Alexandra Monhart: from city backpacks to a niche perfume brand

Alexandra Monhart, founder of the Czech brand Alexmonhart and a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, began her journey in 2017 with a simple problem: she was looking for a stylish city backpack and could not find a single suitable one. So she decided to sew such backpacks herself.

Today the brand, which Alexandra develops together with her partner Daniel Steklík, has come a long way. In recent years the company has moved from backpacks and belt bags to making niche perfume. The word “ledvinka” (belt bag) itself has become the brand’s calling card: according to the founder, every owner of such a bag quickly gets hooked.

In Forbes’ “Out of Office” format, Alexandra shared what she lives for outside of design and product development:

Style. Her motto is “Elegant with a twist”: jumpsuits and suits with a simple but unusual cut, complemented by bold jewelry and leather accessories. She prefers jewelry by Czech makers: Dik Wolf, Ondra Stará and Mariana Berec.

Place of power. A little house by the Sázava river with a view of the dam. The whole family considers it a second home and goes there at every opportunity.

Music and podcasts. Alexandra keeps returning to the albums “Gently Disturbed” by Avishai Cohen and “Doo-Bop” by Miles Davis. Among podcasts, she regularly listens to The Business of Fashion, Redneck and “Kecy a politika”.

Souvenirs and purchases. From her trips she brings back fashion magazines that are usually hard to find in Czechia. Her latest purchase was a Nanushka dress, which she gave herself for her birthday, which fell on the opening of DesignBlok.

At home. There is always jam in the fridge: Daniel makes the best marmalades, and Alexandra cannot imagine a morning without them.

Cultural impression. A concert by the band Metastavy at Prague’s Archa Theatre. According to Alexandra, Anička Hokešová’s strong lyrics carry a powerful generational statement: even heavy topics sound light and hopeful in her work, making you think without drowning in heavy feelings.