22:38):
Love it. I love it. You are both amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with the Spark community. It's been an absolute pleasure to have you on the show. I appreciate you both so much.
Eliane Da Silva (22:53):
Thank you. Thank you so much for the opportunity to tell about us. Yeah, thank you.
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