There are many cashmere scarves – especially in dark blue, beige and grey. When Alexandra Somlo despaired of exactly this fact when she was looking for a pink cashmere scarf, she quickly founded her own scarf label “Emaal” and thus discovered a real gap in the market.
“I’ve had an aversion to coats all my life,” says Alexandra Somlo, explaining her enthusiasm for cashmere scarves. Even as a child, she preferred to wrap herself in a long scarf rather than having to wrap herself in a thick jacket. Scarves – preferably made of cashmere – have therefore always been part of her wardrobe. Only the limited choice of colors bothered her for a long time. She usually only found colored scarves when travelling, in the shops in this country she yawned at the same color palette: dark blue, beige and gray, maybe black. On a whim, and because once again she couldn’t find what she was looking for (namely a pink scarf), she decided in 2019 to take matters into her own hands. The Swiss-based lawyer was just 50 years old and wanted to start something completely new.
Successful start – despite many challenges
“It was clear from the start that I would only make one product,” says Somlo, “and it should stay that way.” Developing an entire collection from Emaal at some point is not her goal. The beginning was difficult enough as it was. “In the beginning I had no knowledge of the industry or of cashmere, other than that I liked wearing it,” she says. Somlo had knitting patterns sent to him by producers from all over the world. Sometimes the quality of the cashmere wasn’t right, sometimes the range of colors offered was too small. In the end, Somlo ended up with a producer in China and is still enthusiastic about their craftsmanship and the good cooperation.
And then Corona came along. “We started in the middle of the Corona period, had booked trade fairs and were just about to get started when everything was cancelled,” says the founder. So she first had to concentrate on her own web shop and social media. And on B2B platforms. “Because trade fairs were cancelled, B2B platforms quickly emerged that we were able to join,” she continues. Ultimately, that was a stroke of luck, because Emaal had to get into the online business quickly, and the presence on the platforms was even cheaper than visiting a trade fair.
Color works – nobody looks for black at Emaal
Emaal now supplies shops and customers all over Europe. Deliveries have also been made to the USA. Incidentally, distant places and Somlo’s passion for travel have become part of the collection: each scarf bears the name of a travel destination. This is how many patterns or colors came about – directly on site or when thinking about a destination. “So I’m wearing Lima today and right next to the cuddly feeling I have the thought of a beautiful destination in the world. That makes you dream twice over,” she says. “And indeed, on every trip I have a cashmere scarf in my handbag, which always makes me feel good on the plane.”
The quality of their products is particularly important to Somlo. Each scarf is inspected before it is shipped. “But with my eyes closed,” laughs Somlo. With cashmere, the cuddly factor is at least as important as the look. Emaal scarves are available in different knitting patterns, sizes, shapes, details and colours. A new addition is a small triangular scarf that can be worn like a scarf. “It was an experiment, but it works.” She also had the right instinct for the color concept. It is actually the bright colors that work best, while black least.
From powder to sorbet to cornflower blue
And what about the color trends for the coming seasons? Emaal offers a basic stock of trend-independent color tones all year round, including delicate powder tones or cream. In addition, of course, there is a rich palette of bright colors – after all, that is the basic idea of Emaal, which sets the brand apart from the competition. In spring, sherbet tones with lilac and purple will be added, in autumn bright red and cornflower blue. For the first time there will also be cable patterns and thicker yarns. About one or two new colors are added each season. What went well stays, what was little in demand is phased out. In addition, around two new scarf models are added to the range each season.
The question remains how the name Emaal actually came about? It stands for the initials of Emma, Magda and Alexandra. Emma and Magda are the names of Alexandra Somlo’s two daughters, who of course now prefer cashmere scarves to coats.