Mokee brings us the same designs and quality as top brands, but by streamlining the whole process and selling it directly to us, they can achieve prices that are a fraction of what you would have paid in a normal shop. And when it looks this good that can only be a win win…
How did you come up with the initial idea for Mokee?
The initial idea came a year or so after our second child, Alexander, was born, that was in 2012 and me and my partner had a small business selling baby goods online we were mostly selling small baby accessories like dummies and bottles, it was more of a side business. We then got this opportunity to stock a brand with a range of larger goods, like prams, travel cots. All of their products were in multiple colours and this is how we discovered the appeal of it colours, we had one pram that was selling like hot cakes. The more colours we added, the more we were selling, but not being in control of the production & quality ourselves, we grew frustrated. Customers were complaining about the quality and the brand we were dealing with was not too bothered in improving the quality.
One night we were talking about it and I told my partner that I wish we could have our own brand so we could bring our own colourful designs and most importantly have more control on quality and instantly we knew the cots were the best product to start as at the time there were no such things as colourful cots.
What is the ethos behind the brand?
Simplicity, functionality, affordability
What inspires your designs and products?
Problems are what inspire me the most. We have a limited range of products but they are constantly evolving based on our customer feedback.
In terms of style, we are focussed on minimalist designs which allow us to bring eye-pleasing products but are easy to produce meaning we can keep our cost affordable.
Who should they appeal to / ideal customer?
Everyone to be honest. But we see our customers as 1st-time parents, mostly living in large cities, a lot of them having just bought a property to welcome their new child so are very much into making the place look great but also have generally limited space & budget left for their nurseries. Naturally, we are a great fit!
What tips would you give for designing a minimal nursery? (the more the better!)
KISS ( Keep it simply stylish
Choose a colour scheme for the room (2-3 colours max) – stick to it (walls, furniture if possible) – use accessories and bedding for accent colours – give space to products and decorations ( don’t cram too much In one area) – Use good looking storage bags, boxes , drawers, ect..to store away the messy stuff. I love the TellKiddo paper bags they are looking great and are so practical, we use a lot of those in our kid’s rooms. Also, avoid plastic ( toys) at all cost and focus on natural wooden and textile ones
Can children’s rooms be fashion forward and functional?
Absolutely – functionality doesn’t need to be ugly in a nursery. As explained above having lots of storage is key to keep the place looking good over time. There are more and more fashion-forward nursery accessories and bedding on the market now compared to even 5 years ago where the only choice was blue and pink bedding and gender-focused products.
What makes Mokee different to other brands?
Less is more. We are building this range of essentials you need as a parent, no more no less. This is a big difference from retailers who will always have a large range of the same stuff each with a slightly different look or functions making the buying process more confusing for the consumer who ends up having to compromise a lot of the time. We only have one cot for instance, but is in 6 colours. If you need to add wheels we can do that. Don’t need a drawer, don’t add it. So we have one product and then make it flexible so everyone can create the perfect environment without having to compromise or spend on extras they don’t need.
This June marks your 5th anniversary, what has been your greatest achievement?
I think there are a few proud achievements but the mini cot is our biggest one and how it has evolved from a crazy idea in a living room a few years ago to one of the most popular cots in the UK. We would not be here if it wasn’t for the cot!
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