Expat partner Natalia Kruck Mettke had worked as a German teacher in multiple countries but, after relocating to Pakistan, she decided to pursue a lifelong entrepreneurial dream.
‘This is my chance!’
“My husband’s career took us to the US, Austria and Saudi Arabia. I always managed to find work as a teacher, which had been my profession at home in Germany, too. In Karachi, however, there is no German school, so when I arrived I knew my options were more limited. I started to wonder what else I could do in the land of cotton!” says Natalia, a mother of four kids (all now adults). She also has three grandkids. “For many years, I had wanted to do something in fashion. Once my teaching career began, it took over my professional life. As Pakistan is a major manufacturer of textiles and apparel, I thought: ‘Okay, this is my chance!’”
Production challenge
“Once I explored the local fabric markets, I started to dream a little more, developing the concept for a children’s clothing line (age six months to 36 months). Although Pakistan has a reputation for producing cheap fast fashion, what I am doing is quite boutique and simply not common. This presented a production challenge for me,” says Natalia, who has registered her business in the EU. “Who, I wondered, would be able to produce my designs?”
A chance introduction
“Then at a networking event, the wife of the German Consul introduced me to Fredrika Sunberg, a businesswomen, Swedish by birth and French by education, who owns a fashion brand and works with French designers. She also founded Zero Waste Studio, which is pioneering slow fashion in Pakistan. This introduction was a huge moment for me. Suddenly everything I was dreaming of became possible.”
The final push
“With the support of my husband’s company, I also studied stitching, sewing, pattern marking and technical drawing. I was so impressed by the stitching teacher, I invited her to come and teach local seamstresses that are working with me now,” says Natalia, who has named her brand Juffeni (a word composed using the first letters of her four kids). “Currently I’m busy producing samples for various trade fairs in preparation of launching my first collection in early 2025. It’s already been an exciting experience for me and I’m so happy that I have been able to take this opportunity.”
Photo: Natalia on a road trip through Naltar Valley, Pakistan
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