Folklore business
Poland
Szafa ETNOgrafa is a workshop that produces folk costumes of Polish ethnographic groups. It derives its designs by collaborating with ethnographers, museums and also conducts field research.
Folkstar is a Polish brand proving that folk culture is doing well and can do more than delight in open-air museums and in the pages of history. They bring folk culture back into favour and give it a modern twist. In doing so, they are rekindling the love for Polish folklore.
Manufaktura w Bolesławcu ceramics created at the Boleslawiec Manufaktura is based on tradition and special attention to detail. It is passion and a high sense of aesthetics, as well as new designs made using traditional methods, that made Boleslawiec ceramics famous worldwide back in the 19th century!
Romania
Virginia Linul is a folklore costume creator with one of the country’s biggest workshops for traditional costumes. Her costumes are contemporary work, they can be done on demand, and they are good copies of the old, authentic models.
Favorit TV is the biggest folklore television in Romania. All the tv shows on Favorit include traditional Romanian music, promoting young artists, as well as known ones.
Axxa Magnolia is a business that creates leather shoes, most of them being traditional women’s shoes and boots, man tall boots and the traditional shoes called Opinci. It is one of the most famous folk dance shoe businesses in the country.
Bulgaria
Магазин на занаятите в Етнографски ареален комплекс – Златоград is a shop with traditional costumes located in Zlatograd. They sew costumes from every folk region of Bulgaria. Their clients are from around the world. Not only will you find costumes but also a variety of handicrafts.
Mazillo is a cosmetics company that clings to Bulgarian folklore. By immersing themselves in folklore, they use unique herbs and ingredients, some of which can only be found in Bulgaria.
Balkanfolk ltd is an online shop for folklore music (CD and DVD), Bulgarian traditional costumes, souvenirs, books and learner’s books for the Bulgarian language, icons, carpets from Chiprovtsi and other articles connected to Balkan folklore.
Hungary
Rozmaring Design was founded in 2019 by Georgina Rengei. She is also a designer. The clothes she designs are based on patterns related to the Hungarian people and folk tales and are made using machine knitting techniques. She also uses Matyó and Kalocsa motifs as patterns for her collections.
"Ízőrzők" TV show - the TV show was launched in 2007 on Duna Television. It is a gastronomic show about the traditional dishes of the Hungarian countryside. It also presents the cultural values and traditions of the place, and many interesting people have been interviewed during the programmes. Hungarian food is a very important part of our traditions, and the show Ízőrzők is very popular in the country. The Ízőrzők name means "guard the taste".
The House of Traditions is the temple of Hungarian culture. All areas of tradition are represented in the institution - folk dancing, folk singing, folktale telling, crafts, etc... - and the staff are constantly working to make Hungarian culture accessible to all. They organise training courses, camps and ongoing research, all aimed at exploring Hungarian traditions and culture.
Greece
GreekShops.com is an online shop where you can find Greeks folklore products like costumes, clothing, gifts, art, music, and Orthodox icons.
The Branding Heritage Cultural Organisation researches the connecting thread between Greek cultural heritage and contemporary creation in fields such as fashion, art, gastronomy, music and design, by highlighting the importance of the synergy between tradition and the contemporary world of business.
Above you can find interesting inspirations of what a folklore-based business can look like. As you can see, you can sew traditional clothes or costumes, produce natural cosmetics, create a store with traditional products, run workshops, create a television or portal about folklore and much more.
And how to establish a folklore business? Here are some tips:
- Think about your idea. What are you most passionate about in folklore? What keeps you awake at night and occupies your thoughts? Maybe this is the track you should follow
- Research the market. Is your idea already being done by other people, other companies? If so, maybe you will be able to do it better or introduce some innovation. If not, maybe you’ve found a niche, and it’s worth launching a product
- Think if you are able to start with zero capital or if you need financing. If you need cash, do you have the savings to do so? Can someone in your family lend/invest in your business? Maybe some friend? Maybe there are funds from the EU for business development. There are many possibilities
- Write a business plan. Even the best idea won’t work if you don’t have everything thought out
- Analyze what risks will await you while running your business. Think about how you can protect yourself from risky situations. How to protect yourself in case of a crisis
- Build a team that will help you realize your vision
- Be prepared that you will have to constantly evolve and see if your customers continue to be interested in your product
- Enjoy running your own business!