Handing Over the Baton

An Interview with Jirka and Kačka, 4/26

Vimperk’s new landmark is more than just a modern hall—it is a symbol of pride in honest textile craftsmanship. For the family business VAVI, this space represents a place where tradition meets vision and a desire to connect the local community. Read the interview about the courage and plans that make this town much more than just an invoice address for the brand.

Handing Over the Baton: From the Family Table to the Helm

Mjölk: Jirko, Katko, VAVI celebrated over 30 years this year. But you took over the metaphorical thread at a time when the world (and the textile industry) accelerated immensely. What was it like jumping onto a moving train that Jirka’s parents started? Was it more about respect, or a desire to immediately start doing things "your own way"?

Jirka: My parents founded Věra Vávrová – VAVI in 1990. After returning from abroad in 2008, I founded VAVI s.r.o., which from the very beginning began to distinguish itself by wanting to build corporate identity through clothing.

Mjölk: You operate as a family business, and we have a similar setup in our studio. Is it an advantage for you to be able to speak bluntly over Sunday coffee, or is it sometimes hard to "turn off" the boss role and just be a family?

Jirka: Right now, there are only two of us (Katka and I) making decisions about the company and its development, which greatly simplifies not only the speed of decisions, but also the overall direction of the entire firm. As any company grows, it needs clearly anchored rules that mustn't be broken even within the family—especially in the family... that can cause problems.

Currently, Katka and I determine the direction of the company together. Věra Vávrová Sr. and Jiří Vávra Sr. have and will always have a lifelong place in the company.

"The Button": Architecture as a New Identity

Mjölk: Let’s move to your new headquarters. Why did you choose us for the design? Were you looking for someone who would approach it with the same "hands-on craft" as you do with shirts?

Jirka: We wanted to involve local architects too, but it didn't really resonate with us because the site we chose is so exposed that we didn't want to ruin it. Katka brought up your work, which we saw on the internet—back then it was a few lookout towers and a building or two, but it looked great.

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Mjölk: We sometimes enjoy shocking clients a bit during the first meeting. When we first came up with "The Button" motif, what was your initial reaction? Most people imagine a factory as a gray box, but we proposed a house that is essentially a metaphor for your craft.

Jirka: As I said, we didn't want to ruin the site. It went through an evolutionary development from an oval to a circle based on production requirements, and we knew for sure that we didn't want a prefabricated industrial hall.

All along, we say at VAVI (and mean it): we do things differently. We wanted to weave that shared mindset right into the building itself.

Mjölk: In the project, we made sure the building works as a "showcase." A customer can have an espresso in your café while watching seamstresses at their machines. What is it like to "lay yourselves bare" like this and reveal the entire production process live?

Jirka: We want to show people that what they wear has value simply because human hands touch it. It’s not Industry 4.0 or 5.0; it’s a craft passed down from generation to generation since the dawn of time, when people first began wrapping themselves in hides before it evolved into fashion—something that influences how we feel, how we present ourselves... simply put, clothes make the man, and VAVI makes the clothes.

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Mjölk: We know the work environment for local staff was key for you. How are your seamstresses reacting to the glass walls and views of the Šumava mountains? Have they settled into the new "Button" yet?

Jirka: I think they really like it now. The Button truly draws attention, and not just from people in the region.

Vimperk: More Than Just an Invoice Address

Mjölk: Your new facility sits along the main route into Šumava. Do you also view it as a kind of "gateway" to Vimperk? Do you want people to know that honest craftsmanship is still alive here?

Jirka: As I said during our company-wide meeting: "Forget about the fact that we sew clothes; this building should bring people together and fill them with positive energy. If they leave the building with a good feeling, then we’ve achieved our main goal." It’s not just about the craft—that’s just part of a larger whole.

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Mjölk: Vimperk has textile history in its DNA. How do you try to help or collaborate with the town beyond the factory walls? Is being a "good neighbor" important to you?

Jirka: Vimperk is good, but good isn't enough for us—we want it to be excellent. It has the potential for it, and VAVI will try to help not only by having its headquarters here.

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Mjölk: Looking out the window of your new office toward the future—what do you see? Will VAVI keep growing, or is your priority keeping that family atmosphere and precise detail you grew up on?

Jirka: VAVI will certainly always take pride in precise detail and well-executed work, which will always lead to natural growth—and easily beyond the Czech Republic as well.

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Mjölk: One final question: If you had to pick a single thing (or one single shirt) that best defines today’s VAVI under your leadership, what would it be?

Jirka: Courage.