How did the idea of producing sweaters come about?
«In my closet you can find over 100 sweaters of all kinds and all colors. For me this item of clothing has a special meaning: since I was 16 I have lived away from home by my precise choice, I have always needed to change, browse, experiment. At the same time, a life like mine can also make you feel alone, vulnerable. The sweater has therefore represented protection for me, it has always made me feel at ease ».
Through which path did you come to give life to this project?
«I was born in Switzerland and graduated from the Marangoni Institute in Milan; I have lived in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Boston, Berlin, Munich, Geneva, Milan, Lugano and traveled the world always paying great attention to the 'rules' and customs of my great passion: fashion . My brand is inspired by the uniqueness of each country, by cultural differences and by the colors of the earth. A personal vision of all the most beautiful things I have been able to grasp from each new place discovered ».
So what are the reasons behind the collections?
«Just as my logo says, Xenia Mixik is“ inspired by different cultures ”. I study, understand, learn and 'insert' myself in the different environments trying to understand their customs, their customs. I have always found it fascinating how the colors used, the silhouettes, the fabrics perfectly reflect the culture of a particular country. The first collection, for example, is inspired by Mexico: in fact, I tried to interpret the joy, the positivity of that country and transfer it to a sweater. The second collection is instead inspired by India, its charm, its inconsistency, its mystery. The designs are stylized once again, according to my creativity, born by smelling perfumes, browsing among the thousands of fabrics found on the street. Certainly my inspirations also come from my needs. Depending on the energy I need, I take a trip and try to make my drawings. Thus, the most recent collection, Spring Summer, is the result of the last summer trip to Colombia ».
What will the future development of the brand be?
“At the top of my priorities is the desire to expand the network of stores. Today Xenia Mixik is lucky enough to be present in some stores that perfectly express the mood of the brand. Beyond the entrepreneurial risk, as far as I'm concerned there is a very important rule: it is not true that in life you do everything yourself. It is essential for a young entrepreneur to create a network of alliances with people who truly believe in your project and who contribute to your success. Finding these people is not easy, as it is not easy to be able to recognize them, but they are the key to success as they will teach you, help you and allow you to recover self-esteem in the most complicated moments ".
In your role as an entrepreneur, you immediately felt the importance of social responsibility ...
“UICC, the International Union for the Fight against Cancer, is a non-governmental organization that helps the global health community to accelerate the fight against cancer. World Cancer Day took place on February 4, 2020 and is a coordinated initiative run by UICC. The collaboration with UICC was born as soon as the first collection was created when I decided that I wanted to donate 5% of each sweater sold to contribute, in my small way, to their precious work. Xenia Mixik, together with my friend and collaborator Michela Gombacci, therefore became the official supporter of the World Cancer Day and promoter of the collaboration between UICC and the Marangoni institute in Milan, whose students designed the official t-shirt that was chosen by an international jury composed of the Top Model Bianca Balti, the Director of Vogue Italia Emanuele Farneti, the Princess of Jordan Dina Mired and the Director of Galileo Education Malcom McInnes. Thanks to Michela we were able to involve celebrities and world-famous influencers in this project ».
