Designer Q&A
SOLIKA is a brand that started in the garage of two designers, Chaya Israily and Sarah Haller, in their hometown of Los Angeles, California. Ever since Solika’s birth in 2013, the brand has been striving to break boundaries in the modest fashion industry, while offering pieces that are detail-oriented, sleek, and sophisticated. Since their humble beginnings, they’ve been featured in magazines such as Gaya, LA Mag, Voyage LA and many more. SOLIKA constructs pieces that are both high-quality and well-thought-out by the designers down to every last stitch. Caroline McLaughlin, director of customer communications and stylist for SOLIKA, interviewed one the CEOs and designers of SOLIKA herself, Chaya Israily.
Caroline McLaughlin: Let’s get right to the good stuff! What inspired you to start SOLIKA? Chaya Israily: Definitely the lack of trendy, modest design in our community. We also had a love for fashion and weren’t finding the pieces we wanted, so we felt that there was a real niche in the market. Sarah had a passion for fashion ever since she was young. I always loved business, so it was a perfect fit.
Caroline: Besides the fact that you wanted to create more modest fashion choices for your community, what other women do you picture wearing your clothing in general, as well, who might not necessarily be looking for modesty in particular? Chaya: Although our clothing is modest to convey more inner beauty and confidence, they can easily be worn by anyone, even if modesty isn’t necessarily the most important thing to them. The SOLIKA woman is what we like to call “the creative professional”. She’s perhaps an entrepreneur, an interior designer or a mom who has a job on the side. She has class, but isn’t too restrained in her style. She has a busy schedule, but wants to be able to express herself through fashion in an effortless way, as well. She’s the one that has an eye for those little details we put into our clothes that makes each piece so special.
Caroline: Where is your clothing manufactured and what kind of materials do you use? Chaya: We import some of our fabrics from Japan, but we also make sure to purchase in LA. We carry a lot of cotton, linen, rayon, and viscose- natural fabrics that breathe and are great for everyone involved in our process. Our labor is done in LA to make sure things are made ethically.
Caroline: What inspired your Spring 2019 Collection? Chaya: When we were brainstorming for Spring, everything that we loved reminded us of the ocean and all tied together into this beautiful campaign that was inspired by the sea. Then, once we started mood boarding, the ocean theme really came to life.
Caroline: Creativity aside, what obstacles have you encountered while building your own business? Chaya: Soo many obstacles. We’ve had seasons where product has been completely sold out and we’ve had seasons where top products ended up having major issues and we were unable to sell them at all. We’ve also had delays in shipment during high season when we needed to restock our most popular pieces. Business is all about obstacles and challenges, but it’s the challenges that keep you growing.
Caroline: Do you have any personal style advice for women? Chaya: We try to create pieces that are beautiful in their simplicity. I love the quote by Chanel, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” Sarah feels the same way. When we create our designs, it’s all about those minimalist cuts, but always with a special touch of detail. As for people who aren’t so minimal, our pieces are a great canvas that you can play with and add your own spice to, especially since they aren’t overly complicated.
Caroline: Where do you see SOLIKA going in the future? What are your goals for the brand? Chaya: Bloomingdales. We would love to be there and also in high-end boutiques that really appreciate our taste in design. We’d love to expand worldwide. We’re already all over the U.S., and we have product in Mexico, Canada, London and would especially love to expand our European market.
Caroline:That’s exciting! Since we’re wrapping things up, what’s one thing you’d like your consumers to know about your brand? Chaya:We pride ourselves on really beautiful design, but what is most important to us is our work ethic, our team and our customer relationships. Letting the customer know that we want to take care of them is so important. They are a part of our Solika family.
The SOLIKA line can be found at www.solika.comand on Instagram @solika_ or take a peek at their retailer list of over 50 stores across North America and the United Kingdom.
Team Credits:
Interviewer and Model: Caroline McLaughlin, @carolinethefeline
Photographer: Aaron Feaver, aaronfeaver.com, @feaverish
Editor-in-Chief of MITH Magazine: Holly Glasser, @hollyglasser
Models: Courtney Coll, @courtney_coll and Aviv Gadi, @avivgadi,
