Georgian sister duo Nina and Gvantsa Macharashvili, founders of MACH & MACH share their journey on creating a global footwear superbrand.
What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine?
We start work every day at 9am in the morning. The first half hour is basically spent organising the day, distributing tasks and going through the calendar of meetings. Over a cup of coffee, we also discuss the current processes with our creative team and go through the development of the collections. More active work usually starts between 9.30 and 10am.
What inspired you to launch MACH & MACH?
The creation of the brand was very organic. Since childhood we have been fascinated by fashion and everything related to it. Fashion magazines, art and fancy clothes were our daily interests and when we reached the age where we had to start working, we didn’t think about anything else. It was our dream since childhood to create clothes and shoes that we only had in our imagination and that we could not buy in a shop. Luckily, people liked our style almost immediately and the brand became very popular in a short time.
Talk us through the creative process.
The creative process is actually quite long, but at the same time very exciting. It all starts with inspiration, as very collection has its own inspiration and mood. It can come from different places and different environments. Then we put it all on the mood board and only then do we start working on the sketches. The creation of each collection is like a journey, at the end of which you see your result, and if your customer likes your result, it gives you additional motivation and enthusiasm. But the most important ingredient in this whole process is still love for your work. Without passion and love, your collection will never be what it should be.
How did your signature crystal bow accent come about?
There was no special approach to creating the double arch. It was the same process as any other product. We always strive to create a product that makes the customer feel beautiful and unique. The double Bow became our first best-selling product and perfectly represents the DNA of the brand.
Each element emulates the magic of this modern-day Cinderella slipper – tell us about the materials used?
Choosing the right materials is one of the most important aspects of creating a product. We always try to use only the highest quality materials. A beautiful design does not automatically mean a beautiful product. It is necessary to create it correctly so that your customers are always satisfied with the quality and expectations. Their satisfaction is the main goal of our brand and therefore we try to make the product always perfect.
How do you ensure consistency in each design? Overall, how have you maintained its quality over the years?
Quality assurance is absolutely fundamental to building a brand. As we have already mentioned, a satisfied customer is the greatest asset for our company. We have a large team of people working on this in production, and in fact the quality of every pair of shoes produced is checked one by one.
The latest SS24 collection is an ode to the royalty of the undersea – tell us more.
We imagined a romantic fairy tale set in fantastic underwater landscapes, where sunlight reflects off crystal-clear water and creates iridescent light effects. Researching materials, we found a vintage leather perfect for this collection, iridescent, which we had reproduced. The marine inspiration was then translated into pastel colours and the use of pearls in gradient colours and sizes. With this collection we launched our first thong style, with a sculptural kitten heel and the two straps covered in white pearls with a blue undertone.
“The double Bow became our first best-selling product and perfectly represents the DNA of the brand.”
Various celebrities have been spotted in a pair – name a few?
We have been fortunate to have many celebrities wear our products around the world, which makes us very happy. One such highlight was when Beyoncé wore our shoes as she has been an icon for us since childhood and it was our dream.
What have been the biggest milestones in your career so far?
We really want to believe that this is just the beginning and that we haven’t yet reached what we really want in our careers. We want the brand’s popularity to grow as much as possible and reach higher heights. To have as many loyal customers as possible and to make them as happy as possible with our new collections. People’s love and respect for our brand means a lot to us and we are working very hard not to disappoint them and to make the brand one of the most successful brands in the world.
Your brand aims to empower women from around the world – was this the plan from the outset?
This was definitely our goal from the beginning. It is part of the foundation of the brand, and we hope to do even better in the future.
This is ‘The Authenticity Issue’ – how do you stay manage to stay authentic in your work?
To be authentic to your art, you must first be honest with yourself and your emotions. First, make the product that fits your brand’s aesthetic and what your customers expect from you as a brand.
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