Janet Morais, Is a Creative Mastermind and Dynamic Female Force in the Interior Design Industry
Starting a company and building it up from scratch is no easy task. And if you decide to start a luxury furniture company, an already difficult venture becomes a serious challenge. A venture Janet Morais, founder and CEO of the luxury decor brand KOKET, decided to take on full force. Today, her brand KOKET is adored around the world and Janet has grown to be an empowering leader and dynamic female force in the interior design industry.
Read on to hear what she had to say when her team decided to ask her some questions about her story, inspirations, and views on the industry she so loves.
Who is Janet Morais?
I am the founder and CEO of the luxury decor brand KOKET, along with a luxury lifestyle magazine called Love Happens and the brand agency DeMorais International. I am a proud mother of two beautiful boys, wife to an amazing man and daughter to the most wonderful parents a girl could ever ask for. And I am a lover of all things unique and inspiring.
What is your and KOKET’s mission?
It is my personal mission to share my joie de vivre and coquettish frill while empowering others to follow my lead and take risks to create a sense of individual style for themselves, their home, and their lifestyle. The mission of KOKET is to inspire love and empower through statement pieces and unique design-driven experiences and content.
Can you please provide us with a description of your professional career?
After studying foreign languages and literature, and international relations, I began my professional career as a personal stylist (I have always loved fashion!). But I couldn’t stay put and still was interested in international relations, so I headed to my home country of Portugal and took a job as the Marketing Director for the U.S. Pavilion at the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition.
Fast forward a few years and I decided it was time to pursue my long-time love for interior design. Working as a designer I found I was constantly challenged in finding décor pieces that truly spoke to me. So it was the desire to solve this problem that led me to start the product editor and branding agency DeMorais International in 2008 and KOKET in 2010. I have always had a passion for home decor products, and the loyal design following I developed through my design firm and brand agency gave me the confidence to create the ultimate expression of my character – KOKET. Today, in addition to leading KOKET, I also still run DeMorais International, I take on select interior design projects and publish a luxury lifestyle magazine called Love Happens.
What inspired you to create a luxury furniture brand?
I began my career in the design world as an interior designer and have always had a passion for beautiful home décor products. Working as a designer I found I was constantly challenged in finding décor pieces that truly spoke to me. So in 2010 as I sat in a New York City lounge a chair sketch came about and I instantly wanted to bring it to life. This moment and desire to possess that chair and create more pieces with the same empowerment began my journey.
What has been your greatest source of inspiration for KOKET?
Exotic materials and jewelry.
Would you say that you and KOKET have a design style? If so, how would you describe it?
KOKET’s style is daring, high impact, lavish and slightly risqué, while also classically sophisticated and elegant. The brand’s style is definitely a pretty close reflection of my personal style.
What do you believe is the biggest challenge for today’s designers and brands?
Staying front of mind. The industry is flooded and having your voice heard is definitely a big challenge.
What advice would you offer to those that are considering a career in design?
Start with an internship – this is a perfect way to learn about the career firsthand. KOKET
offers a summer internship program for exactly this reason, supporting young minds interested in the design field is one of my passions.
What can we expect to see from you and KOKET in the future?
We just launched a new collection called KKbyKOKET which focuses on the younger generation of furniture buyers who want quality but aren’t quite ready for KOKET. I plan to continue to grow this collection over the course of 2020. I will also continue to grow my luxury lifestyle magazine Love Happens – we just finished our 4th edition and it is by far the best yet! I would also love to create a shoe line or jewelry line!
Random fact about you?
I love to laugh and make others laugh!
