Last week in between my son having a bout with RSV, a significant launch for my husband’s company (and countless tasks and hours for him at work), four school musicals in one week for my oldest daughter and the creation of seven bee costumes, I managed to prep and present to larger retailer in Seattle. Whew. On all accounts. I’m honestly to happy to have just made it through it all.

I’m going to share some things I learned with you in that discussion.

1.) Infant wear can be ‘evergreen’. (a term we used at Microsoft to describe something that can live longer than say something that is seasonal);
2.) Toddler wear is purchased on trend and fashion
3.) Traditional (pastels, bunnies, puppies, etc.) infant wear and toddler wear is categorized as “classic”. And, “classic” is comprised of ruffles, bows, pink, sparkle, etc. (I love this and so does one of my daughers) – at least for this retailer
4.) Overall, retailers are starting to branch out into a newer, younger buying demographic of ‘moms’ called “Modern Mom” – of which Petit Couture fits in nicely
5.) Assortment is KEY for emerging brands as well as tried and true;
6.) Operational foundations are CRITICAL in working with major retailers (I knew this – but, things like ensuring you have all of your trademarking, CPSIA certification documentation in order as well as meeting all requirements, supply chain, etc.)
7.) It takes a village to launch a brand…and buyers make the final decisions based on data, gut and preference. They have to make sure that you not only have a sustainable brand (that has more than one season in you), but that YOU have a solid business foundation (to make your brand something with legs) and that your product has a purpose and fit within their store’s line up. This all makes sense, but the ‘cocktail’, at the right price point for THEIR customer, is not an easy balance to strike. I’m told, that Petit Couture has the makings for such balance and that is tremendous feedback as I work to mature this brand and company.

I feel very energized by this discussion and I now have some tremendous contacts and solicited invaluable feedback about the line (Signature Collection AND the emerging Ready-To-Wear Collection that I’m working on – for release later this Spring/Summer). They loved the pieces and appreciated the attention to detail, the thoughtful use of texture and assortment as well as the color story I have developed for Fall/Winter 2010 and Spring/Summer 2011 for the Ready-to-Wear pieces. We discussed the potential to start with a test roll-out for the Signature Collection infant wear line (because it is evergreen and primary purchases are for giftables so ‘owls’ can be something on shelves routinely and not necessarily be something that is risky of being ‘tired’ to customers). As “classic” is a sure thing in the store, “Modern Mom” isn’t so the idea is to test Petit Couture in select locations that do well with more fashion-forward stores. No specific ETA, there is a potential for Spring, but MANY operational details to work out prior. It could be later this year. Regardless of timing, I am thrilled with the discussion and opportunity to discuss Petit Couture with so many incredible business drivers in this industry.

Much to discuss prior to unveiling or moving on anything, but wanted to share this momentum at any rate. I’m feeling pretty proud of how Petit Couture is developing and look forward to sharing more….

xo
Rebecca

I just returned from Las Vegas where I attended both KIDShow and MAGIC. Two dramatically different tradeshows that showcase established and emerging apparel, accessory brands and sourcing manufacturers. I’m considering showing Petit Couture through shows like KIDShow and ENK (MAGICKids ironically is too small) in the fall timeframe (spring/summer buying season). KIDShow in particular has a great reputation for being a solid West Coast show where many brands have showcased their products (more on that below) but I was struck by the energy of the show itself.

1.) I’m the founder and primary funding source for an emerging brand. I love what I do, but I want it to make money;
2.) This is fashion people, I expect art and fantasy;
3.) I have had the luxury of attending and hosting events in the past where bells, whistles and then some were standard…..the energy left me re-charged and re-focused and connected to my business purpose;
4.) Tradeshows are expensive to attend as an exhibitor (on average for childrens’ all-in $6k), I want to feel like the experience is a memorable one where people walk away having a good time, making money, making connections and feeling good about the time away from family and friends.

I had anticipated a room that was more ‘creative’ in style that evoked the fantasy of ’shopping’. I was expecting bells and whistles. MAGIC delivered that, but due to the fact that booths were largely enclosed it was incredibly difficult to see who was where (at least at the Platform show). There was a coolness to MAGIC, but no vibrancy. KIDShow had amazing lines and GREAT people working the show (reps, designers, founders and the event staff), but left me confounded. Do I? Don’t I? Is it the right fit? Did anyone at that show book the type of business they needed to? Did they have fun?!??? Did the lines there make back what they paid to be there?

I want to know what has happened and was the invigoration ever present? Is it because it’s a down economy and shows are struggling? Is it just the ‘culture’ of apparel shows? Is it because it is ‘fashion’ and it’s uncool to be excited? (Seriously, even in 3″ wedges I would still jump for joy and hug someone if they booked an order – cool or not).

Hudson’s “Maze” Display – Super Cute!


Don’t get me wrong, I saw some great, established brands like 3 Pommes (I love this line!), Tea Collection, Cach Cach, Kate Quinn Organics and Diesel. And, some amazing emerging brands like Cutie & Patutus (a mama-preneur like me based in South Carolina), Tiny Pants (a great new brand out of LA from a former stylist – and maker of my favorite piece seen at the show – a raincoat that is fabulous. Seen in the above pic.) and Tiny Whales (super cute urban-inspired line out of Orange County – and their owner/designers love owls!).

This all said, I will book shows for Petit Couture in the future. But, I am still hunting for the right one. It is part of the process, but fit is critical as are the sheer volume of buyers walking the show. I’m super happy that I invested the time PRIOR to investing significant money in a show that might not be the right fit for the brand or product line. I’m going to investigate ENK next (in New York and I’m told it is a great show). And, there are regional shows that Petit Couture will be at – NW Market Association March 20 – 22 – and I’m considering gift shows and possibly NW Kids in Seattle.



Rita Polidori-O’Brien of Earnshaws and Me

I would be remiss if I neglected to write about having the pleasure of spending quality time with Rita (pic of the two of us here), Erwin and Angela from Earnshaws. They are fabulous individuals and tremendously insightful members of their industry. I’m fortunate for the time spent and look forward to future meetings and discussions about technology, strappy shoes, battery life for our beloved iPhones, kids, politics and more….

Any recommendations for the right show for me?

xo
Rebecca

Hello! Quick post to let you know about a special Petit Couture sales event. We’ve partnered with Zulily.com (member-based premium shopping experience for childrens items) to bring you an amazing Petit Couture sale. I’m thrilled to be able to offer Petit Couture at such great prices through this special event. Some of our best selling items will be available like our Signature Burnout Ts, Mama Raglan Ts, Infant One-Pieces, Loungy Gown and more. Don’t miss it!

Be sure to check out the sale on Wednesday, Feb. 17. http://www.zulily.com.

And here is an event reminder from our Facebook Fan page. Event Details.

xo for now.
Rebecca

Happy Wednesday everyone!

For the past several months I’ve been working with a tremendous branding and packaging agency here in Portland, Sandstrom Partners. They are known for their meticulous approach to design and the scale of such design for commercial use. They have made much of the packaging for consumer goods that I personally buy routinely – just for the packaging! And, I was fortunate enough to meet Jack Peterson, Sandstrom’s president, over the past several months and they loved the brand in Petit Couture and the initial work we created with letterpress. I asked them to help me mature the brand and create a visual ID system and packaging concepts that retailers, and I, would love. I’m sharing some of the ’sneak peek’ work with you today. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I believe we’ve come up with some tremendous concepts and something that is fresh, inviting and will truly help Petit Couture stand apart on shelves and be something treasured and discovered in a favorite store. But, I’m a bit biased . Sally Morrow is the creative director whose brilliant concepts these are and I am forever grateful for her thoughtful approach in working with the Petit Couture concept as it is now and extending that in such a meaningful way. And, many thanks to Maddie ONeill who’s project management guidance has been ever-valuable!

The idea is that each of the Signature Petit Couture gift sets and separates can “live” in one of these special boxes. The woodgrain is meant to mimic the owls home in a whimsical way and will be a letterpress treatment. Accompanying hangtags and collateral (look books) will complete the ID system.

Please share your thoughts. Next stop: $ for producing these lovely pieces All in a days work for a start-up .

xo
Rebecca

We here at Petit Couture have been working our hearts out. In a good way, lately. And, today I’m excited to share with you some behind-the-scenes views of the makings of our Signature Collection pieces (and our lovely owl) and some of the production and finishing processes therein. Over the past year I’ve personally forged a tremendous partnership with OSI (Oregon Screen Impressions). They are the production genius team behind our magnificent Signature Collection pieces and produce the line right here in Portland, Oregon. For the past year, Casey Trimble (our account manager extraordinaire), and I have worked tirelessly to create all of the wonderful variations that exist today in our Signature Collection line.









From troubleshooting rhinestone placement to tab alignment, to ensuring that the ‘Petit Couture’ name labels are sewn correctly to helping concoct the precisely right amount of sparkle for our Signature Glitter Ts….it’s been a tremendous partnership and continues to be magical. To that end, I’ve worked with OSI to bring you a behind-the-scenes view into how we make our Signature Collection items. Here are some of the images. I love to see these because they continually remind me that every one of the garments and accessory pieces that we produce are essentially hand made. Each piece sees anywhere from five to seven different people before a Petit Couture piece is considered final. I love that so many people have a part in creating Petit Couture – especially when I consider that only one year ago, roughly, I was working on the ‘vision’ behind the brand. Now, Petit Couture is a brand that is beginning to take hold and has some truly exciting momentum.

To that end, this month, Petit Couture is featured in TWO tremendous trade publications. Hudson’s and Earnshaw’s. Both of these children’s apparel trade magazines has a rich history and is truly valued in the industry. Over the past several months I’ve been working to develop industry relationships personally with the leaders behind these tremendous magazines as well as with independent sales representatives and children’s apparel showrooms. I’m thrilled to announce that as of March Petit Couture will be represented in the SW United States and on the West Coast out of LA. I am so excited by the prospects. Feedback about the quality of Petit Couture has been tremendous. I’m working to improve the digital images on petitcouture.com so they better represent the product, but just as in ALL products with representation online it is extremely difficult to recreate the richness of texture, quality of product and elegance of detail in a 72 dpi image. Every company that sells a tactile good struggles with this. Not only do colors not translate, but your monitor at home will even resolve this post differently than mine will at home. C’est la vie. It’s the digital world I live in and love and will continue to invest in on behalf of Petit Couture. But, this challenge also means that I’ll continue to develop partnerships with individuals who can help bring Petit Couture to life ‘in the real world’ and to store shelves for customers to experience first hand.

I hope you enjoy the behind-the-scenes peek and the exciting momentum. I’m also thrilled to say that I’ll be attending KIDShow in Las Vegas Feb. 15 and look forward to the experience. I’ll post pics and share my thoughts as I meet with editors, publishers, reps and see the landscape. I cannot wait. Must find suitable shoes .

xo

Hello Everyone. Yesterday, we posted the following: “Flash poll for our Petit Couture fans: Do you think separating your personal and professional lives is a good thing online? (i.e. limiting friends in Facebook, Twitter and Linked In). Or, do you think its ok to jumble personal and professional – so your boss/colleague/etc. can see your crazy FB pics?”

We received very thoughful responses via our Facebook fans and Twitter followers, thank you. Overwhelmingly, most of you agree that mixing both personal and business/professional information is pretty standard form and ‘why go against the tide’ as one poster explained. For some of you the passion that you feel for your work life automatically flows into your personal and that is a good thing. And, for some of you there is, and should be, a clear distinction between personal and professional stating that there could be challenges with subordinates or superiors having too much access to information. In both cases, we saw very passionate arguements and feelings for both perspectives and a clear reminder that self “editing” is required in both cases. And, that this topic is quite personal.

The reason we posed this question is that Petit Couture is largely a brand that has seen growth via social network and more ‘traditional’ online channels since our inception last year. We routinely post information that is both business-based as well as personal in nature about the growth of Petit Couture, Rebecca’s personal triumphs and/or set-backs associated with the business and various and sundry tidbits as they pop into our heads. As I write this post, I am reminded that only yesterday I posted a Petit Couture update from my “personal” Twitter account @rebeccakw. Honestly, it’s a lot to manage – multiple “personas” – and I’m happy that I’m personally comfortable by the blur and freneticness of it all. I personally, and professionally, have developed tremendous personal and business relationships by the use of both Twitter and Facebook and the “entertainment” value of both of the mediums is what personally keeps me engaged – regardless of the business utility for both. Petit Couture has gained a steady ‘fan’ and ‘follower’ base and would NEVER have been able to see the growth in brand awareness without these tools. For that, I’m personally and professionally grateful and continually entertained. I love that I can update everyone on Petit Couture happenings, comment on someone else’s joke, rate a fashion poll and tell you all the color of my bra. Ah…the power and fun of social media.

Thank you again for your posts and dialogue. We appreciate and and fully respect and honor all of the diversity in perspectives that our friendships, fans, etc. provide to us.

xo
Rebecca

It’s been over a month since I’ve posted on petitcouture.com. I’m writing in the last three hours of 2009 to ensure I make the cut-off. With three munchkins needless to say, JKW and I are “in” for the night. That said, some reflection from the past year and updates….

2009 is the year Petit Couture came into formation. It is still a nascent business with a tremendous opportunity for growth and I’m personally THRILLED for the reception and continued momentum. Every aspect of the business I am finding personally and professionally challenging and fulfilling and it’s just starting. I feel personally grateful each and every day for the fateful conversations started last January that prompted the creation of Petit Couture. Since the company’s inception, we’ve held six successful trunkshows, we’re carried in four high-end boutique stores in the Seattle area and one in Portland (discussions with two others), have one national ad featured in ‘Hybrid Mom’ magazine, will be live online in Australia in January with ‘Triflenet’, and there are interested sales and showroom representatives in Japan and California! I even have a discussion scheduled with a major buying team for a national retailer in February! We also have a great following on Twitter and Facebook and I continue to personally make tremendous connections socially now. The momentum is so incredible! I still cannot believe how much has been accomplished in under a year given momentum didn’t truly take off until this past summer. And, even that said…..I’m just really grateful for the reception for the brand, garments and business plan. I love it!

You might be wondering what else has been happening ‘behind the scenes’. Well, PetitCouture.com launched last month – thank you to the INCREDIBLE web skillz of Mr. Diggles. Ecommerce launches in January (thank you James Paden and Jascha Kaykas-Wolff . I’ve also been very active in local to Portland business groups like Mamapreneurs, Inc. (newly named ‘The Power MOB’) as well as the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. My main focus this last month has been ramping up all of the financials and business planning for Petit Couture. I’ve been working on the five-year financial roadmap and have submitted an application to present and pitch in Angel Oregon’s SEED competition scheduled for March 6 at The Nines in Portland. Fingers crossed. I’ve also been working with a truly wonderful branding and packaging firm here called Sandstrom Partners to coalesce all of the packaging elements associated with Petit Couture. I’m so glad they agree the brand is perfect ‘as is’ and that we’re looking to mature the packaging elements to create fun gift sets and collateral pieces. All fun stuff! Lastly, I’ve been working on NEW collection pieces and I’m SOOOOO EXCITED about them. All of the hard bits remain to be completed though (fully sourcing all bits and finalizing local manufacturing….but as with everything it’s ‘in process’).

I continue to be amazed at what a connected universe (and a very small one) Portland is and how fortunate I am to have landed here while Petit Couture matures. I feel like that has been the biggest kismet moment of them all. I am so fortunate to be working with some of the best NW business talent there is to help me shape the vision and business planning for Petit Couture as well as the nuts and bolts of creating true ‘cut and sew’ orginal creations. I mean, Portland is an apparel town. I never really thought about it before. But with Nike here so many other large and small apparel businesses are here which is OUTSTANDING for Petit Couture. Great talent and I feel truly humbled to be working with so many great people here.

With that…look for exciting updates in 2010 and THANK YOU for being truly, truly, truly great supporters of Petit Couture. I love what Simone told me yesterday as we drove past a FedEx truck (she is 7 and can read now). She said, “mommy…what is FedEx (I tell her)?”. “Hmm….I like your Petit Couture better (meaning the logo)”. Ahh…Love it.

And, lastly….thanks to Sofie (who will only wear Petit Couture on ‘owl shirt friday’), Jules (who has no choice but to always be in owls), and Simone (who gets her friends to want ‘owl shirts’) and JKW…who is tirelessly, as I type, working on final ecommerce updates. All of them the reason, and opportunity, for me to be moving Petit Couture forward each and every day….

xo and Happy New Year.
Rebecca

What a great way to end the week! I attended the fabulous product expo that Village Maternity hosted last night in Seattle. Owners and reps from local and wonderful mama-run businesses were in full force and the crowd turnout was fantastic! Thanks to Kat at Village Maternity for extending the invite to Petit Couture. I donated one of our Signature white one-pieces to the raffle cause and it was really exciting to hear so many positive reactions to the line. I honestly heard nothing but positive feedback and “gasps” at the cuteness and the quality. Lots of questions regarding washability (which comes with bling) and I can honestly say these little numbers wash extremely well. I’m really proud of the products and the care put into them. I wouldn’t be so visible if I had ANY reservations about them. I love them and am so encouraged at the positive feedback thus far.

With that….Petit Couture is now available at Village Maternity, 2615 NE University Village Street, Seattle, WA 98108. Much of the line is accessible in limited sizes. Please pop in the store, purchase and provide feedback! They, and I, would love the interest!

Yay!
Rebecca

Reminder, please join me at Village Maternity in Seattle on Thursday, November 12 from 6-8 p.m. Village Maternity is hosting a childrens and maternity product expo that Petit Couture will be participating in.

Also, thanks to all of you for your feedback and support as I’ve launched the Petit Couture site. I’m super thrilled with it’s initial release and will be working to improve functionality in the coming weeks. As some of you may have noticed the site doesn’t have full ecommerce capability yet. I am in the process of finalizing that with my partners at Shopatron and am really excited for the release. For now, I have enabled invoicing through PayPal. Please contact us at “sales@petitcouture.com” if you’d like to make a purchase. And, if you sign up for a newsletter (at www.petitcouture.com) mention “NEWSIE” you’ll receive 10% off your total purchase PLUS there is free domestic shipping through the month of November. Super chic!

Thanks again everyone!
Rebecca

Petit Couture now has officially launched our web presence! I am THRILLED to say the least. I hope you enjoy the images, learning more about the company and purchasing Petit Couture.

The site was technically created by a truly fabulous fella by the name of Benjamin Diggles. I am astonished by his web artisanship and technical prowess with 72 dpi and fully, fully, fully believe him to be a kismet relationship as well. For a guy who has never purchased a onesie or held a baby bottle….he is a fabulous partner to Petit Couture and has beautifully executed the digital extension of the Petit Couture brand. THANK YOU!! I promise not to break code, listen to your web advice and not bother you too much with “so….can you just…” requests. You are a rock star! xo Mr. Diggles.

Also, the beautiful product photography is, of course, the fabulous work of Jennifer Tai Photo Artistry. Many thanks and appreciations to you Jenn. Looking forward to seeing you in Jan for our next shoot!

Lastly, thank you to my outstanding partner in life, Jascha. He is my IT guy and voice of reason. xo

I’m thrilled and I would love to hear from you directly and hear your thoughts about our site. Please post comments here!!!

More Later….
Rebecca