As part of the Morning Lazziness series highlighting empowering women who are making a remarkable impact with their ideas, I had the pleasure of interviewing Katya Komarova.
Katya Komarova began her career in fashion more than 20 years ago as a model, working with renowned brands and creatives around the globe. During one of her contracts, she discovered a passion for leatherwork—a skill that led her to study Bag Making & Design in Florence before eventually relocating to Australia.
Today, Katya is the creative force behind her namesake label, celebrated for its distinctive minimalist, stitch-free designs. By pioneering innovative techniques, she creates clean, seamless silhouettes that highlight the natural beauty of premium materials, while offering functional versatility—such as foldable bags ideal for travel.
Sustainability is at the heart of the Katya Komarova brand. From eco-conscious production practices to the circular economy approach of its Second Chance initiative, the label is dedicated to reducing fashion’s environmental footprint. With her unique blend of artistry, craftsmanship, and responsibility, Katya has built a brand that embodies timeless elegance, innovation, and mindful living.
In this interview, she reflects on the pivotal moments, hard-earned lessons, and defining wins from her journey in building thriving online ventures.
What inspired you to start your business, and what problem were you passionate about solving?
I spent years in the fashion industry as a model working for amazing brands around the world, and I couldn’t not try creating something of my own. When I started working on my handbag label, I started uncovering the issues in the industry and the challenges my future customers face. These learnings kept inspiring me to create the product that addresses the sustainability issues and helps women and men have more fun with their accessory game while still being a responsible consumer.
How has your business evolved since its launch, and what key decisions have helped drive that growth?
Oh, it’s been a journey. A few major milestones included moving production from China to Australia, which completely reshaped the product and the way we do business, then growing the team and learning how to delegate, finding new revenue streams to be crisis resistant and so much more. And in each of these moments, the decisions that made it work were the ones of asking for help, signing up for another online course, agreeing to yet another crazy opportunity. You only see results, where your focus and effort is.
In your view, what truly sets your brand apart in today’s competitive market?
Some of the key points of difference include the responsible production in Australia, the stitch-free technique that our bags are made with, which enable our clients to unfold bags for easy storage and traveling, and of course the interchangeable straps and handles that enable you to look different everyday. We are currently working on incorporating AI and allowing our customers to design their own prints on their bags as well. Our mission is to inspire everyone to express themselves through fashion, yet do it mindfully with respect for the planet.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to date, and why do you think it worked so well?
Throughout the years in business, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no one tool that will deliver the result that we want. So, our strategy has been a combination of consistent social media posting, occasional media mentions, educational blogs on our website, seasonal offline events, and paid advertising, targeting those who had a touch point with our brand before through the above. And once again, you really see the result if you put in the effort. It’s particularly obvious when we show a certain styling tip on our Instagram and then this particular style performs the best on the website.
How do you stay connected to your ideal audience and understand their needs or behaviors?
We are quite engaged with our customers through social media and of course the offline events. It’s a challenge when operating mostly online, but there are ways. Also, we are always very open to any feedback and have processes in place to collect the ongoing data on what our customers like or dislike.
What’s one branding move or campaign that helped elevate your business to the next level?
It was a decision to move away from big sale events like Black Friday and create our own. We run it during my birthday week and give a discount equivalent to the age I turn on that year. It creates a lot of buzz around the brand and we generate months of revenue in just one week. This birthday sale week also brings a lot of new customers, which is great,
What does success look like for you, not just in numbers, but in purpose or impact?
I think it starts with numbers anyway. That way you can really measure the impact. For example, our customer return rate is 50%. This means half of people who shop with us come back for their second, third, fourth purchase. There are some customers who own more than 10 of our bags. It’s so heartwarming, knowing there are people who appreciate what we do and understand our philosophy. That is true success to me.
How do you personally define success, beyond revenue and growth metrics?
I feel successful when I have the freedom to do what I love and when whatever I love and create for other people is appreciated and chosen over other options. It feels very special. I also feel successful in my personal life because I am in healthy relationships and these relationships are not interfering with whatever I choose to do professionally.
Can you share a challenge or setback that ultimately became a turning point for your brand?
I remember back in 2018 my brand was barely growing and my husband was questioning if I should keep doing it. I sat down with a thought – can I just kill my brand? I realised, I can’t. It’s such a huge part of me and who I am. At that moment something truly special happened. I made a pact with myself that I have to make it work. I enrolled in a social media course, I found partnerships, I felt the urge and hunger for success. Everyday I started asking myself ‘What can I do today to make a sale?’. It worked. I think until you truly and feel like you have to have it, there is no way back, you don’t know your full potential. I had to become angry with myself, in a way, to really push through.
What daily habits or rituals keep you focused, creative, and grounded as a leader?
I do have a bit of a routine. I write morning pages to keep the thoughts flowing and to give myself a space to get it all out. I exercise, I eat healthy, I sleep 8 hours, I regularly walk. All this gives me enough energy to be productive and tick off a lot of things in a week. I also read a lot of business literature, inspire myself with fashion reports, and watch beautiful movies to stay connected with my creative self. These kinds of activities are very unique for me and my industry, but one thing that works for everyone is your body. I believe if you eat healthy, look after yourself, you can achieve incredible things, because your healthy body and mind will always drive you to use your potential.
How do you approach innovation and risk in your business strategy?
I’m using one of the effectuation theory principles – affordable loss. We have to innovate in order to stay relevant, but it should be done within the available resources and investments or losses that don’t destroy what is working today. I try not to rush and set realistic expectations on what and when can be done, while trying to go ahead of the competition.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business in today’s fast-changing digital world?
I recommend embracing this digital world and using it in full. It’s amazing what you can currently do with AI. Use it! I also can’t stress enough on the power of people. Find partnerships, grow your team, don’t do it by yourself. It’s much easier to do it with like-minded.
Where can our audience connect with you and learn more about your work or offerings?
Our Instagram account
Our website
I also love connecting with other entrepreneurs and having meaningful discussions.
