A.C. Baker Apparel

2006-11-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

A.C. Baker Apparel

Wow...I better not let this blog go fallow as Kathleen at Fashion-Incubator posted my link. For all of my 3 readers, I have been busy with other things...I hate to say it, but myspace has actually been sucking a lot of my time. I Thought I was above it! Anyhow, I will get back and do a real post, but for all you F-I visitors coming to find out more about me and what I do, just know that I will post more soon, but feel free to peruse around. This stuff is mostly about my journey through the handbag process, but there's other stuff too. Thanks for visiting and I will post again soon.

Oh, woa is my Saturday Night

2006-08-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

I can say that my life consists of working selling advertising, working sewing handbags, working being a mother and wife, and working to keep my sanity amongst all this working. I haven't forgotten about our dear friend Jean, but haven't found the time to explore.

Last weekend I spent an entire day sewing and planning with Deb, my stalwart Jiminy Cricket. She keeps me real, yo. Someone remind me to post a picture of her. The great thing about Debbie is that she has been in the production realm of this business for a long time. She is creative, patient (has to be with me hangin' around) and mostly willing to at least entertain many of my crazy ideas. She has a way of laying down logic so that you truly understand how she came to her conclusions. I rarely if ever disagree with her, and those of you that know me, know that I will argue ANYTHING. (sad).

Speaking of Debbie, I have to digress and tell you about a project we did together. The back story to this is that I am trying to get really good at production sewing; not because I want to do it as a profession, but because I want to know exactly what folks who work for me are doing and how to be completely reasonable to work with in my expectations of production.

A few weeks ago we jointly did a production run of pleated skirts for another designer here in town. Quite a lovely project. I won't name anyone in the interest of being completely respectful of the designer. The goal of the project was to walk a mile in production's shoes (and make some extra $$).

Debbie was great, she put me on serging and pleating while she did the finishing. I did do some hemming on a few pieces, but mostly she took care of the final steps. I was really paranoid about doing a good job and I messed up a couple pieces that had to be redone. When I asked Debbie if I really was useful to the process, she said something that struck me as profound; she said that you have to put people on the line where they will do the best, and although I messed up a couple pieces, she could see the improvement of my work over the course of five or six peices. It made me feel good to have shown improvement, and by the end I could pleat with the best of them.

We had to also determine a work schedule. We had to have 130 skirts done in a two week time table, so we had to detemine how many a day we could collectively finish. I was able to put out about 12 skirts a day (my steps) and Debbie was able to put out about 15 finished skirts a day. This meant that I had to have all my steps done before she could do hers. It was gruelling....but gratifying at the same time. When you look at a pile of sewing sans errors you get this strange sense of pride and accomplishment. There are a lot of things that can go wrong when you set a work schedule...kids get sick, cars break down, sewing machines break. It's not the same thing as punching a clock. You are on deadline because your designer is on deadline. If they have to eat it, so do you...so you work until midnight and after your day job (if you are a real production person, you don't have a different day job). It's incredibly intense and the stakes are high.

Working for a designer is a trip. I didn't interact directly with the designer (although I know her), Debbie was the project leader, so she did all the negotiating, price setting, etc. There are a few things that inevitably happen

1) Fabric doesn't come in on time: This cut our time frame down from 4 weeks to 2 weeks. Thankfully the designer adjusted her numbers. We couldn't have done 250 skirts in 2 weeks between 2 people.
2) Certain fabrics don't work with the fabrication: Again, this designer is seasoned and flexible. We opted not to do those skirts and it was fine. This designer likes to roll up her sleaves and help to get the job done, as well.
3) Changes at the last minute: This wasn't my favorite thing to have happen, although Debbie handled it with aplomb. Even though it seems like a simple change (adding buttons), it adds time onto the production of the thing which increases the price of the garment, etc.

When doing a production run, there is definitely a heirarchy. This isn't a bad thing at all. The phrase "Too many cooks spoil the soup"comes to mind in a situation like this. Debbie ran the whole thing like a well oiled machine. She knew just where to put me and how to navigate around my work schedule. She new my skill level, and she had worked with the designer before and was able to pretty much predict all the little snafu's. I was greatful that I could take direction and leave the rest up to her. I didn't have to figure anything out. I bring this up because often people want to fight for supremecy. In a production line it would hurt the process. You absolutely have to have a production manager; someone to make sure all the pieces are in place and the work flow is smooth.

I learned so much from this experience and I truly thank Debbie for training me and throwing me some work. I can't say that I could handle a run on my own, but I can certainly sew better than I did before, and I have a far deeper appreciati0n for contract sewing.

THANKS DEB!

Bits of things

2006-08-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

This day marks my second attempt at blogging regularly, so dear reader, watch as I blather on about....ummm. I guess I really didn't plan my blog for today. The most recent issues on my plate are:

Premium denim and how it holds us hostage (the attack of luxe casual)

When will I sit down and do another 6 or 7 hour stint at the sewing machine?

The legitimacy of Jean Baudrillard (whom I just learned of yesterday...I will post more on him)

Starting with sewing: I just have to say that doing your own production sucks. What's more is that I am preparing for a "craft show" so I am also deciding what I think will sell the best and I will eat what doesn't. It's all a part of my master plan, but it wears on the nerves when I feel like I am so close to getting where I want to be. I just want to jump ahead in time and have it all be done. On the other hand, I am getting intimately familiar with my bags, the process and how important good construction is to a product. I revisit this one a lot with my bags as I am always learning new things about the process that I created. Seems weird, considering I invented the method to my madness, but the road to self discovery is often redundant. I figure that I am taking one for the team (me, myself, and I ), it'll just make me more endearing to my future production team and my depth of understanding for their plight.

On premium denim: When will it end?!!! I am so sick of $200 jeans that I could spit! REALLY PEOPLE!!! I think a great pair of jeans is great, but premium denim often fits worse than Levi's and costs way too much. I can think of about 200 reasons why you should buy your jeans at Mervyn's and spend your boutique money on cool things like a Rebecca Beeson suit (or at least part of a suit) or a really neat handbag designed by an independant designer that no one else could ever hope to have(hint hint)! Now, I have heard through the grapevine that premium denim is on it's way out, so we'll see. The most disturbing thing that premium denim brings to the table is a quasi unrealistic casual view of ourselves and surroundings. It's like we're saying to ourselves and the world that we don't take anything seriously....we are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a product that illustrates our ridiculousness. Just my opinion and I am sure many will disagree with it, but at heart I truly am a traditionalist. Well, I do have a stripe in my hair, but after that...

On Jean Baudrillard: I don't know much (my buddy Mona Mis introduced me last night), but he is an art historian philosopher that has some interesting theories on our perception of existence with technology. Heavy stuff all around. I will do some study on the matter and report back. What's really interesting is that the guy is still alive. Even if you don't agree with a philosopher, it's nice to know that they are still living and breathing among us, and not just some name in a textbook.

Inspired to write

2006-07-31T06:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I probably lost all 3 of my readers for not blogging for so long, but frankly, I couldn't get myself out of the over-busy hell that has become my life. So, this morning, instead of sitting down at the sewing machine before work, I decided to do some reading of some of my favorite blogs and get inspired to write something.

My Recent favorite fashion blogs are:

Almost Girl (thanks for the Besame' article)
Final Fashion
Verbal Croquis
Fashion Incubator

All of the women who run these blogs are fabulous and insightful...does me good (can someone tell me how to post links?)

San Francisco Fashion week is just around the bend and I am madly trying to lose 10 pounds so that I can fit into something cute. I have been in the fashion industry for 3 years and have yet to attend a fashion function. Bizarre. Well, that's what you get when you are a struggling designer behind the REDWOOD CURTAIN. Either you make it up as you go along, or spend a lot of money traveling...I think this year I will spend the money, making it up is way too hard.

The first and foremost reason for attending at least a portion of fashion week is to get a bead on how fashion shows are produced. The rest is purely selfish: I want to go to some workshops, see what's coming around the bend for the pacific northwest, and have a great time. My buddy James Reid (www.theotherphoto.com) will be photographing models for model bootcamp. Check out his website, he does great work.

I also want to check the lay of the land because I have been accepted to participate in Appel and Frank's Fall Fashion Fete (www.appelandfrank.com). As soon as I pay my $$ I should be set to show on September 14th. It'll be my first foray into the bay area with my A.C. Baker Bags....Many thanks also to Jennifer at Porcelynne, she owns Porcelynne Boutique and Gallery on 14th Street in SF (www.porcelynne.com) She has agreed to host a trunk show for me on September 15th (so I can maximize my time there) and, bless her fashiony little heart has also agreed to help me with the Appel and Frank show...so go to Porcelynne and spend mad amounts of money on her great designs!!

I think that's all for now. I am going to make the effort to get a little education on how to post links and such. Stay tuned for new stuff.....

Hello...and welcome

2006-04-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hello all...I have been a baaad blogger. No new updates, really. I hereby solemnly swear to blog more often.

Seriously, where are all the comments....opinions...anything? Well, I shall perservere nonetheless.

Things are heating up in the land of A.C. Baker Apparel. I have a new design which I will post pictures of as soon as I have the final touches on it. I am also planning a fashion takeover in good ole' Nor Cal. I am hosting the first ever shopping night at Indigo Night Club and Lounge (for those of you who want to know more about this fab-o club you can visit them at www.indigonigthclub.net) in September...the 14th to be more specific. Otherwise things are rolling along at what seems to be a snails pace. I had an enlightened moment the other day when I was about to complain about money to someone....it hit me like a ton of bricks...the world does not revolve on money....it's CONVENIENCE. It's kind of like the moment when Chuck Heston looks up and proclaims "Soilant Green IS PEOPLE"...yes, kind of like that.

The explanation for such is that people will buy something they like...but if it's too hard to get it they move on. People will spend their money on the stupidest crap that makes no sense whatsoever, but if it's convenient...there you go. Grocery stores have used this tactic for years!! So how come I just realized this? Well, that's a conversation for another day...but the point is that in order to sell anything, it has to be convenient for your buyers.

How this relates to ACB...fashion, the world at large....how do we make fashion more convenient for people...especially without a retail spot. Now, I should probably open up an e-commerce site. I think that would be the best...ebay is highly overrated and way too much trouble....but there's more. I mean...what is the right mix of service, convenience, price point, etc.? This is largely rhetorical, for every business it's different...but for independant fashion I think we almost beg for this information. If you have a website, how could you possibly ever set yourself apart from your competition?

Anyway...I think I will try and implement some things and see what I learn. If there is anyone out there reading, speak up and let me know what you think!

Avoidance behavior...and how to avoid it

2006-03-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

As I sit here at 20 to 7 on a Friday, I realize that I don't have much in the way of excuses...I work too much (way too much) I am stressed out about money, blah, blah, ach.

I routinely avoid things that need my attention when I have a spell of cognitive dissonance..I like that term. Kathleen used it on one of her blog entries and I thought I would usurp the phrase. I haven't gotten the bags to the Garden Gate, I have been worrying about fabric sourcing and being incredibly and continuously alarmed that I am having trouble finding what I need. Dissonance. I avoid things when I can't immediately figure them out. I let them simmer in the bottom layers of my consciousness...such as my diaper bag design and my messenger bag design. But thankfully the diaper bag design is settled in my mind.

On a lighter note, even men have started noticing the AC Baker Bag! I have had 2 clients (advertising) that have complimented the bag that I carry! Normally a male client will compliment your shoes, your jacket, really anything (appropriate) but NEVER will they compliment accessories. I was thrilled. Both wanted to know where to get them because someone they knew would be interested. Of course my pat answer is "go to my blog" (so if you guys are reading, thanks for stopping by). I would love to say, "Go to the Garden Gate", but I am lagging so far behind that it might be Christmas till they get there! (not really)

Plans Change...
It is in my general plan to do an e-commerce website. I am thinking that it'll be the end of summer before I get there. I have also changed my mind about wholesale markets. Initially when I went to the GGAA show in SF a couple of years ago, my line tanked. For all the right reasons. The line was good, but my price points were too high and I misunderstood the reason for the show (and I was in the wrong category). This time around I have had a great opportunity to test my market and learn about the different shows out there. I will do it again and scrap the craft shows (no pun intended there) . As Kathleen (www.Fashion-Incubator.com) has pointed out, push manufacturing creates a lot of waste...wasted money and extra inventory. Right now, I am just not in a position to waste my resources....but they are fun, and I will do at least one when I can afford it.

Keep checking back...I will post pictures of the bags in the Garden Gate so you all can see that they are finally there...with Kate's permission, that is.

2006-02-26T23:34:00.000-08:00

YEAH....more lovely bags

2006-02-26T23:31:00.000-08:00

Evolution of a handbag pt 3...the leap

2006-02-26T22:38:00.000-08:00

Well, I didn't need ANY marketing materials at all. Great. Kate at the Garden Gate loved the bags, gave me great feedback. Mostly it was that the bags needed more structure (see Fashion Incubator tutorial coming up...more on this in a minute), more pockets, a hard bottom. Well, I couldn't accomodate all of what was expressed, but I did make some changes. I added webbing to the straps (very sturdy), I added fusible interfacing to the shell so it will stand on its own, and I added a zip pocket large enough to fit keys and a cell phone.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that as a designer (and future retailer), that I hate consignment. No really, I H-A-T-E it. I think it's a pernicious practice thought up by satan himself to screw manufacturers. BUT...in the case of the Garden Gate, it is a necessary evil. Why? you ask.

1) Kate is a fabulous woman who has a great reputation and is well...just great
2) Because I've never wholesaled my bags, neither of us could really figure out a good price (I wil elaborate)
3) See number one..oh, and I trust her
4) In a previous life she made the most fabulous jewelry and sold it...so she knows
5) I would do this for no one else...well, except for my friends with boutiques cause I love them

Warm fuzzies aside, this is a really valuable opportunity to test market my bags. Apparently in the retail world handbags are as mercurial as seasonal lipstick shades. One of the first things that Kate showed me was all of the bags that bombed. Thankfully, having had a healthy background in retail, it was obvious when she pointed them out. Still, I offered to make 5 completely different handbags and agree to 2 price points...one high and one a little lower (I'm not gonna tell what they are, you have to go and see for yourselves).

When it comes to figuring a wholesale margin (I won't bore you with all the math) there is the standard mark up and then there is what you can sell it at. It is a very delicate balancing act of your market, your cost of goods, and your number of units to break even. At times this is a simple calculation but often it's really difficult. The reason is that, were I to take the standard margin, my cute little AC Baker Bags would be about 90.00. I don't think the market can bear that price point, nor do I want it to. If I wouldn't pay 90.00 for an AC Baker Bag (and I made it) why should I expect anyone else to? Many "crafters" discount too far. Personally, I don't consider myself a crafter, I consider myself a manufacturer and I need to do this for actual money. The bottom line is that if Kate and I can determine a price, then I know what profit margin I can take and that will inform everything else...So hats off to Kate for letting me do this in her store, which, BTW is on the Plaza in Arcata CA.

A note about consignment....Since I was so adament about hating it, I should say how I came to that conclusion. The basic line here is that the logic doesn't amount to much. You extend merchandise with no obligation from the retailer or control over how it's sold, you are completely liable for any shop wearing, or damage (a good retailer will pay, but most don't), and you have your money tied up for 30-90 days with no guarantee that you will be able to make anything from that item!! In return, the retailer gets to stock their store with items that they are not responsible for at all.

To be fair, some stores are great...but why go there. When you wholesale something they get the benefit of owning it, paying a little less for it, and you get your money. See, when you manufacture something your money is tied up for anywhere from 3-8 months on a normal selling cycle. When you consign, your money is tied up in that item for another 60-90 days...it doesn't work for me generally speaking. Part of the reason (other than test marketing) that consigning these bags for Garden Gate is okay is because it's a cash out deal. I paid cash for the materials and made them myself. I am supplying 5 bags (not 25). That's why this case is so different...in case you all were wondering.

On to other things...I will be setting up an ebay store in the near future, so look for news about that soon.

As soon as I figure some stuff out, I will be posting my craft show schedule, so look for that too.

Here are pictures of 2 of the five bags to go to the Garden Gate. The geisha lining fabric goes with the black and red swirl bag, the blue lining goes with the brown dot bag...I think that I am going to call these bags circles, dots and swirls...

Let's see how techno groovy I am today...I may need to post the images in a separate post.

minute by Minute update

2006-02-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

I went back to the business counselor...actually I really must be accurate. There are 2, Barbara and Catherine. They are the dynamic duo that I know will keep me making good decisions. I was really jazzed about my appointment, they are too, which is nice. I was in conundrum about collateral sales materials. I have to elaborate about why they wanted me to approach this store....the theme of the last meeting we had was "how to make some money without spending any and just using what you have". So you know what their advice to me was? Go with 3 samples and a business card! That's it!? No full color glossy professionally photographed folio? Yes...spend no money.

So that's what I'll do. The wisdom in this line of thinking is layered in a kind of intuitive way. First, as far as my handbags go, I am not a big operation. Not that you can't have a professional looking product, but this is like a tester round. Why spend the money on presentation when really the product will do all the talking it needs to. This mostly goes against what I normally think, but this is like school. A safe test to see if a theory works (besides I know this buyer personally).

The other thing that I realized is that if I present myself with this big expensive image, it might not give a consistent impression with my product. I make the bags myself, they are not perfect, they have a lot of charm (I think so anyway), and well...it's a tester round. I guess what Catherine and Barbara are getting me to do is to get over myself and get successful. I'm in.

more after mondays appointment.

Evolution of a handbag pt 2

2006-02-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

Spring is here...I think. It's been awfully warm where there should usually be freezing cold rain. Had a meeting with my business counselor and she gave me homework!! She told me to approach a local store about my handbags...I'm not ready!! Tried once and they told me I needed to refine, so that's what I've been doing. She said she didn't care and that I was over analyzing (entirely likely)and just to "dooo itt". So I called and now have an appointment on Monday. Great. Oh no!

The point to this little missive is that she was right all the way. I have a good product. Not great to my standards, but something people buy and like. They are well constructed with hours of development behind them and fellow designer tested. What do I have to be worried about. This store is a boutique garden store with table linens, books, froo froo stuff. My totes would do fine there! What was interesting is that she picked this particular store by name and said..."go there", I thought that was a nice touch because I couldn't argue (I do that a lot).

The next part of my post will be about getting together the samples and marketing info (of which I Have little). The bags were really just a conduit to launching my next line, so I didn't prepare like I did for the apparel stuff. We wait with baited breath....

Fashion Week....

2006-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

I have been reading about the encroaching New York Fashion Week on Final Fashion (finalfashion.blogspot.com) and Fashion Tribes (www.fashiontribes.typepad.com ) and I feel so out of touch. BTW, I loved Danielle's post about runway shows. Honestly I have been at this for awhile and never stopped to think about the implications of a runway show, which brings me to the center of things. I realized recently that, even though my life revolves around fashion, I run the other direction when it comes to the "industry". I don't know why. I should know what is going on in the larger realm of fashion, but I get sick to my stomach thinking about the amount of pretention and artifice of it all. Is there something wrong with me? Has the whole thing been misconstrued in my mind? Even though there is little connection with independant design and the major houses...or brands as they exist today, I am beginning to suspect that I might be wrong on a few points. ..TIME TO GET EDUCATED. I will go out and rent project runway and buy a few copies of Vogue, seems like a good place to start, maybe by the end of next week I'll have something to add to things.

pics for the previous post

2006-01-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

Here are my lovely bags (ac baker bags)

Evolution of a handbag

2006-01-23T06:53:00.000-08:00

Well...after my brief stint with being a techo feeb, I am ready to embrace this medium with all that I have...or something like that. I stayed up until 3 am on Saturday planning my little heart out. So far I have planned 5 craft shows for this year (and a couple to walk). Mostly the ones that look the most promising are around here which makes the cost benefit a little better. The Castro Street Fair comes highly recommended. It's a big one in San Francisco in October. I'll have to see what comes of the previous ones and find out if I am that ambitious. Thankfully I have friends and family in the Bay to stay with. I bet you're wondering how this relates to handbags...

My general plan is to sell handbags to make the capital to launch another line. So naturally I have to move beyond the simple totes I've been making into at least 3 or 4 additional styles. So far I have a lined tote, a smaller version of that I call the"naughty" bag (It has a button closure at the top and the button is a picture of Betty PAge doing very naughty things)

My issue here is that I haven't yet mastered the zipper installation in a lined bag. I have a new style..the UBER clutch. I even mastered (laugh here if you'd like) the welt pocket(...graciously provided by a Fashion Incbator tutorial)so it would have an interesting pocket. For costing reasons I didn't design it with a top zipper closure and a zipper pocket, it would add too much to the final cost..so I stuck with a welted pocket and a top zip...except I can't seem to get the zip in. The lazy thing to do would be to hand it off to my contractor and allow her to figure it out, but I would be cheating myself of an education. Besides, craft shows are great, but you can't exactly cost in your labor...so contractors are generally out.

I really am still a techn feeb, so I am posting the pics for this post on the next one (couldn't figure out how to embed the pictures in this one) so you all can see the bags up to now.

I have to go slave away at my "real job" now.

bigger pictures...

2006-01-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

Photos AT LAST

2006-01-15T08:10:00.000-08:00

This is a test...I am just learning how to do this, so please forgive any technical difficulties:)

Not peddling advice...

2006-01-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

Seems I need to clarify this point...My original blog was intended to be a place where information could be shared. Until recently, there hasn't been a whole lot of usable information for designers. It just so happens that Fashion Incubator more than fills that niche...for awhile it looked as though it had a more mechanical bent, but as people and ideas evolve, so has Kathleen's blog which I value very much. I changed my blog because the need is being filled better than what I can provide...so, time to move on. I am always happy to share my experiences, I really feel that information shared between colleagues and friends is a valuable way to gain insight into one's own process. The key term here is SHARE. I like sharing and I like to be shared with. As far as I know you don't need to be a rocket scientist to do that. I am also fairly new to blogging. It's great, but I have a thing or two to learn about it. In terms of my own credentials for being a purported designer..yes, I do have a line, yes I have made sales, and yes I am in the process of revamping and re-introducing my ready to wear collections. I will be posting pictures as soon as I can figure out the picture sharing thing. This is really the last post I will devote to this topic. I didn't start this blog to constantly defend my decision to start it. As far as I am concerned someone somewhere will always do a better job than you at something. I do not fool myself that I am the best designer, business person, artist, etc. But my ideas have merit (people even tell me so) and I am taking the chance that someone else will see that as well.

Reinventing the wheel

2006-01-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

I realized after a couple of comments one from Kathleen and one from Dick, that it's pointless to reinvent the wheel. I am really quite satisfied with Fashion Incubator and really don't need to divert anything from it. Initially I was trying to recreate a community that used to exist on www.Sowear.com . Sadly it's gone. But hey, I have a forum to talk about my line and it's development here and that's pretty cool. I will be posting pics of my latest designs and asking for feedback and discussing the trials and tribulations about being an independant (sounds like a trashy novel) thanks for coming by....please comment if you'd like good, bad, and ugly.

Enough about me...

2006-01-02T10:58:00.000-08:00

After reading through the last few posts I realize that it sounds like a personal diary...not exactly what I was going for. I would like to take this opportunity to open this up to suggestions...what do folks want to talk about? Let me know!

business, business, and more business

2005-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

Well, I got the day off of work because daycare was closed, so of course I've spent the last couple of hours planning, posting, and trying to avoid going out in the rain. I have never been the kind of girl to sit idly while there are businesses to plan, lines to hone, and products to be launched...all while working 40 hours a week selling advertising....just for the record I have given up my social life, not mothering.

My current conundrum is to get a line of handbags off the ground while simultaneously trying to plan a cooperative with a couple industry friends..colleagues? One will feed the other. The idea is to combine our costs of doing business while furthering the industry in our area. The business model that I have roughly come up with is to offer classes, small run contract manufacturing, and a small store to sell what is produced. My friends are both professional seamstresses so it makes a really good marriage. Another friend told me that this kind of thing was big in Spain and Argentina, but so far I haven't been able to find information on similar business models...we're going to wing it.

Time is the key...taking enough to ensure our success. Same with the handbags...I am in no hurry to get them to market. If it takes 6 months, that's okey dokey. I have to reinforce this concept with myself often because I tend to want to skip all the necessary steps, but things never turn out well that way. Thankfully now that I've been doing this for awhile the sense of urgency and drama is very diminished...the market will still be there when I am ready...the business will still be a good idea when all the pieces have been planned...and on it goes.

Manufacturing for the new year

2005-12-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

Well...Christmas has ended and it's time to turn my attention to the year ahead..goal setting and the like. This year my goals are:

1) To start the planning process of a local garment design/manufacturer's cooperative
2) To finalize my handbag designs and perfect my silk painting techniques
3) Start to save those good ol' non-existent pennies for a rainy day
4) Research trade and craft shows for this year's guerilla marketing bonanza

Not small things to achieve....I think the buzzword for the year is "manufacturing" and honing the process of getting my product to market. I think this is the heart of every business and the constant pressing need that must always be fulfilled, whether you're a 1 million dollar company or a 5 dollar company. Either way, my widget needs attention, so maybe I will make this the topic of the next few posts...how to get your product to market. It'll help me hone my ideas and process. Look for more posts soon (I have to organize my thoughts)

Hello...

2005-12-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

Hello All and welcome to my blog....

I created this blog for designers. This is a place safe from knock off peddlers, teenagers wanting fashion advice, and glommers. In this blog where we will talk about business, design ideas, sourcing, shows, anything you want that you think will help you. This blog is in response to the lack of information and resources out there for independant designers. I wanted to extend what I know (and hopefully you will do the same) so that we can all benefit. In my time as a designer I have had more support and encouragement from other designers than from anyone else. We are a great community and I hope that this provides a forum for us to share and help each other succeed. Thanks for coming and welcome!