The Start of Something Great (02/07/13)
This entry is originally from February 13, 2013. I felt like if I should tell you the story of Well-Loved I should start at the beginning. Enjoy!
Recently I've been thinking about what Well-Loved can mean on a bigger scale. I don’t want to make just purses, I want to do something bigger. I have always loved working with leather, something about leather feels so human and sincere. I love that leather ages and that it gets better with time and experiences. Its like a person, we are a product of our memories and trials. I love that people are different that they are products of their amazing lives. I think about my favorite mary janes, Biviel makes them, but they are so much more than a pair of shoes. I am positive that my shoes are different than everyone else’s’ because I have had so many adventures. To start they are a leather covered wedge, with a pointy toe and punched leather like a businessman’s shoe. They are the perfect shade of brown; the color alone can make you feel like someone has already lived marvelous adventures in them. They are sophisticated, but they don’t take themselves too seriously. If they were a person they would be brimming with confidence and laughing in the back of class. They know they are different and quirky and embrace it. They are to me, a novel of memories all held in the leather and wearing in the heel. I think its beautiful that the leather breathes you in and adjusts to your unique feet. I remember nervously walking across State St. passing under the big copper Marshall Fields clock with Kelsey. I was so nervous that I was going to see a boy I had been writing to for months and hadn’t seen in close to a year. I remember looking down at my favorite Mary Janes as I crossed the street and looking up at the Borders’ window. I looked down and thought I am a confident woman I can do this. I think sometimes in life were alone and we have to find confidence in our dressings. I think of a big speech and you would look down and think of these beautiful shoes and the memories in them and carry on. I wore my favorite Mary Janes to my golden birthday celebration at North Avenue beach, and ran up snow covered court house steps to my wedding. During memories that I would later recall to friends, these shoes quietly listened and comfortingly gazed back at me. As much passion as I have for producing shoes, I think handbags could be something great. It’s the love affair with shoes, without the pinching at your heels. Its a vessel for whats important and whats cherished. I just carried on about my love for my favorite heels, instead of explaining what “Well-Loved’ means. Haha
The Idea:
I feel like life can be so hard sometimes that we get lost in what's not there and everything that we are doing wrong. I think I am a naturally self-critical person and sometimes I just have to say a prayer and give myself a pep talk as I am walking into the situation. I was in a pretty prestigious fashion department and I feel like alot of the time fashion can be mean and shallow. It can be a reminder of everything your not. I thought that if I was going to make something I would want it to be something that did good, and made people feel good. I started making these purses, some are lined with t-shirts and very cozy, and some are lined with whimsical cottons and bold lace. Inside of the purses is a small little fortune cookie fortune sized note that says, "you are well-loved." Its a reminder that every time you reach for something you will see and it will remind you of how loved you are. The linings are also important they are for the owner not for the public. The outside of a bag is what you show the world, but the lining is just for you.
Tonight, I am sitting here so lost about which direction to go. My husband told me that I can't be Howard Hughes. He told me that Howard designed these amazing planes, but got so caught up on the details that they ended up costing him crazy amount of money and he couldn’t finish them because he was so stressed about every little detail. I can see the similarities. I think I am scared about people not liking what I produce. I feel like there are so many details I want to do, like have antique brass chains with vintage hotel coins hanging on them. There are so many ways to make a purse, there are so many options that would work for the lining or the chain, and I am just stuck. If I could be more decisive and listen more carefully to the voice inside of me I think things would be a lot easier. I feel like I am just so scared of being wrong, that I am wearing the leather out from rubbing it and thinking. I want to make a bag that will be your perfect companion on every adventure. I feel like when I have a beautiful well-made, but quirky bag it inspires me and encourages me to live the life that bag deserves.This is all for tonight hopefully I will have many more notes about the process of launching Well-Loved.
