DAM: Hi guys, thank you for taking part in this interview! We’d love to know more about who you are and what you do, so please introduce yourself ~
MIIM: Hi, we are Cihan (husband) and Midz (wife) from Victoria, Australia.
We started our brand MIIM COLLECTION in late 2018 and we are the designers. Our store is based online here.
DAM: What is the mission behind your brand?
MIIM: To show that you can dress modestly, but also look stylish and fashionable.
We went to a shopping centre looking for long-length T-shirts for Cihan, which were simple, and modern and really, really struggled to find this. It was very obvious that there was a gap.
MIIM: So you might be wondering what modesty has to do with men, and isn’t it just for women? Nope, for Muslim men, it is a requirement to cover between the navel and the knee. So if a male is wearing say; jeans and an average length T-shirt, when he sits, or if he raises the arms – you can bet that the lower back and or belly area will show. So our tops have more length to help with coverage for movement.
MIIM: What we offer is modest and modern options, for people who want fashionable clothing, with a bit more coverage. Our mission is also to build a community, which we feel that we have a beautiful one, particularly on our Instagram, and we love to support other small businesses too.
“What we offer is modest and modern options, for people who want fashionable clothing, with a bit more coverage. Our mission is also to build a community, which we feel that we have a beautiful one, particularly on our Instagram, and we love to support other small businesses too.”
DAM: What do you hope to achieve through your work/do you have certain goals in mind for it?
MIIM: We hope that more and more people will choose to support small businesses, and go with what’s unique rather than just wear what everyone else is wearing from big companies.
MIIM: We would love for some larger shops in shopping centres to offer some of our range of clothing, so that they can provide diversity to people. Therefore when people similar to us are looking for those options – that they can find it. Of course, our brand exists, but as a small biz, not as many people would know about it, so the many, many people that go to shopping centres may think they don’t have options. We would particularly love to see our Australian Made Range in shops as it would also provide that option for people who would prefer locally made [clothing] as well. A bit like the name of Diversity Australia, we would love to be the diversity offered in Australian clothing.
DAM: What’s the response been like since opening your business? Have you found yourself connecting to or finding people who were feeling the same way as you?
MIIM: The response has been fantastic. We have so many amazing supporters, some of whom we have never met. When we released our Hoodies, they were a hit. We have since sold out in Black and White of those.
MIIM: Originally, we thought we would stick to modest options for men, but women sometimes asked about products for women and some women started purchasing the men’s products and wearing them. So we tested it in 2020. We released four new products that year and one was a Women’s Activewear Longsleeve. Out of the four products, the women’s product was the best seller, so it became very clear to us that we needed to keep offering Women’s clothing too.
MIIM: Comedy content is something we do as well, and people seem to really enjoy it.
We realised that people don’t just want to keep seeing photos of clothes, we have to be providing value, which is what we do – providing entertainment.
MIIM: We also started making exercise videos on YouTube, that people can follow along to and work out in the comfort of their own home.
DAM: Do you think things are changing in Australia in regards to more options/diversity in clothing for different people? Or do you think there’s still a long way to go?
MIIM: It does seem like it’s changing slowly. In Australia and some other countries, there are some modest brands offered in shopping centres, or big brands using diverse models however there doesn’t seem to be many modest options for men.
“It’s been a huge change recently that big brands have started to use more diversity in their models, not just people who typically look like long, lean supermodels, but more like everyday people of various sizes and backgrounds.”
MIIM: We must say though, it’s been a huge change recently that big brands have started to use more diversity in their models, not just people who typically look like long, lean supermodels, but more like everyday people of various sizes and backgrounds.
DAM: As a husband and wife team who decided to create their own work rather than waiting, what’s some advice to other people who might be where you were before? Any tips?
MIIM: Absolutely! Don’t wait, take that first step. Don’t wait, take that first step. You can still work and start your business, so you don’t feel like you need to quit your job and risk your income depending on the type of biz of course. Perhaps work part-time, so you can manage both. Starting a business is not for everyone, it’s not usually a get-rich-quick scheme. It takes a whole lot of effort, time, consistency, and patience. But if you can really come to terms with that and you can stick with it for many years to come, if you have a good idea different or better than what’s being offered – then business could be good for you.
“It takes a whole lot of effort, time, consistency, and patience. But if you can really come to terms with that and you can stick with it for many years to come, if you have a good idea different or better than what’s being offered – then business could be good for you.”
MIIM: In terms of having a business with your spouse, that really depends on the type of relationship you have. If your relationship is unstable, or you fight a lot, and can’t communicate and disagree respectfully, then having a biz together isn’t an amazing idea. But if you know that your marriage is stable, you can communicate well, work together, and you both have skills or talents to offer or are willing to learn, then it can be wonderful.
DAM: How is it working together as husband and wife opposed to strictly co-workers on your brand? Is it different? What’s the creation/collaboration process like in terms of what comes out?
MIIM: We think it’s very different to having a business partnership that’s strictly co-workers, because we live together, we’re married, and we share a life together.
The benefits are that we can chat or ask each other at various times, and many times we do for things that might seem too insignificant to call and ask your biz partner, such as; what should I write for the caption of this photo? Or; should this video be in black and white? We both acknowledge that the other has talents or skills in certain areas, so we let each other take the leadership role for that.
Midz (wife) manages the five Social Media accounts: Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok, Facebook and Pinterest. Midz also takes the lead for photography, videography, photo editing, blogging, and emails. Cihan (husband) is the lead clothing designer, video editor, actor/performer, model, local delivery service, and website manager.
Our business partnership works really well, and when there’s a challenge, we work through it together, and when there’s a win, it’s a win for both of us.
“Our business partnership works really well, and when there’s a challenge, we work through it together, and when there’s a win, it’s a win for both of us.”
DAM: Well thank you both for this interview and it’s a pleasure to have you a part of the magazine! We wish you success in your business and are excited for more people to discover it soon!
MIIM: Thank you so much Diversity Australia for taking the time to interview us. We hope that our brand, can continue to bring more ‘diversity’ to Australia.
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Shop MIIM: https://miimcollection.com/
Connect with MIIM COLLECTION on Social Media:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/miimcollection
Youtube:
https://youtube.com/channel/UCPJLATxSsQ_MulRjs8PVLOw
Tiktok:
tiktok.com/@miimcollection
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/miimcollection
Pinterest:
https://pin.it/1R6JpH0
Diversity Australia Magazine 