Treehana wants to offer all women the comfort of clothing they deserve, through slow, sustainable fashion

Tihana Todić, a 31-year-old woman entrepreneur born in Banja Luka, was among the 25 women entrepreneurs who joined the first Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO 2023 satellite event in Bosnia and Herzegovina that was held in October, organized by UN Women BiH and Foundation 787. After successfully graduating from high school with a specialization in interior design, today she is a graduate student at the Faculty of Technology, majoring in Design and Clothing. Tihana started her own company named Treehana, a slow fashion brand focused on sustainability and zero waste.

What was the inspiration behind starting Treehana? What motivated you to create a slow fashion brand focused on sustainability and zero waste?

The Treehana brand was created primarily out of a personal need. The brand was created in 2016, but many years earlier I was sewing my own clothes. Given that I am above average height, it was always a problem for me to find clothes that fit me, that did not have short sleeves or legs, and on the other hand, I loved oversized clothes, which could not be found so often here at that time. The initiative to offer other women the comfort of clothing they deserve arose from this personal problem. Not only for tall women, but for all women, because there is no body that has the same proportions. All our clothes are made exclusively upon the order and measurements of clients so that they fit them perfectly, and on the other hand, we don’t want to have surpluses or waste, we don’t mass produce. We think about our health because that is the most important thing. Therefore, we use natural materials, and very little synthetic ones, only where necessary, such as a jacket that needs to be water-repellent and similar.

As a woman entrepreneur in the slow fashion industry, can you share your thoughts on the role of women in driving change within the industry? What obstacles have you encountered on your journey, and how have you overcome them to build a successful business?

The only obstacle I encountered was challenging the very idea of this concept of work. When I started with the brand, the idea was to do everything online and to send by mail, and at that time it wasn't so popular, and I had to educate the market about it first. And the very influence of the environment – because of the thought that this is not possible, because people were used to trying on clothes, seeing materials in person and similar. So, I had to find a way to bring them closer to the quality of the material, to instill confidence in the production itself, and sometimes to send samples of the material by mail before the actual production, etc.

 

Many consumers are becoming more conscious of their fashion choices. How do you see the future of sustainable fashion evolving, and what role does Treehana aim to play in shaping this future?

I think that slow, sustainable fashion is just at its beginnings and that it has a very bright future. I believe that many people will soon become aware of its true significance and that they will live accordingly, realizing that we really do not need a new piece of clothing every 15-30 days to be well dressed, but that we can always create new styles and combinations from existing sources. Treehana's role is precisely in raising awareness of the importance of this, to learn what the style is, and to be a successful part of this principle of dressing and living.

What are your impressions from the recently held Women’s Entrepreneurship EXPO 2023 satellite event in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

The EXPO was great! Although I was familiar with some information shared at the first workshop, it is always good to remind myself and refresh my knowledge. It certainly gave me additional motivation and direction for future development. It is also good to meet other women entrepreneurs, to share experiences and problems also. And it's certainly great to get first-hand information from potential investors.