Follow Your Dreams – the Tašnarija Project

They sewed their first handbag a year and a half ago, while they now have over 120 different models presented on their website, tasnarija.rs.

By profession a graduate of journalism and in her free time a designer, Ana Šurdilović told the Home of the Good News that the project Tašnarija came about completely spontaneously.

"We went though a great deal with Tašnarija. After a year a half now that I think about the beginning, I realise how much we have learnt. We passed through many situations, fortunately more nice ones than ugly ones. We learnt what girls and women need, how we should approach them, and what is doing business fairly".

Handbags from Niš Around the World

Although the authors of the idea were Ana and her aunt Vanja, the entire family works on manufacturing handbags, including grandma, who helps with the finances. Ana talks with great satisfaction about the incredible support of the family; the process of manufacturing handbags involves the whole family, which in Ana’s opinion is the nicest part of the work.

The two fashion entrepreneurs passed a long road to show their product to the world, and some handbags have managed to tour Europe.

“Initially we only sent our handbags to towns in Serbia, but suddenly we began getting inquiries from women around the world who did not regret money only to buy their favourite model. Our handbags travelled to and sent us postcards from New York, Paris, Washington, Athens, Bern, Zagreb, Rome ".

It’s Wonderful When One Does what One Likes

The most interesting part of the work is the meeting of the Tašnarija team, the day when decisions are taken on a new range. Numerous ideas are born, and those which do not succeed in being realised wait for the next collection. The two-member team then pack their suitcases and following their dream – begin a search for new, more modern and high-quality materials. The trip takes several days, and when the two young entrepreneurs return with a bunch of samples, the work on manufacturing handbags really begins.

"A single handbag is not complicated and does not take that much time. Our daily average is about 60 handbags, and when you add up everything, a lot of time goes into the manufacture. We have the tailor who cuts the materials, the tailor who sews the handbags, and the person who packs and sends the bags. It takes about a week to get a handbag after it is ordered", Ana said.

The two women from Niš did not have an easy start, but thanks to good organisation they placed their bags on a ‘conveyor belt’ and now have enough time for manufacturing them.

"Organisation is the mother of success and now everything is like a factory line. Everyone has his or her job, everyone likes what they are doing. It’s neat that we all work together in one house, we are all together and the work does not look like a job at all. It’s wonderful when one does what one likes."

Letter-sized Handbags Made of 100 Materials

The motto of the Tašnarija team is to make something women cannot find in shops. Their initial idea was to begin with letter-type handbags and they planned to adhere to that decision. The offer currently contains more than 100 different materials, mainly eco leather, but since recently also real leather. Ana says that the range of materials is what sets Tašnarija apart from the many other manufacturers.

Suggestions from Clients – Incitements for Better Work

"After we finish a new handbag, we await with bated breath the criticism and reactions of our clients, which are always stimuli for improvements. Women are wonderful, full of ideas and suggestions, open for co-operation. They are patient and often make us happy with their praise when they receive their new bag.", Ana said, adding that we can never know whether we will succeed if we don’t try.

"Every job needs an investment, but one should not go to excess. At the beginning, I bought the first materials from money I had got for my birthday. I was aware of the risk of losing it or not having any turnover, but I was willing to try. Our first month was the hardest, we had an impression that we were in a vicious circle and that we were only working without any results. Once the first month had passed, the situation changed, we got up onto our feet and embarked on serious work. People should consider what they want to do, whether they love it, how many such jobs exist, what the competition is like. All of this taken together makes a successful project".

The fashion entrepreneurs from Niš will continue risking and fighting for their works to be seen throughout the world, because, in their words, they never waited for work to drop out of the sky but followed their dreams, and succeeded with a lot of enthusiasm, courage and determination, which is their advice to our readers.

The works of Ana Šurdilović and Vanja Manitašević can be seen on the website tasnarija.rs

Source: Home of the Good News