Most of you have probably already heard the bad news about the Lauren Conrad Collection going on hold. It looks like Lauren isn’t doing a Fall, Holiday or Resort collection, and according too her rep she’s working on a collection for next Spring. I’m not all that surprised, I knew all along that her contract with Viacom was ending, which means she might be looking for new financial backing for the line. The collection has sold really well for me, but it certainly won’t hurt for her to revamp the line, and hopefully she’ll be able to be a little more creative this time around. So here’s to hoping she comes back early next year with pieces that are even more amazing!

The picture above is from Heidi and Spencers wedding, where LC looked ah-mazing. That dress hasn’t been ID’ed yet so my fingers are crossed that it is apart of her spring collection. I’m honestly sick of her using that same shade of blue, but the dress itself just way too adorable.

ETA: it looks like the dress is Valentino. Too bad!

I’m really excited to kick off this month with a brand new product, The Boyfriend Scarf by Love Quotes Scarves. These scarves are cut narrower than regular Love Quotes scarves and they have shorter fringe (which they call “eyelash” fringe). And in addition to the new design, Love Quotes is rolling out a ton of new colors for Spring/Summer. This includes:

And of course there’s also Meditation (black) which is a must have. My favorite this season is definitely Azalea, followed closely by Mykonos. Love Quotes scarves have done extremely well for us and it’s awesome to see them do something different. I’m also hearing rumors that they might be coming out with METALLIC scarves this Fall. Ooooh boy, if that’s true I better get ready to stock up!

Check out the Love Quotes Boyfriend Scarves.

I know, I know, it’s been FOREVER since I’ve blogged. Almost three months to be exact- yikes! The good thing about the big hiatus is that I now have lots and lots of stuff to share with you. Now I usually don’t get into my advertising methods too much but I can definitely give you guys a few tips on how not to advertise. When I started my boutique I spent lots of money on online advertising, and now that I’ve learned the ins and outs of this business I spend virtually $0 on advertising. The only kind of paid advertising I would even consider dabbling in these days is ppc (pay per click) shopping search engines. And I’m sure many of you have heard of Like.com, a visual comparison search engine that is dedicated to high end products.

On paper it sounds like a winner, but my results with it were only so so. I’m really not telling you to stay away from Like.com, I would actually recommend giving it a test run and seeing if it works for your business. The actual point to this post is just venting my frustration with the lack of professionalism certain employees at this search engine have.

So here’s what went down. I advertised at Like.com for about two months last year over the Holiday season. And I quickly learned that they had a few stipulations that aren’t exactly user friendly. Such as…

So in other words, Like.com isn’t very organized and is pretty low tech. Let me just clarify that this was the way things were back at the end of last year. I believe they may have or are in the process of upgrading their nearly stone aged systems.

But despite all these interface problems, it’s not what really gets me about Like. What gets under my skin is a certain employee, we’ll just call her *Mya (names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent). Everyone else at Like.com is extremely helpful and great to work with….except for Mya, who basically tried multiple times to lay a guilt trip on me for not wanting to continue with their services. So after monitoring my account and deciding that I was spending too much with too little return from them, I asked if I could cancel my campaign immediately. And here’s a snippet of the passive aggressive responses I received from her:

We are very sorry to hear that you want to pause since we crawled your site and worked hard for your site to get going

second email:

Is your main concern volume? If this is the major concern, let me talk to our optimization team to see if there is a way to increase volume for you. We have already worked hard to for you to get going by crawling your site.

They worked hard. VERY hard. And apparently Mya seems to thinks for that reason I’m indebted to them. I politely reminded her that it’s her JOB to work hard for campaign and that her clients have every right to suspend a campaign regardless.

And months later there was an issue with a payment, and I simply asked if I could use a different payment method, and here’s how she responds:

I understand you might feel frustrated to receive this again, yet we have already sent you legitimate traffic to your site and developed crawling script to serve your items on Like.com, which already cost us more than $500

Keep in mind that the invoice had already been paid at this point. So basically she makes it sound like they specifically created this script for MY needs (which I know for a fact is false because the method was already put in place when I signed up). Even if they did code it especially for me, it’s something that should have been put in to place to begin with.

To be honest, I actually wouldn’t mind trying Like.com again but apparently I’m a huge hassle to them and too much of a burden. Maybe when *Mya leaves, or at least gets a huge attitude adjustment, I’ll give them another spin.

I’m trying something different, and I’m very happy to say that my clothes will soon be featured in a local store (yay!). I was lucky to come across a local consignment shop that does all the closeouts for the high end boutiques here in town. So I went down there, talked to the owner and got a feel for the merchandise they carry, and in about two weeks I have an appointment to bring in my things and get my account started up. For a while now I’ve been wondering what to do with a few of these pieces that have been left over from last spring, and this sounds absolutely perfect. I mean, these folks know what they’re doing; they have a very thorough system and they also appear to have a customer base that is willing to purchase designer items that aren’t necessarily dirt cheap.

I have two lines in particular that haven’t done quite as well as I had hoped, mainly because they really need to be seen in person. I’m really excited about finally having a bit of floor space locally. I’ll keep everyone updated on the progress.

Oh and happy new years to everyone! Here’s to an even more succesful 2009!

Long time, no posts! Sorry about the silent period, I’ve been a bit distracted. I also had a handful of comments in the queu that I had no idea about and I will definitely follow up with each of you! Also, check out our black friday/cyber monday ad, posted above. Nifty, eh?

Yet Another Shipping Nightmare
Well I had another shipping NIGHTMARE the other day. I finally got the picture that I can pay for my postage online instead of standing in ridiculous lines at the post office on a daily basis (why didnt I think of this sooner?). There’s also a UPS store a couple of blocks from my house so I figured it would also make sense to drop off my packages there instead of driving several miles to the post office or a drop box.

And yes, this is the same UPS store involved in Shipping Nightmare #1.

This is also the same UPS store that never gave me a quote on business cards after contacting them numerous times.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice….you get the picture.

Yeah, I get it, what was I THINKING actually dropping off a package with these people. Well I did on a Friday and they said the package would ship out on Monday. So I check the tracking code Tuesday morning, and surprise surprise, the package hasn’t been received by the post office. So I march myself over there to try and find out what’s going on. It turns out that the manager was supposed to take the mail to the post office but ended up going out of town because of an “emergency” and took the mail with him, apparently. And this is the same guy who pushed their business card service on me but then failed to follow up once I actually wanted them made. *sigh* I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor sales girl who works for him because every time I go in there it’s like he’s working for her.

In the end the packages got mailed and all as well. I’ve also found another shipping station just a couple of blocks further away.

In the Press
Check out these two new interviews I did recently:

Interview with Stylistic @ Clutch Magazine
Interview with Style Bazaar Blog

Holiday season is off to a great start; much better than I expected. I’m so glad I decided to do presales , it not only brought in sales quickly but it helped me make a lot of buying decisions for Spring 2009. With the success I’ve had with Love Quotes and Lauren Conrad in just a short time (and with no paid advertisement), it really showed me how much easier it is to sell well known brands and especially celebrity endorsed brands. That was probably the biggest reason why I decided to take on some of the labels I purchased for Spring, but the downside is I feel like I’m losing the initial vision I had for the boutique. I was always a bit more interested in unique, unknown labels. It’s such a double edged sword!

Delivery Delays
So, my Love Quotes holiday delivery still isn’t in (although it probably will be tonight, if not tomorrow). The delivery window was October 1st - 15th but the company moved their warehouse and didn’t have certain colors in, so deliveries were delayed for every boutique. It’s been pretty stressful for me sense I have about a dozen preorders just waiting to be sent out, so once these are in I’ll be so relieved!

I have a couple of colors that are already sold out. Some of the newer ones like Bordeaux and Deep Teal have been fast sellers. The only one that has sold much slower than I expected is Cobalt. Probably the fact that it’s an older color has something to do with it, but this was supposed to be one of the hottest colors of the season!

Sometimes it’s better to trust your instincts…
Like I mentioned before, the Lauren Conrad line is doing really well for me. And it’s funny because the fastest selling piece by far, the Ashlee Dress, is one I initially passed on. Why? Well, the sales rep told me neither she or any of the other buyers cared for the dress and that she hadn’t sold it to ANYONE in my territory. So of course, this worried me and I decided to go with this purple draped asymmetrical dress instead. After thinking about it for a while I changed my mind and decided to go out on a limb. I was felling so daring that I ordered it in red instead of the safe color, black. The decision definitely paid off, which shows sometimes it’s better to take a risk! And I still appreciate the sales rep warning me, she definitely meant well. I kind of wish I had chosen riskier colors for some of the other garments I purchased, but oh well, too late now.

Fit Troubles
Here’s another problem I’m experiencing for the first time. I’ve never seen so many all over the place sizes. On one hand I have Bryce & Bouji which runs two or three sizes large (seriously, the size XS in a few of the pieces can fit like a 6 or even an 8 ) and then in a couple of the Lauren Conrad styles there was barely a difference between in size between XS, S and M (very odd) so I ended up sending a couple of the sizes back. So that just goes to show why it’s so important to try on EVERY item that you get and give fit instructions based on that. It’s not a bad idea to measure out the other sizes as well.

Tomorrow I have an interview on a college radio station. Wish me luck that I don’t stutter.

Itinerary
1:30 - Kathy Walker Sales
2:30 - Agent Icon
3:30 - Bluebird Showroom
4:30 - Bright ENK

This was my fifth trip to market week and I had more appointments than ever! The first two were at the New Mart and the second was at the Cooper Building, which I had been to before but only for the Designers & Agents trade show, and the last was Voom at the Brighte ENK trade show in the California Mart.

This was also the first time I got into LA and actually had time to spare. Usually I get there 15 minutes early or something and we’re scrambling to eat before our first appointment. But this time around I had an hour just to hang out and catch the trade shows. We went to Focus, which is on the top floor of the California Mart….now I understand why I never bothered to go up there before. They had such a poor selection of vendors up there, minus one or two.

We also zipped through the Transit shoe show quickly. Now, there are TONS of shoe vendors there, and good ones too. And they’re all producing the same things. I can tell you right now that styles won’t be changing next Spring from Spring 2008. Booties, gladiator sandals, ballerina flats and strappy heels in abundance. Shoes are something that will probably be out of my budget for a very long time now.

D&A at the Cooper building was a HUGE improvement over the last two times I visited it. I found a new line that I LOVE! It’s a brand new, unknown label Kitchen Orange. It’s definitely something I would consider but I’m so weary about adding more lines that have little press.

And I’m sure some of you have heard of Fluxus. I really regret not inquiring about this line when I was creating my budget for Spring. I thought they were only about gray knit vests but they have some impressive mini dresses, coats and shrugs for Spring. Ugh! If I hadn’t gone over budget (WAY over budget) I would’ve been all over that! Definitely in the Fall though, if not Summer.

Bags are also something I’m considering later on in 2009. I’m thinking Linea Pelle or Hayden Harnett. Or who knows, something new might come around.

D&A also has a special market for Green retailers this year, which is great! Didn’t get to check it out though, unfortunately.

Showrooms & Buying
There wasn’t too much that wowed me for Spring, at least not like Holiday, but I did find a bunch of SUPER cute dresses! I got that maxi dress from Lauren Conrad that I posted about last week, as well as an adorable black and blue printed chiffon bubble dress, a couple of wraps and some cute tees. I also ordered a bunch of maxi dresses from Gypsy 05 as well as their sweat suits. Ordering for Love Quotes Spring hasn’t opened yet but the colors are super pretty, albeit the same ones from last year. Boring!

Plastic Island…oh man, I’m glad I went back to this line! So many gorgeous, fashion forward pieces and at great prices too. There are two mini dresses I picked up that I’m absolutely in love with, a great white tuxedo jacket and this amazing navy skirt with tiered strips that totally reminds me of 3.1 Phillip Lim….just half the price and just as good quality.

I’m also looking to branch my merchandise out into basics, so I stocked up on PVC/latex/faux leather/whatever leggings, tanks and tees from LNA. I know, I know…every other boutique carries LNA but EVERYONE needs tees! And any extra search traffic is welcome.

Lastly, there was Voom. Voom always delivers and their Spring stuff is especially cute! I can’t wait for you guys to see this denim tube dress they have; it’s outlined with red and white strips and it has a dove cut out on it. I think it’s going to be next hit in the way the Eva Longoria elephant dress was.

Spring 2009 Preview
Most of you are probably worrying about getting your fall wardrobes together and not even thinking about next spring, but here’s a preview of the new stuff anyways. They should show up early February.

*The red jacket will actually be in this week!
TRENDSTALKING

Hot Colors:

Pale/dusty Blue

Periwinkle blue

Violet

Lilac

Silver

Mustard yellow

Sunshine yellow

Navy

Vintage rose

Pale green

Hot trends: Fringe, florals, tiered strips (aka mini layers), tuxedo style, leggings, burn out, maxi dresses, asymmetry, zippers….blah blah blah, not really anything new.

Just as my Lauren Conrad holiday merchandise arrives, Lauren debuts her collection for Spring 2009 at LA Fashion week. The timing is perfect since market week starts this weekend and I’ll be heading to buy on Saturday. Here are a few of the piece I have my eye on, and of course, I want your input!

That maxi dress was the strongest piece from the entire collection if you ask me. It’s just gorgeous and it screams Spring! The white dress is basic but nice and clean. I would probably get that one in black; white is a bit daunting for most of us girls.

For the first time Lauren introduced chiffon into her collection with three polka dotted prints. I really love this fabric! I think this dress is gorgeous in the pink but those tiny black roses are so unnecessary; there’s something about it that just doesn’t mesh. However, it works in the blue.

More pretty pretty florals. I’m really on the fence with that second dress, the halter one. It’s cute but it’s maybe a bit…matronly? I’m not sure if many 20 something girls would want to wear that style. Love the chiffon blouse though; that should look great in pink.

A couple other looks here. That first dress….hmm, as much as I love the print the bubble hem along with the short length seems a bit unflattering. It would’ve been perfect with just a normal hem! Lauren also added body suits to the line up; I’m seeing these on several linesheets, so I guess they’re making a comeback.

I’ll figure something out here. There are definitely a few promising pieces and I’ll probably buy 8 or 9 of them. Let me know what you think in the comments section!

Check out the entire collection over at my celeb blog, GirlsTalkinSmack.com >>

Let me take a minute to just breathe here. The last week has been SO hectic! Now understand that my days are usually very quiet, but I’ve been busy, busy, busy for about the last eight days. I did my product photography and of course that shoot for DuJour magazine that I mentioned, and I ended up having to go back and do reshoots a few days later because we didn’t exactly get the whole set up right. I’m also helping my photographer build her website and I did my first in home consultation yesterday which went well and was a lot of fun!

Fall/Holiday sales for Love Quotes and Lauren Conrad are doing better than I expected. The merchandise hasn’t even arrived yet but the pre-sales are pretty popular. I’ve only got one left in the Bordeaux and Deep Teal Love Quotes colors, and if you’re looking for Moonbeam (white), well I can’t be much of a help there.

It was only about a month and a half ago that I went to market week for the Holiday/Resort collections, and I JUST realized that the Spring 2009 market is just around the corner! This coming weekend, actually. Well that completely snuck up on me. So, I’m heading down to LA on Saturday and I’ll be buying from at least two labels that will be new to the store; both are well known, and one is VERY popular. Feel free to guess

It drives me crazy how quickly this industry moves, though. In real life it’s barely starting to get cool again, but in the fashion world we’re worried about next Spring. Crazyness. I’ve looked over most of the linesheets and so far nothing has really grabbed me. I’m sure I’ll like things more in person but I think Fall/Holiday/Winter is just more exciting for fashion in general. Actually, this time last year was the first time I went to a showroom, so this kind of marks one year of being “in the fashion industry”; yet another sign that time moves ridiculously fast.

So, between now and Saturday I’ll be obsessing over line sheets, going back through the Spring fashion shows and studying the Pantone predictives. Wish me luck at the market!

My new line Bryce & Bouji is officially in, and so is the product photography! I’m really happy about how the photos came out this time around; all the merchandise is looking great. OohLaLuxe.com will be one of the few online shops carrying this up and coming line. That will probably change in the future, though, I see big things for this line.

Bryce & Bouji Ruffled Top

Ruffles are HUGE this season, but that’s not the only reason why I wanted this top. I’m trying to expand the type of products I carry each season. The shop started off with a LOT of cocktail dresses and only a few summer tops, which came in late in the season. So I think having a couple of pretty blouses will help that category out. And I hope to flesh it out even more in the Spring.

Bryce & Bouji Faux Romper Dress

Another thing I had in mind while I was doing my buying a couple of months ago was the upcoming holiday parties. This dress is perfect for holiday parties, and what really sold me on it is the details. If you take a look at the hq photos on the sales page you can see all the pleating and stitching around the neckline and waist. It’s very, very detailed which justifies the price being a bit higher.

Bryce & Bouji Cinch Dress

This was a piece I added to the line up last minute since three of the pieces I ordered didn’t go into production. According to the sales reps this was their biggest selling dress, and my order was the only order that didn’t initially have this dress on it! Well, I’m glad I got in on it. There’s so much you can do with this dress because you can wear it long or you can scrunch it up around the waist and adjust the length. It’s pretty sexy but still surprisingly modest at the same time, if that makes any sense.

Bryce & Bouji Cinch Top

I really LOVE this top; it’s one of the pieces I wore for my DuJour Magazine shoot. It’s so nice to have something with longsleeves that isn’t your basic boring turtleneck for fall. But what I really like about this piece is the fact that you can wear the front in the back.

Bryce & Bouji Chiffon Dress

Okay, I’ll admit that I wasn’t a big fan of this dress at first. When I got it my first thought was “what can I do to make this cute??”. So, I dressed it up with a low slung gold belt, matching jewelry and heels, plus one of my Onna Ehrlich clutch that seriously looks like it was made specifically to match. Now, I’m in love with this dress! For curvy girls, like me, the belt is a necessity but it actually looks great on the mannequin without it.

Oh, and I had a lot more fun with styling the merchandise this time around! Last time I limited myself to my own closet, but I really wanted the merch to look as AMAZING as possible with just the right accessories. And I’ve heard that shops have seen their income go up when they use a professional stylist…but I figured I could pull it off on my own! I picked up skinny jeans from Abercrombie, gold bracelets from a local jewelry store, and two hot pairs of shoes from INC and Jessica Simpson. Jessica’s shoes are seriously comfortable, even at 5 inches!

More merchandise coming up later on this week.