New Contract

Yesterday, April 22nd I got an appointment with the boutique manager in her office. As the boutique in Genève was closed, and they've moved to Lausanne, Vevey and Yverdon, the meeting took place in the company office (Démarche - Artraction) in Charmilles area.

I've never been there before, and I drove all the way from Nyon to Genève in the morning. It only took about 30 minutes through the motorway, exit in Vernier. I parked our car in the mall nearby (Planete Charmilles) and walked to the office (about 5 minutes walk) not far.

Sophie took me to the meeting room and explained how things work now. She gave me a 3 months probation period (for my creations in the boutique) and we'll see how it goes. I came to bring her mostly the spring-summer creations like floral batik dresses, sundress, tshirt, shorts for kids and she took 12 creations. She said she'll put them in a boutique in Vevey. She'll let me know when it's ready. The commission is 70-30 now, before it was 80-20 .. so the company will take 30% from each sold creations. I think it's fair enough.

Doing a collaboration with a boutique is not the only thing that matters to me. Being able to create things and continue learning to upgrade my skills and my creations to be more polished that's what really matter to me. Being able to get paid for what you love and enjoy doing, that's the main reasons. I also take client's orders and looking forward to put my animal themed capes inside the creator's boutique in my area. I think with only two hands that I got, it's enough to fill my days and my pocket :) 

My First Kebaya

I have a client from Luzern, CH, she asked me to make kebaya for her. She got these gorgeous fabrics (I think it's a silk shantung embroidery - not an ordinary satin, I thought it was satin but it's more like silk shantung). I told her that I've never made any kebaya before, but I'll try .. she said okay. One thing I had in my mind: ask someone who've already done kebaya! and BANG! I got few names, one of them was a friend I knew briefly in Singapore who's now also take people's sewing orders at home. I was lucky she accepted to help.

Actually, she said: "you know how to make dresses, so basically it's the same" .. alright, but I was still puzzled and overwhelmed by the fabric and embroidery positions. I asked her once again, and she said: "open your fabric so I can see clearly" -- then, I took pictures of the fabrics and by a short text messages and pictures discussion, I thought okay, now I got it.  

I started by making sketches, showed them to my clients. She approved, and I could carry on to the next step: pattern making, cutting and assembling.

I didn't forget to take pictures for each steps I've done and completed. So my client (and my teacher) knew the status of the project :)

At 90% completed I showed my client the result of her kebayas and she was delighted. I guess mission accomplished. The rest is finishing (zipper for the orange one, and buttons for the green) then I could wrap them up to be sent back to Luzern.

client's orders - April 2016.

The show

Rheinfelden is a bit far from where we live. It's about 2-3 hours drive down the motorway. As it was still in the late winter time, where the snow was still pouring in some parts of Swiss, the road was a bit slippery, we had to drive carefully. So we arrived there around noon, a bit late from the initial plan at 11 am. 

The models came in, and I started to fit which creations to which model ..
I heard every time Johan shouted "mbak, ini modelnya" or "miss, the model is here", I asked their age (if they're kids model) and asked the size (if they're adult) .. but, one time I've made a mistake and asked the age to a woman (she's petite, so I just spontaneously asked her age) .. haha .. and she said "35" oh! sorry .. I mean your size? .. "I'm small or extra small", she said :)

But thankfully the make up artists were all working professionally and all make up were done before 2 pm .. so, when the MC said the show could started after a dance performance from a little dancer, we were ready.

But, still .. the panic began, the models didn't know who's going to walk first, how they should walk, etc .. although some of them (kids and teens models) were already rehearsed behind the stage and some models even already done a fashion show before ..

I tried to keep calm, took a deep breath and said "okay, how do you want to walk? one by one, or two by two? then you're going to improvise on stage as you can" ... so, that's what they did .. I was so relieved they're all doing well .. and relieved when it's over :D

Now, I only have these as a souvenir ....
Here are some of the photos and video from the show, hope you could enjoy! :)

 

Seize every opportunity

I got a chance to do a fashion show again. This time in other part of Switzerland. We live in Nyon region (a french speaking part in Swiss) 15 minutes from Geneva, and the event will be in Rheinfelden, canton of Argau in German speaking part of Swiss.

It's about 2-3 hours drive from home. I will be doing the show with another designer (if I may call our self, a designer, or well .. a "creators", "makers" whatever suits us better), he's a Basel based designer and he already did many shows than I.

Now I'm 2 weeks before the D day which is on Saturday March 05, 2016 and still doing finishing, organize things etc as this will be my first fashion show that I (we -- me and friends) organize, from looking for models, music, stage runway etc. It's kinda exciting actually ... I'm loving it.

Here's what I think: "Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occassions and make them great. Weak people wait for opportunities ; while strong people make them". So I just think I better make my own opportunities, each time it come knocking on my door.

Okay, until then ..

wish me luck!

I'm going to take some good night sleep first ... bonne nuit! :)

One of the creation I made for the event.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!

This year marked a new adventure again for me. The creators boutique that I've been working in collaboration with, has moved from Geneva to Lausanne. The manager said she will contact me again around mid-January. That means, I have to be ready with new creations before mid-January too.

 

So I went to Lausanne Flon area to check the new space, and found it very quickly, we just parked the car underground and when we went up I saw it immediately. Looked like someone guided me ...

 

I'm just excited. I wanted to show my manager, my new creations, I hope to impress her and I'll try my best to bring the best I could and not to disappoint her. This also a chance for me to showcase my works in other Swiss canton another part of the country. I heard Lausanne is more "hype" and modern than Geneva ...

 

Oh, well .. just wish me luck!

Happy New Year.

Let's hope for the best 365 days ahead!

 

 

Happy Ending

As we're finally come to the end of 2015 very soon, I'd like to note some of best moments, accomplishments or whatever you call it ...

 

§ My last "Marché" of this year.

 

It was at Marché des créateurs de l'Usine in Geneva.

 

Only one day (Sunday Dec 13th), one afternoon precisely, we're opened from 1-7 pm, but it was a huge success! for the organizers and for the participants, as the visitors were coming in non-stop and take advantage to purchase their last-minute Christmas shopping for gifts or for themselves. Petits Pas - handmade creations made a good selling day too.

 

When people told me to bring as many creations as possible, they're absolutely right! I sold all my capes (animal themed, for kids) within just 30 minutes after opening hours. I sold other creations too for women and children. I made a break even and profits just in one day. The place I reserved (the bigger) was only 2,5 m linear - which was just a tiny space, the price for that space was 30 CHF (waaaaay much cheaper than other exhibition/market space) and I pocketed more than 500 CHF in an afternoon (minus 5 CHF lunch - a sandwich).

 

This creative market was organized every December in the l'Usine de Genève (a place famously known as an alternative culture in Geneva) where the participants (the artists, designers, etc) got picked by two of the girls who's organized the event from their applications - which was opened in October. The chosen participants got a notification by email in the early November. Meaning, roughly a month to get prepared.

 

Some of the participants were designers (leather, jewellery, clothes, tshirts, graphics, accessories - bags, hats, babies bibs, decorations, toys, etc from local artisans). The ambience is alive and packed, there were 2 bars and coffee shops in their 3 storeys building, music was loud in any genre - mostly "alternative".

 

The downside was only when a headache hit me (maybe because I didn't get the time to eat lunch until around 3 pm) :)

 

§ With Ateapic.

 

The boutique moved to Flon, a hype area in Lausanne starting next year. They found a place there and the manager will get in touch again with me around mid-January. It sounds promising to me, new place, new adventures, hopefully a good one, although the manager sounds a little bit worried. Well, who could predict what's going to happen? no one. But, as I learned, life is like that, we could only try and hope for the best. Try the best we could and see what happens.

 

We did a stock taking in the old boutique in Geneva before holiday, and found out one of my dress was missing. Looks like it's stolen. The manager decided to make a payment for that missing dress in the end. I got mixed feelings though, well, I received a payment but to know that there's a thief in the boutique which mostly carry indie creators/designers/artisan who's working mostly for their passions and to help the unemployed to be active during their unemployed times ... it's just sad. Anyway .. life still continues and the creations too.

 

§ With customers.

 

I received a last minute order to deliver before Christmas. It was a dress for a girl size 140 cm (I guess 10-11 yrs) but actually the client said she bought it for her 8 yo niece. The client happens to live not too far from my place, still in Nyon area. I handed her order in person at Nyon train station before Christmas school holiday started.

 

So I guess, I'm done with this year. I guess, 2015 was a good year :)

Capes for Boys

I made capes mostly for girls before, and now for boys too. Actually someone ordered as a birthday gift for twin boys (around 4 yo), and I proposed Batman & The Boy Wonder (Robin).

 

My clients loved them and hope the twin boys will love them too :)