Kowtow With the Flow

Written by Melody Thomas

You might recognise Gosia Piatek as the cover model from the first ever Capital magazine, all of 50 issues ago. More likely you know her as the brain behind local conscious fashion label Kowtow − a brand which has moved from strength to strength since we last spoke with its founder.

Since 2013, Kowtow staff numbers have quadrupled, international stockists of the brand have risen from 45 to 250 to include stores in Tokyo, Copenhagen and London, and they most recently opened a physical space on College Street − much to the elation of local Kowtow obsessives (of whom there are many).

Much has changed on a personal level too − soon after that cover interview, Gosia was working in India when she met an English chap she quite liked. They fell in love over skype, later met again in real life − and a couple of months later she was pregnant.

‘It was such a whirlwind. We didn't really have time to think about what this would mean in day-to-day life!’ she says. What it meant initially was life spent between two countries, with Gosia running the business from abroad during our winter then returning to be on the ground in the summer months. But motherhood forced Gosia to step back, employing more staff to take on some of the tasks she had once done. This turned out to be a great thing.

‘The distance from the physical business has given me more clarity and bravery to implement bigger-picture things, it has allowed us to grow. Living a global life has definitely given me more courage in everything I do,’ she says.

The fresh global perspective is partly responsible for the launch of a brand new fibre, a merino cotton blend launched just in time for autumn.

‘The properties of merino are a perfect complement to our organic cotton: natural, renewable, biodegradable and hypoallergenic,’ says Gosia.

When asked about future plans Gosia simply declares an intention to do more of the same good work.

‘The plan has always been to be a world dominator in ethical and sustainable fashion, which includes increasing product lines and engaging in more exciting collaborations, all without compromising on our values. Ethics and sustainability won't ever be a second thought.’