Konia Equestrian is high-end equestrian outerwear designed and developed by Claudia Yiu. I had the opportunity to connect with Claudia to learn more about her passion and vision for Konia....check it out below.
Where are you from, currently located and when did you start riding?
I am from a city just outside of Toronto where I was born and raised and where I still hold my roots. I started riding when I was 7 years old but was begging to take lessons since I was about 5 or 6 and obsessed with horses since I was 4!
What inspired you to start Konia?
It started off as a personal need for warm, functional equestrian outerwear. I wanted something that was practical, durable but stylish. I started digging around and found it hard to believe that there wasn't anything out on the market that fit this description. That's when I started putting ideas together and started the company. My exact words were "If no one else is going to do it... I'll do it!".
Where did you get the inspiration for the name?
I got the name Konia off of my horse's Polish passport. It was written on the title page as "Paszport Konia" meaning the "Horse's Passport". I thought it was a nice little homage to the horse that changed my life.
What is your next goal with Konia?
As Konia is starting to get recognized in North America, the next big goal for Konia is to expand to Europe and the UK markets. Going overseas is a big endeavor so it will take some time to get everything sorted and ready for business access the pond.
What's the number one product attribute you want people to know about your line?
Our bestselling product is any of our lightweight pieces because it is deceivingly warm and stylish. Our pieces are lightweight because of the quality of down that we use. Our whole product line boasts a proprietary blend of goose and duck down at the highest Canadian Standard which go through a series of 14 antibacterial washes. To top it off, all of our products are machine washable, dryer friendly so feel free to get dirty!
Follow Konia Equestrian for the latest collections www.instagram.com/koniaequestrian
Check out Konia Equestrian online to shop their entire collection www.koniaequestrian.com