Julia and Laura Ahrens’ eco-friendly fashion line, Miakoda, received about a $9,400 kickstart this month from the popular crowdfunding website Kickstarter.
The sisters far outstripped their initial $6,000 goal — hitting the mark well ahead of the campaign’s 30-day deadline — as 91 backers pledged a total of $9,407.
“I was so excited — I was completely shocked, and I was excited with how much more we could do,” said Julia Ahrens, a 2008 Herricks graduate who works as the company’s fashion designer. “We hit [$6,000] with days, or even a week, to go.”
The sisters launched the Kickstarter campaign to raise the capital to increase the production of their popular a-line tank top and circle shirt.
But initially Julia was hesitant to risk starting a campaign on the website, she said. Only the projects that meet their fundraising target receive the money.
“I was super nervous about it. I was like, ‘oh man, what if we get really close but it’s not quite there,” she said. “I was really hopeful, but not overly confident.”
But Laura Ahrens, a yoga teacher and 2005 Herricks graduate, provided the confidence Julia lacked, Julia said.
“She was so excited. She’s more confident than I am in general — she was very positive about it in the beginning,” Julia said. “She puts out the good vibes in the universe that come back to us. I’m more the anxious energy; she’s the positive energy.”
The $6,000 covered Miakoda’s fabric costs and allowed the sisters to partner with a larger factory in Brooklyn. The additional $3,400 now allows New Hyde Park-based Miakoda to expand the offerings of its a-line tank top and circle shirt to include sizes extra small and extra large.
Prior to the Kickstarter, which partners online contributors with creative projects, Miakoda produced between 15 and 30 pieces of each item per production.
Using Kickstarter funding, the next production will be for 170 a-line tank tops and 100 circle shirts.
Julia said she began feeling confident they would reach their target once the Kickstarter campaign hit $4,000 with lots of time to spare, but she still found herself checking her email “obsessively” to see if they were any closer to their goal.
“I was totally hooked on it,” she said. “And a ton of people were commenting on Instagram saying, ‘I’m excited about your Kickstarter.’ People were like, ‘I’m so excited, I can’t wait to pledge.’ ”
The Ahrens sisters, both vegans and avid yogis, founded Miakoda in 2013.
Julia graduated from the New School’s Parsons School of Design in 2012 and works as the clothing designer. Laura, a yoga instructor, performs “more of the writing end of things,” Julia said.
In high school, both Ahrens participated in Herricks’ Student Television Arts Company, a course for artistically gifted students specializing in film.
“It definitely influenced me and shaped me as an artist and a designer,” Julia said.
Miakoda clothing is made entirely by plant-based materials grown organically, Julia said. For example, Miakoda’s circle shirt is made from a bamboo, organic cotton and spandex blend.
“Most people just think about eating healthy and eating organic food and being compassionate to people in their lives, and they don’t think about what they’re wearing. I started looking into the more eco friendly options and there” weren’t many, Julia said.
Of Miakoda’s 91 Kickstarter backers, about three-quarters were people the Ahrens did not know personally, and about one-half were new customers, including one who contributed $500, Julia said.
“I was like, ‘this person is my new best friend. I love them,’ ” she said. “I was really shocked. I looked at the email like three times…that’s a lot of faith in our company that they would like us.”
A number of the backers were from other countries as well, Julia said, including from Australia, France, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“They’re like, ‘oh cool it’s made in New York City.’ But I think the real draw to us is that it’s all ethically made with fabrics that are vegan,” she said.
Julia, who has an active social media presence, said the Kickstarter turned into an effective way to reach new customers. But she doesn’t see herself starting another campaign anytime soon.
“It was fun, and I really enjoyed it, so definitely in the future — but not in the near future,” she said.
The company’s next step, Julia said, is to release its fall collection in September and pursue more boutiques in the city to sell Miakoda’s garments.
