INTERVIEW #121 DOHRE
Based in: Gothenburg, Sweden
Founded in: 2021
Founded by: Johanna Wallin
Stores: Online Store, shipping in Sweden: https://dohre.se/
Price range: 30-100 €
Instagram: @dohre.se
Hi Dohre, welcome to A Sustainable Closet! We just love the name Dohre, tell us about your brand and how you came up with the name?
Thank you! Dohre is the name of my jewellery business where I make colourful and sparkling jewellery using different embroidery techniques. The word “dohre” or “dåre” is a Swedish word that means “a lunatic” or “madman”, and I chose the name because that’s the reaction that I got from people when I said that I was going to quit my full-time job to start a jewellery brand.
How and where are the products produced?
I make all of the jewellery myself in my studio in Gothenburg. I use a variation of embroidery techniques and make my jewellery by hand. Every single bead is put in place one by one, so the process of making each piece is very slow.
Where do you source the materials from?
I buy the materials I use from businesses within the EU. When possible I try to reuse already existing materials. For example, the fabric on which I do my embroidery work I usually get from second-hand stores in Sweden.
Where on the planet are your customers based?
Sweden, which is also where I’m located.
Where do you find inspiration for your magical earrings?
Wow, everywhere! I draw a lot of inspiration from fascinating colour combinations that I find in my day-to-day life. It can be in nature, art or people that I see.
What have been and are the major challenges of starting Dohre?
Managing my time. There are so many things I’d love to do, but only working part-time I don't have enough time to do everything. I then struggle a lot trying to decide what to focus my time doing. And of course, as a new small business finding the structure to make it financially viable is challenging.
What has been and is the largest gain?
The quality of life that I have now compared to before I started my business is so much better. I used to have a very highly demanding full-time job, working as a legal counsel. However, I decided to quit that job and now work part-time somewhere else and part-time with my own business. I don’t make as much money as I used to, but I get to spend so much of my time doing something I love, which is a blessing.
What do you think needs to change in the accessory industry to make it more sustainable?
Many things of course, but I would especially love it if there was a way to make all beautiful handcrafted jewellery available to a larger audience while still keeping production and sales local. Where I live there are so many great small jewelry brands, people making jewelry at home or in a small studio. The problem is that it is very hard to find a larger audience when you compete with larger fast fashion companies.
What's up next, do you have anything fun to share with our readers?
I just opened up my online-store, which is very exciting!