Ten years ago, two friends, Mari and Noora, who shared a passion for high-quality and beautiful home textiles, decided to step into the unknown. From that dream, Luin Living was born – a brand now known for its timeless, soft, and luxurious products.
In this anniversary blog series, we want to take you along on our journey, reminisce about the past, and express our gratitude to everyone who has supported us in making this dream come true. Welcome aboard!
Where It All Began
Luin Living was born out of an everyday yet unsolved need: the market lacked the perfect hair towel – one that was both stylish and practical. This realization sparked an idea that led the two friends to create something of their own. The first sketches and material tests began quickly – and there was no turning back. If you’d like to learn more about how our hair towel came to be, check out our earlier blog post: The (im)perfect story of the hair towel told by the entrepreneurs | Luin Living
The idea of entrepreneurship didn’t come overnight but developed gradually. “I guess it started long ago at home since my father was an entrepreneur. When I started studying marketing, I became fascinated with branding and the power of brands in consumer behavior. Since my university years, I knew I wanted to create a brand. That, combined with ten years of experience working with other brands, gave me the confidence that this was what I wanted to do,” says Mari, one of the brand’s founders.
Did you know that our brand was originally known as Luin Spa? In 2018, we expanded our range to include home decor, and at the same time, our name changed to Luin Living.
The First Challenges and Lessons Learned
The beginning of our entrepreneurial journey was far from easy. Finding the right materials, starting production, and building a brand required enormous effort and perseverance.
“The biggest challenge was that terry fabrics aren’t manufactured in Finland, and we had no connections in Turkey or Portugal when we started looking for a manufacturer. We also had no prior experience in the textile industry. Imagine having ‘a million’ different manufacturers and just an idea for the world’s softest terry fabric – that’s where we started,” Mari and Noora recall.
Mistakes were inevitable. “For our first batch of hair towels, we used plastic snaps because we didn’t want them to rattle in the washing machine. Well, they didn’t work properly – about 20% of the hair towels were returned. In the end, we had to bring all the towels home from the warehouse and sit on the living room floor testing each snap by hand. That was a huge lesson in quality control.”
The First Products and Customer Feedback
When the first hair towel was finally launched, the response was overwhelmingly positive. “Habitare 2015 trade show was a turning point. It was the first time we sold our products in person – apart from our online store – and we ran out of stock! Our stand was packed, and it was an incredible feeling. Our first retailers, like Flamingo Spa, joined us right then and there. That’s when I thought: this could really become something,” Mari recalls.
Memories Along the Way
The first years were filled with countless unforgettable moments – from big achievements to amusing surprises.
“One of the most memorable moments was when we saw our first warehouse fully stocked. That was the moment we realized this was real,” Mari remembers. “Our first trade show and our first international retailer were also major milestones,” Noora adds.
“The journey has also included some amusing moments – like the time when we were featured for the first time in a local women’s magazine, where our luxurious and stylish hair towel was presented in a humorous photo in a completely unexpected way, far from elegant; as an accessory you can wear while going to fetch the mail in your sweatpants,” Mari laughs.
Clippings from the early days when the brand was still called Luin Spa.
Entrepreneurial Surprises and Bold Decisions
Throughout our journey, there were times when we had to make big, scary decisions. “One of the hardest was resigning from a good job and taking the leap into the unknown without any guarantees. When we signed the company’s founding papers, I had a small baby at home. It was terrifying, but I have never regretted it for a second,” Mari reflects on the early days. “The first large order paid out of our own savings was also nerve-wracking. At the same time, we had young children and mortgages to worry about,” Noora adds.
Luin Living’s success didn’t happen overnight – it has been the result of a long journey and constant experimentation. “Entrepreneurship has taught us that sometimes you just have to take the leap and trust in yourself. If you believe in your vision and are willing to work for it, you can achieve anything,” Noora and Mari say. “Perhaps the biggest surprise in the early years was realizing just how much time and effort long-term success requires. Even if you have a great product and idea, success doesn’t happen instantly. Continuous learning and adaptation are part of the journey. And, of course, failures have taught us more than anything else.”
The Small Things That Make a Big Difference
“From the beginning, we have looked at the textile market from the customer’s perspective and designed products that truly bring indulgence to everyday life. This has been a key factor in our success,” Noora explains.
However, success has not been just about high-quality products but also about attitude. “Both of us have always had the mindset of saying ‘yes, let’s do it!’ Whether it’s Finland, the U.S., or Japan, we’ve just gotten on a plane, headed into the unknown, believed in what we do, and boldly moved forward. That has made a huge difference,” Mari and Noora say together.
Mari & Noora
In the next part of our blog series, we’ll take a closer look at the key milestones in our brand’s journey over the past 10 years – so stay tuned! 🎉
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