Sustainable Fashion and Women in Business with Megan Mummery, Founder of OhSevenDays

SIMPLE SERIES 001: Megan Mummery

Seden, the founder of Simple As Is, sits down with Megan to discuss her efforts towards a sustainable and conscious future of fashion. Megan and Seden also discuss the importance of female empowerment and leadership in business to create a more sustainable economy, and how she manages to grow her business with pregnancy. And a bit of her routines.

meet ohsevendays

''I ALWAYS FEEL STRONGEST WHEN I ANALYSE MY FAILINGS AND WORK TO RE-EVALUTE AND IMPROVE. NOT LETTING FAILURES OVERCOME YOU IS KEY IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP.''

Megan Mummery

SEDEN: CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

MEGAN: MY NAME IS MEGAN MUMMERY :) I’M THE FOUNDER AND DESIGNER OF OHSEVENDAYS.

I’M ORIGINALLY FROM CANADA, BUT SPENT MUCH OF MY ADOLESENCE IN AUSTRALIA. I SPENT 3 YEARS WORKING AND STUDYING IN THE UK BEFORE MOVING TO TURKEY 8 YEARS AGO!

SEDEN: WHAT IS THE PHILOSOHY OF OHSEVENDAYS?

MEGAN: ULTIMATELY, OUR PHILOSPHY IS THAT STYLE AND SUSTAINABILITY AREN’T MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.

SEDEN: WAS THERE A TIPPING POINT WHEN YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF FASHION?

MEGAN: IT WAS VERY EXCITING WHEN WE BEGAN TO WORK WITH A FEW MAJOR RETAILERS WHO DON’T NORMALLY PUT SUSTAINABILITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THEIR OBJECTIVES.

IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE WE WERE SUCCESSFULLY INFILTRATING AN INDUSTRY THAT IS NORMALLY DRIVEN BY A ‘BOTTOM LINE’ ALONE, AND PERHAPS MAKING A SMALL CHANGE TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINBLE GARMENT INDUSTRY.

SEDEN: YOU HAVE A TEAM OF 3 STRONG WOMEN. WHAT DOES RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP MEAN TO YOU?

MEGAN: RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP MEANS ENSURING OUR TEAM IS ALWAYS GROWING, LEARNING AND THRIVING.

THE ABSOLUTE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS GETTING TO SEE YOUNG WOMEN FLOURISH IN THEIR CAREERS AND DOING MY PART TO HELP THEM DO SO.

SEDEN: WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLANGES IN BUSINESS AS A WOMAN? AND WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO OTHER WOMEN IN BUSINESS?

MEGAN: MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR IS PROBABLY NOT BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE MALE DOMINATED TEXTILE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY.

IT’S FRUSTRATING TO BE CONSTANSTLY UNDERESTIMATED AND DISRESPECTED DUE TO AGE AND GENDER.

I LIKE THE CHALLENGE OF PROVING PEOPLE WRONG AND ADVISE OTHER WOMEN TO PERSERVERE AND NOT TO TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY.

THE MORE OF US WHO PUSH BOUNDARIES, THE BETTER IT’LL BE FOR THE FUTURE WOMEN IN BUSINESS!

SEDEN: IT IS AMAZING TO SEE YOU SUCCESSFULLY GROWING A COMPANY WITHOUT COMPROMISING ONE OR THE OTHER. HOW DO YOU BALANCE WORK AND PREGNANCY?

MEGAN: IT’S BEEN TRICKY BALANCING WORK AND A DIFFICULT PREGNANCY (I’M SURE BALANCING MOTHERHOOD AND BUSINESS WILL PROVE DIFFICULT ALSO!).

THE KEY FOR ME HAS BEEN TO TAKE TIME FOR MYSELF WHEN I FEEL NECESSARY AND LISTEN TO MY BODY.

ALSO WORKING TO CULTIVATE A SUPPORTIVE TEAM IS VITAL!

SEDEN: WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL STRONG?

MEGAN: I ALWAYS FEEL STRONGEST WHEN I ANALYSE MY FAILINGS AND WORK TO RE-EVALUTE AND IMPROVE.

NOT LETTING FAILURES OVERCOME YOU IS KEY IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP.

SEDEN: CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR ‘FEEL GOOD’ ROUTINES.

MEGAN:THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY IT’S BEEN TRICKY TO ‘FEEL GOOD’ BUT MY GO TO ROUTINE IS TO TAKE A BUBBLE BATH, GO FOR A WALK WITH MY DOG, AND MAYBE TREAT MYSELF TO A SAN SEBASTIAN CHEESECAKE :)

SEDEN: IT WOULD BE HARD TO PICK ONE. WHAT IS ‘THE PIECE’ FROM YOUR COLLECTION FOR YOU?

Tori Dress

MEGAN: MY CURRENT FAVOURITE PIECE FROM SS23 COLLECTION IS THE PATCHWORK TORI DRESS.

WE SPENT MANY HOURS DESIGNING & SOURCING DEADSTOCK FABRIC TO COMBINE TOGETHER TO CREATE A PATCHWORK DESIGN THAT MADE SENSE.

SEDEN: CAN YOU TELL US YOUR FAVORITES FROM SIMPLE AS IS?

MEGAN: LOVE ST PIA DOG ACCESSORIES FOR MY PUP MURPHY! I’M ALSO SUPER EAGER TO TRY PUREAL PRODUCTS, ESPECIALLY NOW WE HAVE A BABY ON THE WAY, I WANT TO FIND MORE ORGANIC CLEANING OPTIONS.

MEGAN'S FAV