"Relevance means freedom!"

Mediterranean lightness, reflected attitude: Pilar Ortí, CEO of Siyu, talks about women who find their style beyond the fast pace - and why the Spanish collection is a perfect niche product for specialist retailers.

Interview: Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Siyu

Pilar, you talk about a new, reflective customer. What do you observe specifically?

Pilar Ortí, CEO Siyu: Our customers follow trends, but they have to fit in with the reality of their lives. They want versatile fashion for different roles without bending over backwards. Quality, sustainability and comfort are more important to them than showmanship.

What does relevance mean for fashion?

Freedom for women to question traditional norms and live diverse identities. Fashion enables its wearers to reinvent themselves and celebrate their own personality. We at Siyu are a small team, almost exclusively women - the better we can empathize with different needs.

What does this mean for the product?

A wide variety of cuts, patterns and colors. The pieces can be combined very individually. Our bestseller is an FSC-certified viscose crêpe: easy-care, crease-resistant, ideal for traveling. Fit and comfort are important to us, which is why we source and test intensively. We produce exclusively in Spain - particularly in the Barcelona area. We work with small workshops for knitwear, ready-to-wear and swimwear, which guarantees quality, fair conditions and short distances. Our fabrics also come from Europe, which is why we are certified as a 100% European production company.

Siyu is not available online. As a commitment to stationary retail?

You have to be able to feel our fashion. This is only possible in stationary retail. That's why we work closely with selected specialist retailers who share our values, because we owe our success to these partnerships! The Toepfer agency has been responsible for sales in the German-speaking market since 2012. Together, we want to find more retail partners who understand and share our philosophy.