This is it folks, the day has come, today is Elochka's first birthday! Exactly 1 year ago, on October 15th 2012, I was opening my
online shop with only 15 products I had made out of passion and love for sewing, without knowing what exactly will happen after. I had my beautiful friend Rosa as a model, another friend, the talented Beatrice from
Bee Photography as a photographer, and a stunning old house as a location to photograph these 15 products. I remember the excitement of having my first sale just a few hours after opening the shop, but also the struggle of a few months until I started to understand how to actually get my shop to work on a regular basis.
Right now, I can surely say it has been the most challenging year of my life so far, because it was full of surprises, trial and error, and a very intense learning process which is still going on and will go on for a long time from now. Not only have I passed from a lifelong "corporate employee" mindset to the status of self employed and entrepreneur, but I also turned into the most fierce boss I have ever had.
But apart from the satisfaction of having turned my passion for sewing and vintage fashion into a business and income generator, what was really mindblowing for me was the possibility to meet so many nice people (my lovely clients) and to bring a contribution to so many events in people's lives all around the world. I made and shipped bridesmaids dresses, prom dresses, rehearsal dinner or birthday party dresses, even a few unconventional wedding dresses, to so many places that I can't even believe it myself. My clothing now sits in dressing rooms in the US, Australia, UK, Ireland, Romania, Italy, Singapore, Canada, Japan, France, The Netherlands, and Slovakia, but I get equally excited when I add a new country to the "Elochka map".
At this moment, I count:
- 82 dresses sold
- 43 other items of clothing (skirts, petticoats, capes, coats, tops, shirts, blouses etc) sold
This is a total of 125 items of clothing sold in one year, which may not seem so many but given that I also MADE each and every one of them with my own 2 hands, for me it's a huge number , especially considering that 90% of this "production" is concentrated mostly in the last 7 months :)
And now the SURPRISE! On such a special occasion as my 1 year anniversary with Elochka, I'm launching 2 new designs that I created in the spirit of the fast approaching holiday season! I will continue this winter holiday inspired line in the following weeks, so today is only the beginning! I'll be taking custom orders for all the designs in this line, so if you want a special 50s inspired dress for Thanksgiving, your Christmas party or New Year's Eve, I'll be happy to make it for you.
The first dress is a black and gold taffeta and brocade dress, featuring a sleeveess, fitted bodice and a full gathered skirt, all complimented by a wide sash that can be tied into a bow. The dress can be purchased
HERE.
The second design is an emerald green taffeta party dress with short, petal-like sleeves and a narrow sash. The dress can be also made in any other colour or colour combination, and it can be ordered
HERE.
This being said, all I have left to say now is a big, big, BIG THANK YOU to all the wonderful people who, directly or indirectly, made it possible for me to live this dream.
- my family, for moral (and consistent material) support
- my "adoptive" Italian family for the continuous feedback (and for letting me have my atelier for a few months in their living room, turning it into a chaotic mess)
- my boyfriend (for always being next to me, despite the fact that having a permanently stressed and busy girlfriend who also burns dinner from time to time and hates to iron shirts is not an easy thing) and, not less important,
- my lovely clients from accross the Globe, for the endless confidence they show me every time they put their $$ in my account in exchange of having something made by my 2 hands
Ok, enough celebrating, back to work now! 6 bridesmaid dresses and 6 petticoats are waiting to be made now, for a BIG wedding in Sydney!
Love
Ela
