Thank you to Amy O'Brien & Sew Hip for their generous feature on Daisy Janie/me in Issue 23, December 2010.
At yudu.com, you can view it online for free (with an account) or buy the issue (without an account) to view online. As always, it's an issue chock full of great sewing projects and features!
This was a Q & A interview, and while I can't share the entire article, here are a few that you might enjoy:
SH: How important would you say blogs are to designers, in terms of promoting work?
DJ: Surface and fabric design have an indisputably strong online presence at every business level, and blogs have become at once a gateway to a designer's work and a hub that ties all the pieces of a designer's web package together. I feel having a website that showcases one's work is more of a necessity than a blog, but a well-tended, interesting and personable blog can certainly amplify the effect of one's web presence. My blog traffic statistics reveal interesting patterns daily, weekly and monthly. I found that the more I infused my story, background and voice, the more my traffic, followers, comments, emails, press, peer relationships, brand recognition and sales increased. These new connections have inspired me, cultivated true friendships and have brought exciting new business opportunities. These days, whatever I give my blog, it gives back to me.
DJ: Surface and fabric design have an indisputably strong online presence at every business level, and blogs have become at once a gateway to a designer's work and a hub that ties all the pieces of a designer's web package together. I feel having a website that showcases one's work is more of a necessity than a blog, but a well-tended, interesting and personable blog can certainly amplify the effect of one's web presence. My blog traffic statistics reveal interesting patterns daily, weekly and monthly. I found that the more I infused my story, background and voice, the more my traffic, followers, comments, emails, press, peer relationships, brand recognition and sales increased. These new connections have inspired me, cultivated true friendships and have brought exciting new business opportunities. These days, whatever I give my blog, it gives back to me.
SH: How has your business developed over the past year?
DJ: For Daisy Janie, this past year has represented a gigantic leap from retailing digitally printed organic fabrics to wholesaling conventionally printed organic fabrics. After investigating options within the realm of high-volume printing using organic fabrics and low-impact dyes, I planned and executed this next phase of growth very carefully. As such, the past 18 months have been a journey of adapting my business operations and mindset to accommodate the scope of this new venture. Each passing day brings far more successes than setbacks, and I'm overjoyed at having taken this risk for my business expansion.
DJ: For Daisy Janie, this past year has represented a gigantic leap from retailing digitally printed organic fabrics to wholesaling conventionally printed organic fabrics. After investigating options within the realm of high-volume printing using organic fabrics and low-impact dyes, I planned and executed this next phase of growth very carefully. As such, the past 18 months have been a journey of adapting my business operations and mindset to accommodate the scope of this new venture. Each passing day brings far more successes than setbacks, and I'm overjoyed at having taken this risk for my business expansion.
SH: What advice would you give to young designers starting up a collection?
DJ: Beyond taking into consideration the final application and cohesiveness of the collection, trust your instincts! If you have an idea, go with it, explore it and see where you end up. Some of my most popular designs are the result of unbridled exploration and happy accidents!
DJ: Beyond taking into consideration the final application and cohesiveness of the collection, trust your instincts! If you have an idea, go with it, explore it and see where you end up. Some of my most popular designs are the result of unbridled exploration and happy accidents!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"....taking the online textile community by storm...." ? How now brown cow.
