Preserving the world for a better future for coming generations is Ida’s mission. She is the co-founder of active wear brand Seela Studio which focuses on creating timeless exercise apparel for women all rooted in the belief of sustainability. After a successful career in the fashion- and active wear industry working for brands such as J. Lindeberg and Kjus, she and partner Kate Dennis decided to follow their life long dream of launching their own brand and Seela Studio was born. Ida is a mother to two year old Vincent and just had her second son, Valentin. At the time of the interview she was pregnant in her third trimester and told us all about how she balances her life dedicated to her career, as a mom, her self-care practices and daily routines.
Tell me about yourself.
I believe in actions.
What inspired you to create Seela?
Seela is built on the feeling and vision that the entire sports and fashion industry can do better. I wanted to give the end consumer a choice for a holistic solution which I found was missing on the market. We want to create environmentally friendly products that perform better than we have seen on the sports market before. Something that stands the test of time, reflects your inner values and will grow with you. If you feel good, you will look good and you will perform better.
What was your journey into entrepreneurship?
I’ve always been living with the vision that I will be independent one day. Already after graduating was I eager to start up my own brand. It was only the words and guidance from my mum that convinced me to get some working experience first. 12 years later and a solid creative background from some of the leading brands within the sports- and fashion industry as J.Lindeberg, Tretorn, Kjus and Skins I still felt that there was a big gap in the market that needed to be filled. I had my first-born son, Vincent and all the questions about the mother earth, sustainability and future visions were constantly spinning in my head. In what condition will we hand over this place to coming generations? I needed to create something I truly believe in. Something that makes me stand with a straight back in 20 years and can tell my sons – I did the best I could, on all parts of life, whatever the world will look like.
What have been the biggest challenges throughout your journey so far?
Me and my partner, Kate Dennis had a quite clear vision of what we wanted to create already before we started. So honestly speaking it’s been relatively easy. We are two positive, realistic and honest persons with various working backgrounds and experiences. I have a solid creative background in design and product development from some of the leading brands within the sports and fashion industry. Kate has been working within the marketing and sustainability sector for the United Nations. She grew up in Russia and I grew up in Sweden and with our shared visions we are confident that there are more women on Earth with the same feelings and needs as we have.
Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
In five years, I hope that we have a lot of Seela-women who live and act for the same values as we do. That I can be surrounded by a community with constant strive, with individuals who found their strength within and balance in life.
Where do you find inspiration?
When I put myself in a creative mood I literally find inspiration everywhere in life – from a beautiful untouched nature with their isolated tribes, shapes of postmodern architecture from Carlo Scarpa, the quiet voice in modern art, the younger generation fighting for their future, icons from the past that will live forever, great artists who are a piece of art themselves, the shape of the shadow on the wall reflected by the tree in the corner of my apartment or just an ugly facade. To me inspiration is about mindset. Through the years have I also learned to hold back on the creative side in my work. It’s easy to get trapped with inspiration, loose your track and red line of what you like to create. With Seela we always want to do something better that lasts for longer. I want to work with the science behind. Pick colors that affects the mind and make the body work subconsciously for the right purpose. I want to give the user the full opportunity to connect body and mind.
For the first drop we got inspired by the elements of water and fire. According to Indian medicine, Ayurveda, Pitta Dosha is a woman of water and fire, a force of transformation. She is powerful, of compassionate nature, inspiring others to achieve their goals.
Take us through a day in your life.
I wake up 6.30 am and decide to stay in bed for at least 15 more minutes, just to be close to my boys. I read emails, check what happened during the night and make a rough plan of the day. I quickly get myself ready before I wake up my son, Vincent. We get dressed, sing a song or making funny sounds mimicking extended family members while we brush the teeth’s together. The entire mirror gets full of toothpaste. Jakob, my husband, drops Vincent off at daycare. I quickly clean up after the singing session, running through the apartment, put on coffee and prepare breakfast. Jakob comes back and we enjoy 30 minutes peaceful breakfast together before he is off again. I put on the radio and start doing emails, design future collection and proceed with existing product developments. I call Kate to discuss general directions and actions needed to be taken, I pack and send out orders, it’s constant multitasking. At lunchtime I workout – I go out for a run, hit the gym or do yoga for 30 minutes at home. Then I enjoy an easy salad without time pressure in front of the computer, read some industry news and puts on a podcast. Afternoon normally continues where the
multi-tasking ended before lunch; with talking to suppliers and planning a new product presentation for one of our hotels where we are represented. I try to wrap up around 17.45 to pick up V from daycare. Then three hours with full focus on him follow. We cook and enjoy a nice dinner together, most often inspired by Asian cuisine. We take a bath, dive into our pajamas, build a hut to read a book… or we need to get rid of energy, jump in and out of the bed, chase each other like a animals in the savannah around the apartment, play football inside and make a videocall to Sweden before it’s good night.
How do you balance being a mom and an entrepreneur?
With focus and flexibility. My job is my passion and my family my soul. Jakob is my unbeatable team member and we are in constant need of each other to get our life puzzle together. To me balance is about being in the moment. As long as I feel connection to the presence, I can create quality and I know something good will come out of it sooner or later.
What does self-care mean to you?
Self-care to me is all about balancing life for a peaceful mind. I need to fulfill the expectations I have on myself, workout the way my body needs, do the best I can as a mom and partner to feel wholehearted and structure myself through work so I’m capable to deliver the result I wish for. Self-care is a clear navigation driven from the heart. Sometimes I push myself for a higher result and other times allowing myself to just breath.
What does your morning routine look like?
I try to step into every day as peaceful as possible. I wake myself up with a gentle face wash to clean and calm my skin with a face cream by eco-certified brand Comfort Zone. I use a limited amount of natural makeup for every day – a tinted moisturizer and ecological mascara based on sheabutter from Estelle & Thild.
What is your evening routine?
I finish every day with a calming life plankton face mask. The moment I put it on I release myself from every pressure in life.
What kind of exercise do you do?
I aim for three heavy weightlifting sessions per week – lower body, back and upper body. On top of that will I have two intense cardio workouts and two low intense sessions. If I know I’ll have limited time for exercising, I focus on full body workouts and HIIT.
What is your approach to nutrition?
I try to eat clean and green food as often as possible. I love fat fish and seafood. I haven’t restricted myself to a certain diet yet. I’m pregnant in week 39 and as soon as little Valentin is out will I change to total plant-based diet for a while. I’m really curious to see how my body will react.
What is your clean beauty non-negotiable?
Nourishing and tonifying body oil from Comfort Zone’s Sacred Nature Serie.
How do you bring mindfulness into your day?
I stay in the moment. And I try to romance the most absurd things in life to make it a joyful activity – such as folding the clothes after washing. It can feel like a boring never-ending story or the most beautiful thing ever, seeing it as a sign that everyone in the family are alive, getting dirty and obviously living to the fullest.
What are you grateful for?
That more and more people starting to act for a better and brighter future. The coming generations must have the same opportunity to enjoy every day in nature as us. As a Swede I have always been taken every season for granted. I can’t imagine a life without skiing snowy peaks during the winter. I am always longing for the first runs with bare ground, clear sky, blooming and gentle breeze towards the cheeks in the spring. I love the sound of ocean, watching clean waves rolling in for a softer landing while diving from the rocky cliffs during high summer. When autumn hits, is there anything better then cozying up on the couch after a walk in the forest, lighten the candles and listen to the storm coming in with vertical rain attacking the windows?
What brings you joy?
This universe brings so much joy and I just want us to preserve it forever.
What little things do you do in your life in order to make a difference in the world in terms of sustainability?
I avoid plastic packages in every possible way. I try to shop local as much as possible – we have a great selection of cute local shops just around the corners. I go by train, bike or foot if no car is needed. I shop timeless and season-less. I take care of what I have and try to put in new context to give it a new life. I chose green as often as I can.
What was the last book you have read?
Thinking fast and slow, by Daniel Kahneman. A recommendation to everyone who wants to boost their brain power.
Favorite podcast to listen to?
Fashion no filter – great if you like to get deeper knowledge about the complexity within fashion industry.
Favorite app?
Garmin Connect – my silent personal trainer.
Favorite clean beauty product?
Nourishing and tonifying body oil from Comfort Zone’s Sacred Nature Serie – it´s a wonder.
Favorite dish to cook?
Asian inspired seared salmon on a fresh bed of veggies.
Favorite indulgence?
Laying on the balcony with a glass of Pinot Noir, some salty dark chocolate and listening to soft music connects me to the brightest moments in life. In those moments life is complete.
