my maybelline mystery

So to my surprise I was chosen to be a part of the word of mouth campaign by Maybelline, and why not – I know I’m born with it..or maybe its…:-)

So a mystery brown box arrived last week which was extrodinarily light. It wasn’t addressed to me persay but to my imaginary twin “Jan”.  I tore open the box with my bare hands to reveal gold wrapping paper filled with pulse perfection mascara that were individually placed in a mesh black baggie. I was impressed with the consistent branding and the presentation.

I knew these babies would only go to the most worthy makeup driven friends who would appreciate the novelty.

First: Tania, she is my graphic designer with a lot of sass. She reminds me of a superhero with her firey red curly hair and athletic build. I am awaiting her first impressions and will report back.

I did not try it on right away, I wanted to wait for a special occasion as it seemed too fancy to try on in the middle of the afternoon.

Fast foward to Saturday – it still seemed too fancy to try on for an afternoon bbq but the prospect of it made me giggle.

My eyelashes are already quite long and black, but that doesn’t exclude me from the thrill of putting on mascara. I again tore open the package to find the black and gold sexy looking tube. I thought there would be some sort of battery attachment or weird way to hold it, but all you had to do was press a button and it started vibrating. I applied it and it was glided on quite smoothly, but I forgot to properly seperate the lashes right afterwards because in my excitement I went to show my mom. By the time, I got back to the mirror, my lashes were dry and there were some clumps, so I had to brush them out and even out the liquid with a small makeup brush. I think this will take practice.

In my next post, I will get a makeup artist to try the mascara and get her opinion.

a pinky finger grip on PR

After scouring the net for the definition of a press release and even sending a “pitch” to a local newspaper, I can confidentally say that I have skimmed the top layer of a complex industry. Later, after coming to my senses – I invested in a book called “How to Set up and Run a Fashion Label”. A dozen or so hot pink post-its later, I did not regret my purchase. Here are a few tips for start-up companies and the DIY portion of PR:

1. Study your competitors like a hawk. What types of press have they recieved and in what types of publications?

2. Make a list of media that your competitors have been in and all of the associated editors and writers that take care of that section.

3. Make a “press pack” that shows: logo, overview & history of your company, pictures of your product, and your contact information. This can be included with your press release when sending it to media outlets.

4. I personally believe that meeting key media face to face and introducing yourself is the best way to get on their radar. Blind emails and phone calls may appear pesky and end up in the trash. However, depending on the publication, the press release may be relevant and can get you in the door.

mindset meltdown

Some things to consider when attempting a self-directed life:

To do lists, visions, goals, objectives are very nice words. Lists can be completed, and goals can be reached. The challenge lies in looking beyond and figuring out what it is that needs to be achieved in the long term. This is the ultimate challenge since you must look at today’s activities as it will directly affect what may happen a year from now. Then, what about sales and day to day stuff?

Focus is the ultimate skill that must be learned, since doors and windows are usually wide open and its easy to throw a few limbs into all of them. Sounds difficult, but strangely fun?

A schedule for purposes of remaining sane should be constructed since life doesn’t wait nor does it stop for anything. A consistent space for work that allows focus may be slightly important. Additionally, a happy space that has light and pieces of inspiration is potentially a good workplace.

book review: the end of fashion

I just finished reading: The End of Fashion by Teri Agins which was published in 2000. I realize now that it is a history lesson. I wonder about the intimate details of the last 9 years and if fashion is now extinct.

The author reveals a very detailed account of the fall of couture, the rise of department stores, and the battle between Lauren and Hilfiger. She accounts the ending before going into the gory details which was at times hard to follow. Then again, the whole M&A and designer hierarchy is very hard to remember; I am considering making a chart.

I would put this book beside Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster, both books gave a great overview of fashion history over the 80’s and 90’s. I feel that it is still relevant today as Lacroix recently went bankrupt. This is an interesting event since he was couterier and then was LVMH’s little pet project and now that’s gone sour too. 

The question remaining is what is the new fashion model, how can a designer succeed in today’s economic climate? Is twisting marketing and branding to appeal and evoke emotions of target markets enough? Or do you stay the course of your own focused branding and target a select group like Zoran. I like Zoran’s method, however at the end of day how can you scale something that is exclusive? What of the quality of the product, workmanship and of course overall design aspects – do they weigh in as much as they used to?

We are amidst a huge change in the economy that will inevitably change the way we do business, not just in fashion but in all business transactions.