NAVIGATION
98. Labors of Love: Diy
It's easy to say "I could have done that." As any
designer knows, setting aside the time, getting
organized, and figuring out exactly how to do
that is another thing altogether. Satisfaction is
cited as the primary motivation for doing it your
self, which explains why so many invest time and
money in classes, workshops, books, magazines,
and kits that allo w them to literally take matters
into their own hands.
Writing off homespun attempts at fashion as
merely crafts and hokey hobbies is a mistake.
Although the results may display an obvious lack
of training, great ingenuity and a wealth of rough
concepts often can be polished in the hands of
a trained designer. Many things produced in this
environment cater to unidentified niche markets
that might have otherwise gone unnoticed by
designers. The influence of these micromarkets
should not be underestimated. Natural talents
with the potential to tran sform a pastime into a
career now have distribution channels such as
Etsy.com and public markets in which artisans
and aspiring designers can show and sell their
work. Pay attention to trends in these markets.
Etsy success story: Moop, a
Pittsburgh-based company
that designs and manufac
tures handmade bags, was
able to use the website to
build their business. Owner/
designer Wendy Downs
describes Etsy.com as a
place she could experiment
with and learn how to run
a business.
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