Welcome to the first video in our series "Women Behind the Seams", where we delve deeper into the inner workings of Bastet Noir and shine a light onto our brightest stars - our women single parents & women micro entrepreneur seamstresses.
Through this series, we want to share Bastet Noir's story in a way that's more tangible and relatable than just words on a website, because we #giveadamn.
If videos are not your thing, scroll down to read our interview with Goca ;)
Let's Get To Know Each Other! Tell Us A Little Bit About Yourself?
My name is Zhezhova Gordana, I am the owner of Atelier Zhezhova, a single parent, a daily fighter of deadlines and meeting criteria for clients, and of course, for Bastet Noir.
When And Why Did You Start Working As A Seamstress?
My beginnings of course stem from my childhood, when I watched my mom when she was sewing. I secretly fell in love with this profession even though I thought I would work something different. As time went on the work itself came to me naturally, and I found myself in it. Anyhow, I am self-taught, just by watching my mom, studying, I tested a lot of fabrics that ended up in the trash and all of that just to achieve a high level of craftsmanship.
What Made You Want To Become A Woman Entrepreneur?
My first work experience after graduating from high school was in a shoe manufacturing factory. However, after a few years I realized that my ambitions cannot be satisfied at that workplace, so, I decided to move to Skopje without a specific plan. However, living in a bigger city that offers more opportunities was a challenge. The atelier came by itself through all of my collaborations with multiple marketing agencies, Macedonian fashion designers... And that is how I went to the next level, from an employee to an atelier owner.
What's Your Favorite Part Of The Creation Process?
I don't have a specific favorite part, the pattern making, the sewing process, the smiling faces of clients, all of it is part of the process that makes it hard for me to choose which part is my favorite.
What Are Some Challenges You Face As A Woman Entrepreneur?
The most prevalent challenge is meeting the daily deadlines. Of course, everything administrative that comes with owning your own business and balancing оbligations from my personal life, and everything that an atelier demands from a woman entrepreneur. And on top of that, a mother as well.
What's It Like Working With Bastet Noir?
My collaboration with Bastet Noir brought me a new experience that is completely different from my usual work with clients that I meet with, where I have an insight into every alteration, and how the end result looks on. And the creation process itself took us into a new era of online production that is the future. And thanks to the collaboration with Bastet Noir we navigated the pandemic better and safer.
Now that you've gotten to know a little bit more about our team, hit the subscribe button for more inside scoop on the Bastet Noir Universe, coming to a screen near you!