Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivia Arreguin Villa.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Around 2004 during my college years, I began to admire my grandmother’s crochet skills. She would crochet and sell enormous blankets to neighbors. It was then, that I started learning the basics from her and later continued learning on my own through books and the internet. People at school started asking about the purses, scarves, and hats I made for myself motivating me to sell them. I created Olipocket in 2006 focusing on knitted clutches, purses, and bags. Since then, I’ve made almost anything that you can create with a hook and yarn.
The brand name Olipocket sounded a bit silly after a while, so I transformed my brand into Alpaca India. This is where my curiosity for weaving and rugs came to life after a trip to Oaxaca and Queretaro in Mexico. I started making all kinds of home decor items, but had a hard time selling these more sophisticated and pricier products. In 2017, I identified that the alpaca plush which I first created in 2013 had the most success from a wide range of products I was selling. It was then that I decided to focus my brand around the Vicu Alpaca Plush and that is how Vicu came to life.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The toughest challenge thus far was creating an identity. You may have a good product, but if you don’t follow a certain line of design, your product gets lost in this modern world crowded with thousands of different brands.
Naturally, being a full time mom is an enormous challenge. It is tough to find the balance and time to cover the needs of my children and the business.
Vicu – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Vicu specializes in hand crafting soft alpaca plushies made with sheep wool. We are a small team of six people working independently and coordinated to produce enough stuffed alpacas to meet the demand.
The Vicu plush is the one product that people identify us for. In 2018, the Vicu plush featured several times on Etsy’s social media channels, which had a huge impact on the brand. By the end of 2018, the post featuring our product earned a spot among Etsy’s top nine most popular social media posts of the year.
You hear all the time that everything has already been made and that most things are adaptations of older creations. Not the Vicu plush, this stuffed alpaca is original and it looks like nothing you’ve seen before.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is happiness. I don’t measure success based on income. I feel successful when I am in peace with my decisions and in love with everything I do.
People have always warned me that working with your spouse can complicate your relationship. They are definitely right, it’s a heck of a challenge, but I love working with Leigh and how we connect creatively. I can say that working with him and keeping our relationship strong has been a great achievement.
Pricing:
- Wool Balloons and Bunny Tails Hair Ties start at $3.99
- Small Vicu Plush retails at $39.99
- Mama Vicu XL Plush is on special at $199
Contact Info:
- Address: 378 Blackshaw Lane
San Ysidro CA 92173 - Website: holavicu.com
- Email: olivia@holavicu.com
- Instagram: @holavicu
- Facebook: @holavicu
Image Credit:
Matingas Photography
El Emiliano Photography
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