Photo used courtesy of Selfnation

Selfnation is a Zürich based jeans brand that makes custom fitting jeans for anyone who needs something made especially for him or her. They are one of the best 100 Start-up companies of 2016 in Switzerland. The Founders of this trendy clothing line share their entrepreneurial story with us here:

Q: What is the name of your business and what do you do?

We are SELFNATION, a bespoke fashion label based on an algorithm developed by the founders at the ETHZ.

Q: When did you start the business and who are the Founders?

Selfnation was founded in December 2013 by Andreas Guggenbühl (CEO), Michael Berli (CTO) & Sandra Guggenbühl (Creative Director).

Q: What motivated you to start the business?

The business idea came to us when two of the male founders were shopping with friends in Zurich. The female friends needed some new jeans. After hours of searching, they ended up not finding anything they liked and that suited them. Andreas and Michael came up with the idea of bespoke jeans made with an algorithm. The algorithm would be an easier way to find the perfect fit instead of trying every single pair of jeans on and deciding whether they suit them or not.

Q: Have you encountered any challenges?

There is a new challenge waiting for us every day. Right now, our biggest challenge is getting into the international markets while keeping the reputation of a company that offers locally produced fashion.

Q: What are the positive aspects of your business?

The first positive thing about our business is that we save our clients unnecessary hours in retail stores trying clothes on while they could enjoy their lives and spend time with their loved ones.

Our clients can immediately get the right style and fit of jeans because it’s made just for them!

We also work smart by not having any overproduction; We only design when there is demand which saves money and Creates less waste!

Q: Where do you see your business in the future? What are your goals?

We want to change the fashion world and convince other companies to produce less and to deliver just what is needed: The bespoke production is the future of fashion.

Q: What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur who would like to start their own  start-up business and be as successful as you are?

Go where people really need you. Talk about what you would like to change in this world and get as much feedback as possible – never stop developing further!