Depression Chic?

In a recent (November 11, 2008) BusinessWeek article entitled, "What's Selling? The Great Depression" written by Ellen Gibson, I found myself getting pretty depressed. Why?

Interest in The Great Depression and "Depression Chic" is making a "cultural comeback". Huh? I thought that we were only suffering from a recession? Now, our culture is going to somehow make economic hardship some kind of new trend? Apparently, so.

Ms. Gibson points out that in NYC, young people are throwing "Depression Parties" in which the clothes are vintage and all the rage is dancing to the big hits of the Big Bands and Dust Bowl ballads. Well, at least vintage stores will find themselves profiting from this trend! Are they sipping bootleg liquor? How about "Dust Bowl Martinis" featuring no-name, gut rot, low end vodka and a sprinkling of salt around the rim to look like dust???

Furthermore, she even states that John Patrick, the designer behind Organic by John Patrick, is showing "prairie-style cotton-check and hand-spun floral dresses" in his Spring 20069 collection. I have truly come to enjoy seeing organic elements in fashion, responsible "green" designers and "sustainable style". So, the designer who brings us lovely organic ready-to-wear like this:


Is going to now treat the fashion world to this?


So...we are going from Fashionistas, to Recessionistas, to...(and I get to make this one up, I guess!) "DEPRESSIONISTAS"? I just don't quite grasp this one. I can understand the interest in understanding the ecomomics and politics of that era, after all, this was a pivotal point in U.S. History. And, as the saying goes, "If we don't learn from our history, we're doomed to repeat it". But to somehow find fashionable the hardship, the suffering, and the great losses that many suffered during that era is something that I don't quite get, nor do I want to cater to in some tongue-in-cheek manner.

How about you? Are you a Depressionista?

Cheap Chic...or is it "Cheap is Chic"?

Cheap Chic...

For all of those recessionistas out there, we are truly finding that "Cheap Chic" is getting easier and easier to come by. Target has recently announced that it will be launching a collection in March 2009 by none other than Alexander McQueen. This collection is part of their "Designer Collaborations", which will introduce well-established designers to the Target guest, at Target prices!


McQueen is known for his impeccable tailoring and fantastic details, and the line for Target apparently will be under the "McQ" label. Target has long held the banner of "Cheap Chic" and has been collaborating with a wide variety of designers throughout multiple departments in the store. And, this is not to be confused with their "Target Go International" design collaborations which have helped to spotlight smaller, indie designers to a wider mass market.



"Cheap is Chic"


As much as Target has had success with such upscale offerings to their guests, Wal-Mart never quite fared as well with attempting to introduce trendier, fashion-oriented lines to their customers about a year or so ago. Core customers did not get this attempt to offer a more upscale offering, and quite frankly, those of us that have looked to the designers that Target was able to spotlight...well, come on, most of us dissed Wal-Mart, did not respond to those offerings and they never got that "cool" factor that they were searching for.


However, with all of us cutting back, being cheap is totally chic! Wal-Mart posted one of the best October sales results because consumers are cutting back, are looking for great prices, and they are able to leverage their position as a low price leader! Their ads are fresher, they focus on real world families and how they can save while still enjoying their every day activities. I can certainly attest to seeing more luxury vehicles in the parking lot of my Wal-Mart store, and I am doing more and more of my shopping at Wal-Mart in my attempt to get the best price on toiletries and other basic items.

So, for many of of us for many years, Cheap Chic is completely chic no matter what the price tag says! And, now, being cheap is truly chic as so many of us need to watch what we are spending as these uncertain economic times unfold before us.

Eye shadow Addictions, Continued

I must divulge even more about my addiction to eye shadow, and confess that I had recently purchased some of the most innovative and amazing products that I have seen in a long time, Eye Shadow "appliqués". So very cool.



I got this on Sephora, really more as a "Wow, What the heck is this?" kind of purchase with a gift card (when I can really justify a indulgence, right?). They are made by Coloron, and are called "EyeEnvy". There are a variety of kits, I did purchase this one, the "Exotic Kit", as well as "Smokey Kit" and "Tropics Kit".

I have to say that I am extremely pleased with the results. Sephora also provides a brochure in pdf that you can download to help with the application. Check out this link for a preview:

http://sephora.com/assets/product/EE_brochure.pdf

I did first apply an eye shadow primer, as my lids do get a bit oily. I used Too Faced Shadow Insurance.

From there, I followed the step by step instructions, which I had printed out and taped to my mirror (tip). With the Exotic appliqué, I did not do the "tapping or blending" techique that they recommend for the other appliqués. I did lightly dust the "GetSet" powder that is included in the kit, and I also lightly dusted a bit of a light gold shadow by Ben Nye as some additional insurance!

I felt that the colors were quite vivid, they did wear well for a normal day of wear. I am sure that they would hold up quite nicely for a night out on the town, and I could only imagine how incredible it would be to add some fun eye lashes for a complete "Exotic" look. (Insert cougar growl here!)

I would say that I probably have a couple more times to use these appliqués, so when you remove them, gently put them down on your counter, powder side up, and you can probably get at least another application or two out of them. They are a bit expensive, $25 for the entire kit which includes FIVE appliqués, a jar of the "GetSet" powder and an application brush. And, I just saw that Sephora offers a fun kit for the Holidays, too! A total must have!


I will do another trial application with my daughter soon, we will tape and post to YouTube for anyone interested in a step-by-step visual snapshot of how to apply and enjoy this new, unique, and really fun product. Check these out, enjoy, and please feel free to leave any input or feedback if you have tried these with similiar, or different results!

Ben Nye Eyeshadow Addict

Yes, it is true. I have become a Ben Nye eyeshadow addict! Here is one of my favorite Ben Nye eyeshadow tutorials on YouTube, and I have done this look...it is amazing!



I bought my Ben Nye palette (and some extra colors!) from Make Up Mania. I highly recommend buying your palette from them, great customer service and they did not make me wait long to start playing with these amazing colors! No, I don't make any money off of my referrals, but I will work for Ben Nye makeup (hint, hint!)!

P.S. Isn't she adorable?! You can find other Ben Nye tutorials on YouTube, for a wide variety of looks from deep and smoky to subdued to bright and bold!

K. A. Mace Jewelry Consignment Series Continues!

For those of you who have been following my series on consignment, thank you for your wonderful input, experiences and feedback! And, yes, I am continuing on, for those of you out there who have emailed me asking for the series to continue!


Next up...How does the boutique/retailer market YOU and YOUR MERCHANDISE?

Yes, even on consignment, this is a great question to ask a boutique/retailer. And, of course, you have your side of the marketing equation to cover as well. Here are some great ideas that you can share with the buyer/owner to drive your sales, and truly the overall sales of that boutique!


Will they work with you on a trunk show, or special in-store event? Many boutiques LOVE trunk shows! YOU show up with inventory, THEY sell it, you BOTH profit. They do not take the risk on the inventory, and you get to sell your goods to their customer base, plus those you invite. The best way to do this is to ask the boutique if they have a mailing list or email list that you can communicate with.

You can very easily, and inexpensively, produce great postcards to announce your trunk show to their customers, and your own that may be in that city. Often, the boutique will even split the cost of the postcards, and/or the postage as they are driving traffic as well. I highly recommend Overnight Prints or Modern Postcard. They are both very, very easy to work with, you can easily upload graphics and information and design your own postcard, and they arrive in literally days!


You can also create a professional enewsletter or e-vite for their email list, combining it with your email list as well. Ensure that you are capturing all emails from your website, and you can easily create an opt-in box on your website or blog to ensure that anyone who visits gets the opportunity to join your email list. You can also use Constant Contact, iContact and other online services that help you create mailing lists and have wonderful templates to create e-newsletters.

Some boutiques will also enter into co-op advertising with their designers. In this case, you will pay a small amount to be included in a print or online ad with your business name, possibly even a piece of your jewelry, included in the ad. Please note, being that it is "co-op" you have to remember that other designers may also be involved in this advertising. I have found this to be really beneficial when it comes to the major jewelry-selling holidays only, however. Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and the Holidays are perfect times to partner with a retailer on such an ad. I would steer clear of other times of the year, unless they are having a special Anniversary Sale or another type of meaningful sales event that is specific to that community. For example, is there a major local parade or holiday that brings a lot of traffic and tourists to the area?


Also, do they market and sale off of their website? This is a wonderful way to basically enter into not so much of a "consignment" relationship, but a "drop ship" arrangement. The difference? Well, with consignment, you do run the risk of jewelry being lost, stolen, broken, sold and accidently credited to another artist, etc. With a drop ship arrangement, they put images of your work on their website, item description, price and when they receive an order, the alert you and YOU actually fulfill that order. They may ask you to send to them, and they send out to the customer. They may require you to directly ship to the customer yourself. Either way, make sure that you understand their expectation for shipping methods, packing, invoicing, and insurance. All of that the customer will pay for, however, understanding those expectations is key to a successful drop ship relationship.

If you are going to be featured on their website, inquire about how they market the designers. Is there a "Designer of the Month", "Spotlight Designer"? Do they market special gemstones for special events, like "Gemstone of the Month" or "Birthstone Specials"? Bring some ideas to the table for the boutique, you just might find your jewelry, your art, on their homepage! Blog about your jewelry and products on their website, send the link to your email list, and make sure that the entire world knows that they can buy YOUR jewelry on THEIR website! The more traffic, the more sales!


One caveat: Ensure you understand their expectation of the artists they feature on their website. They will most likely ask you to not have those same items on your website or blog for sale, unless you are solely directing that traffic to them.

One key tip: Developing a relationship with the staff is truly key. They are selling your product day in and day out. Ask if you can have some time to meet with their sales staff to present the key selling points of your work. Drop in, introduce yourself, ask if they have any questions, and thank them for their hard work. Some boutiques will allow you to give small gifts to their associates; I often provided jewelry for them to wear. It became an inexpensive way to encourage that associate to sell even more of your jewelry! Just check first, they may have conflict of interest policies for their associates.


Love the rings featured? Go to K. A. Mace Jewelry to view more of the K. A. Mace Jewelry Ring Collection and many more designs!

K. A. Mace Featured on Etsy Front Page!

Wow! I wake up yesterday, make some coffee, power up the laptop, and here is what I see:


(Screen shot courtesy of Krystan, a wonderful Etsyan! Click on her name to see her wonderful shop, such gorgeous graphic designs and other goodies!)

Wait! "That's me!", I basically scream to no one and start to jump up and down (without coffee yet, mind you!) There on the very front page of Etsy is my Coral Starfish on Three Strand Necklace from my Sea Creatures Collection! This beauty to be exact:


This is one of my favorite pieces as the color play of the gorgeous and delicate starfish and the freshwater pearls and tones of citrine are just stunning.


I was so very honored to be featured with other amazing artisans, and so very thankful to the Etsyan that included my Coral Starfish Creation to be featured in her treasury, which was in turn featured by Etsy! So, thank you RiRi Fisch, I truly appreciate the recognition and would love to show that Coral Starfish on Three Strand Necklace how to swim off to a new home! She is still available on Etsy!

New K. A. Mace Jewelry Video!