Meet Valentina Ignatova, CMO and Co-founder of BY FAR, the accessory brand that got us head over heels

FROM THE JENNER SISTERS TO MICHELLE OBAMA, EVERYONE IS GOING CRAZY FOR BY FAR, THE LABEL CO-FOUNDED BY TWINS VALENTINA IGNATOVA AND SABINA GYOSHEVA AND THEIR BEST FRIEND, DENITSA BUMBAROVA. REVIVING THE 90’S AND EARLY NOUGHTIES WITH STYLE, THE LABEL HAS KNOWN A SKY-ROCKETING SUCCESS IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS.

BY FAR is releasing the Cush Bag for Summer 2021, introduced in punchy, vibrant colors that will leave us dreaming about the sunny days until they’re here. JDEED spoke to Valentina Igantova, the brand’s CMO and co-founder to know more about how it all started, the sustainability aspect of the brand down to their future goals.

By Cynthia Jreige

HELLO VALENTINA! YOU SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED BY FAR ALONGSIDE CO-CREATORS SABINA AND DENITSA- CAN YOU TELL US WHAT WAS THE INITIAL THOUGHT BEHIND THE LABEL AND HOW DID YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

We founded BY FAR, because we felt like the industry needed accessories that are desirable, yet not overpowering, without sacrificing quality and we still think there’s a niche to explore in that direction. We always take a step back to consider how you want to feel with it and wear it. The sweet spot is where coolness and comfort meet, it’s where the magic of BY FAR happens!

We come from no fashion background, nor from a fashion capital but only 2 weeks after we launched BY FAR, we were recognized by the British VOGUE featuring us as their favourite new accessory brand. It has always been absolutely trilling and surreal to see the phenomenal reaction to our pieces. In the core of our success is that we want to create styles that we have personal obsession over and bring back that 90s nostalgia to the everyday life of the modern girl.

WOMEN ALL OVER THE WORLD GREW ADDICTED TO YOUR DESIGNS SEASON AFTER SEASON; CELEBRITIES ARE SPOTTED WEARING YOUR SHOES AND ACCESSORIES: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE THE KEYS TO THE BRAND’S SUCCESS AND IS THERE A SPECIFIC ITEM THAT PROPELLED THE LABEL FASTER THAT YOU COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED?

Our shoes and bags are classic, yet with a fun touch of contemporary. We always take a step back to consider how you want to feel with it and wear it. Your BY FAR piece will demand the spotlight whilst being infinitely wearable.

There are so many iconic items in our short history, but the most special one of them is definitely the Rachel bag – it put us on the fashion radar and changed everything for us.

“THE MIDDLE EASTERN CLIENTELE IS DEFINITELY A CLASSY ONE, BUT ALWAYS WILLING TO HAVE FUN WITH NEW STYLES AND MATERIALS.”

SUSTAINABILITY IS AN IMPORTANT VALUE AT BY FAR. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US MORE ABOUT HOW THIS IS IMPLEMENTED IN THE DESIGN AND PRODUCTION PROCESS?

At BY FAR, all our pieces are designed with quality and longevity in mind; we believe a circular approach to fashion lies at the heart of achieving a more sustainable future for all! Sustainability has always been of huge importance for BY FAR, it has never been a question of whether we should do it or not. We are continually reviewing our supply chain and manufacturing processes to implement environmentally and socially responsible practices in all aspects of the business. We are also optimizing our website to make all the information and production and design processes easily available for the customers as transparency and honesty are really key for us.

Soon, we are going to introduce several new partnerships with trusted repairs in our biggest hotspots around the world. We always design our pieces with the idea for them to be loved, worn and cherished forever and as anyone knows good care and maintenance of leather pieces is essential. Through these partnerships, we hope to help our community extend the lifetime of their BY FAR pieces with the help of the right experts. There is one way to fight consumerism and generate a buy less and buy better mindset.

Next week we are introducing our PF21 collection with a whole new product category, consisting of entirely sustainable pieces. We are so excited, and we can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions to it.

YOU’VE RECENTLY INTRODUCED THE CUSH BAG: WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND IT AND WHICH COLOUR VARIATION WOULD YOU PICK IF YOU WERE ONLY ALLOWED ONE?

Soft bags are the new It-item of the season. Hitting the spot where the early ‘00s aesthetic is concerned, the super soft and slouchy Cush bag is our new shoulder-bag must have. It is so soft, you can rest on it, literally.  Roomy and super comfortable to carry, with soft round edges and a padded shoulder strap, this bag proves that bigger is not always better. And for Spring-Summer 21 it comes in two more smaller sizes.

If I had to pick one colour, it would be peony pink – it’s such a nice colour especially on flat grain leather, that will go perfectly with my neutral spring wardrobe.

BETWEEN YOURSELF, SABINA AND DENITSA, WHO’S A SHOE GIRL AND WHO’S A BAG GIRL?

When we started the brand, we were all shoe girls, and when we introduced our first bags collection two years later, we all became bag girls. Now it is just impossible to pick a side when you have such incredible options.

ONE SIGNATURE BY FAR PIECE EVERY GIRL SHOULD HAVE IN THEIR CLOSET.

Being known as the go-to brand for It-bags, it should be the Rachel baguette. It has that laid-back 90s vibe we are so obsessed with. And it has a baby – the Mini Rachel, that is so special and cute, our celebrity following can’t get enough of it.

THE SUCCESS OF THE BRAND IS CONSEQUENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST; HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR APPROACH TO THE CUSTOMERS FROM THIS REGION?

The Middle Eastern clientele is definitely a classy one, but always willing to have fun with new styles and materials. Our all-time best-sellers such as the Tanya shoes, as well as the Mini and Miranda bags have seen amazing success among our shoppers there. Last year, we did a very special and unique collection designed especially for the region and inspired by the fabulous Arabian women, that was a huge success. We are planning something very exciting for this year too, so stay tuned!

WHAT CAN WE WISH BY FAR FOR THE COMING YEARS?

The only thing we wish for right now is health. We’ve planned so many huge things for 2021, and we have such an amazing team to realize them with, and we just wish to be healthy and we’ll to turn 2021 into our best year yet.

Discover more about the BY FAR universe on their Instagram, here!

Pictures supplied by BY FAR

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