BTS 03. I'm a Unicorn Genius, Maxi Pad insoles, Sample Sale news and beating myself up.
Behind the Scenes, the highlights and lowlights.
Hi! I feel like I live in a vortex of spiraling busy. Do you feel this way too? There is so much to share and the weight of all of it is a lot.
The Highlights and Lowlights. Last weeks BTS Behind the Scenes moments:
Highlight!!
Friday! We had a very good denim fitting and it finally feels like we are almost there. It has been HARD. I know how to do this, ha ha, I do, and yet, sometimes it is so hard.. There are moving parts and you depend on others and there is a lot of waiting. I feel like you feel at your 40 week pregnancy appointment, so ready and so nervous. Excited and like omg, get it out. Uncomfortable and impatient. And a little scared of what happens next. I have been growing this denim baby for over a year now, how does that happen - a year goes by! And just like a baby, it keeps changing and growing and the funny part, it isn’t even here yet. Birthing denim soon. Wish me luck. Soon! Soon!
Lowlight!!
I made a big mistake, the kind that costs 5k. Sometimes in fashion you are moving so fast you make mistakes, you take shortcuts.. and I made one this week and the only thing to do is suck it up and do the thing that makes me sleep at night and fix it and that just takes money. It F’n sucks when you are your own worst enemy, and the lesson here is to slow the F down Jamie. Slow it down and take your time. I am talking to myself. I am almost done with the self loathing and spiraling associated with blowing money on mistakes.. Only truth here… my lowest point of the week was this. I spent about 24 hours in anger beating myself up thoughts and have almost moved on.
Highlight!!
I took two circuit classes at 7:15 am and loved them. Of course I left getting in bathing suit shape to one month before our annual east coast family beach trip.
Lowlight!!
I saw another knock off of the double buckle and thong construction. Yes! I know it’s flattery.. but these become another brand’s make up too.. And it sucks when I see it. The thing that bothers me most is that people are copying the construction, not the design.. Designs are inspired by similar references.. It’s not the design inspiration, it’s the signature construction popping up on other’s lines that feels upsetting.
The way we wrapped our insole up and around the foot was developed to mimic the feel of the Sacchetto construction we do in our loafer, that hug like feel, it was intentional.. and you attach the straps to that “maxi pad wing” is what I call it, the wing like wrap that comes up the sides of the foot - this is a very unique. This is a signature through line of my sandals for the most part.. so it cuts deeper than the design.. because buckled sandals aren’t unique.. it’s the minimal feel and construction of this sole that is. Maybe if I start calling them Maxi Pad style shoes then other people won’t want to copy them.
What I found out is that maybe it’s a shoe developer who develops for these brands and he is liking my construction and fanning it out to his multiple brand clients. Maybe, I don’t know. And I get it. I can be inspired by other designers too. It’s part of it all.. I’ve been doing it for 25 years, I know, I get it. I’ve done it. But it still cuts.. My maxi pads are the 1st two - the the last 3 are those I have seen in the last month with this maxi pad wings insole design like mine.
Highlight!!
We just restocked 3 colors of the double buckles. Castagno, Cognac and Bare.
Highlight!!
I received this letter from a new customer yesterday and these are the moments that I love.
I have some summer gatherings this summer and needed sandals that were appropriate rather than my usual flip flops or birkenstocks,but would still be flat, comfortable and stylish.
This is actually not easy to find at all, mostly the genuinely comfortable part.
I recently ordered and received your double buckle sandals with the usual feeling that I will probably be disappointed and feel dumb for spending so much money. They are described as a “second skin” sandal and I thought “yeah right” but I really liked the way they looked.
Well OH MY GOD yes! they actually ARE a second skin shoe and it took exactly just 1 trip to the grocery store for them to be completely broken in. And they are gorgeous.
I am writing to thank you and tell you that you, my dear, are a unicorn. A unicorn genius.
You have a customer forever! Just wish I knew about you sooner:)
I hope to get the crocodile ones asap!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart all the way to my feet.
Highlight!!
We are having a sample sale. For me! I get to know that the leftovers we have, the extra samples and slight second quality inventory and leftover inventory that is from 2022/2023 can find homes in a sustainable and highly appreciated way. Also I get to meet people, and they come to my studio and it’s a really fun time and people are soooo excited and I love it.
Anything else?
I had a wine night at Tilda, an Echo Park wine bar with front stoop seating and amazing trout dip and chips, with a friend who is a shoe designer, mentor.. I might of actually had two wine nights at Tilda in the last 7 days and that is my recent happy place.
I also went to Loretto in Frog Town last night with my husband and we ate way too much but it was also really good and felt like Old Malo vibes meets Ceviche. And then I went to sleep at 9:30pm which felt like heaven after this week. I got into bed and I am mid Re Read of All Fours by Miranda July because I am not ready to put it down and move on yet. I read it on the way to Italy last month and basically just keep re reading it because I loved it so..
Happy Sunday!
xx
Jamie
You ARE DEFINITELY a unicorn genius..I too feel as though I will wear my double buckles to the ground. They are everything: far more chic and less casual than Birks, second-skin comfortable, and grounding. Trying to resist buying a second IDENTICAL pair (again with the python) so I can keep one in my teeny Paris apartment (they are getting a lot of compliments in this very hot Paris August!).