Once I had my professional samples in hand, I had to come to the hard realization that maybe I should have thought through the functionality of my designs before rushing them off to the patternmaker. The leather I used was really nice quality, but it didn't have any texture to it. Alot of the leather bags out on the market at the time (which was just last summer) had texture to them. Now, I'm not staying you should always follow what everyone else in the market is doing, but I'm not sure that choosing a perfectly smooth leather was the right choice for my designs. I think I was really on target with the hardware. I used either brass or nickle (DON'T cheap out on hardware) rings and rivets. I used alot of hardware in my designs. And like I mentioned before, I used good quality zippers. VERY important!

Another thing I think could've have helped me is to study other bags out there. I did go to Nordstroms one day and spent an hour really studying the construction of Kate Spade and Brighton bags. AGAIN, I was stuck on this theory that I needed to worry about how to make the bags. WRONG. I had someone to do that now...I should have been looking at the overall design, functionality, what I liked, what I didn't like. But no...I was trying to figure out how they sewed the zipper in. I really needed to get out of that head space. But I couldn't seem to.

Several years ago, before I got into handbags, I designed a new product that held nail polish bottles and nail files in a nice vinyl case. I called it "The Paint Shop". My boyfriend at the time thought it was a good idea (anyone who knows me tolerates all my crazy ideas). I kept talking to him about how I should sew it...that I needed to buy a sewing machine etc. I even went out and bought a $300 sewing machine from Sears! He kept saying to me, "why are you worrying about how to make it. You'll have someone else do that. Just focus on design and marketing." Boy, he was right, but at the time I just couldn't get that concept into my head. Now it seems so obvious. I'm an idea person, not a seamstress. It's great if you can do both, more power to you. I admire people who are crafty and can sew and follow patterns. I can sew a handbag together, but I cannot follow a pattern.

After calling about 5 or 6 sewing contractors, I finally found a place in Kansas that would make a prototype of "The Paint Shop" for me. I was so excited. I think it took them a couple weeks to make it. It cost me $75 for one prototype (after being in the handbag world, $75 seems cheap!). When I received it in the mail I was SO excited (again, thought this little package was going to make me rich). It was actually really well made. Unfortunately the cost to produce them was going to be $15 each. That means I would have to sell it for way more than I thought anyone would pay for it. Its definitely the type of thing you would have to have made in China. So that fizzled...but ya know, that's okay. You try things. Some work, some don't. That's part of the fun of being a Fashionpreneur (at least in hindsight its fun - at the time its just plain frustrating). Here are some pics of "The Paint Shop". I tried to wipe all the dust off before taking the picture, but clearly, its too thick to tackle in one try. I still think "The Paint Shop" is a fun idea.