As many of you may know, in November of 2015, I left my job to follow my dreams. Becoming a self-taught clothing designer has been the biggest challenge of my life and the number one question I get from friends and family is "How are things going with your business?" Honestly, it feels like the longest journey I have ever embarked on and we still have a long way to go. With all the support and curiosity though, I thought it would be nice to document the process as much as I can. I know Amorie and I aren't the only people we know with dreams and aspirations. Hopefully, through all of this, we can inspire others as well.
»Behind The Name«
We agreed on our name in 2012. Back then, our vision for Thaidyed Design was very different than it is now.. I'm pretty sure we scrapped all of our original ideas, but the meaning behind the name has always stayed the same. For one, it was clever (we're both Thai) but the main reason for the name was to always reflect ourselves. Just like how traditional tie-dye reflects an articulate array of colors. Our business is articulate array of who we are and the things we love. It reflects our home, our culture, and what we enjoy most out of life. Another thing that stuck with us was incorporating the lotus flower into our logo. This flower arises from sludge and blossoms into something beautiful. A metaphor we hope to reflect by working from the ground up.
»What's Taking So Long?«
I think this is the number one burning question that everyone is too polite to ask. We've had this idea since 2012 and it wasn't really taken seriously until 2015, when I quit my job. I never anticipated it would take this long. For one, Amorie (my cousin and partner in crime) lives 150 miles away. Collaboration and finding time with her has not been ideal, but I'm happy to say that she will be moving back Olympia within the next couple months which means the pace will soon pick up. I also didn't anticipate how many different jobs we have within this launch. We are photographers, clothing designers, clothing makers, advertisers, social media marketers, screen printers, graphic designers, accountants, project organizers etc.. We are constantly being pulled in different directions, every aspect being self-taught. We've spent countless hours learning and researching computer programs and garment construction. We've also spent a lot of time researching the handmade community and other local businesses in the Pacific Northwest. We are constantly on a learning curve and just want to make sure everything is done right. I should mention I do have other personal goals I'm working on as well, such as, becoming a better videographer for my YouTube channel, working on blogging more and becoming a better photographer so I can eventually sell prints.
»What Has Been Accomplished«
I'm very excited to announce that the women's clothing line (initial launch) has been completed. I'm only talking construction though.. This part of the collection consists of 5 different types of clothing (cardigans, long cardigans, tanks, cropped t-shirts, and sweaters). Some items will come in different colors making this 10 pieces altogether. Sizes will range from small to large. We are about 1/3 of the way through photographing this portion. Once all photos of the collection have been taken and edited, we will be able to post them on our website. This part of the collection will definitely expand and a majority of the pieces will be "limited edition" simply because we are only able to obtain a limited amount of certain fabrics.»What's Coming Next«
We are beginning to start the unisex clothing portion! So far we've agreed on 3 different types of clothing for this (flannels, hoodies and crew neck sweaters). This past week, I have been busy making flannel prototypes. The hoodies and crew neck sweaters will have a graphic design printed on them. We have 2 designs in the drawing stage and 2 designs in the rough draft stage. Fabric colors haven't been decided on for these, but we have decided that we are doing only white/grey ink for now. Most items in our collection will be made to order, processing time may range between 2-3 weeks. This includes our graphic design pieces, we will not be ordering hoodies and crew necks to be printed on. We plan on hand making them in the studio. Flannel sizes will range from small to large. Hoodies and crew neck sweaters will range from small to 2xl (yes dad, 2xl just for you!)
»Our Goals«
We hope to stay small. I know this seems odd, but we have a lot of pride in being apart of the local and handmade community. I honestly dread the idea of needing a manufacturer to keep up with supply in demand. If that time ever does come, we will heavily weigh our options. We plan to sell mostly online, but also eventually integrate into local boutiques and maybe even have stands at local farmer's markets during the summer. Obviously, we want to also expand the line. We hope to release a new graphic design and women's clothing line piece every quarter or semester.
Other product ideas when finances allow:
☽Homeware☾
↠Framed and unframed original photography prints
↠Blankets
↠Pillows
↠Rugs
↠Dishtowels
↠Mugs
↠Decorative fabric bowls
☽Lounge & Delicates☾
↠Bralettes
↠Pajama pants
↠Pajama shorts
↠Kimonos
☽Graphic Prints☾
↠T-shirts
↠Muscle tanks
↠Zip Hoodies
»Our Long-term Goals«
Being environmentally conscious is one of our biggest long-term goals. There is a good amount of left over fabric we want to re-purpose into unique items (we are thinking rugs and decorative fabric bowls). We want to use environmentally safe cleaning materials and recycle whenever possible. We also want to transition to organic and non-imported fabrics. If we are ever able to, another long-term goal is to give back to the community. Whether that be charitable donations, art education scholarships, offering internships or public speaking to inspire the youth in our community. Yes, some of these goals are a long-long-long way off, but it is always good took have a clear vision of what type of company we want to be.
»Sneak Peak«
I want to take the time to thank everyone who has supported us this far. Whether it has been emotionally, physically or financially. Even to all the people who are doubtful or think we're going to fail. Without you all, we wouldn't have so much drive to reach our goals and never stop dreaming. Every time you like, share, watch my YouTube videos, purchase, hype and encourage it is helping us along the way. I can't thank you all enough. I hope you enjoy looking at some of our progress.
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