Designer of Mandili: We Use Ornaments From Old Manuscripts Restoring Link to Our Culture
Mandili was created to popularize and revive Georgian ornaments. The Mandili wanted to offer customers products that were unlike anything else and had a link to our culture. Mandili is a woman’s headscarf widely used in the past, which is also a modern fashionable accessory.
‘’It’s a very interesting process for me as a designer. I think we have unique and amazingly beautiful ornaments in the Georgian alphabet in different types of preserved manuscripts or ecclesiastical literature. This is the distinguishing and main direction of our brand, each work has its unique history,’’ said Giorgi Chikadze, designer and founder of Mandili. We wanted to ask him about the technology they use to create their unique works:
Even though we use historic Georgian ornaments, every detail is graphically drawn and processed from the beginning. Several steps are directly related to the formation of the idea, such as color selection, details, modifying the ornament for the final product, and many more. Then you begin to consider product types, sizes, and material options. The design is transferred to paper using particular printing equipment, and to the material due to thermal processing.
What is your work process usually like?
As you know, our product has ornaments from old manuscripts. That is why our activity started with the signing of various types of contracts or agreements so that this process would have an official face and give us the right to use it. The process of viewing and selecting protected works is an incredibly emotional experience. Following that, our team discusses several designs or concepts, and the final product is presented to the customer. We try to respond to messages very quickly on social networks and have high-quality service. That is why we have a large number of regular customers and Mandili has become the best gift idea for many.
What’s your favorite project that you’ve worked on?
It is a company whose idea, inspiration, formation, and success achieved so far are fully linked to the greatest hard work and diligence. That is why the first five design Mandilis that have been introduced to the market are the most important works. Of course, every subsequent product or design is created with the same great care and diligence and is no less a priority for us.
What’s the main message of your brand?
Create and develop. The main message of the brand is to create Georgian and quality products. At the same time, constantly think about development strategies.
Do you have any new projects coming up?
The Mandil team believes it is necessary to work on development. This motivates us to constantly offer news to our customers. Be it a scarf of a different design or a completely new product. At this stage, we are actively working on adding two completely new products to the range, which you will notice from our pages.