Thursday, August 23, 2012

Things are moving along

My sample patterns have arrived and I am visiting my pattern maker tomorrow.
I used a lovely pattern maker, her name is Elizabeth Sonter. I strongly recommend her.
http://www.elizabethsonter.com.au/
She has been extremely helpful in advising the best way to do things and also recommended a great sample maker. I am doing my sample size as a children's size 6. Mainly so my daughter can fit them for me and can also model them for the photo shoot.
The plan is that while I am eating gelato in Italy she can be working away on the samples so that when I get back I will fit them on Olivia and any modifications I can Elizabeth to correct, modify. Once the patterns are perfect she can start grading the patterns on computer for me to take to the manufacturer.

Also on the web front, remember a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that this was trucking along. Well not so ... I am at the beginning again, yep starting from scratch and waisted a lot of time and energy and thankfully no money. The developer I used just pulled the pin. He decided he didn't have the resources to finish my project (basically got a bigger job from someone else). Go figure. I have been in business for 13 years and I am constantly amazed by the short sightedness of some new business owners. They are cocky and have no idea about relationships and how to build trust etc.

Thats a whole blog post in itself.
So now I am in the process of finding another developer. Any suggestions?

Anyway excited stuff is the samples about about to start.


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

In search of children's clothing inspiration in ITALY

Do caps mean I am excited about going to Italy on Sunday?
My husband and I are going for 2 weeks to celebrate our 10yr wedding anniversary without the kids... ooohh.
I have mixed emotions. I am am suffering from a few sleepless moments at night worrying about leaving my kids. I am not worried about them as they are going to be well looked after and totally pampered by my fabulous parents. The restless thoughts are more about me missing them and having visions of not remembering me when I get back.... I know that they are my worst fears but none the less I am feeling a little wobbly.
In saying that though I am also having amazing visions of my husband and I walking through the amazing streets of Rome, dining at fabulous restaurants in Tuscany and swimming in the crystal blue walters of the Amalfi coast.
I am hoping to be further inspired with new ideas and designs as well as clearing my head and connecting with my husband. Italy is perfect for all of the above not to mention the food. Thank God I have taken up running!!!!

Anyone been to Italy lately that can send me some recommendations. We spending 5 days in Rome, 7 days in Chianti region of Tuscany and then 5 days in Sorrento along the Amalfi coast. So please suggestions welcome.

sorento












restaurant in roma













chianti region in tuscany

Sunday, August 19, 2012

new blog finds

I have been scowling the internet looking for great blogs. I am particularly interested in mummy blogs, designs blogs and children related blogs.
Some of my latest finds.
http://blog.stephbond.com/
http://simplemom.net/
http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/
http://www.lovelyliving.com.au/editorsblog/

I will post other blogs as I find them. Always great to share good finds as there is a lot of rubbish out there so when I find something great I want to spread the word.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

The loopylu brand

Following on from yesterdays post I though it would be helpful to explain the theory and strategy behind the loopylu brand.

















The font is century gothic. It is a sans-serif typeface. I chose this typeface because it is easy to read with simple clean lines and perfectly curved circles. It is appealing to children and therefore a perfect fit for a children's product.
 Colour theory and colour psychology are most important. Quite often what people often think about when they think of a brand are the colours. I consider it important in that it can quickly identify the tone of your business. Why did I choose purple and green.
Purple is associated with creativity and green represents growth, development and motivation. These two colours combined work harmoniously and complement each other both visually and through their meanings. 
I have also chosen an icon as part of my logo. The bird will play a role in the brand and it will in time become identifiable on its own. The bird is fun, easily recognisable and in modern society birds symbolize hope and freedom because they have wings which allow them to fly away to a new beginning.

I hope this give you a little insight to the thoughts behind my logo. These elements will then be rolled out across all of the business marketing and promotional material. Stay tuned.



 

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

What's in a brand

Well this is what I do and have been doing for sometime so I feel I understand a lot about the importance of a brand. Many companies place more importance on the service or product of their business but don't spend enough time or money on the brand essence of their business. I have seen this problem so many times and fixed many bad brands.
A brand is so much more than a logo. It is your business, it evokes emotion, thought and inspiration. If done correctly it separates your business from the rest.
Your product is important, so if you have a fantastic product with little or no brand identity/awareness then you will only go so far.
Your brand is who and what you are... in my case I am going to be selling children's clothes. So the brand needs to be appealing to mums and dads. It needs to look professional, simple and relatable. The colours need to work with the target audience and the product for which I am selling. The product once available needs to be perfect, quality tested, well made and live up to the expectation of the brand. The two work hand in hand.
Bad press can affect the brand and a bad brand can affect the product. 

Think Britney Spears.. how much damage has she done to her brand of late... it is going to take a lot of hard work to repair the damage.

I own design agency in Surry Hills Sydney. We develop a lot of brands for a complete range of clients. I can't stress enough the importance of doing this well and long before you are ready to launch your business. Even though I do this for my clients on a daily basis I have spent many, many, many (you get the picture) hours go over my brand, getting it right, testing it with my target audience and so on. Yes I am lucky in that I can do it myself thus save some cash but then I need to spend my money on other areas of my business that I am not an expert on like pattern making, sample making and web development. We can't be an expert on everything and I am a true believer that you must get the mix right and contract to the best that you can afford.

I have added a couple of logo's that we have done here at Fresco Creative.



Sunday, August 12, 2012

Oh Me Oh My!!!

What is going on I ask myself. I have mentioned in an earlier post that I run on a Thursday morning with 'The Cougars' a local running group of mothers. I have also mentioned that until recently I was not a runner. Well on Sunday I ran the 7km Bay Run and this morning I ran 6.5km.  This 6.5km was up a lot of hills, past beaches, through cemeteries, through parks and all this before 7am. The sunset was beautiful and inspiring. So I will confess, I wish I started running sooner in my life as it really does make me feel good.

Bronte Beach
Waverley Cemetery



Coogee Beach

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Summer Shopping

I think I am off to do some shopping... this is the spring/summer collection from Sambag.

I am in love with the new spring colours.






Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Japanese Fabric

I love the colours. When I eventually design my own fabric I know I will be inspired by Japanese designers. I love the simplicity, colour and the overall design. Above is a collection of modern Japanese designs and the more traditional style on silk.

I would love to visit Japan one day soon... I believe a crafters haven.

You can buy the fabric above from one of these lovely fabric stores.
http://www.fabrictales.com
http://www.kelanifabric.com.au



Add captio

Monday, August 6, 2012

Children's clothes - finding the inspiration

As I get older i get wiser. Isn't that what the old saying is... I certainly am more aware of myself, what I like and what I don't like.
I get asked a lot why I am starting a new venture/business when my life is already so busy. I did ask myself that very question as well. The answer is... I feel good when I can give something back. This business isn't about making money it is about me being able express my creative side and offer a range of clothing for children that is trendy, inspiring and affordable.

I love when my children are able to express themselves. Kids need to be kids. I don't think they need to wear black skinny jeans, fur vests and leopard skin. In my opinion there is plenty of time for black and glamour. (my opinion only... I am not judging other people choices at all.)

I love when my daughter wears something colourful and fun and I love when my sons are wearing bright coloured shorts and t-shirts that don't necessarily match but somehow work.

Kids need to be kids in my humble opinion and that is what hopefully loopylu children's wear will be able to offer mums and children.

Colour in our world - inspiring

Friday, August 3, 2012

website design

I am in the process of having my site developed. I designed the site and am having it built by a developer.

The process is taking longer than I had hoped and I can't wait for it to be finished. It won't be ready for online purchasing until October maybe even November as I am heading to  Indonesia in mid October to source manufacturers and start making my goods. I will start small and offer only a few products in each size and then slowly grow from there.
So let's hope I will have my site up and running soon. 


screen grabs of initial design

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Me

This is me. I am bored at work so I took some pics of myself to share.
I really should be sourcing manufacturers in Indonesia.


Motherhood

Motherhood is many things to many different people. For me it is rewarding, exhausting, exhilarating, fun and scary.
I found this post on a recent blog which I thought was just fabulous as it opened my eyes to what motherhood means to other mums. What we all basically feel is that we all want the best for our family and our children, motherhood has it's ups and downs but mostly is the most rewarding thing you could ever do.
http://ohmeohmy85.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/the-glow.html

For me my biggest challenge is finding balance. I do think I do an OK job managing all parts of my life. I have learned to ask for help when needed and to not be all things to all people all of the time. Easier said than done sometimes.

Here are some pics from over the years of my family and my life as a mother, business owner and wife.