Katwise

The runaway upcycling of Kat O'Sullivan who's shop katwise is the most successful clothing shop on Etsy. Kat uses approximately 20 sweaters to assemble her full skirted coats. She has been upcycling sweaters to make hoodies and fingerless gloves for over 20 years. It is interesting to see the evolution of her work even in the 4-5 year history of her etsy shop by going back through her sold items.

Rachel Sigmon

Outlandish, wild and colourful pieces by Rachel Sigmon. Full of fun and humour and using many of your themes of; sweets, toys and bright, bright colour.

13threads

I want to introduce you to Lois of 13threads who is a local designer making one off, bespoke items and limited editions. I asked Lois for an interview so she could share some of her wisdom and thoughts about being a self employed designer.

How did you come to make the fashion you make?

"I could never afford or find the clothes that I really wanted to wear, so I decided to make my own. I wanted to wear something different. Then people started to comment on what I was wearing, asking me where I got it . . . and then ask me to make them one.

I have always been interested in clothes, in historical and 'traditional' fashion and costumes. Also I was always interested in why particular styles and shapes were worn at certain periods of time - the social/ cultural influences on what we wear. Then the more I began to sew and create my own pieces, the more I became interested in the actual construction of the garments and couture techniques.

Were you formally trained in fashion?

No I studies anthropology at UCLA.

Most of my training/learning about fashion has come from my own passion, research and experience. Although what I do does not compare to the big business of the fashion world, I still have had to learn the fundamentals of fashion design, construction, marketing and branding.

Once I have an idea of what I want to make, I draw a flat sketch of it so that I can see how it could be made - placement of seams, darts, pleats etc. Then I create a rough pattern and toile. I like to know how the inside of the garment looks as well as the outside. I have to be sure it is comfortable and can be adjusted to other sizing's and then I source fabrics. Sometimes the fabric dictates the design and sometimes lovely designs are left unmade as I cannot find the fabric I want.

For me, sourcing fabrics is one of the most difficult parts of the process. Not only limited by the lack of fabric suppliers here in Scotland, I am also limited by the cost of fabrics. Because I am only buying small quantities of fabrics- most of my pieces are one offs or limited editions - I am unable to buy wholesale.

Does selling on Etsy work for you or do you sell your work in other ways?

Etsy is hard work!! You are one of the many hundreds of thousands of shops on there so it takes a lot of time to get noticed. You have to be patient and if you can, have other outlets to get your work out there, however a kind mention on the front page of Etsy can bring many sales from a customer base all around the world. Through Etsy, I have sold to the US, Australia, Greece, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Poland, Switzerland . . . and many times to repeat customers.

Up until recently I just used Etsy to sell my work. I do have my own website but lack of time and money to promote the site has meant that it is not finished. I have avoided having my work in shops because of the large mark up that I believed would make my clothes far too expensive. However after selling a few pieces in a shop in Edinburgh over the summer with the price tag reflecting the shops 100% mark up, I have decided to give this a go. Also coincidentally, I have recently been contacted by two architects who have opened up their own shops- one in London and one in Bergamo . . . I have already shipped my second order to Italy!

What is your main inspiration?

A desire to create something different, to express an idea, a look, a feeling.

Do you employ anyone?

No. I do everything from the pattern drafting, to the cutting, sewing, ironing, photography, emailing, packaging, posting, promoting, blogging . . .

What do you find are the drawbacks of being self employed?

It is difficult to switch off - especially since I work from home.

What are the positives of being self employed?

If you like to work really hard and care about what you are doing, then the positives are too many to mention.

What are your ambitions for the future?

Right now, I don't know how to answer this as I am enjoying what I do right now, and my 'to do' list for this week is keeping me pretty much focused on just getting through this week. However seeing some of my clothes hanging in the windows of some more stylish boutiques in beautiful places around the world is quite ambitious!

. . . and anything you think would be relevant to a budding fashion designer?

The fashion industry is huge - know your subject. If I could have answered the phones or made the coffee in a big fashion house just to get a glimpse of what goes on - I would have! Fashion design is only one part of a much bigger and equally creative and inspiring process.

Many thanks Lois for taking the time to answer these questions. I hope your business goes from strength to strength and continues to bring you and your clients much joy.

Aprons and Apron Dresses from Kate Emerson Designs

These aprons and apron dresses from Kate Emerson Designs use bold colours, layering and contrast to great effect.

Aprons by Vittoria

ApronsByVittoria is another etsy shop specialising in vintage style aprons with a full, 1950's style skirt.

Aprons

Etsy is a rich market place for designers and artists to have an international platform for selling their goods. As such it is also a great place to research trends and get inspiration. Danielle of Sugar N Spice Aprons has some wonderful examples of retro style aprons made from vintage fabrics, which will hopefully inspire the NC's for their apron project.

Art Lab

Patricia of artlab Etsy makes these wonderful clothes and accessories from her studio in Brooklyn New York. Patricia uses print and ruffles amongst other techniques to embellish her stunning garments.

Dutchess von Dudik

Interesting Paper chain like applique by Dutchess von Dudik on etsy.

Emily Ryan II

"Having a shop on etsy has been quite the experience, both positive and negative, but I've recently been thinking about closing it down.

I did years of wholesaling to boutiques and local custom orders, and then decided to set up on etsy because many of my friends were doing so and having better luck than dealing with boutiques, As I'm sure you know, manufacturing on a larger scale can be quite the challenge.

I have always been drawn to a more artisan model, which was also the original appeal with etsy. Unfortunately, I've realised over the past two years that etsy has essentially taken a bunch of artists and artisans and thrown us into an industrial business model which doesn't work. It has become known as a 'bargain market' and is advertised that way. So people generally expect a custom made product for very little money. The average price point is far too low to deliver a high quality product. My friends and I who have been at this for years have tried raising our prices, but haven't had much luck. people tend to stick to items around the $100.00 and under. Most people I have met through etsy have had a similar experience and feel frustrated. I wish there was some editing on etsy's part, and I also wish they would help to market higher-end products. You are supposed to hand make each piece, which means no manufacturing. Hand made pieces should cost more because they take more time.

On a positive note, there is lots of potential for lots of exposure. When I was a featured seller it was amazing to see how many views per minute my items were getting. There are a lot of people looking on etsy. I think it's a great place to start out. Accessories do much better than clothing overall too. I've noticed that these types of shops do best... especially if they are styled and marketed in a contemporary and trendy way. Two great examples are Yokoo and Norwegianwood.

I would also recommend taking business classes, etc if you decide to become self-employed. it's much harder than working for someone else, so the more you know getting into it the better.

One book I love is The Fashion Designers Survival Guide. it has a lot of great tips and is pretty realistic.

When all the orders are finished I'm planning to move on to a different business model. If your students want to pursue etsy as a market place my advice is to keep the product simple. It is not the market for high-end unfortunately, perhaps this will change someday."

Thank you so much Emily Ryan for such a frank and comprehensive description of the realities of selling through websites such as Etsy. I wish you the very best of luck in your future ventures, for I love Emily's designs and hope that she achieves the great success she deserves.

Self employment is not an easy option and too often people sell themselves short and burn out, making great products, but not finding the right outlets.

Remember self employment usually means that you are designing, manufacturing, promoting, displaying, networking, packaging, distributing, bookkeeping and everything, yourself. This expenditure in overall 'business' time has to be included in the price of the finished product.

Self employment is very satisfying and of course can hopefully eventually lead to you becoming an employer yourself. I feel very strongly that enterprise and self employment, promoting creativity, invention and talent, is vitally important to make yourselves and your communities successful.

Emily Ryan

Emily Ryan is an independent fashion designer who has found success on etsy. In just two years she has manufactured and sold over 660 items just on etsy alone! Emily produces two small collections each year as well as custom one-of-a-kind pieces. She currently works from home with an assistant.

Be an entrepreneur and set up your own fashion line!

Etsy is a great place to learn business skills, to start your business, to shop and to do market research. It is also a great resource for know how as it produces tutoring videos on craft, marketing and promotional skills, as well as being a great place to shop for unique items.