In Romania, small businesses are struggling against fast fashion giants like Shein or Temu. Very low prices, fast deliveries, and aggressive advertising often lead Romanians to avoid local, handmade products. Cristina Ispășoiu and Claudiu Davidoiu, founders of the artisanal jewelry and candle brand My Grace, say that there is no longer fair competition against large Chinese companies that produce at low costs.
“From our point of view, in no field of activity is there any fair competition. Large chains produce at costs we cannot compete with,” explain the founders of My Grace.
Cristina Ispășoiu and Claudiu Davidoiu founded My Grace in January 2022. They started by creating an online jewelry store because Cristina wanted more accessories. At that time, she used to sing at various events and needed special jewelry to perfectly match her party outfits. She came from the writing, strategy, and development consulting sector, while he came from the technical field, specializing in website creation and optimization. In June 2025, they opened their first physical workshop, where they manually produce scented candles and jewelry.
