Hi, I’m ËMi Antal
Founder of atëmier and creator of atëmier OS — the decision-making and business operating system for fashion and beauty founders.
I built my activewear brand, Daquïni, from scratch and scaled it across 26 countries through international e-commerce and premium and luxury retail. In 2023, I chose to close operations on my own terms and sold the brand the following year.
Today, I turn twelve years of first-hand founder experience into the strategy, decision-making tools and systems that help fashion and beauty founders build premium, scalable brands and businesses that support the lives they want.
My story
I was born in Budapest, raised in Vienna, and educated in Barcelona and New York. I have a BA in Graphic Design, but throughout my life, I have been driven by something broader: curiosity and a desire to understand how things work—and how to make them simpler, better and more beautiful.
When I believe in what I am creating, I tend to go all in.
Building Daquïni taught me things I could only learn by living them. Yet some of the most important lessons became clear only after I stepped away and had enough distance to see what had been happening inside the business—and inside me.
I had to go through it before I could understand it. And I had to step outside it before I could see the whole picture.
When you believe in what you do and have a deep passion for your work, there are no limits to what you can achieve.
Building Daquïni
I built Daquïni with no background in fashion and no industry connections. What I had was a vision that set my soul on fire, and I followed it.
After a year of preparation—and driving more than a few manufacturers crazy with my ideas—I launched the online store with the first collection ready to ship worldwide.
I began running Facebook ads without really knowing where to start, so I tested countries all over the world. Soon, inquiries began arriving from stockists from New York to Sydney, five-star resorts and department stores, including Bergdorf Goodman.
Within a few years, Daquïni was stocked by premium and luxury retailers across 26 countries and sold online worldwide.
My designs were worn by celebrities and featured in publications including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Elle, Forbes and L’Officiel. Daquïni pieces also appeared throughout the film Arthur the King, worn by Juliet Rylance as Helen.
Over those twelve years, I experienced the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Driven by my passion, I worked 16-18 hour days without weekends off during the first years. I loved every minute of it. But once the brand was built and thriving, I felt trapped.
I had to run a company and keep the business growing, but I had no idea how to delegate or motivate people. Slowly, the excitement that had carried me through the early days gave way to anxiety and exhaustion. From the outside, it looked like I had built the dream. But from the inside, I felt increasingly trapped by it.
In the middle of the pandemic, I reached a point where I knew I couldn’t go on like this. I decided to take a month for myself to learn how to calm my racing mind, get to know the person I had become, and rediscover what makes me feel alive. Bali, which was free from tourists, seemed perfect for this solitary month.
As soon as I arrived, something shifted. I was able to get out of my head and reconnect with my surroundings, nature, and myself. I started listening to my body and taking notes of everything that made me feel. This helped me be conscious of my choices, do the things that bring me joy, and overcome my fears and anxiety.
During that month, I realized that I had already achieved the goal I had once worked so hard to reach. The dream of building an international brand had long been a reality.
But the business I had built no longer fit the person I had become or the life I wanted to live.
For the first time, I had enough distance to see the business as a whole rather than as a constant stream of decisions, responsibilities and problems waiting to be solved.
That distance changed what I could see—and what I eventually chose to do.
Daquïni had been part of my life for twelve years. I loved the brand, the community around it and everything it had grown into.
As I explored new partnerships and considered how my role might evolve, I became clearer about what I wanted next. I was ready for a new chapter.
In 2023, I closed Daquïni’s operations on my own terms. The following year, I sold the business—placing its future in new hands while making room for what would eventually become atëmier..
I’m driven by
I'm driven by the desire to share what I've learned along the way, the lessons that made me grow both as a founder and as a person, and to help other founders build a business and life that's rooted in their very own personal values, purpose and definition of success.
What also really moves me is inspiring women to embrace their strength and go after their dreams. I know firsthand how hard we are on ourselves, and learning to honor our power is key if we want to step fully into what we're capable of and go after the life we actually want.
Straight talk, supportive communities, morning meditations, working out & listening to my fave podcasts/playlists, secluded tropical beaches, pineapple for breakfast, cuddles with Hami my pup. Not necessarily in this order.
✓ I’m all about
✘ I’m not about
Comparision, superficiality, drama, quick fixes, and mindless hustle.
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