The Tin Shingle Blog - #HeartThisBiz

I have a few healthy addictions in life, but what tops them all by far is my LOVE and OBSESSION with the beautiful, innovative, quirky, genius, why-didn't-anyone-else-think-of-this products that come from small businesses, and I know my partner at Tin Shingle Katie feels the same way.  It's for that reason that we're introducing a #SmallBizStyle series on our blog, and the item I'm sharing with you today is  going to blow your mind!

I think the moment I discovered Tin Shingle member Loly in the Sky's shoes was the fastest discovery-to-transaction moment I've experienced in my life.  My only buyer's remorse, was wondering if I shouldn't have snagged a few more pairs!

Here's why I love Loly in the Sky shoes:

• Their designs include a range of options from ADORABLE and quirky to classic and subtle.  Should you want  shoes that people stop you on the street to talk about these are your shoes.  Should you want shoes that are beautiful but not screaming "look at me now" these are also your shoes.  She's got something for everyone!

• They are proudly handmade with love!

• The company's entire branding is well done: the website, the newsletter, their blog - like Renee Zellweger, they had me at hello!

• Hello affordable: Loly in the Sky shoes are only $39.00!

• Speedy delivery! If you're still with me and not snagging a pair (or 5) of your own right now, know this: the moment I ordered I had my confirmation email (not something that always happens) and the next day they shipped.

• They exemplify #SmallBizStyle

Founders Lorena & Eduardo Vazquez clearly knows what she is doing! Can't wait to see what they come up with next!  My feet are eagerly waiting!  Until then be sure you find them online & on Twitter & Facebook!

I'll admit it: My name is Sabina and I'm an Awards Show junkie. From the inspiring speeches I usually cry through to the hot, red carpet fashion and accessories choices, so you can bet I was tuned in and glued to my television and computer when Julianne Hough rocked the red carpet with striking gold (real) beetle and stick bug earrings. 

Fast foward to the after-parties and Brittany Snow is caught wearing the striking Spartan rings from the same designer.  I knew it was an independent designer and small business owner who had created those stand-out accessories.  As I always say, entrepreneurs make the most amazing and creative things.  I immediately had to know WHO it was, HOW they got their pieces front and center for such a huge fashion moment, WHY she thinks Julianne picked out those specific insects...point being, I needed the nitty gritty details on how this all went down.  Thanks to the wonders of social media and Google I was emailing with lucky designer Daniela Villegas within the hour and she graciously answered all my questions (even my non-business more-Julianne focused ones that I couldn't help but asking).  Check out our exclusive Tin Shingle interview with Daniela below and connect with her online and Facebook as well!

Daniela Villegas Chats Golden Globes, Julianne Hough, Beetles & Entrepreneurship Exclusively with Tin Shingle

How long have you been in business and actively selling your own pieces?
I've been designing jewelry since I was a teenager and I started designing for my own brand DANIELA VILLEGAS since 2008.

What did you do before launching your own accessories line? What led you to decide to hang your own shingle so to speak and launch your own brand?
I started making jewelry pieces for friends and family. I studied fashion design and started learning and working for different people until I decided to launch my own line when I felt the necessity to express myself without constrains. I felt it was time to open my wings and explore.

How important do you think celebrity product placement and styling opportunities are for a fashion or accessories brand?
They are very important because they provide you with the opportunity to reach different markets and possibilities.  However, I feel the most important part is to always keep the quality to the top and to create a piece with perfect balance between creativity and sophistication.

What did you think about how Julianne Hough looked in your pieces on the Red Carpet?
She rocked the Golden Globes red carpet. She is a woman that likes to experiment and takes risks that most of the times pay off, you can see she is comfortable and happy.  She is very well advised by her stylist Anita Patrickson.  At the end the red carpet is an important part of being an actress, she takes it seriously and I'm  sure we'll see her rocking the business for many years to come.

Why did you choose the insects and scarab you did for this piece?
"The Backyard" collection is one of my lines that is inspired in the insects integration and balance with the environment. Every piece has a story and symbolism. The beetles are a very unique animal with an incredible range of colors and patterns.  First, we chose the color that Anita and Julianne had in their minds and everything unfolded from that.

Can you outline how you, a small business owner, were able to get your product on a hot celebrity during one of the most high visibility nights of the year in terms of Hollywood and fashion?
Some luck, a focused effort and in this case it was especially made possible by Julianne's stylist, Anita Patrickson. She is the one that made the connection.

What did you do to prepare your website/social media/customers/etc for the big moment?
We enjoyed having input and interaction with them and via social media.  

What advice do you have for aspiring jewelry designers or entrepreneurs in general who may be reading this article?
To be true to yourself, to be congruent with what you are and what you design. To listen to your heart and when you feel is time to fly, do it!  Step by step, no need to rush anything. Work hard everyday and enjoy what you do.

What is your favorite thing about owning your own business?
The freedom I have to create my own pieces, how I manage my time and also the opportunity  to meet incredible people in different fields.

What has been one of your biggest challenges as an entrepreneur?
I feel the biggest challenge at the beginning  for me was to find great people that can help me to make my pieces a reality. I've been lucky enough to work with the best team.

Where would you like to see your business in 5 years from now?
Being represented by more fantastic stores around the globe, to expand on every level.

What other celebrities are your fantasy celebs to have your jewelry adorn?
I would love to see Diane Kruger,  Tilda Swinton, Kate Moss among others,  these are women that are not afraid to experiment and who create their own trends.

Get to know Daniela Villegas more, HERE

Have you ever realized one morning that you're supposed to catch up with a friend for a birthday celebration that night and low and behold you have forgotten to go out and buy them a gift. You'd love to pick her up something from the local shop down the street, but you just don't physically have the time to get there before heading out for the evening. Wish that you could go shop your favorite local shop without actually having to go to the shop? Now with a sweet little mobile app called Taap.It you can shop, eat, live and share local all from the comfort of your computer or smart phone.

Taap.it allows you to browse for specific products, exact dishes, and particular services (more than just store name and location) that your neighborhood stores have to offer. Everything comes with photos so you know exactly what you are getting. You can buy directly on the app and enjoy fast local delivery (even same day!).

Available for the Android and iTunes marketplaces and servicing the NYC area. Click here to download for free.

On the list of things I love in this world, here are a few for ya: entrepreneurship, fashion, "real" women, not having to imagine every squeezing myself into a size zero (or even imagine how little I'd have to eat to ever be a size zero) and people who see a need in the world or the marketplace or their own closet, and instead of relying on someone else to create it, they do it themselves.

Well meet Aimee Cheshire of Madison Plus, because she embodies every one of the items on my "things I love" checklist, and is therefore the topic of this week's Business Crush post.

Aimee is the fashion entrepreneur and trailblazer behind the online universe that is Madison Plus (I just don't feel calling it an online store is enough - she's got editorial, trend coverage, exclusive sales, a blog and more).  Chances are if you've opened a magazine or flipped on a morning show you've seen them.  Aimee's success has been amazing and it made me wonder, in a world where most clothing lines and fashion sites rely on models that more closely resemble hangers instead of real women, how did she manage to do what she does so quickly and so well!  Instead of wondering, I went to the source, Aimee herself!

Below, find my exclusive interview with Aimee Cheshire of Madison Plus as she talks "a ha moments", entrepreneurship, plus size fashion, how to run a successful online retail business & more!

Though we can probably guess the “why” tell us the story of Madison Plus (MP) in your own words:  What was your “a ha” moment?  When and why did you realize to take the big leap and risk that starting a business entails?

MadisonPlus.com has been a lifelong project. Even though I didn’t always know it would eventually be expressed in the form of MP, I was born with the “a ha” moment. At a young age (I’m not sure when exactly) I came to realize that there was a problem with the restrictive nature of women’s fashion. Somewhere between only being able to shop men’s jeans and having to buy an adult women’s size for my communion dress, it dawned on me that I should not have to go through so much to buy a simple outfit.  I knew then that I had to do something to insure that no one else would have to experience such exclusion.

I carried those childhood memories with me and continued to question the industry as I grew up. Mainly asking, what are the reasons for the lack of clothing size 12 and up? In a quest to find out I made it my personal mission to understand and participate in all aspects of the industry. I lived it from modeling and styling to product development. As far as I know I am one of the few people out there who has experienced and worked in all aspects of the plus industry and seen it from all perspectives.

The moment I was struck to get my act together and create MP I was working in Product Development for plus sizes. I was presenting to my bosses a collection of harem pants and a knit motorcycle jacket, pieces that were fashion forward and flattering for the curvy silhouette. They were looking at me like I had two heads and that’s when I thought, “I will never impact anything staying here!”  Their only focus was on finding the next million dollar v-neck tee, not uplifting plus women and providing more options for us.  That’s when I knew it was time to launch something like MP and if I didn’t do it right away someone else would beat me to it.  I also wanted to take advantage of the recession since the economic downturn was a perfect time to create a company. I wanted to develop the website so that when retailers and brands started looking for new sources of money I would be there ready. I saw an opportunity to help jump start the redevelopment of the plus industry.
 
 
MP: How long had you been thinking and planning MP before you put the plan into action and launched?

The majority of work started in 2008, figuring out what business model would be the best platform and further researching the plus market. My initial impulse was to create a clothing line, but being all too familiar with the ins and outs of inventory and the upfront cost of creating a line, I felt it would be better, considering the market place, to build Madison Plus slow and steady. So many companies come out of the gate kicking and screaming, whereas I wanted to lay a foundation and create a brand that customers would come to know and trust.
 
 
Did you have experience in the fashion or online retail business already or was this entire venture a “learn as you go” journey?

I went to college at LIM and got a degree in fashion merchandising after having earned a bachelor in Psychology at James Madison University. I was immediately hired in product development , for a plus size catalog company. I spent many years working for them and learned so much about the corporate side of plus to gained a better understanding of the restrictions and difficulties of developing clothing for plus size women.

While in college I was a plus model and landed in the pages of Marie Claire but most importantly I gained an understanding of what it means to be in front of the camera. That being said, no amount of preparation can get you ready to launch your own business. It’s learn as you go almost every moment. The brand is developing at a rapid pace and I am quickly learning what my customer loves and figuring out how I can deliver it in the most efficient way possible.

What was the biggest hurdle in your early days as an entrepreneur?  How did you overcome it?

The biggest hurdle was the first one, just deciding to do it and stop talking about doing it. For many years I spoke about my desire to create something more for plus women, for many years it was undefined. Once I was able to take that leap of faith and start developing MP, it just took off.

What would you say are some keys to running a successful online retail website?

Stay true to your customer, keep the offering fresh and exciting and always look forward at what is next while keeping your feet firmly planted in the present.

Do you feel tied to the “real beauty” and realistic beauty image movement (real women in America don’t really all come in a size 0) because of the company you run.  Do you see yourself falling into a role larger than running your business, i.e. speaking to and for women who don’t fit the traditional beauty ideal that society and the media carefully craft?

I hope so. I believe that I’m at my best when I get to meet with a small group of women and chat about their thoughts and feelings about the fashion industry as a whole.

For a long time women believed that the lack of inclusion was due to discrimination and what I have found is that the lack of inclusion stems from a general lack of know-how in the industry when it comes to how to best include and execute plus fashion. The plus industry is vastly underdeveloped in comparison to the mainstream fashion industry.

I want women to leave my site feeling equal to those body types frequently featured in magazines. For so long we have been fooled into thinking that the size of your body equals happiness, dating life, and attitude and I know that they have little or nothing to do with each other. I still deal with the same issues now that I dealt with when I was a hundred pounds heavier. In the world of fashion I think its important to maintain the caliber of exceptional beauties that they feature. Aspiration and inspiration are so important but I just want to see more beauty in a variation of sizes, not just plus or the infamous size 0.

I want to impact the industry from the inside. I want slow and steady change. If it comes on too quick I believe it will only be sensational or end up a short-lived trend. The inclusion of more body types in magazines and in the fashion world has to be gradual and long-lasting.

What are some of your favorite features on Madison Plus?

I love our Straight to Plus feature and our Model Off Duty. I love showing off the styles of all the fabulous plus models. Staight to Plus shows our viewer how to get celebrity looks in their size and it’s important to attempt that even though you may currently not have the same amount of clothing choices that your straight size counterparts do. It’s crucial to buy and work with what is currently available or else retailers won’t see the demand.

Where would you love to see your brand go in the next five to ten years?

I would love for it to be the main destination for all things plus fashion from shopping to advice, a taste maker and an industry leader in the fashion world. I want MP to be the spark that illuminates the dialogue around plus fashion as well as a fabulous platform for voices representing the plus community to launch from.

For you, what’s the most satisfying thing about being an entrepreneur?

Playing by my own rules! I quickly realized when working in the corporate world that always conforming to the preferences of others was not for me.
 
What tips do you have for others reading this interview who may want to start their own businesses?

Be smart and pace yourself. Research and understand your market and how your voice is unique from all the others out there. Don’t quit your full time job until you know you can stand on your own two feet with your upstart. Developing a solid business usually takes longer than you think, but don’t get discouraged. It all starts with making that first leap.