About us
At the core of the brand #makove is to highlight the beauty of traditional Slovak folklore, embroidery and customs, and translate these into the present.
We have always been passionate about folk patterns, so meticulously arranged and embroidered by hand, as well as new trends, emerging ever so quickly. We decided to connect these two seemingly unrelated ideas and create a brand that is modern, fun, colourful yet evokes tradition.
This is us
Our names are Zuzana and Barbora. We are two Slovak girls living overseas, in the beautiful country of New Zealand, and we founded Makove to remind us of our home and traditions. We are proud of the country’s rich history and heritage and we would like to familiarise others with them too.
Why the name Makove?
Makove
adj.- relating to “mak” ( which translates to the English word “poppy”)
Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) is a traditional crop in Slovakia with a long cultivation tradition. The plant’s seeds have been a popular ingredient in home cooking in Slovakia for centuries – desserts, such as poppy seed strudel, buns or potato gnocchi with poppy seeds are the locals’ favourites.
This is where the idea of a poppy as a traditional ingredient and the Slovak folklore interconnect – they are both unique to Slovakia, both unknown to the outside world, and that is why we would like others to know about them and appreciate them as much as we do.
Our ethos
We realise how important it is to protect and maintain what we have here. Our entire work is inspired by traditions and history, which we try to enhance, protect and keep present in modern times. We have the same attitude towards the environment, its protection, eco-friendly production and support for the local manufacturing.
Bio, eco, fairtrade
We make sure that all our products are certified and meet certain international social, economic and environmental standards and regulations. We are in close contact with each of our suppliers and make sure that they use materials and processes in their production that comply with these standards. We also try not to forget about reduction of the carbon footprint, so we try to support local production on a large scale.
Merino wool
On the contrary, we would like to bring something that is traditional in the world to Slovakia. Merino wool is very popular in New Zealand and is commonly used there. New Zealand is a major exporter of sheep’s wool and has a great reputation for its quality. Merino wool (merino = sheep breed) is said to be one of the purest and whitest and it also is not chemically modified and has no admixtures of other fibers. It is the finest, and therefore the most expensive, and at the same time the most suitable fibre for active and ordinary clothing that comes into direct contact with the body.
Team Makove
Zuzka
Zuzka is a textile design graduate from Massey University in Wellington, NZ. Originally from Slovakia, she has been based in New Zealand for the past 8 years and she has collaborated on many successful creative projects. Zuzka loves creating patterns and graphics inspired by the local flora & fauna, as well as the places she has visited. We are very happy to have her as our in-house designer and one of the key members of the Makove team.
Barbora
Barbora is also based in New Zealand and she enjoys being part of the creative environment. She has experience in online marketing, advertising and social media promotion. Together with Ela and Jan, she is the key member of the Makove team and has been its part since the early beginnings. Since she moved far away from home, she has been identifying herself with the Makove ideas and values very strongly.
Ela
She has been part of the Makove team since the very start. She loves Slovak folklore and traditions. It is thanks to her hard work, determination and project management that the Makove brand has come to life. She has a lot of professional experience and knowledge and keeps tasks and projects on track. Ela is a valuable member of the team and always helps us moving forward with great ideas, improvements and imputs.
Jan
Jan has also been part of the Makove team since the very start, as its main pathfinder and innovator. He loves product development, supports unconventional ideas and is always coming up with innovative construction techniques. Everything can be resolved and nothing is too hard to achieve in Jan’s eyes. As a result of Jan’s approach, you’ll get to see some novelty products in the Makove ranges.
Wider team of Makove
We thank all the other creative and clever people that have contributed to Makove’s success. Below are some without whom we could not do this.
Iveta Smilekova
Iveta is an ethnographer and folklore lover. Since 2013, she has been a holder of the “Regional product Podpolanie” certificate for the crooked needle embroidery, originating from the town of Detva. This embroidery technique is very unique and traditional to the Podpolanie region. Iveta’s work can be found in her own store or at the annual festival in Detva – Folklórne slávnosti pod Poľanou v Detve.
Kreativ Gang
The team from the creative agency Kreativ Gang have helped us create the Makove logo and digital assets as well as they collaborated on a few textile graphics with us.
Csilla Droppova
Csilla is an invisible, but key support member for our team. She has helped us set the goals, strategy and overall direction of the brand.
