Woke UP Brilliant!!!

Woke up today determined to be a better businesswoman from NOW ON!!!  Not only making deals that serve my clients but that will also serve me.  I am now stepping to the front of my own line.  With a smile I express..."This is what I will need in exchange for my services!"

Now that's a great start to the week!

Enjoy The Journey

I'm up for it!  Currently the journey seems a little confusing as I navigate my way through the applying-for-school-process.  What seems like it should be simple is...well...unique!

As Alice in Wonderland did I am going to explore and go along with all of it!  Gleefully!

So it seems that I am being requested to do my very first projects!  This IS exciting!!!

. A Sketch Test (shoe and purse still life) Great!
. A Inspiration Test (design a shoe, purse, and a belt - where's the hat?  Oh well I can play along!)
. Accessories Artwork Test (8 - 10 sketches of originals)
. Creative Arts Test (3-5 pics of my artwork!!! - non hats...CAN! CAN!)

WoW!!!  This is going to be creative good fun!  I'm not even in and I am already designing shoes!!!  FANTASTIC!!!

Guess I know what I'll be doing at the beach tomorrow!!!
Here I GO!!! Down the rabbit hole!

My Dream Request

The following is what I have sent to FIT (The Fashion Institute, NYC) for acceptance into their Accessories Design Program Fall 2010.  They requested an essay... What makes me the perfect candidate for FIT? Why am I interested in the major I am applying for? (in less than 750 words)

As well, they have asked for a portfolio of 8 images...so here's what I gave them (Your's are in slide show form!)
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Have you ever been so ready to launch out into the world, but unsure of what is the first step? To say, “Here I am! I have all this to offer! Just what you have been waiting for! I am ready!” Yet, you are not sure who to say this to?


What about feeling like you have been growing but you realize you need help, and yet how do you get help? Or you have been successful in small-scale ways, and now you want to really take the leap but, again, from where to where?

I feel all of these. My label is Paradise Millinery, and I am currently based on Maui, Hawaii. I have been a milliner for twenty years now, and I am self-taught. My education thus far has included experimentation, reading books, and trial and error. I have designed, created and sold at least a hundred originals, likely more; each was, for the most part, one of a kind.

My current target market is broad, ranging from women ages 35-70. My hats sell from $50 - $450. I would like to have them sell from $225 - $450+. At this time I sell them at a boutique here on Maui, and out of my home studio.

So why school now? Why FIT Accessories Design program? Simple. It is time to grow.

This is where FIT is so important to me. I need your expertise. I want to be shown the very basics of hat making. I have been creating all of these years, yet do not know how to properly use the four hat blocks I own. I need instruction. What sort of machines do milliners use? How do I use buckram? I want knowledge. How do I go about hiring a staff? What do I pay them? I want to be the very best hat designer, fully equipped to take on the fashion world and inspire the masses to wear hats again. They did in the past, but I want to be the future.

My future needs FIT. I need the business skills I will learn here to polish myself and prepare my company for the success I feel within me. I need contacts and information on how to source materials. How do I budget and launch my line? How do I get into the market? How do I get my line onto the runways? FIT knows exactly how!

I have realistic goals for taking what I have now and fully pursuing my passion with total dedication. I am ready to be a star student. To ask questions. To study. To learn. To launch.

I haven't even mentioned the whole shoe bliss and handbag scenario. These are accessories I have long wanted to create. These will make great partners to my hats. This program is designed perfectly for my needs, for my future, for my success.

I truly hope there is a spot for me. I am so excited about what the future holds, and how much better my product will be with the knowledge I will learn from FIT. What a better business woman I will be. I look forward to this fantastic opportunity which will give me the courage to soar. Thank you for considering my future and my future success.

Rough Draft for My Future #1

SO... this is what I have thus far. Please Your feedback is helpful as I have not written an essay possibly ever! I look forward to Your thoughts so that when asked I am fully prepared, strong and confident in my presentation. (for those of you who may not know this is the essay FIT (The Fashion Institute of Technology) is asking for when applying to go to their school which is exactly what I am currently doing) Many Mahalos! xoxo

 
 
Have you ever been so ready to launch out into the world but unsure of what is the first step? To say “Here I am! I have all this to offer! Just what you have been waiting for! I am ready!” Yet you are not sure who to say this to?


What about feeling like you have been growing but you realize you need help and yet how do you get help? Or you have been successful in small-scale ways and now you want to really take the leap but again from where to where?

I feel all of these. My label is called Paradise Millinery and I am currently based on Maui, Hawaii. I have been a Milliner for twenty years (as of 2010) and I am self taught. My education thus far has been from experimenting, reading books, trial and sometimes error. I have designed, created and sold at least a hundred originals, likely more. All (for the most part) one of a kind, all created solely by me.

My current target market is broad ranging from women ages 35-68. My hats sell from $50 - $450 (I would like to have them sell from $225 - $450+). At this time I sell them at a boutique here on Maui and out of my current home studio.

So why school now? Why FIT Accessories Design program? Simple. It is time to grow.

This is where FIT is so important to me. I need your expertise. I want to be shown the very basics of hat making. I have been creating all these years and yet I have never used a hat block properly (I own four currently). I need instruction. What sort of machines do Milliners use? How do I use buckram? I want knowledge. How do I go about hiring a staff? What do I pay them? I want to be the very best hat designer, fully equipped to take the fashion world and inspire the masses to wear hats again. They did in the past but I am the future.

My future needs FIT. I need the business skills I will learn here to polish myself and prepare my company for the success I feel within me. I need contacts and information on sourcing. How do I budget and launch a line? How do I get into the market? How do I get my line onto the runways? FIT knows exactly how!

I have realistic goals to take what I have now and fully pursue my passion with total dedication. I am ready to be a star student. To ask questions. To study. To learn. To launch.

I haven't even mentioned the whole shoe bliss and handbag scenario. Both accessories I have long wanted to learn to create. Both are great partners to my hats. This program is designed perfectly for my needs, for my future, for my success.

I truly hope there is a spot for me. I am so excited about what the future holds. How much better my product will be with the knowledge I learn from FIT. What a better business woman I will be. I look forward to this fantastic opportunity which will give me the courage to soar.  Thank you for considering my future and my future success.

brainstorming!

Preparing for the essay I will be writing for FIT

What makes Me the Perfect Candidate for FIT? Why am I interested in the major I am applying for?

Here's my first draft brainstorm:

1. I AM A MILLINER
. Company name: Paradise Millinery specializing in originals and one of a kind hats
. 20 years experience
. self taught

2. READY TO LAUNCH
. want techniques to grow, want instruction
. want skills and understanding to grow in the business world of fashion
. ALWAYS wanted to learn how to create shoes and handbags (perfect pairing for hats!)

3. MY GOALS
. to open a shop where I create and sell my hats, handbags, and shoes, as well as, operate a gallery to feature my artwork and support local artists through monthly shows and events.
. to work with designers in creating hats to compliment their lines for runway and market.
. to become a better designer and business woman so that I can live an exceptional life doing and succeeding in what I was born to DO!

MY CONCLUSION:
I am SO READY to learn! I am open to all the expertise that FIT offers. I need FIT to grow. I have gone as far as I can in 20 years of learning on my own. Because I am established in my design work I will be able to keep my aesthetic while fine tuning, polishing and preparing myself for ultimate success.

I look forward to the true opportunity to learn, ask questions, step through the doors that FIT will open. Truly this will be a dream come true.




So over the weekend I will be spinning all these ideas into what I hope to be an inspiring, irresistible essay for success. I am VERY open to thoughts, help, and ideas if you have any. Mahalo!

essay, theme, pick me...please??!?! part 1

750 words as to why I should be chosen to go to The Fashion Institute Of Technology for Accessories Design

So I was able to finally print some info regarding the process of becoming a "chosen" student. I may have missed the Fall entry...but I am still going to go for it. I don't know that Accessories Design is as popular as Fashion Design so I "may" be in time.

It really doesn't matter. I am goiiiiiiiiiiiiing! (I will have to tone down my creative spellings and love of ... for the theme!) Fall/Spring/Whenever!!! (ok I'll tone down the !!! too. Oh THAT will be a challenge!)

So I think the best way to write the best theme (they are asking for a theme, of course) is to write from the heart and have those brilliant minds around you HELP ME EDIT to "less" than 750 words of brilliance, determination, shiny goodness, and WHY!

No worries, y'all don't have to count words! I'll do that. I will soon post what I hope will open the doors, greet me with hugs, and brighten my future.

This IS my time! I truly feel it!  Brava! (perhaps the ending??? ... maybe : )

hats, shoes, bags oh my!

This is what I must keep telling myself as I find myself a wee lost in trying to find the very first step.

HATS, SHOES, BAGS!!!!
Designing ALL of these!!!! THIS IS THE GOAL!!!

So I will keep searching out information...what an amazing process this will be.  I will learn so much even before I arrive! I am thrilled to be going for such a stepping stone in my career.

I CAN'T WAIT TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE SHOES!!!!
I can't wait to learn more about hats...I have been self taught for 20 years and to learn techinques I will be SO amazed...and then handbags!!!  OH YES!!!

Today I have been searching for grants.  I realize this will take time so I will continue to keep focused and calm.  IT'S JUST SO EXCITING staying calm requires serious effort.

I will appreciate any information any one may have.  But thank God for the www I can search and search and search....and I SHALL!!!