Meet HATCHI DESIGN - a chic and comfortable style for every millennial woman

I am 24 years old woman and as I am getting older, I have realized that I want to not only look great and stylish in clothes I chose to wear; I want to feel comfortable, as well. My body and my soul just must love every fashion piece I have in my closet. I found minimalist style closer to me and somehow I am now more feeling myself in simply colours/cuts (but I love to add some original shoes, handbags or accessories to my outfits, for sure). I love black, white, and grey colours - maybe its because I am very creative person and I need to show this creativity through my work, not only my clothes - I am feeling more productive then. 

As you could have already read, I will be a part of stunning SFW Montreal fashion event and I spotted very interesting brand called HATCHI DESIGN. Selma Benterki, who is a founder and fashion designer of this brand, impressed me with her designs a lot. They are simple, original and so chic! Selma will present her debut runway on Friday June 22, at Crowley Arts Centre in Montreal. Read more and enjoy our small interview!

Selma Benterki

MB: Hatchi design is quite lately established brand (launched in September 2017).
What made you create it and what does make it different from the others?

SB: "Firstly, I created the Hatchi brand because it was a dream and passion that I always had and I decided to achieve it. Secondly, I am a big fashion lover and I did not always find the clothes I wanted to wear - quite chic, cool, comfortable and without costing a fortune. Hatchi is an unique brand because it offers styles with high-end fabrics that are accessible and encourages sustainable development. We produce all our clothes in Montreal and we have an eco-friendly collection which we are very proud of."

BOTO Boatneck collar sweater with ICHI Wool wide-leg pants, HATCHI DESIGN

MB: Nowadays, we live in a really busy time. Today's girls try to become adults very quickly, which reflects in the way they dress. I did not miss the fact that the main goal of your brand is to create for  the modern millennial woman.
Could you describe this "modern millennial" term to me the way you see it?

SB: "I am myself from the generation of modern millennials. We often want to have style which reflects our personalities and is comfortable for our busy lifestyle, too; but without giving up the unique style, encouraging sustainable and local development. We are the generation of social networks and we like to follow influencers and to be one of them, as well."

HATCHI Long sleeveless virgin wool cardigan, ISU Silk mesh top with black midi skirt, HATCHI DESIGN

MB: Because I live in Montreal for almost six months by now, I am very happy to get in touch with local designers and better understand the way they see the fashion.
What does make Montreal unique to you? Could you describe to me the style of the typical local woman?

SB: "I come from Montreal and I have realized that Montreal women like clothes that are stylish and unique, but are simple and comfortable at the same time; the clothes that can be worn everywhere, for every occasion from 9am to the midnight. They love to follow new trends and support local designers. Typical local woman wants to know who made her clothes and she also wants to be in touch with those people."

SELMA Shirt dress, HATCHI DESIGN

MB: I find my life of a journalist, photographer and stylist very hectic, but also very exciting at the same time. I sometimes run out of ideas and experience those days when I would love to be creative, but I simply can't.
How does your typical working day look like and what do you do in case you have the mentioned "bad day"?

SB: "I have been in the financial field for many years and I really liked it, however I needed to realize the creative part of myself. I grew up in the fashion world thanks to the fact my mother was fashion designer so you can imagine my fascination by this world. After many years of doubts and hesitation I decided to make the jump. When I started to create my own line of clothing I realized being creative was much more difficult than I would have expected. As you said, there are those days when it just does not work. In addition, sometimes I find more difficult moving from the creation to the realization of a design - that's why I organize my days according to what I am able to do in that particular moment. For example, I have these days when lots of ideas come to my mind so I use that time for creating new designs; the other days I work on the realization - it means to choose fabrics, manufacturers and to think of marketing. I don't have a typical day and this is the reason why I love this work. It is not a job, it is a passion that keeps me alive every day.
Of course there are those moments of discouragement and bad days. These days I am feeling that things are not progressing as I would like to and the whole situation is very difficult for me. However, I always cling to what motivates me - my passion and the fact my dreams can come true! Everything I need to do is to find right direction and keep moving; never give up."

MB: You are a part of SFW. This event helps lots of people break into industry and create successful business.
What can we briefly expect from you to show us at this event?

SB: "It is an incredible opportunity for us to participate in SFW Montreal. For a new brand is very difficult to make its own place in the community of fashion industry - in Montreal, there is not always easy to find opportunities to make our brand more visible. For our fashion show we bet on the transparency and simplicity, which are our characteristic features. We want to show that it is possible to be chic and have simple style at the same time. Every design express simplicity with a touch of detail and this connection makes our creations unique."

I want to thank Selma for her time. It was very interesting interview for me. Do not miss her elegant website and enjoy her runway debut at SFW event, as well!