Miranda's Choice on Tv and in interview

The NRW Ministry wrote in March 2017:
"Either I do Kleinkariert or a university career." Nadine Schmitz (then still Vieker) was faced with this decision at the end of 2016, although "Kleinkariert" sounds much smaller than it actually is. The former research assistant founded the fashion label for clothing and accessories in the style of the 1950s back in 2008, and she has always run it as a sideline. Now Nadine Vieker is starting her own business with her brand and the products from her own workshop. She has now been awarded the NRW Entrepreneurship Award for her plans. "Kleinkariert has grown and grown," she says, describing her motivation to become fully self-employed. When it became clear at the beginning of 2017 that her position as a research assistant at the university would not be renewed, the decision was soon made. Kleinkariert is a distinctive brand. In her shop there are skirts, shirts, hats and hairbands, rings, necklaces, gift items and a children's collection. On request, she makes special designs, adjusts skirt lengths, sews a matching skirt to grandma's blouse or an original little hat. "I'm the small-checked prototype myself," Nadine Vieker says with a laugh about her own clothing style. She wears what she designs - "beautifully feminine things" - and at the same time emphasises: "What fascinates me is the fashion of this time - less the image of women." Being creative and entrepreneurial has long been Nadine Vieker's passion. "Now I can invest more time," she says about the changes that are coming up. Above all, she wants to do more in marketing and expand online communication. And in the workshop, too, she plans to add more staff. Because Kleinkariert is to become bigger. The conditions for this are ideal. Nadine Vieker operates in a special niche with her products. And that means she knows her customers very well and knows where and how to address them. The entrepreneur visits about 25 trade fairs a year, plus numerous concerts and festivals. Enough occasions to be visible and for direct sales. "I went out with my products relatively early," she says about her sales strategy. Even though the first market stall was still a modest 1 x 1 metres. In the meantime, it is 18 square metres and proof that Kleinkariert "was always more than a hobby from the beginning". In the online trade, they initially also used the platform Dawanda, an e-commerce online portal for homemade products, but now their own online shop is stronger. For Nadine Vieker, this is a good sign for the strength of her brand. Applying for the Unternehmerinnenbrief was "the best thing I could have done" for the entrepreneur. "I really took another look at my own company and analysed the course of business. That alone is absolutely valuable." Now she is looking forward to the one-year sponsorship that comes with the Entrepreneurship Award...."

• Where does your enthusiasm for vintage fashion and jewellery come from? Since when has vintage played a role for you, what fascinates you about it?

I came into contact with rocknroll in my early childhood. My older sister was a big Elvis fan and I was convinced that she would also marry him (at that time I didn't realise that Elvis had been dead for a long time). We watched a lot of films together and I was fascinated by those "revolving skirts" that stick out so nicely when you dance. In my youth, I experimented with clothes and hairstyles myself. The things I wanted to wear were not available for sale, so I started to use my own hands and needles. The love of RocknRoll music has always accompanied me as far as I can remember.

• How long has your label been around and what does it stand for?

Kleinkariert (now Miranda's Choice) was founded in 2008 and was initially run alongside my job. My small label quickly enjoyed a steady customer base who appreciated the lovingly handcrafted products made from the finest raw materials, which made my decision to switch to self-employment at the beginning of 2017 easier.  

• Your new logo is very summery and cheerful, with a flamingo on it, and it fits wonderfully with your summer collection. Tell us a bit about it: What themes and motifs are you working with this summer?

Well, the flamingo as a secret mascot has accompanied Kleinkariert since its foundation. This year, we wanted to add a little more sunshine in our customers' hearts and put an even wider smile on their faces, so that the slogan "Small label, big love" can be extended to include the sentence "This feels like a holiday". And this sentence not only describes the design with summery colours, tiki motifs, flamingo prints or hibiscus flowers, but also the wearing comfort of the small-check skirts, which just never pinch, but go along with every calorie escapade.
   

•       What materials do you actually work with and where do you get your ideas from? 

I can never say exactly where I get my ideas from. When I walk around, one eye is always absolutely focused. I see something, have the idea and usually can't wait to put it into practice. I like to use "old" materials. In other words, materials that have long since ceased to be useful. Especially in the field of jewellery, this can be old collector's toys, for example. Often, original vintage fabrics can be found in the small-print clothing. With new fabrics, I make sure that they are fairly traded.  

• What are your personal top 3 for the summer? Which things do you never leave home without?

... I personally like everything that is made of bamboo. It can be jewellery or a headpiece decorated with it.
I myself never leave the house without earrings, because the small check earrings are always an eye-catcher and my customers tell me that they often get compliments on them.

• Among other things, you also make very enchanting fascinators: do you think women should wear more hats and the like? And on which occasions do you think fancy fascinators are particularly good to wear? 

I find the hat and hairstyle fashions of the "good old days" fascinating and am always amazed at how much effort women made back then. Hat fashion in particular enhances every outfit and draws the attention of others directly to the most important thing: the head - even without elaborate hairstyles.