A Piece of Honesty in Your Marketing

June 02, 2016 by NY Handmade Collective

It doesn’t matter if you hate marketing, you have to do it if you decide to be an entrepreneur. I launched my clothing line last summer and since then I’ve regularly struggled with marketing tools.

It became more complicated when I moved to another city and found myself in the ocean of new customers and possibilities, which I hardly could reach. Back in Moscow, where I’m from, I’ve built an audience, not big but good enough to grow my brand slowly and gradually. In New York, where I landed unexpectedly, I have to push myself much harder to give a voice to my line.

I started thinking of honesty and its place in my ads, when I posted a picture of myself looking happy while sewing a red dress.In reality the story wasn’t smooth as it looked. I was in a new city, with no customers and no orders at all. My boyfriend pointed out my shyness, and advised for me to go out more, to build my network. Great advice by the way, but it goes against my social anxiety.

I’m writing this personal story to provide the reasons I got so concerned with my brand’s strategy. In February, I came up with the idea of an Instagram campaign #aboutusnotclothing — where great women around the World post their Instagram picture on the same day, April 16th (a totally random date), wearing a piece from my Figura collection. This project merges my personal values and my vision about clothing.

First of all, this story is about people, not clothing. Usual fashion industry focuses on clothing items rather than the individuals wearing them. In this sense I don't do fashion; I create simple things to provide daily comfort. And instead of featuring professional models in my shoots, I present real women with passion and a story.

I follow a lot of nice people on Instagram. Their jobs, hobbies, daily routine, morning coffee, and even favorite meals — these intimate details, significant for their very insignificance, are what makes these people real and cool. I contacted a few women I've been following on Instagram for years and asked to collaborate.

Surprisingly, I’ve found my way to say “hi” that feels okay and not so awkward. I’ve been so happy to work on this project. Nothing matters so much for me, but finding joy in process.

It is so cool to communicate with people whose works are your daily cup of inspiration. I was invited to Danielle’s studio in Greenpoint, for example. Her wonderful illustrations are my usual wallpaper for iPhone. Or I’ve made friends with Olalla, a beautiful creature from Canary Island. I"like" her pictures millions of times before, but was too shy to say thanks. Another muse, Fiona, a mother of three and a beautiful strong woman, lives on a small Scottish island, literally in the middle of nowhere. When I sent her a package and wrote down her funny address, which sounds close to “a wooden house near that big tree”, I was sure the package would be lost (it didn’t).

There are no professional models, no retouching, and no staging — just honesty. Let the people who wear your clothes decide how to present them! By this campaign I had a chance to highlight what I think of fashion.

aboutus.figura.co (the website was made in Baguette Studio)

I’m so happy to see more and more companies speaking honestly in their campaigns. Everlane was one of the first who took action around transparency. This winter they launched a great sale option letting shoppers choose their own price on select merchandise. You could choose what to pay and Everlane would break down where your money's going. I can’t agree more with Everlane CEO, Michael Preysman, "If you're honest and transparent with people, then they'll sort of treat you with decency in return."

What was considered a radical transparency years ago, became more common today. Look at a new brand “Thinx”, which is “committed to breaking the taboo surrounding menstruation”. They put out a campaign focused on “about-period talks, that are probably more intimate than any conversations we had with our moms, and they sound cool and refreshingly honest.

My other muse, Elizabeth Suzann, a clothing designer from Nashville, has a strong tone about her philosophy. She goes around the idea of essential items which you can love and wear for ages — “By ultimately creating seasonless pieces that can be worn a myriad of ways, we aim to discourage the disposable view of clothing that has become increasingly pervasive. Our hope is to return to the days of a minimal, functional wardrobe worthy of care and passing on”. She launched her “Signature Collection”, presenting a great photoshoot of wonderful real women.

Talking about beauty standards and stereotypes, I can’t help but mention Christian Louboutin Nude Collection, providing 5 shades of nude color. Usually, nude collections were intended to give the illusion of bare skin — but for only one skin tone.

Another example is a fresh brand Najo with its “Nude For All” underwear collections. They presented seven shades of nude — “Why try to fit into someone else's skin when you can shine in your own? We started Nude For All because we believed it was time to change the idea that there is only one nude”.

All these examples give me a real hope that we’re finally challenging this old world with its strict rules and standards around fashion. I’m sure that marketing can be honest, and we, makers, designers, artists, should be honest with ourselves and our customers.

Post by Elena Zaharova

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Hawaii Fashion Diaries (Part I)

June 01, 2016 by NY Handmade Collective

Earlier this year I traveled to Hawaii to attend my cousin's wedding. I travelled light, and packed 2 formal dresses, 2 bikinis; and a few versatile shorts, t-shirts and skirts for the rest of the trip.

I wasn't looking to make much of a fashion statement on this trip, but inspired by its tropical beauty, I left Hawaii with some ideas for a summer wardrobe:

1. never enough blue
Blue never stood out to me more than it did then -- the sky and the ocean provided a vibrant backdrop for every tropical view. After looking back on photos from the trip, I find blue gives just the right amount of pop without being offensive in brighter surroundings.

Red sand beach (Maui, HI) by KaiserFenix

Seashell friendship bracelets and matching blue-white outfits.

2. let the wind in.
It was a pleasantly windy trip. Normally I am not a big fan of wind, as I am used to the frosty form it takes during the New England winter. However in the hot climate, I welcomed the warm hug of the breeze.

Scenic stop on the way to Makapuu Lighthouse Trail (Oahu, HI)

Luckily for me, I'm going back to Hawaii this Saturday for another destination wedding! And this time, I've loaded up on the blues and loose flowy pieces. I plan to be even more relaxed and stylish as I adventure through paradise again. If the weather holds up, I'm looking forwards to sharing pictures with you all soon.

**'Made with Love'**
(check out @mycutebow for more trip details)

Post by Eugenia || www.moobury.com || Etsy || Facebook & Instagram @Moobury

Fashion Earmuffs

I Learned to Make Fresh Pasta in Italy

May 30, 2016 by NY Handmade Collective in "yum", travel, italy, cooking, pasta, inspiration

For a recent visit to Rome, Italy, my parents and I reserved an in-home pasta-making and dining class on BonAppetour.com, which I highly recommend doing if you’re traveling outside of the U.S. and want to learn more about the cuisine at your destination and meet outgoing foodies. If you're planning a trip to Rome, click here to find available hosts.

Our gracious host, Francesca, had a wide range of interests and knowledge in addition to offering three different cooking experiences; she is a former IT project manager, trained sommelier, Airbnb host, and artistically inclined. As far as Italian cuisine, what her mother didn’t teach her she discovered through experimentation, classes, and cooking shows on television. Learn more about Francesca and the dining experiences she offers here.

What I found to be the most interesting aspect of the class was Francesca’s association with making pasta to the creativity of shaping clay and working with one’s hands. Pasta is a staple for Italians, yet their attitude towards food in general, its origin, preparation, and presentation, is given the same respect as works of art. Pasta = Life = Art.

We made 3 pasta dishes from scratch with Francesca’s guidance, but since I am limited here to one post on the subject, I will focus on the initial pasta-making and the ravioli.

We began by “making the volcano” on a clean counter top with Semolina flour and eggs.

Throughout the pasta-making process, Francesca reminded us that our hands are our best tools.

As we took turns kneading, she told us to “Put energy into the dough. The best way is to think about someone you don’t like!”

As the dough rested and the spinach leaves steamed, I blended the ricotta with grated nutmeg and parmesan cheese which would later be combined with the cooled spinach for our ravioli filling. In Italy, there are four varieties of ricotta cheese available; made from cow, goat, sheep, or buffalo (water buffalo) milk.

When it was time to begin flattening our dough to form it into small sheets, Francesca instructed that the flattened pasta should look smooth and not have many “holes,” or indentations, in its surface.

After she showed us how to use the machine, the dough sheets needed to be passed through the rollers a few times more, so she encouraged us to “continue on your own.”

We cut circles from the sheets with a cookie cutter to form our raviolis.

A spoonful of the spinach and ricotta mixture went inside each circle, which were gently folded in half, and pressed or pinched shut.

When the making of the pastas was complete, Francesca, her son Francesco, and his girlfriend took care of the actual cooking and serving while Mom, Dad, and I sipped glasses of an Orvieto wine, selected by Francesa. We all sat down together for a lively conversation and a delicious meal which was the gran finale of a truly fun and memorable experience!

Nancy C. Sampson // The Nancydraws Shop

Yes Museums Can Be Free

May 28, 2016 by NY Handmade Collective in Have an Adventure Today

The American Folk Art Museum is a free Museum in New York City. Yes, FREE. Art should be accessible to everyone. It would be odd if a museum dedicated to Folk Art wasn't free, but still.

Many people feel that art is out of reach for them. It is expensive to go to major museums, even for artists. Many galleries have a pretentious air to them. But in reality, art is about our world, and is what gets left behind from our cultures. It truly should be open to everyone.

Right now The American Folk Art Museum has a beautiful quilt exhibition open until June 5th, in addition to their permanent collection. The collection includes paintings, weathervanes, toys, quilts, and furniture made by self-taught artists.

Thanks for reading A New York Art Adventure written by Sophia Di Vitto from Wine Cellar Jewelry!

Have an Adventure Today!

Post by Sophia Di Vitto from Wine Cellar Jewelry

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Desert of the Month: Homemade Funfeitti Cake

May 27, 2016 by NY Handmade Collective

When it comes to desert I love a spin on a classic and nothing reminds me of my childhood quite like a Funfetti cake. The fun colors are the same but the recipe and flavor profiles are updated. This is the perfect desert to be made with friends or kids (always with supervision).

My Adult Funfetti Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting will satisfy both your inner child and adult taste buds. This recipe is a little bit more complicated than my last which was perfect for when you are in a pinch but when you taste it all the extra steps will have been worth it.

Cake Ingredients

Yields 12 Servings plus extra for the crumbs on top

Dry Ingredients:

3 1/3 cups of all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoon of baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoon of salt

2 cups of sugar

½ cup of brown sugar

4 Tablespoons of rainbow sprinkles

Wet Ingredients:

10 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

5 eggs at room temperature

1-¼ tablespoons of vanilla extract

1 ¼ cup of milk (of your choice either cows milk, almond or even lactaid)

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

Yields 3 Cups

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature

12 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature

3 teaspoons of vanilla extract

3 ½ cups of powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and then using non-stick spray coat the bottom and sides of 2 9-inch round cake pans.

2. Put all of the dry ingredients except the sprinkles into a medium sized mixing bowl and then quickly whisk them to combine.

3. For this step you can use an electric mixer of a large mixing bowl and a hand help electric whisk. Beat the butter and sugars until they are fluffy. Slowly add the remaining wet ingredients except the milk. When adding the eggs do one at a time and let them incorporate before adding the next.

4. Pull out your pre-mixed bowl of dry ingredients and using a measuring cup slowly add them to the wet mixture. If you are using a stand mixture this can be done while it is going at a slow speed but if you are using an electric whisk you should stop, add the ingredient and then whisk until they are combined and repeat thee steps until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated.

5. Finally add the milk and mix until the batter is a smooth creamy texture. Turn off your mixer or electric whisk and add your sprinkles while using a spatula to gently fold them in so there are sprinkles through out the cake.

6. Pour your batter into your two sprayed pans filling them ¾ of the way and place them in the preheated oven. These cakes should cook about 30 to 35 minutes and are done once they are golden brown and a toothpick can be stuck in the middle and come out clean.

7. Remove the cakes and let them cool before removing them from their pans to continue to cool on racks. Once the cakes are at room temperature or cool to the touch you will begin trimming the tops off of each to make them completely flat. When your cakes cooked they should have risen slightly and creating a slightly uneven surface. Carefully using a knife slice this thin layer off from both and leave it to the side to cool and dry out.

8. After cutting each cake allow them to continue to cool and begin working on your frosting (again either in an electric mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk).

9. Begin by beating your butter, cream cheese and vanilla extract until they are smooth.

10. Slowly add the powdered sugar in the same way you did the dry ingredients above. Add the sugar ½ cup at a time and let it fully combine before adding more. Depending on preference if you think the frosting it now too hard or stiff you can use a little milk to loosen it up but only a teaspoon at a time. Remember to mix well between adding more milk or you will have frosting that it too loose.

Assembly:

1. Chose a cake plate or base that you want to build your cake on. I like to place a dollop of frosting on the plate first to help hold the first layer.

2. Place one cake down gently and frost it generously until it the newly trimmed top is completely covered.

3. Gently place the second cake on top and repeat step two when frosting the top. Now comes decision time, as some of you may remember from my last blog I am not a big frosting lover and have become obsessed with this new trend of “naked cakes” pioneered by Christina Tossi when the sides of the cake are not frosting and show off the beautiful layers you have created. If you are a frosting lover then you may want to continue frosting the sides; this is totally based on preference.

4. You are almost done now for the finishing touches, take some rainbow sprinkles and dress up the top of the cake but leave room for the cake crumbs.

5. Take the tops of the cakes you previously trimmed and gently crumbled them up into big and small chunks and sprinkle them on the top and or sides of your cakes, giving it an irresistible topping. Now dig in!

Download the Recipe Here

Post by Amalia Queller of Queller Crafts

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Quick Fruit & Nut Bars

May 25, 2016 by NY Handmade Collective

We all have those days where by the time you look up, it’s way past noon and you’re not really sure where the rest of the day went. Today I have an easy recipe for protein packed fruit and nut bars that make an awesome sweet treat when you need a quick snack to keep you go-go-going!

Here's what you'll need to get started:

2 cups Old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ cups chopped dried fruits *I’ve used apricots & cranberries today, but this varies with my mood. Get crazy! Try pineapple, mango, blueberry, apple, anything you like!*
Large mixing bowl & spoon
9 x 12 baking pan
Cutting board & sharp knife
Parchment paper

Lets get started!