The charismatic founder of Mindthegap is a fascinating figure whose unconventional journey from the tiny Romanian hamlet of Târgu Mureș to a world-renowned designer brand took a few unexpected turns.
A troublesome youth
Stefan Ormenișan defines himself as a self-taught person who did not attend a specialised school to become a successful designer and did not follow any traditional business patterns. Expelled at age 13 from Art School, he ran away from home, dreaming to reach South America and start a new life there. He only made it to the Romanian port of Constanța before being sent back home.
Starting a career as reporter
Once he finished high school at the age of 16, Stefan started working as a local reporter and editor during the summer holidays. Thinking he had found his career path, he enrolled in journalism school and worked for several years for both national and local publications before realising that Romania didn’t offer him the necessary opportunities to fulfil this dream.
Moving into the decoration business in native Romania
Wanting to prove himself, Stefan took a €50.000 loan and, together with his associated partner Victor Șerban, entered the wallpaper business in 2006. Production first took place in his parents’ garage and revolutionised the wallpaper industry in Romania, initially encountering many hurdles as the local market was almost non-existent.