For my first Designer Deets blog I was not sure what I was going to write about. I thought long and hard about the different topics I could speak upon…should I just do a tried and true fashion blog with trends and tips? Should I write about the festival fashion world which has been my niche for the last three years? Or how I’m branching my festival gear into a more everyday wear line? All these topics are great and prevalent and will be touched on at some point I’m sure. What seemed most important to me though to share as my very first ever Designer Deets blog is about my journey as a festival goer turned brand owner.
I’m writing this and want to share my journey in the hopes that it helps, inspires, and prepares some if not all of you in what it takes to start something from nothing. The challenges you will face, and realizing that everything in life that you went through led you to this very moment and it was all for a reason. Every single job and degree prepared me in some way to become the business owner that I am now. At first it was a dream of creating cool and unique wearable art. Now it has taken more of the shape of running a business and while there is still the creative side to it, there are many sides and categories that need to be filled to run a successful business, and to have a thriving brand. Honesty I am still scratching at the surface of it. I am only three years in, but I’d love to share with you what I’ve learned so far and hope you pick up some tidbits for yourself to help you on your own journey.
First and foremost, believe in yourself and never give up. If you do these two things it will happen for you at some point. It might take one year, it might take five, or even ten. If you start something and just do not give up it will happen for you eventually. I’ve said this a lot before and so have many others but there is no failing. It is only a lesson learned, and a step closer in the right direction. When I first thought about starting my brand I had just finished fashion merchandising school, but was very much still in my party phase. The first idea for my brand name that I had in mind was Rage Robes, as in throw a rager! I have to say my party phase lasted longer than most…I partied heavily from ages 15 to 35 so that is twenty years where my life was pretty centered around going to, and having parties. I loved being social and meeting people, and honestly being the life of the party was pretty important for me. Yeah I did other things, I went to school and work, got two degrees, worked out all the time, traveled, spent time in nature, but I have to say going out was at the top of my list. I wanted to start the brand to be creative, and to have my own thing, but it also had to do with partying. And I didn’t realize this until I was two years into my business. I realized how much partying was a part of my life. I realized I wanted to do more than make my clothes and pop up at parties and festivals. Then I realized I needed and wanted to change. I am still undergoing that change as it doesn’t happen overnight. I realized I wanted to make a difference. I knew that making and sharing my creations was making a difference already and I saw how it inspired those around me and I only wanted to amplify it, for others and for myself. I realized people were looking up to me and that I wanted to show up differently, and I realized it takes a different kind of person to do the things that I am aspiring to do.
So this is what I have for you. If you have a dream, go for it. Just start, it’s not going to be perfect at first, it’s not supposed to be. The more you go for it and the further you get along in your journey, the more precedence it will take, and you won’t have time for the things you do to fill your time aimlessly. You’ll have a purpose, passion, and direction and those things are fire fuelers. You’re going to have times where you want to quit but don’t. You can take breaks, and breathers, and pull back and reassess but if you want it is already yours. I’ll leave you with something I consistently tell myself, and that is to really enjoy the journey, because great things take time.