Big Changes at YazBerry

Dear fans and friends, and those that are one in the same,

I regret to announce that after a few years of tragically slow sales on my one-of-a-kind handmade clothing and purses, I am going to take a break from the production of aforementioned products. I cannot compete with the prices of mass produced goods overseas that many are demanding of me.

I am an independent artisan. That means I imagine the item, source the materials (online, out driving from store to store, anywhere I can find goods), design the item, I draft a pattern when appropriate or make the item directly on the dress form, I cut, assemble and sew each item, I photograph each item, sometimes many times since I am an amateur photographer at best, I write copy and descriptions of each item, I measure each item, I upload images to the internet, I make my own advertising materials with my basic paint and Microsoft Publisher software, I write blog entries, I promote my own work on facebook and twitter, I try to convince buyers at craft fairs that my work is worthy of your hard earned money, I build display props (which involves sourcing materials, figuring out how to make my idea functional, trouble shooting, rebuilding, redesigning...repeat), I set up my own booth at fairs...the list goes on. I am a Jane of All Trades....literally. All of this while working full time day jobs!

Needless to say, to keep up with the cost of living I need to earn more than minimum wage for all of this work and am not coming anywhere near that. My purses and clothes have been sold at production cost (materials and some labor (and barely)) for the past 10 years because when I raise the prices to a profitable number I experience no sales. I cannot sustain this business model. I love designing purses and clothing, but without a customer base it is a labor of love in vain.

What does this mean? I am not going out of business. I am shifting gears. I will continue making fabulous jewelry and will also continue with the new baby shoes and accessories line. I will consider custom orders on purses and clothing on a case by case basis. I will also consider custom quilting projects, though be prepared to pay what they are worth ($500 - $1500+).

I have been in the process of relocating to a different country for the last 2 years. Once that process is finalized, I will reevaluate my creative pursuits again and may launch a new line. I've wanted to design high end, fashion forward, performance outerwear for many years and may finally be able to take some design classes to learn about some of the technology out there that may make this process doable, though I will not be sewing these pieces from scratch but intend to source a domestic sewing shop to produce them.

As my personal friends are aware, I have been slowly auctioning off at deep discounts, and now finally am giving away, the rest of my handmade purse and clothing inventory. This decision has been extremely difficult for me (simply facing the loss of potential income...not to mention confessing that I failed). Just today I gave away a hand stitched leather piece for free that I know should sell for $300! This decision and my failing business has caused me too much stress, anxiety and depression. It is time to move forward with new ideas.

I want to thank you for your continued interest in my creative pursuits and support over the last decade (can you believe it, YazBerry will be 10 years old in May!). YazBerry has been an interesting ride and I hope you will continue following me as my creative direction shifts in the next few years.

Please continue following me on facebook I am too active there and you will have the most up to date news. You can shop my existing inventory right from my photo albums. I accept payment via PayPal invoices (all major credit cards - no need to even have a PayPal account) and I will ship worldwide. 

Thank you,

Virginia

Exclusive Interview: Fink aka iheartfink

I am a self proclaimed (diagnosed) print junkie. My closet is filled with bold, graphic, subtle and classic prints spanning the decades. I hunt them out. I am drawn to them like a moth. A quick peek at the Fink collection found on iheartfink.etsy.com you can see why I dig their work.

Here are a few of my favorite Fink designs. Someday my closet will be filled with them! Fink is the collaborative effort of textile artists Karen and Kristen. Both artists design the prints on their textiles, hand print them, make each garment from scratch without patterns, model and photograph their own work. Even more amazing is that they work out of studios in two different states, NY and NM!

I was so intrigued by this business set up, my first question was how they worked out the details of their independent design business with so many miles (and some time zones too) between them. Here is what they had to say:

karen - "we met in the boston area where we were both working on the comedy central animated series dr. katz professional therapist...we became fast friends, kept in touch & after many years of not working together anymore we realized that we really missed it- that we had a particular energy that worked well creatively and that we needed to find a way to make it happen, we did and off we went...."

kristen - "yes, our Boston times were great and it became obvious over time that even though we were miles apart we could make something happen...and here it is"

I asked the ladies how they would describe Fink to someone who has never seen their collection before:

karen - "our tagline says it best for the style---nouveaux flowerchild chic . but more importantly handprinted & handmade from scratch. one of a kind- each item has an incredible amount of work put into it. we can't stress that enough. that enough"

kristen - "yes, everything Karen said. I tell people about our clothes...show them in person when I can and still they say "so, where do you get your fabrics?" even after I told them we print them...then I show them the screens and how we do it and then get the "WOW!!!" "OMG" and "AMAZING!!" stuff. we do our best to explain our work in written words on Etsy and other sites but when our customers receive the the clothes they really get it...and then they come back for more!"

Something that always intrigues me about designers (and bands) is how they come up with their name. Here is what Karen and Kristen have to say about the origin of Fink:

karen - "the usual...just chit chatting & laughing really. it doesn't really mean anything but what it means. it's funny. fink is a funny word and we love people who are finks."

kristen - "well, though we found it by giggling and conversing over cocktails...it makes so much sense. Fashion + Ink...Fink."

When asked about their muse, where they find inspiration for their textiles and silhouettes, they shared the following:

karen - "wow that is a tough one because inspiration is all over the place but a simple answer would be vintage of course- we both love love love vintage, and imagination & of course mother nature for colors & prints- she is a big influence."

kristen - "yes, I agree w/ Karen...vintage is number one. movies, books, music, memories, cocktails, conversations, love...they all inspire!"

I wanted to really find out about what goes on behind the computer screen at Fink. I asked Kristen and Karen to share about some of the hardest aspects of their designing and business. Some of the challenges included space. The solution: improvise, that's what the kitchen table is for. And every creative person's challenge: not enough time. Kristen's thoughts on solutions for shortage of time?

"I don't have the space problem here in Santa Fe and I feel most fortunate about that...for me it's time. that is really a positive thing though...like they say "time flies when you are having fun"...it does. and I am not willing to have less fun so time will keep flying!"

Both Kristen and Karen have been able to dedicate themselves to Fink 110% of the time. They are grateful for the freedom and spontaneity their independent design business has given them and welcome conversations from you!

Coming Soon: Exclusive Interviews of Independent Fashion Designers

Since I started YazBerry in 2005, I have always enjoyed looking for other independent fashion designers and following their work. The other day I realized I want to learn more about these folks instead of simply admiring them from a distance. So I reached out to a few of my all time favorites, some I have been following since 2005, some I am pleased to say I own several pieces from their collection and some have work I simply admire and want to share with you. My goal is to learn more about these designers, find out more about what is behind their work and what inspires their designs and share with you artists who's work I admire. Stay tuned, first up is Fink.