Mama Luma is a girls brand based out of Santa Barbara, CA. c0-founded by designer and interior architect, Mrs. Sari, who runs the brand with one of her two kids, Ata Sari.
She started designing for her daughter back in 1999 and hasn’t looked back since. The brand makes heirloom quality special occasion pieces, many of which you’ll be wishing come in adult size!
We chatted with the founder, entrepreneur, mother and grandmother about her brand, just in time for Mother’s Day.
theFashionSpot: Can you tell us a little bit about your background before starting your brand?
Mrs. Sari: I am an interior designer, who’ve spent over 15 years in the women’s fashion industry. I always had the eye to pick up the looks, which people admired, so I took the leftover fabrics from my husband’s company and started designing for kids.
theFashionSpot: Can you tell us a little bit about your business and how being a mom inspired it?
Mrs. Sari: I started crafting kids designs around the time I had my baby girl, Ece. Being a mom always gave me the courage to keep doing what I love, so I decided to turn the designs into a business. After all these years, my son, Ata, started working with me and he built the brand, Mama Luma.
theFashionSpot: It’s not easy to balance running a business with being a mom – any tips or tricks?
Mrs. Sari: It’s never easy to run a business as a mom, especially a new one. The hardest thing about running a business as a mom is the time you have to spend at work and constantly get the thought of “Am I missing on the growth of my kids”. My trick was to be strict with my timing and be at home at a fixed time, so I get to spend enough time with my family before I go to sleep. After they grew up, it became relatively easier.
theFashionSpot: What have been some of the biggest challenges when it comes to the business?
Mrs. Sari: My main focus has always been to come up with the best products and I didn’t really get to look at the numbers to optimize the process. Mama Luma is in a very niche market and it’s harder to make profit than it looks. After Ata joined me, he elevated the business with his analytical approach to every aspect of our business.
theFashionSpot: At any point did you think about giving up? If so, what kept you going?
Mrs. Sari: There’s been a time, which the business was struggling to profit and it was becoming a heavy burden. Ultimately, what kept me going was to provide a business and a future for my kids. That’s why I never stopped working hard.
