Hi everyone! Can you believe it’s the end of July already? Summer is coming to an end way too fast—and I for one have not had enough! I hope you are all enjoying your summer vacations so far, eating all the watermelon you can get your hands on, and soaking up as much sun as possible—with plenty of sunscreen protection, of course!
Even though the end of month can be a disheartening reminder of how fast time goes by, it also brings you our lovely Q&A series where you ask the questions and I answer them. And, as always, if you have a question or two that you would like answered here, please comment below this post or email your questions to design@michebag.com.
Here are this month’s questions:
“What happens to the Shells that do not make it to production?” – Laurel Bruns
Some go into archive, some tend to work their way into my closet and the closets of my design team, others are unfortunately destroyed . . . and I say unfortunately loosely since some hideous creations have come through our design room. But most of the beautiful Shells that do not make it to production are auctioned off at our annual Distributor Conference, with proceeds going to our Hope program and its initiative to fight cancer.
“Aside from cost, what are the deciding factors that determine which Shells are made and released, and which Shells end up on the ‘cutting room floor’?” – Paige Whitley
Cost is truly our largest factor—but with that aside—we also look at what we currently have in our line and what we need to add to it as far as colors and styles. Or if we know there is something that will be retiring, we try to find something that can replace it, especially if that Shell was popular or was a standard color that people expect such as black or red. Many of the decisions as to what will be released are most often made during the design process—before a Shell is even created, we have already set the colors for that season and the trends that we are hoping to hit. We also look at our sales history to see what colors and styles have sold best for us in the past, and a lot of the time we take into consideration all the requests we receive from our supporters; there are many Shells that are released solely based on the numerous requests we get from people like you.
“How long is the turnaround from when you are finished designing a bag to the time it ships from the factory? What is the usual time in transit? How do you decide what Shells to make when you are working that far away from introduction to the customer?” – Barbara Van Kampen
It takes approximately four months from the time we finish designing for the product to hit our warehouse, and we design at least 8 months ahead. For example, we just finished designing spring 2012 and are now working on summer for 2012. When you design that far in advance you have to do a lot of trend and color research in order to know what our customers will be buying and what will be in stores at that time. To do that research, we use trend sources provided to industry professionals that are set by top people in the fashion industry; we also keep an eye out for what is going on around us, such as street style and what’s happening in other areas of the world.
“How do you choose the names for each and every bag? And what makes each bag specific to that name?” – Kalista C.S.
Our names come from all over the place. Many come from the people in our Home Office! We like to include everyone in the naming process and there is usually someone who would like to name a Shell after a friend or family member. We also receive emails with name suggestions all the time, as well as a requests from our Distributors and Reps. The majority of Shells are named after someone specific because for one reason or another that certain Shell represents something about that person or for the person giving it that name. Many of you may have read my story on the “Allie” Shell and how and why it was named after my daughter. And just like the Allie, there is story behind each and every one of our Shells. It is my hope that in future blog posts I can share the story behind a name of a Shell from time to time.
“What are some of your fashion ‘don’ts’?” – Chelsea Paz
I don’t think there are any “don’ts” in fashion. That’s what makes fashion what it is. There are no rules anymore—anything goes—and that’s what makes it so fun!
Love,
Jennie Platt’s love for fashion developed at the age of three when her grandmother introduced her to a magical place—her closet! It was full of old dresses, costume jewelry, fancy hats and scarves, and, most importantly, a bevy of beautiful bags. As a child, Jennie spent countless hours in her grandmother’s closet trying on garment after garment, always trying to pick out the perfect bag for her carefully-selected outfit.
Today as Chief Production and Design Officer for Miche Bag, Platt shares her love for fashion with women around the world through her beautifully-designed handbags and accessories. She draws inspiration for her designs from a variety of places and sources, including runway shows and fashion magazines, but feels her main source of creativity comes from nature itself. The self-taught designer joined Miche Bag as its lead designer in 2008 to help take the one-year-old company to new fashion heights. Since then, the selection of Shells has grown from just 30 to over 200, with new designs coming out every month! Says Platt about her designs: “It’s about combining that high fashion element with a style that is functional, appealing, affordable, and comfortable for the everyday woman.”
You can follow Jennie’s blog at http://blog.michebag.com/.
JANICE
Mary Jane's Bags & Bling 
