When I first told a friend I wanted to design fashion, she said it was as hard to be successful as it is to be a rockstar. Or that's basically what she said, 26 years of memories ago. I had thought there were levels (there are) but I was so gullible all through my youth (I hope not still!).
When I returned to that life dream with ever a-flamed passion in my early 20s, I heard the advice, "being a fashion designer is not as glamourous as you think it is." Did I think it was glamourous? All I really wanted from glamour is to be able to carry designer bags.
I attained that through a lot of blogging and a little (or a lot) of credit. Now that the credit is through with (he he) or rather I've rid myself of those naughty ways, is the same time I'm finishing the road to becoming exactly what I want. Learning, practicing, honing ... I've designed tons of bags through the years and have made many bags and accessories. Switched from knits to sewing to finally leather sewing and sourcing all the best and - well after testing the fun waters of Etsy and learning some business ropes - I've learned that starting a brand / real company takes a long time, even after all the initial prep.
As I take a break from this work to prepare for moving to a nearby city, I have time to write more again and reflect, too. What is the truth about being, and working as, a start-up - start-out - new and dues-paying designer? Is there any glamour?
Well let's break this down and see.
Because of investing in a new business, if I want a new designer bag I have to make it. Meaning my brand is the designer - but oh this feels better than any other company's I can imagine, without any of the guilt from Hermès. I do still have all my old bags that I hadn't already sold through the years, and my wonderful BF won't let me sell any more - because he knows me all too well.
It's hard work with the hands. I was not raised to do that kind of thing, but it's not heavy lifting, it's delicate craft. I don't mind the work, the more pain my back or fingers or whatever, the prouder I am. Sure someday I could have the funds or success to have bags manufactured or run a workshop of employees, but sewing at least for a long while in the beginning is definitely crucial unless someone's a socialite or something. And I learn so much with each gusset, etc. of a bag.
My hands can get dirty even! I don't think I should have lotioned up that particular leather, which had ink bleed on hands, etc afterward, but I crave expirimenting, which is part of learning. Manicures? I hope someday!!
I am sort of a kept-woman. Oh I shouldn't even say that!! :-x I have some luck in a wonderful partner who makes the bulk of the money that barely keeps us floating, and this life partner doesn't worry much - he often says, "I have no doubt they'll sell." (I still need to watch out for Future-MIL.) So while we struggle, I've somehow stumbled into that Cinderella story aspect I didn't quite want. I wanted to save myself, but this man is letting me do it - and teaching me about money. (Bad shopaholic, bad!)
Something a bit more glamourous, too: We're moving into a bigger apartment. Sure The Boy needs to relocate to aid his work commute, but I'm the one with all the stuff and all the equipment/tools that require space. I'm getting my own loft studio with extra storage that should even be able to hold extra machines enough to switch thread less, etc. (That's like something called lean manufacturing by the way, read about that on The Fashion-Incubator.)
Of course, until I'm booked-round-the-clock fulfilling orders, I should probably do that old Cinderella work and do some "housewife/maid" duty. Ugh.
Will my million dollar princess-life come? It would take a long time, but perhaps after I've had sales running for a year or so I should revisit this topic with a current-then list.
To sum up, little glamour but where else would I get it? And I don't need it, anyway! I do have the luxury of love - in whom I'm with and in what I do - or am building.
Cole Haan has a current web ad campaign with large purses that appear to be luxe quilted suede (note to self) but when seeing the bags (The Sloane collection) upclose, the disappointment that they are different quickly dissapates.
I don't know quite how to explain the look (at least I can't be sure without an in-person examination) but it's new & fresh, girly & intricate - and totally covetable and admirable in design.
Go Cole!
(Also since I've been out of the shoppers' market, it seems one old style (something about "lunch"?) has transformed into the new "Denney" - still cute.)
These business tips can be used by small companies (or perhaps large - or hopefully someday large) companies, whether they produce products, visuals, websites or words. Some or all of these tips can be helpful for recognizable branding or to help build a professional aura (hopefully with a lot of truth) to a company, i.e. brand.
"Designer inspired" is not "truly inspired". Be truly inspired but don't verge into something that looks like that misnomer *designer* "inspired". This goes mostly for trademark-able things like prints or certain shapes, or for when combining a lot of inspiration especially from the same source – Don’t. Also, don't copy liberally or literally from peers in your own product type. Copy from the sky, a shadow, a beloved pet, maybe even something as everyday as a pillow. (And maybe copy minimally even from this list, as these things have inspired me.)
Pertaining to fashion, don’t get overly “brandy” too early. 1, this might add costs (especially in small runs or one-offs) that customers definitely don’t want (yet). 2, there really is no desire there, because the *logo’d IT item thang* is for status, unfortunately.
Too much for "us" to do, so far.
Act professional and treat this like a business (if you don’t want to, perhaps you don’t need this list). One example of this is to communicate with prospective customers in a manner that shows they matter.
Get your brand’s domain name, or something close if taken (and get a .com). Yes, even musicians can’t get their names – but try to snatch the perfect one if it’s available.
If you can do more than that minimal step, and I do mean minimal; make your website work for you – and put work or money into it. Catalogs aren’t as helpful as stores or links to buy or find in B&Ms. Flash isn’t nearly as helpful as HTML (and even pictures). Etc.
It’s not just your brand, your company; often it’s you. Consumers need trust, and with “mom and pops” they often crave a human connection. Post your photo & write your about page with plenty of info about you, not just the biz. There’s a lot more you can do as well, and you should – even though I understand your shyness.
More about you. You are the voice, or the words, of your company. When you write as your brand or owner name in comments on related blogs, etc., communicate in forums and the like for your business –-- do it professionally and with tonssss of kindness. Also, don’t be a tool and advertise yourself too much, or perhaps at all.
But it’s also photography & graphics (and back to your website—web design). Either work hard on these yourselves if you’re talented or don’t skimp on their costs.
On marketing. Free marketing can be found and is great, so even if your budget is small don’t skimp on going beyond Twitter, Facebook and bookmarking (or the usuals in your genre). I’ve found that if under funded, too much time spent on product, which only means too little on promotion, will actually get you less far. Posting links to places helps but it’s reliant on publishing new content, well, perhaps too much, depending on your brand. How does this relate to brand recognition, not just business? They say that repeatedly seeing an advertisement helps. Also – you must be patient with that method! How does it relate to manufacturing/crafting products? Go outside normal promotion that is very similar to blog/article writing (like making sure you have new items, etc.) and invest in a long-term ad campaign, perhaps. But also, discover all the many awesome new free promotion venues out there and use them! (This may require good photography, see #8.)
But it’s most importantly your product, or your main “feature”. It should sell itself and hopefully your business brand and reputation. Work hardest of all on this. (As far as time spent; sidebars will come and go on blogs, for example. And quality importance; archives will always have those past entries and say for crafters; things like stitches should remain.)
A lot of rules can be broken (here and especially elsewhere) - just do "everything" in moderation. In fact, do every little aspect of rule-breakage in moderation, or that might be my humble haughty opinion. Or not. Break it all, baby – as long as you don’t break your product or general quality, it can be your new rule.
Don’t do things normally or “as expected”. I didn’t do a 10-sectioned lists, or even with a bonus as #11. If you’re a designer, let’s say; design – don’t just construct. Even if it takes a while to hone these skills, attain to master them. To be a designer brand means to be unique (or at least it should). Even if it’s just such high quality that you’re at the top of the game in a shortcut society. Maybe just living up to the quality name of handmade, or putting it back in the name – as it may be, is a great step. (After these 12.)
As a little almost-disclaimer or inspiring(?) footnote, I want to introduce new readers, and further inform old, from whom this comes. I'm a trained writer and a self-student of fashion & even business on an often occasion. This is somebody who's worked on her own “media” business for years, learning maybe too hands-on about "What Not to Do", which - for the intelligent - does lend to What To Do. This entrepreneur/dreamer also studies various aspects of brands, reads a lo-hot of articles, and am finally ready to start my new permanent company, in all (or mostly) the right ways. This does mean I'm switching companies, but not from failure but an opportune time - and at least mostly; the right time. The new one will stick or I'll go down with the glue-failing ship (that’s a pun---more like capitalistic fail – but still I won’t let it sit sunk). It's my final-career / dream fashion label - in the designing I've wanted to do not only since before I blogged, but before I wrote much at all. Slow going for reasons I don't need to clog down this article with except to say: (#13?) slow and steady does win the race. More on that later or in my Twitters @sydebrand or @designerella – where you can find me quite often these days, also still learning What Not to Do.
To sum that up, I’m not perfect, but I am smart and can learn. I also want to help!
I've implimented a new comment strategy, removing the possibility to comment anonymously but ANYONE can still comment, either with a Sugar or Facebook account. (Well that's most people.) Recently I've gotten a few troll comments wth unsavorable links posted, and I hope this new solution can be a decent fix. Let me know how you like these two options.
If you run a really nice blog that can't be found OnSugar, you can leave a signature, but if it's sketchy, your whole comment could be deleted.
I hope this works out for the nice, real readers and/or fashion / blog peers.
This is not a renewal of the old joke, although it's only partially true. You know it's more fright than funny, partly because some famous new designers don't even design. It seems every singer, or not, wants to be a designer. And then famous non-singers think they can sing. Why does everyone whose name is up in lights think they can design?
Fashion bloggers, too, are crafters, entrepreneurs and even designers. But we work hard to forge our own ways, usually sewing to boot. This is what Ella is doing, but I won't talk too much about my line that's merely upcoming. ;-)
Back to those spoiled celebs...
A while ago Lindsay Lohan debuted her leggings collection, under her own label, and recently started collaborating with another. Now her mom, Dina Lohan, has previewed her shoe collection. It's named after their famous surname in an oh-so mindless, embarrassing take on a pun, "Shoe-Han".
And you guessed it, Dina won't be designing, only having some part in the creative direction. Oh boy...
The name just makes me think of more puns relating to the slang term, "ho". It can be combined with so many other words that would suit Dina. In a way it makes talking about, if not wearing, "her" shoes oh so versatile.
Now for that peep-toe boot that wonderful role model tried on for the cameras - it's no more stylish than a cast.
You'll be sure not to purchase a pair for your own mommy dearest this Spring, when the line debuts around Mother's Day.
Since July I've been working hard on finally getting my dream really going. Since August, I believe, I've stopped seeing writing & blogging as my job and am spending an insane amount of time setting up the business for my upcoming handbag brand.
I don't want to drop Pursed Lips entirely though, even if it were to remain fairly stagnant for some time. (I have thoughts on hiring another blogger in the distant future). I know we've made a lot of changes this year, and a lot of direction turns since the summer began, probably. But in order to make things easy on myself and keep PL flowing more - I'm proposing another content direction move.
I can blog more on topics of crafting and building a business now than I can on fashion from a fan or consumer perspective. I'm pretty much solely in the producer arena now. However this blog has always been about fashion relative to its beauty, flattering perspectives, etc. It hasn't ever been about designing, even though that's been in the writer.
So I know a lot of old or current readers wouldn't care for the change, but a lot might. There will still be some commentary on looks, etc. If we make this switch, and category pages linked at the top should remain for easy filtering. Since "style" as opposed to design or business will for now most certainly not be published frequently, all the change would mean is more posts from a different angle.
My blogs have never been large, so I know this amazing change in my life should make my readers happy for me (I mean I don't need to lie and say people will die without my blogging).
But will you turn away from this new type of blog? What do you think the "mass" will do - exit? Or could I bring a different level of value to both the fashion and crafting community? There will be benefits for me to switch, but will my readers be 100% new? This is why I am posting this poll.
Do not do it like Sienna did here and pair the leotard-or-whatever with pantyhose that have a different color near the crotch. That signals underwear, and not the cute kind. This is not Madonna-level under-outer-wear chic.
Perhaps we should leave this to the diva, Gaga, no?
A new hair style is one of the best ways to do trends. Why? Hair is usually changed every couple to a few months, that means you can update your style with the season, and also not be late to the game. You don't have to worry about Winter when Autumn is approaching, either - and that allows for some ease and a lot of fun.
Of course trends never have to be drastic, especially with hair. But what else is so easy about looking current with your tresses is you can wear anything, and depending on the styling-time, always look fresh on "top". If you want to be instantly recognized as stylish, whether you work in fashion or just like that appearance, this change can make that happen.
But there need be "signature" hair looks for a season, and not just the typical clothing/accessories stuff. And of course you've got to either know the 'do trends or research, so I'm doing that for you now.
Autumn 2009 Hair Cut Trends:
- Whether one has straight or curly hair, above-shoulder lengths that are drastically longer toward the front are popping up everywhere. - Right now is a safer time (maybe) to dare for bangs - simply because they're in! - Keep it long:
- Upgraded braids. Mix braids in with looser, other-styled or "down" hair to make it more grown-up and today.
- Or you could just keep it long and loose and still be trendy. Try accessorizing or home-curling for some variety.
What about color? I wouldn't suggest switching color for a trend, but while we're still recessionistas, I'm calling the go-natural a trend. Unless you hate your color or your grey, I think born-with is always most beautiful.
When I returned to that life dream with ever a-flamed passion in my early 20s, I heard the advice, "being a fashion designer is not as glamourous as you think it is." Did I think it was glamourous? All I really wanted from glamour is to be able to carry designer bags.
I don't want to drop Pursed Lips entirely though, even if it were to remain fairly stagnant for some time. (I have thoughts on hiring another blogger in the distant future). I know we've made a lot of changes this year, and a lot of direction turns since the summer began, probably. But in order to make things easy on myself and keep PL flowing more - I'm proposing another content direction move.
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