It was the strangest thing. Just as I was getting fed up with my current professional situation and dying for something interesting to add a new layer to my life, Jerry just about had it with living in Mississippi. I mean, three years ago, we talked about starting our own line. But, it's a risk and one we didn't feel completely prepared to take back then. Somehow, within the same week, unbeknownst to the other, we both got the feeling. We were ready.
Oct 2, 2010 - As Mike & I were driving across Pennsylvania en route to a friend's wedding, I got a text from Jerry. He had had enough and needed to do something about it. He was gonna start sketching and that was that. Perfect timing! We both just had a feeling about the whole thing. It simply felt right.
Oct 29, 2010 - Three weeks later, Jerry was here in NYC with a pile of sketches. We edited the line, established our "to-do" list, a time & action calendar and determined who would be responsible for what. We had a plan and two days later, Jerry was on his way back to Mississippi to tie up loose ends, sewing day & night to get the proto samples made in time to meet our target ready date. We pulled together old fabric, a dress form, he had a sewing machine already and he was on his way.
The thing is, Jerry has amazing talent. He has an incredible design eye, a hand for detail and accepts nothing less than perfection. Jerry and I share similar educational backgrounds, both of us studying costuming with a focus on design and construction. Jerry went on to earn his MFA on the subject, so he'll be overseeing pretty much anything having to do with the creative side of the business. I went on to study my MBA while learning the ins & outs of the fashion industry, therefore, my focus is on making the business side work. Each of us shares our input on the other's activities but with respect of each other's strengths. This is gonna work. It's that feeling that continus to pester us! We just know it in our guts.
November 2, 2010 - Our Overton Monroe blog is established! This makes us committed. We seem to have a following that we just can't let down! We're out there now and we promise NOT to disappoint! Failure isn't something either of us accept well.
November 21, 2010 - On the advice of our super awesome corporate counsel, Michael Hughes of MH&A, LLC, we are officially established as an LLC in the state of New Jersey, we have a Fed Tax ID number and we are approved for our Overton Monroe Amex. Jerry and I are equal partners and share equal responsibility. Even closer to making this happen. Even further from any chance of turning back. We are in this thing knee deep and loving it.
**SIDEBAR - I know, I know....how are we planning to fund this venture? Anyone establishing a line would be wondering how to get off the ground, financially that is. Well, we're doing it on our own. Through the sampling stage, Jerry and I are accepting full financial responsibility, funding the line with our own cash (the little amount we are willing to risk)...basically on a shoe-string budget. We're lucky though. We have cut out the most expensive piece in the development stages, which is sampling. Jerry, putting to use all those years of eduction, is designing, patterning/draping, sewing the protos, fitting, correcting patterns and then sewing the salesman samples all on his own. What expenses do we have then? Well, we've narrowed that down to fabric and trims, more or less. We have other external things like website development, photo shoot expenses, label development (although branding is being done internally with a little help from our friends). We're gonna be just fine.
November 22, 2010 - Our proto fitting is scheduled. The weekend of December 12. Again, we are lucky here. Strange how things seem to fall right into place. A few friends of my little sister happen to have the right "look" and right measurements. They will become our fit and print models. They are back in Pennsylvania but we're using that to our advantage. We'll be staging the photo shoot in Western, PA...keeping cost down and allowing space and time for us to capture just the right shots.
December 7, 2010 - Jerry arrived in NYC....now we're really serious. For the next 2 months, Jerry and I have no time to waste. He'll be staying with Mike & I allowing us to put to use every spare moment of our time to focus on Overton Monroe. While he prepared for our Dec 12th fitting, I secured the domain name, http://www.overtonmonroe.com/ (don't look at the website yet...we have nothing to show!)
December 12, 2010 - Fitting....for 6 hours! But all 18 of our styles look amazing! What a great job. Pat on the back to Jerry. After a long day of fitting, back to NYC to start affecting the patterns, make final selection of fabric and trims and get the salesman samples underway.
And now? Keep reading! We've got lots to discuss...
No comments:
Post a Comment