Michelle Williams at Cannes...

Sweet mercy! Can Michelle Williams get any cuter?! I don't think so. I love everything about this look and I'm pretty sure I would do something illegal for those shoes...

Picture found on the Intermix facebook page. Great store, full of inspiration!

hang tag thursday

I received my hang tags today and I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out. Thank you Cruz labels for providing excellent products!
You can't really see it in the scan but there is an embossed frame around the edges.

Now I just need to figure out the ribbon color that I will use...

~k

ahh...lingerie

Don't you just love these pieces? I think my favorites are either the Undrest Haute Couture by Maria Pa Navales OR the 3.1 Phillip Lim....OR these not shown in photo.

I'm highly inspired by lingerie, not to mention the person who wears these pieces. I often times day dream about the women who spend the extra care and attention in making their undergarments just as important. In my mind the woman is confident, charming and feminine. She takes her time time in life; enjoying every bite and soaking a little longer in the bathtub. I could think about her all day...

Completed all of my fits, now I wait for the 2nd protos to come in...so excited!

~k

A good start to the week

Today I completed fits for three more styles ( two of which need some extra tlc). This leaves only TWO more styles that need fit comments, a trouser and a swing coat. Now I just need to sit back and wait for the 2nd "perfected" (fingers crossed) samples to come back. The next round of samples should be in the correct fabrics and colors. I have high hopes and expectations only giving myself 1 fit but in order to save money on development, it's something I'm striving for. Of course, if the next samples come back and I want to throw up, a second fit will be scheduled :) So as I'm sure you have guessed, the pressure is much higher this time around.

I just got news that the very special metallic fabric that I love is not available in the color that I want. This fabric is being used on FOUR styles! It's huge. Pilar(my China contact) is sending me a couple more "similar" options to chose from and hopefully I will find something I like. Things like this always come up, it's just about compromising to your comfort level- but it's important to keep going and not to dwell so much on one thing(talking to myself). I will make a decision and move forward. (again, talking to myself) Working from home, I'm alone a lot with my dog Betty. I do a lot of talking to myself and if Betty is awake, I talk to her. I think she pretends to sleep now :)
till tomorrow...

I have received 17 out of the 22 samples submitted and have given fit comments on 15 out of the 17 styles received.

~k

Photo is from blissfullydomestic.com

fit comments

just a little Kate... no relevance to the post, I just love her.

Today I made fit comments to some of the styles that came in the other day. I will tell you one thing, next season I will have a fit model. It's pretty difficult to do fits on your own body and a mannequin that doesn't move...ah the life of a start-up, just have to make it work. This is where the hours of sitting in fits, making comments and talking to techs really come in handy! I feel fortunate to have had that experience.
I have also started to merchandise the line to make sure everything works together. Since I don't have wall grids, I have put pins in the wall to hang the styles next to each other. Of course some substitute fabrics were used so it takes a little imagination but I can finally see them all coming together, one big happy family.

more fits tomorrow.

"Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door"
Coco Chanel

~k

photo found on ffffound.com

vintage vancouver

This last weekend Kyle and I went to Vancouver, B.C. What a gorgeous city full of young, hip and very nice people... not to mention delicious food!
I had a few hours to kill on Friday while Kyle went into the office so I decided I would do a little vintage shopping, a favorite pastime of mine. Lo and behold I come across what has become one of my top five vintage shops, Mintage. I ended walking over 10 miles in order to get there but I would do much, much more for good vintage. The collection was organized, well selected and reasonably priced. I ended up with this amazing rabbit fur vest, two dresses and a blouse. If ever in Vancouver check it out, you won't be disappointed!

isn't it amazing?!




The other four vintage shops on my list of five (not in any particular order):
* Episode- Amsterdam
*Flashbacks- Hillcrest ( I prefer this location to the Encinitas location)
*What comes around goes around- New york
*Paris flea market!! AHHHMAZING. Still kicking myself for not getting that Chanel purse for $400...

What are some of your favorite vintage shops?
~k

a box full of goodies...

Fedex arrived today!!!!!
Inside the box I found seven more samples sent to me from my China factory. I love these days! Even when I worked for other people I always loved opening the boxes filled with samples that were created from a sketch and detailed measurements that I provided, it's like Christmas!!! I'm not going to lie, this can sometimes be a love-hate situation. In this case it was like Christmas + Birthday + Anniversary. Some of the samples need some extra attention but for the most part I'm thrilled with what I have received so far.
I have received 17 out of my 22 styles that I put in, things are moving right along...

On another note, I have ordered my hang tags! For some reason ordering labels makes it feel so real to me. For those of you involved in the process, I went with the larger version with the antique gold grommet (point for Jenika). I realized that the antique goes quite nicely with the typewriter font. I will post a picture once I receive.
Have a great night.
~k

the last six months

So here it begins...
My last job was with a manufacturer. Going against my previous experience, I knew that I needed to learn the wholesale side of the business in order to become a well rounded clothing line entrepreneur, something that had been a dream of mine since graduating college. I was the only designer at the company, a position which also included sales and some production, things that I had been otherwise sheltered from thus far in my career. We had five employees and no privacy so needless to say I learned very quickly how to calculate shipping costs.

After being laid off last November, I knew it was time to start.

Since then, I have gotten both business and resale licenses, incorporated myself and my husband Kyle, opened business account, trademarked my logo, got hooked up from my friend in China with a factory, found investors, canceled deal with investors, figured out how we can fund first season ourselves, started sketching, learned the basics of quick books, sourced fabrics, ordered labels, got a dummy, sent tech packs to China, have received 1st samples on almost half of the 22 pieces that I have put into work, ordered business cards, made a landing page for www.kendallk.com (thanks Robert), sent fit comments for the first samples received, created a twitter account and started this blog (thanks Haydee for your encouragement!) ....and here we are :)
I am forever grateful to my friends and family for the support that they have given! without, the process would've been much longer.
~k

The picture was found on face book- original source unknown.