designing for spring '08

I'm procrastinating. I have about 24 hours to finish designing for spring and here I am writing a blog. I've decided to narrow my focus even more by doing only outerwear and dresses. I had designs for a high-waisted A-line skirt and a cute belted blouse but I've decided that separates are too much of a liability for my limited budget. Here are a couple of sketches of what I'm working on:



I'm going with a citrus- inspired palette:
olive green, cantaloupe and yellow ochre with cream and grey.
Here's a storyboard I put together this morning to get it into my head:



I should have samples in a couple of months. Can't wait!!

in the throes...

Wow. Has it really been only a month since that last post? It feels like every minute of my life has been so jam-packed with things to do, things that should've been done, and things that demand my immediate attention, it seems more like 3 months.
The shipment came in just fine. a few snags with customs as I was "randomly picked" for yet another intensive search. Getting the shipment into my place required some serious elbow grease. At one point, I actually thought I might die of overexertion. It took two full days afterwards to feel like I had the energy to lift a glass of water. And that was even after I tipped the truck driver a lot of money to help with half of it.
I've been busy rounding up new shops, tending to old accounts and changing the way I do business with others. to date I've shipped out 130 cardigans, 143 wool coats, 160 dresses.... and still so much more to go. I'm really building a relationship with the postal workers around here.
Speaking of shops, my line is now available online at http://www.petaline.net Be sure to also check out my sweet friend's handbag line, Sabrina Love, on Petaline. Sabrina makes the most gorgeous high-end bags you've ever seen.
Well, as predictable as this may sound, I'm tired and need to go to bed now.

I'm working on my spring 08 line and will post photos of samples as soon as I can.
Here are some shots from the 08 resort collections that caught my eye. Simple. Elegant, Feminine. Love it.

Fall is coming.

Well, production went off without a single hitch this season. The samples look perfect, the paperwork looks good, export was a cinch and the boat left on time. The pessimistic side of me is waiting for the bomb to drop but you know, it looks like everything is going to be textbook this year. We hired a new production manager named Yinyin Li who seems to have a really good grasp on sourcing both labor and textiles. She also acts as our export agent. Her experience really shows in the quality of the garments. I've never seen samples look so good. Thanks also to Wenjing, my "partner in crime", who found Li to begin with and is going to China in October to source more materials. She works her little butt off, that girl.
Here are a couple photos of samples I received last week.
Here is the knit cardigan, in cocoa



This is the Biella Wool Trench in black

Here are two possible homepages I created this morning. I think I'll use the second one.

Fall photos

Here are some new photos of the Fall collection. I've had to cut nearly half of my designs due to various agonizing reasons. The good news is, I think I've narrowed it down to the best pieces. It's a small line but it's by far the largest order (quantity-wise) that I've ever ordered. We have new manufacturers, four of them to be exact, and each specializes in a specific field. (eg. knits, silks, etc)
Production is going on now and the ship is due to arrive in the port of seattle in mid-august, weather permitting, as usual. I still need to get a photo shoot lined up for this season but am waiting for one last sample to arrive.

my first tradeshow

Here are some photos from the UnZipped Show. Technically not my first show but definitely my first time repping my own line. And you know what? I absolutely LOVED it. I was swamped with customers from 10am to close. Everyone in booths around me was so nice, not at all what I'd heard these shows were like. I made lots of new friends with the other designers from around the country. The vendors, buyers, press, shoppers-all really great people. Thanks to everyone for making me feel so at home in this new experience. I'm psyched for the November Unzipped and the next Thread shows.


Kimberly Sun in her new Vignette Coat. Kimberly makes the cutest belts and headbands. You can see her work at: www.kimberlysundesigns.etsy.com


Some other folks you should check out:
Renee and her mom in the booth next to me and their fabulous bags:
http://hardwearbyrenee.com
Lovely Birna across from me with her sister:
http://birnajewelry.com
Carlisia Minnis and her amazing clothes- thanks for the intro to the Ballard lady:
http://macfashionhouse.com/

UnZipped Show

Daily Candy!

Lots of news in the past week. Prior warning: I will be using a lot of those dreaded exclamation marks here but I mean every one of them.

1. This week Suzabelle is moving within the same building from suite 303 to suite 305. The new space is much bigger and better than the space I work in now. Hardwood floors, lovely old world moldings and french doors, windows galore. I'm so excited to move in, I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas!

2. Suzabelle was published in the Philadelphia issue of Daily Candy today (a popular US online fashion and lifestyle magazine). My website got over 1000 hits between 7am and 10am and I've been getting phonecalls from PR around the country all day! Fun!
you can visit them at www.dailycandy.com

3. Most of the samples have arrived for Fall 07. They look spectacular! Here are some photos from a quick photoshoot.
I've published a preview for buyers but you can have a look as long as you don't tell anyone...shhh! You can see more styles at
http://homepage.mac.com/skjaberg/sp06/PhotoAlbum53.html plus there are more coats and a vest yet to come.




4. This weekend, Suzabelle will be showing at the Unzipped tradeshow. It was a last minute decision but I think it will be worth the effort, if only to exorcise my fear of tradeshows, practice repping my own line and do a little networking. These things are WAY out of my comfort zone but I always get a kick out of it after it's done. It's an eekyay thing. (eek first, yay later- kind of like the first you successfully rode a bike or went down the big kids slide)
http://www.unzippedevent.com