Cozy Threads Vienna: Following Your Passion

AUSTRIA

Interview by Anton Miguel D. De Vera Images & Video by @leggou_vision / Cozy Threads Vienna Partner

Cozy Thread, an uprising business in Vienna popularly known among the youth for its ‘cozy’ loungewear clothing and premium garments is co-founded by 2nd Gen EU-FIL Diego Tarallo and Canadian-Serbian Filip Momcilovic in 2019.

Rawmags writer Anton Miguel D. De Vera, reaches out to Diego Tarallo, one of Cozy Threads founders, to share the story of their business and his experience growing up with the EU-FIL community in Vienna, Austria.

Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers? How is it being an entrepreneur at a young age and considering your migration background?

My name is Diego Agostino Uyaan Tarallo, 18, born in Vienna, Austria. I am a multi-citizen - my mother Lilian Tarallo is Filipino while my father is American-Italian Michael Anthony Tarallo. I started the company Cozy Threads with a good friend of mine and former high school classmate, Filip Momcilovic.

Being a young entrepreneur, it was difficult and stressful at first - trying to figure everything out. There were a lot of expectations coming from your parents, family, and friends. Especially among Filipinos, they want you to follow a certain direction which is common to the Filipino stereotype. My mother wanted me to become a doctor or a nurse for instance. She wanted the best for me by having a good-income occupation to provide for my family but personally, I wanted to do something different. My passion for music and sports has always been there and most especially, Cozy Threads was the first thing on my agenda

that I wanted to fulfill.

How did you embark on this journey of entrepreneurship with Cozy Threads?

The way Cozy Threads started, it was a school project in the International Baccalaureate Program (IB) in my high school at the International Christian School of Vienna (ICSV). We had to complete certain hours for creative, active, and serviceable work. Filip and I wanted to fulfill it by doing something different, something the school has never seen, so we decided to create a clothing brand. The project idea was to have it established by October 2019 and provide clothing that would support the Breast Cancer Awareness movement during that month. Due to the unexpected pandemic, we couldn’t get physical stands to set up all our clothes, but then, we were able to share our profit from our initial drops to the Breast Cancer Awareness movement. After the project was done, Filip and I decided to continue our passion from creating clothes, being creative, making designs, and providing them for people.

What are some of your inspirations to the designs of your products, mainly clothing?

We originally wanted to make something “premium” or lounge wear that would make our customers say “Oh, this feels nice” in terms of quality and how it suits them. We built it around the word “Cozy” as our former classmates suggested in reaction to a warm hoodie or a crewneck sweater. We also wanted our garments to stand out which means we need to make sure they're quality-checked before selling and that it is something we take pride in. We thought about the threads and we wanted

to make sure the threading is prestigious and perfect at least to our knowledge the way we want it.

In your experience, were there any specific Filipino-Austrian communities which helped develop Cozy Threads?

During the summers of my 11th and final year in high school (2019-20 & 2020-21), I did an internship at OVRDS (Overdose), another Filipino company based in Vienna that also produces garments and they’ve been in the game since 2013.

A lot of their garments have elements of Filipino designs, a lot of Filipino pride mixed in. So I knew I had to get on board because they had a lot to teach and I relate to them culturally, and so I wanted to learn from them through an internship.

They taught me how to speak and cater to certain manufacturers, where to get ideas from, how to get certain details in finalising products. Eventually, I even worked with them and helped them with some designs. They treated me as an equal and this is the kind of setting that Filip and I have been incorporating to Cozy Threads.

How has it been growing up as a 2nd Generation EU-FIL in Vienna, Austria?

Growing up in Austria, for the first solid 15 years, I wasn’t actively engaged with the Filipino community at all. However, I and my younger siblings Megan and Luigi, spent a lot of time with our mother who taught us a bit about her culture, being Ilocano and Filipino. So we weren’t necessarily distant from our Filipino culture. I grew up with that kind of family and came to love Filipino food, culture, customs and traditions.

When I was 15, I started to encounter and engage with Filipinos around my age. I met a couple of Filipinos in ICSV and we became good friends right off the bat. One of them soon invited me to go to their church at the Vienna Christian Centre (VCC)—a born-again Christian Community with the majority of its members being Filipino.

At the end of the day, this was a part of my culture and so I wanted to acknowledge it. To my delight, I enjoyed it a lot. I met a lot of good friends, and it quickly became a familiar place to me.

What kind of message would you give to young aspiring entrepreneurs like yourself?

Go and pursue your passion. Obviously it's going to be difficult in the beginning given that there will be expectations from other people, judgement and doubts. Instead of focusing on those kinds of people, focus on those that are there to help you, who encourage you to do your best. There will always be people who will question your decisions and it will not necessarily be out of backlash but merely out of interest. Take those remarks as if they are interested rather than something that affects you negatively. Just remind yourself that this is something you want to do, just like how I aspired to create Cozy Threads in Vienna.

You also have to enjoy what you are doing. The moment it feels like it's actual work, you are going to lose the passion you had. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you need to love what you do and work for it, especially in the beginning. Think about it as a marathon and not a sprint. You should always find yourself reaching another goal to keep that passion and work into it. R&W

Anton Miguel D. De Vera and the Roots & Wings Team are especially excited for Cozy Thread Vienna’s upcoming Fall/Winter 2021 collection. We wish Diego and Filip all the best in the entrepreneurial world!

There will always be people who will question your decisions and it will not necessarily be out of backlash but merely out of interest. Take those remarks as if they are interested rather than something that affects you negatively.

Visit their Instagram Account @cozythreadsvienna and their website www. cozythreads.at to see more of their products and clothing brand.

SPAIN

The New Breed of Excellence

How some Filipinos thrive and succeed on the south of Spain

Text and images by Jeno Pineda

In 2017, Rhea Zamora arrived from the Philippines to Marbella. She came with her one-year old daughter and stayed with her sister until she could find work. A couple of months after, her husband followed. Uncertain of the future but mentally and physically prepared for a new life, they never gave up sending their CVs to every office in town until she landed a job in a Scandinavian I.T. company and him, in a telecom office. Four years after, she and her husband have been both promoted in their jobs, and are proud owners of a new apartment.

Rhea’s success story might seem like an anomaly to many. Afterall, most people expect Filipino immigrants to be working in environments we were always typecast in—in homes doing domestic chores, or in restaurants as wait staff. But in Marbella, a small but cosmopolitan town in the south of Spain, the narrative of Filipino workers is changing. The new generation of OFWs and migrants are breaking stereotypes through excellence in their crafts, powered by their innate Filipino work values and ethics such as handwork, commitment, responsibility and compassion.

Marbella is one of Europe’s favourite playgrounds for the rich and famous. Here, million dollar yachts and supercars are but an everyday sighting. It is one of the most sought after summer destinations in Europe thanks to its almost 300 days of sun, a very diverse population and a chilled lifestyle. With hospitality as the biggest industry sector, people come here not only to spend some days in the sun drinking Sangria but also to become part of its robust workforce. And of course, the Filipinos aren’t an exemption. Every year, they flock on the Costa del Sol like seagulls to try their luck and experience the well-balanced life that the town has to offer.

Marbella is part of the Spanish region of Andalucia where there are approximately 5,000-6,000 Filipino inhabitants, according to Leah Beltran, President of AFILCOS FED, the largest Filipino community group on the coast. In Marbella alone, there are 1,500 registered Filipinos, most of whom are working in the domestic and hospitality sectors, although in recent years a rise of Filipino workers in other fields has been undeniable.

“There are many Filipino professionals here in Marbella. I know of doctors, lawyers, realtors and

From left: Aurora Directo, Rhea Zamora and family, Jeno Pineda in Marbella

Jenny Baardsen (second from right) English teacher to international students

business people thriving in this place. They make us all proud,” said Aurora Directo who has made a name for herself in Marbella’s real estate industry. Originally from Baler in the Philippines, Aurora has been working as a realtor in Marbella for twenty years and is considered one of the best in town when it comes to selling multi-million euro properties.

Asked what it takes for a Filipino to be successful abroad, she said, “It is a given that we Filipinos are resilient and hardworking people. This is why we can be considered as one of the best workforces in the world. But to be able to achieve more, I believe it boils down to education. We should continue educating ourselves in any way we can and strive for excellence at all times.”

Excellence is also what Jenny Baardsen offers as an English teacher to international students. “We Filipinos are kind, patient and hardworking. It’s the perfect recipe to a good teacher, I think,” she said. Having lived in Marbella for over six years, Jenny teaches all levels of English from beginner to advance, and handles Cambridge Exams preparation.

Of course, success is not immediate and it is not a Sampaguita-laden road to travel. Rhea, Aurora and Jenny had also experienced hardships and criticisms because of their heritage. “I once took a wealthy client for a property viewing. From where he came, he couldn’t believe that I was a realtor because A, I am Filipino and B, I am a woman. He was making snide comments to the point of being rude,” Aurora said.

Rhea with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and officemates

“So what did you do?” I asked her.

“Well, we were in my car at that time so I stopped driving, open the passenger door, and politely asked him to step out. I hope he learned his lesson by the side of the road.” We indeed hope he did.