Kraftsy by Crystal Koelmeyer 

Having garnered a steady customer base since she started Kraftsy, Crystal Koelmeyer’s range of affordable and durable handmade footwear has really kicked off (excuse the pun). This week on Life Online, she speaks to us about her homegrown business, and what lies in the pipeline for Kraftsy. 

What is Kraftsy? Can you tell me about it, and how you came about to starting it? 

Kraftsy is an online-based store that manufactures and sells handmade stuff - especially footwear. We are based in Negombo but we do deliver within Colombo. Outstation orders, we post. We started around five months back. 

I'm doing this with my mum, who brings to the table over 25 years of experience as an instructor and a vocational trainer. She teaches sewing and stuff like that to her students but I kind of figured that there isn't a proper market yet to sell these things. So I just set up a Facebook page and Instagram page and started selling things and in no time we sort of became the talk of town. We have a long way to go, but I am really happy about the progress so far. One should never underestimate the power of social media. 

If you look at our page, we have a lot of feedback (feetback!) from our clients and now it has sort of become customary of those who buy our stuff, especially footwear, to click a 'footfie' and send us. 

What products does Kraftsy feature? 

Primarily, footwear. Handmade ones at that. We are also looking at expanding to bags and clothes. I want to dress Sri Lanka a little differently – starting from the bottom – one step at a time. 

Did you always want to run a business of this nature, or did this happen completely by chance? 

I always wanted to do my own thing. Hence, this. 

There’s an interesting story behind why we started with footwear though. I used to be a journalist for two years and had to do a lot of walking and every day I used to come home with broken slippers. So I had to buy new slippers every week and it got really frustrating after a point. So one day I suggested to my mother to start making shoes, as a joke, and she being herself went to Colombo the very next day, got the supplies and started experimenting. Within a week, she made a pair of slippers from scratch and this pair she made two years ago, I still wear to this date! We make durable footwear, which is also comfortable and affordable. 

Do you run it single-handedly? 

With my mother, Kanthi Koelmeyer. We have four ladies working with us. We want to grow and expand more so we can provide more job opportunities. If we grow to that scale, I will employ more ladies – especially from the fishing community. Not saying I’m going to discriminate when hiring but I think the said community can really use such opportunities because fishing is more or less a seasonal affair. They are well off during the season but get into debt during the off season due to the lack of a steady income. I know this because I grew up in an area densely populated by fisherfolk families. Growing up, making their lives better is something that I’ve always wanted to do – because they are amazing people with very big hearts. 

How can customers place an order? And how soon can it be delivered to them? 

By dropping us a message on Facebook or Instagram. We do deliver twice a week. 

Contact details of Kraftsy? 

@kraftsylk on Instagram or Facebook - www.facebook.com/kraftsy 

What’s in the pipeline? 

A catalog and website – we are planning to get those sorted out at least before/by April. 

There’s also this idea of mine to start a charity of sorts, still vague though. I would like to put away a certain amount from every pair we sell so we can buy prosthetic legs – at least one per month, for starters – for girls between 16 and 35. How it works is my business will raise funds from selling footwear, typically worn by women belonging to the said age group, to buy legs for women of the same age group. I want to purchase these from a local manufacturer/maker so while giving a leg to someone in need we also get to give a hand to a local entrepreneur. I believe in standing together. I am hoping to start this soon. 

By Sarah Kellapatha 
Photographs courtesy Kraftsy