Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Hasenkampf.
Natalia, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Everything started with my love for photography and traveling the world. I always loved capturing my travels but when I moved to Chicago in 2017, I actually started to post more and more on Instagram, and this is when my account started to grow. At first, I just shared so my family and friends in Germany were able to see what I am up to. I wanted them to experience Chicago how I do.
After a while, I found my personal photography style and started to combine traveling with fashion. I discovered my love for dresses and always wore dresses in my photos. Somehow people loved the combination of a pretty flowy dress and a nice scenic background. This is when my account started taking off. During COVID I lost my job in finance and we decided to make the big move to San Diego. That’s when I started being a full-time travel blogger and also decided that I wanted to start my own clothing line. My husband encouraged me to design dresses and helped me with building the brand Coconuts & Pineapples that we just launched in October this year! What makes our dresses special? All dresses are handmade in northern Thailand, and we focus on ethical production with low quantities but higher quality. We want all women to feel good in our dresses and want them to be a staple piece in every woman’s closet! Another great feature is that all dresses have pockets and are super flowy and comfortable to wear. They all come with a matching headband, which makes it a complete look!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was definitely not smooth, but I guess all big things come with a lot of obstacles. Growing a successful account on IG is not easy and comes with a lot of hard work. But it was all worth it. Building a business from scratch with absolutely no education in fashion was also not easy and was challenging. And to be honest, we are still both learning. Johannes is in charge of all tech-related things, and I am in charge of new designs and social media. We both love the learning curve though and are excited about the future and growing our business together.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My husband and I just launched our own clothing brand Coconuts & Pineapples in 2022. All our products are handmade with love in Thailand. We value slow fashion, sustainability, and ethical production. The main feature of our dresses and skirts is that they have pockets and are super flowy. Our clothes are extremely comfortable and make the perfect summer staple pieces in the closet.
We’d love to hear about what you think about risk-taking.
Taking risks is part of our daily life and we need to assess and be smart about the risks we’re taking every day. It can be scary, but it can be worth it. Without trying, we would never know how things would’ve turned out.
For us starting a business was scary and a big financial risk. Having not to do this by myself and knowing to have someone I trust really as my partner in life and business really helps!
Pricing:
- Belle Dress 184 $
- Sicilia Dress 188 $
- Izamal Dress 198 $
- Mona Dress 168 $
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coconutsandpineapples.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cocopinasd
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coconutsandpineapples/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coconuts-and-pineapples/?viewAsMember=true
