Feel free to contact me to respond to any of my posts! Thanks for reading...
- Melody Wilson
1/31/09
Pictures!!
1/14/09
Two Entrepreneurs in One Family??
My husband and I never applied the word "entrepreneur" to ourselves until recently, when we both found ourselves waist-deep in new businesses! We've always liked adventure (two years in Fiji, then 4 kids...!) but never pictured starting an online business as one more adventure we'd take.
Are men's discount watches and boutique clothing for toddler girls an unlikely pair? Well, viva la diference, in our case! The two business seem to have different fast and slow seasons, different business models, and different difficulties to navigate -- which keeps our family somewhat sane!
On the other hand, we have enough in common to understand, commiserate, and celebrate....
So check them both out sometime:
Jon's Watches and
Pixyworld Boutique!
1/12/09
Models & Photography
Good photos are key in the presentation of boutique girls' clothing -- online, or anywhere. And photographing toddler girls is no easy task! I quickly abandoned the idea of doing my own photos, after trying a couple of times with my own little girls. It's an art form of its own, that takes patience, skill, technical know-how, and and artistic talent.
What means the most to me, besides accurate representation of the lines and details of the clothing, is capturing something of the model's unique personality. Baby & toddler girls are brimming with their own roguish charm, sparkle, and love. I love to see that captured on film!
I know lots of great photographers and model moms, and would be happy to recommend one in your area. Here is a recent photo taken by a friend of mine, Melanie Reyes of
Melanie Reyes Photography. (If you're in SE Michigan, looking for a great photographer, she's the one to contact!) I just love her daughter's smile!
And don't forget to stop by & check out the sales going on at
www.pixyworld.net!
1/5/09
Indie Fashion for Girls
The disadvantages of being an independent designer selling my own line may be numerous (financial risk, no established customer base or manufacturing chain ... wow, I'm depressing myself!!) but I still don't regret taking this path.
The freedom is worth it. With all the pressure of being a new designer, who needs the added pressure of deadlines from everyone from employers to showrooms to retailers? In
The Fashion Designer Survival Guide, Mary Gelhar describes the numerous delays that beset the manufacturing process, ESPECIALLY for the new designer with a need for small quantities. Our orders get bumped back in favor of larger ones; more established manufacturers won't work with us. I've found this to be accurate, to say the least!
And it's not just deadlines I escaped. How about the $20,000 outlay just for all the
samples one showroom wanted? I'd rather put that money into making high-quality clothes I can actually sell!
Furthermore, I'm just not willing to work full-time, outside the home, at this stage in my family life. That leaves the lifestyle of an independent designer looking pretty good! I'd like to join the ranks
of the many creative and competent women I've met who are leading the way in the work-at-home movement.
Here's to you, ladies!
And don't forget to stop by to check out my line at
www.pixyworld.net!
