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Andy T - lookbook.nu
Showing us how to mix Vintage with new styles and other items. |
So I had a snoop around on Etsy.com and here is an interview with Claire from Dianescloset on Etsy.com
She discovered Etsy while searching for jewlery and accessories for her wedding.(Hand made items and blissful weddings do go hand in hand for unique Jewellery for you're once in a life time day!) She was very impressed by the skill and talent of the vendors and bought several pieces that She wore on her wedding day including a necklace, shrug and clutch. Her wedding dress was her mother's, though altered to fit her specifications and season (her mother got married in the fall, she got married outdoors in the summer). Shortly after her wedding in July, she quit her job to go back to school full time. She was in the process of searching for a part-time job when she saw a vintage suit in a shop window that reminded her so much of the clothes her mother had worn and passed down to her and her sisters. This inspired her to start her own vintage shop on etsy, selling mostly 1960s and 70s clothing like her mother's. She has always been facinated with fashion and if she hadn't chosen to study an academic field, she likes to think she would have gone into the business. She started her shop mid-September and has been working hard collecting, listing and promoting her vintage pieces ever since and she has an amazing collection with currently 49 listed items. she chooses unique items that can be worked into outfits today, giving a good mix of Vintage and new. It's inspiring that she just quit her job and was inspired by something she saw and has done so well at it!
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The interview... |
Me: How long have you handmade things?
Diane: I've been collecting and wearing vintage clothing since I was a kid.
Me: Where do you work from? Office space, the lounge, outside?
Diane: I work out of my apartment.
Me: How did you get into hand making stuff?
Diane: My mother passed down some of her loud 1970s clothing to my sisters and I. We also often went to thrift stores and I loved the thrill of finding wonderful, unique items. I love history (I majored in it in college) and I think that translates into me being drawn to items with history.
Me: Were you brilliant first off, or did it take a few attempts?
Diane: I've gotten a lot of compliments on my items but sales are still slow since I am new to Etsy.
Me: What led you to creating your own business?
Diane: I recently left my job of three years to pursue a Masters degree full time. I had been searching for part time jobs with no luck when I saw a vintage suit in a shop window that reminded me so much of my mom's vintage clothing. I was inspired to start a shop selling similar items.
Me: Do you think it’s been worth it?
Diane: So far, it's been awesome!
Me: Is there anything you would change?
Diane: I would love to have more free time to devote to my shop.
Me: Do you get many difficult customers, and if so how do you manage not to yell at them?
Diane: Like I said, I'm new, but so far all of my customers have been wonderful!
Me: How do you get you’re inspirations for new products?
Diane: What ever catches my eye!
Me: Is there any particular reason you started your online shop, apart from you love it?
Diane: It's a fun way to do share something I love with an awesome community of like-minded people.
Me: What are the things that you most enjoy about owning your own business?
Diane: The flexibility and the sense of accomplishment.
