I Moved My Blog!!

I officially moved my blog!!! Check out all things Parkr here: http://parkrblog.wordpress.com/

It's Finally Here!!!

I finally have something I can call my own. Something I simply dreamt about, put into action, and made happen. I finally have my first handbag sample. After all the blood sweat and tears, and yes there were tears, I can finally say I designed and brought to life my first bag. Well, Mano is the one who brought it to life, but you get the point. And its gorgeous!!!! It exceeded my expectations. The feel, the look, and the element of surprise. Yes, there is a little something something extra on the inside, but I can't share all that yet, for legal reasons. So yes, it is here people.  Now the real work begin!

In earlier posts, I mentioned a trade show, the DG Expo that I've been wanting to attend. I am excited to say that I will be attending this year!!! As a quick refresher, the DG Expo features a two-day expo of Trimmings and Textiles for small businesses and up and coming designers. They specialize in offering low to no minimums for there product. Im going to be put my big girl panties on and go it alone, something I'm always nervous about doing. But I started this whole thing on my own so I have to keep the momentum going.

That's it for now. Be on the look out for pics from the expo.  And yay for my first bag!!!!

A.

Crazy Comforts

I have good news! My beloved first sample is complete! Mano, my sample maker in New Jersey, sent me pictures last night and I couldn't stop staring at them. I'm not going to include photos just yet, since I haven't seen the bag in person. I need it to feel real and I need to actually feel the bag; meaning I need to physically hold it! Until then, the anticipation will have to build up.

I know I have soooo much more to do, business wise. There's the marketing plan, figuring out my budget, what sample to do next, and the list goes on. But, honestly, I just need to sit back and pat myself on the back. I took an idea and made it real and I cannot be more proud of myself for it. Even if this one sample is as far as it goes, I can say I did this. (Takes a minute to pat back)

Now its time to step it up. I met with a SCORE consultant today. SCORE is a community of consultants geared to offering free counseling sessions for small businesses. I cannot stress the word FREE enough. There are so many programs and sessions for small and start up businesses that go overlooked and SCORE is one of those resources. Anyways, my counselor and I got down to the nitty gritty about planning out my next steps. Of course my two favorite things came up; social media and my business plan. Sigh. I really hate thinking about both those things. He advised that I start really drilling down on my plan, more specifically the marketing portion and creating buzz about my product. I started getting dizzy. Which brings me to the purpose of this post.

GETTING OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE. If I ever really want this to work, I can't be afraid anymore. I know this is going to sound like the craziest thing ever, but I am afraid of social media! I'm afraid of putting myself out there and being vulnerable. To let everyone know what I'm working on is truly scary. Yes, it sounds crazy. Not to mention, I have no clue how to get followers or how to even "tweet" (don't laugh). But, in order for me to succeed, I have break out of this and start thinking like a business owner and true hustlers.

It's time for me to find my seat on top of the world.


Long Live Parkr!

A

SNEAK PEAK:

Ok I had to give you guys a little taste.

Back view of my first clutch!!! :) 

No More Long Breaks!! And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I promise, this is THE last time I will take such a long hiatus from updating this blog. Honestly I am not a social media fanatic. I attended a free consulting session at the University of Arts and was basically told, social media or DIE. Well that's not what he said per say, but the consultant told me that I need to dive deep into social media if I ever want to gain a presence in anything. I must admit, he's right.

So in an attempt to not overload this post, I'll speed things right along and let you know what's been going on with me and the status of the bags.

1. My pattern is complete!!! Mano also did a prototype for the bag, which was soooo exciting. The prototype gave me a basic idea of what the bag would look like without the actual fabric. This was extremely helpful for construction and size and working out any kinks before we moved on to the final stage.

Mano cutting my pattern and lining 

2. The lining of my bag is really special and what really sets my bags apart. And of course there was tones of drama that went along with that. Who would have known figuring out screen printing was so intense, or that if you want to use a font that doesn't belong to you, you have to buy the commercial license for it. Nonetheless, as always, I figured it out and I got my lining made.

3. I went to New York to gather all the materials for my first bag. I knoooo, I didn't take any pictures. Next time, I promise.

4. After collecting alllll my materials I finally sent off EVERYTHING to Mano today!! Just as a reminder Mano is the gentleman I hired to create my samples.

So that is the quick and dirty version, just to get you up to speed. As things progress it is my News Years resolution to keep this updated.

Until then...

Long Live Parkr!

Its Been A While

So it's early on a Saturday morning and the snow hasn't started yet; my mind is racing. I try not to do too many of these kind of rambling posts, but its been a while. I haven't written anything in weeks and that is due to the fact that I've been plagued with self doubt again.

Here's the updates with my bags. Mano, a handbag sample and pattern maker in Jersey, has begun to make my patterns as well as a prototypes for me. The prototype is almost a mock of what my actual bag will look like. The only difference is that it's not made out of my leather. Mano follows the pattern he created and uses man made materials, just so I can see what the bag will potentially look like. This helps me, so I can make any needed adjustments before using my materials. Once I approve the prototype, then we move forward with creating the actual samples.

I guess I should be excited now, right? I feel more worried then ever. I received the final version of my logo, the one that I picked and now I'm not sure that I picked right one. Again, the mind plaguing thing. I'm not sure that it really represents what I want this line to be.

Its weird when you initially have a dream and you're so excited to see that dream come to fruition, then watch it slowly slipping, because of no ones fault but your owns. I really want this to work and I really want everything to be perfect.

My roommate and I walked the aisles of Marshall's yesterday, and there hundreds of handbags to choose from. Some cute, some not so cute. And I kept thinking to myself, can I see my Parkr bags amongst these top brands. I don't know. We discussed what we liked and didn't like about each, all the while I was really surveying my roommate. I really value her opinion and her style guidance.

Yes people, I am having my own little pity party, when there is so much for me to do. But, I'll be honest sometimes you need them  to make yourself realize that sometimes everything isn't going to be easy. Sometimes you really have to work!

I haven't gotten into my real challenges in this post, and I don't really want to. Hopefully, I'll receive my pattern and prototype this weekend and that will cheer me up.

Stay with me people, it's not over yet!

Deadlines

Just a quick check-in. I went to my MADE class this past Monday to go over what I've been working on. My teacher, Rachel, announced that MADE would be having a fashion show to highlight student work. Annnd (drum roll please) she would like me to have samples ready to present for the show in April! So the pressure is on people! I really gotta get my act together. My biggest roadblock at the moment is sourcing. I know I need to get to NY to gather a lot of my fabrics, the big holdup is that many of the stores in the Garment District are only open Monday thru Friday and closed on the weekend. Which sucks for a 9-5er like myself. Im going to have to figure something out and soon. Manuel, the pattern maker I found is leaving the country in December for the Christmas holiday and I really want to get him my stuff before he peaces out. I want to, at least, get the first sample rolling.

On the bright side, I am happy that I now have a date to look forward to. April 1st!!! Mark your calendars!

Long Live Parkr!! ;)

A

Beautiful Nightmares

There was no chance of me getting any sleep last night. My mind was moving a million miles a minute, minus the fact that my roommate and I had spent the evening at her job working on separate projects.  It almost felt like our college days when when would pull all nigthters. She was doing actual work pertaining to her job and me, well, I just needed a place that wasn’t home so I could wprk on Parkr.

Yes, before I forget! I decided to name the handbag line Parkr!!! If you haven’t notice, the name of the blog did change. For those just tuning in, I originally named the blog “My Damn Handbag Line” because I was in between names. I actually was going to name it Walker, but with a dot in front of it like “.walker”.  I filed the name with the PA State Department and it got rejected. So, I decided to go with “wlkr” like an abbreviated version. Nope!  I found out it was the name of a radio station. *Sigh*. All the while I was having my graphic designer work on my logo, which also had to be revised. Long story short I decided on Parkr. It was originally supposed to be “Parker”, but that was taken as well so I dropped the “e” and let it ride. I called the PA State Department just to verify the name availability and sure enough it was free to use.  So that’s the whole name fiasco. I will say this; the name thing to me FOREVER to figure out. I’ve always liked the name Parker and it honestly it just felt right. I wanted something that was a little androgynous.

Anyways back to this nightmare which really weren’t nightmares. Last night, my mind kept floating in and out of what the future looks like. I was never so motivated to do something before in my life like am now. I truly believe in these bags. I dreamt about celebrities wearing them, fashionable women wearing them, them being featured in magazines and requests for them for photo shoots. I dreamt that it was more than just a handbag line; it was an empire that gave back to women. I know that this all sounds so far fetch. I mean really who do I think I am? No one knows my name,I have no fashion design experience, and who knows if anyone will even like them. *Sighs*

Sample Maker...Maybe?

In my previous post I mentioned that I had a meeting this past Sunday with a potential pattern and sample maker based out of New Jersey. I searched high and low for someone located right here in Philly but I only found manufactures and seamstress that dealt with apparel; this is not to say that there aren't handbag manufacturers in Philly, I just couldn't find any.

Lucky for me, I was introduced to Mano through a fellow handbag designer Sherrill Mosee. I stumbled upon her blog minkeeblue.com on one of those late night research nights, where I was roaming endlessly on the Internet for manufactures and sample makers when I came across one of her post. Instantly I was sucked in. Sherrill invented the coolest handbag for women on the go, which eliminates the need to carry multiple handbags at once. Check out her site and, if you can, support her Kickstarter campaign. Her blog is what inspired me to start my own. 

Anyways, I reached out to Sherrill because she had gone through a lot of the growing pains that I'm currently going through. Long story short, she shared with me a ton of her resources, including Mano. After a few emails back and forth, Mano and I finally set up a time to meet. After reading multiple articles on the internet, I learned about protecting my ideas and drafted a non-disclosure agreement or NDA. With my NDA in hand, I made my way to North Jersey with my fingers crossed. 

Mano was so sweet and super patient, as you can imagine I had a million questions. His resume was pretty lengthy, so I knew I was in the presence of an experience professional. All in all, Mano kept it VERY real, to say the least. We talked for almost two hours. To sum it up, he told me that it is a very expensive process, making handbags and that it takes time to get things right. He told me I would have to take my time and work in steps. Many of my designs were pretty intricate and I would have to do a lot of the initial work to give him , or whomever I decided to work with, an idea of what exactly I wanted my clutches to look like. He was even nice enough to give me resources in NY as well; names of leather and trim suppliers. 

After we wrapped up, I felt completely overwhelmed. I mean do I REALLY think that I can do this and be successful. The ride back to Philly wasn't a pleasant one. So many thoughts and questions were plaguing my mind. I would share them all, but I promised these posts wouldn't be long and this is already turning into something pretty lengthy. I have one more potential meeting this week with a sample maker. Rachel, from MADE and also mentioned in a previous post, connected me with her. Once I meet with her I'll make a final decision on what I'm going to do. 

Decisions, decisions...

A  

Leathers, Fabrics, and Thangs

I wanted to do a quick check-in. I've told myself from now on I'm going to dedicate at least 2 hours, to this business, a day. It gets tricky when you work full-time, workout almost everyday, and then have to cook. I'm making it sound like so much more than it is. I have no kids or husband so really I'm just "regular person tired" after finishing everything.

Anyways...

What have I been up to, you ask? Well I received a few leather samples from Global Leathers. They're a wholesale leather distributor based in New York. AND I FELL IN LOVE. Big shout out to Denise for sending me almost exactly what I asked for.  The wide variety of colors, textures, weights and finishes, was exactly what I was looking for. The hair-calf was gorgeous. Those are the pieces in leopard print. Honestly, I was salivating. The picture does it no justice, you really have to feel the leathers to get the affect. 

Global Leather samples 

I also got a chance to visit a fabric company out in Cherry Hill, NJ not too far from Philly. London Textiles, another wholesale distributor, had a warehouse full of fabric. They had a wide variety of fabrics, including silks, wool, cotton blends, etc. 

   

I walked out of there with a super cool neon silk. It was slightly more than I wanted to pay, but it was different and what I wanted. 

Moving forward, I plan to not only learn my leather, but also my textiles. I felt a bit inexperienced when speaking with associate helping me with the fabrics. He was pretty nice, but I to continuously had to ask what kind of fabric I was touching, because I honestly don't know. Same with leathers. I told you in my last post that theirs weights, finishes, and so on. Again, a learning curve that I am determine to overcome. As I learn, I'll do my best to share as much as I can. 

One more exciting/nerve-racking thing. This Sunday I have a meeting with a potential sample/pattern maker. Someone to potentially put me one step closer to making this all a reality. I don't want to jinx it too much so after the meeting I'll share. I've officially suspended all fabric shopping until after I meet and find someone that can make my samples. This way I wont be haphazardly buying fabric without knowing the exact yardage I need. 

Keeping my fingers crossed for Sunday and beyond....

Alicia 

Sweet Baby Sourcing!!

I wish someone would've warned me about this phase of the creative/manufacturing stage. As I may or may not have said in my previous post, I am at the stage of trying to find someone to help me make the patterns and actual samples for my handbags. For those who are not familiar with these terms, a pattern is like the blue print of your handbag. It tells the manufacturer how to actually construct you bag and how to put it together. Once you have your patterns you can move forward with creating the actual sample or prototype. This is the bag in its real form. Once you put your pieces together you have your sample! Sounds easy right? Not even close.

The real challenge is finding those pieces! I wasn't ready! ( In my Kevin Hart voice) Between figuring out what kinds of leather to use, zippers, hardware, and so on, it can be a bit overwhelming. And you also have to price everything out. When it comes to leather some companies sell their leather per hide some per square foot. Then you have some companies who have a minimum ordering quantity (MOQ) of 20 hides or a 55 sq foot minimum.
 
As a newbie in the game I don't have the need for a large quantity just yet. What I do need are low to no-minimums. Meaning I can buy my materials freely without the obligations of having to order in bulk, but also dependability that I can reorder that same fabric if and when I need to.
 
 A few resources I found to be super helpful are Maker's Row (makersrow.com) and the DG Expo (dgexpo.net) .
 
Maker's Row  

 
The great thing about Maker's Row is that its basically the grandaddy search engine for sourcing in the US. Its a huge data base that connects aspiring designers with factories and fabric sources of all kinds. You can even customize your search based on what stage of development you're in and it will help find the best company to fit your needs. It also gives you an overview of what that company offers and who they service (small business, big brands, etc.)
 
DG Expo

The DG Expo is a  two day Textile & Trimmings exhibit catering to Designers, Small Manufacturers (producing Apparel, Accessories, Home furnishings, other Sewn Products), Private Label Retailers, Fabric Stores, Event/Party Planners, etc. ( I stole that from the website). But basically, they are wholesalers who have low minimums, and in-stock fabric and trims. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the expo this year, but I do plan on it next year (NY dates are Feb 4-5th). Rachel (my mentor and owner of MADE) introduced me to the show, and suggested I download the Exhibitor List to see if I can connect with some of the companies even though I didn't attend the show. And that's exactly what I did.  

I've been back and forth with a plethora of leather and textile companies trying to get samples and switches, set up meetings to see inventory and so on. I'm expecting a few samples to come in this week and I have a meeting this Saturday to view fabrics for the linings of my bags.


I'll keep you guys posted on what samples I get and so on. I promised that I would keep these post short. Maybe next time. :)



Alicia

The Skinny

I feel the need to give you a quick rundown about my background. I have no formal training in fashion or fashion design. Working on the handbag line is completely fresh and new, and totally outside of what I'd expect to be doing at this stage in my life (I'm only 26, but still!!!) I never imagine that I would be ambitious enough to want to start something so far left from what I know. So to say the least, I have a lot of learning to do/ 

I've been taking classes at MADE, a new series of classes offered in Philadelphia for individuals interested in learning to master various skills and techniques in fashion (shameless plug, but check out www.http://made-in-philadelphia.org/ their classes are amazing). This is where I began to reallydevelop my ideas for my handbag line. I had already began sketching like a crazy person while at work. But after enrolling in the Fashion Design Studio class, I really began to streamline my thoughts and ideas, to focus what my voice would be as a designer. 

Rachel, the owner of MADE, and my teacher of the studio class, has really acted as as mentor to help me with this. She pushed me and the rest of the students to really think outside the box, and clearly define what it was we had to offer to our potential customers. And I thank her for her motivation and continued support. 

Soooo, while we're on the topic of voices,  customers, and ideas, if your curious, my bags are a line of statement clutches, made to complete and define a woman's outfit. They are colorful, cool, and funky, yet chic and pair structure and custom hardware to really make them standout to create a truly unique and one of a kind piece. I really wanted to create something for women who don't alway want to get super dressed up and by merely adding one of my bags to their ensembles they can achieve the ultimate outfit. These bags will make any outfit complete. And I'm super excited, because I really and truly believe in them!

And with that being said, I have sooooooooo much work to do. From fabric shopping, sourcing, finding a pattern/sample maker, etc. I HAVE A LOT TO DO. The hardest part is trying to really buckle down and focus on tackling one task at a time. Not to mention I have a huge learning curve. So I'm literally learning as I'm going. The good thing is that I'm still enrolled in MADE, which means I 'm forced to make progress so I have something to share in class. Which reminds me that I have class this Sunday and I think that sharing this blog is a pretty good update. :) 

Alicia 

Getting Started

So...its 1:26 in the AM and I really decided to start this. Right now, at this moment I decided to start my own blog. Now let me be clear, I tried this before (Lypstick Vintage). For some reason this feels different. This feels a bit more meaningful and permanent. But, before I continue to rant (its late and I'm starting to feel the tired) I must give you the background.

My name is Alicia Walker and I want to start my own line of handbags. Very AAish I know, but I need to say/type to really start owning it, which is the reason behind starting this blog. Almost like an accountability tool, to keep me inline and allow me to be as open and as honest with myself, and whomever decides to read this, as possible when it comes to developing my line of handbags.

Now like I said earlier, I tired this once before. I wanted to open up my own vintage clothing store. And, I thought it would be so cool to blog about vintage stuff, while I got all the logistics of the store together. Well the "logistics" never really happened, and after a few posts I realized my heart really wasn't in it.

But this, I believe, will be different. Matter of fact it IS different. I'm learning that I need to just say what it is and not what it "might" be. So yes, I am a work in progress people! And I'm sure through this blog, you will learn how truly "human" I am.

Finally, (I promise I wont have super long posts, I know people hate reading) this will be more like an open diary of my journey in creating and eventually producing this line. There will be high and low points. I know there will be times when I want to breakdown and times when I will truly believe that I can't do this. But, that is the really the point of this blog. To act as my outlet to not only keep myself excited about this new chapter in my life, but to also get you, the reader, excited about what I have to eventually offer you.

SO please stick with me, offer your advice, and just enjoy the ride while I document, beginning to end, the launch of my handbag line. Here's to sharing!

Alicia

PS. I know I ripped the name of the blog from Solange's "My Damn Blog" but I'm in between names for the line right now. And, I mean, technically they are "my damn handbags". So yea we'll see what happens. :)