Nothing can compare to the quality of homemade clothing...nothing. Simplicity Couture is a gorgeous little Etsy shop offering beautifully handmade clothing for little girls. In fact, Simplicity Couture is currently featured in a HGTV photo shoot by Laura Winslow. The shoot was designed by The TomKat Studio.
Kimberly the lovely owner of Simplicity Couture was kind enough to answer some of my Questions and Answers....read on to learn about the amazing lady behind Simplicity Couture!
Why and when did you start your ETSY shop?I dreamed of a career in designing from the time I was a child. However, when I had to make a decision on a college major, I pursued a degree in science. I knew, at that point, that my college, which was in a rural area, did not have a strong design program. Moreover, when I graduated I would not have access to the network I would need in order to actually sell my designs. I thought my dream had met its fate, and that I would never know the joy of seeing my designs on a mannequin in a storefront window. The internet and ETSY changed my dream’s fate. Through both, I gained access to the public that I lacked before. Now my designs are available worldwide! In fact, I opened my shop August 30, 2011.
Why clothing?
I began working for my grandfather when I was five. I swept the floor and dusted counters. All of this was so I could buy my own clothing. I couldn’t contain my five-year-old style. I had to have the pink sweater with the bow that tied in the front, which I’d seen in the department store window. I needed the jeans with the zippers on the side to compliment the sweater. And then there was the dress that went clear to my ankles and tied, with a ribbon, behind my neck. With my newly earned money I became a clothing connoisseur in kindergarten. I have been interested in clothing and design ever since.
How did you learn to sew?
My first memory of sewing is when my grandmother let me push the pedal for her on her old cast iron Singer sewing machine. The pedal was so large it was bigger than me. Kneeling on the floor, I pushed with both hands on the pedal and heard the whir of the needle meeting material above me. The material was so beautiful and my grandmother so talented that I wanted to be just like her. I followed in my grandmother’s footsteps and began sewing with her and then in 4-H. However, it wasn’t just my grandmother who sewed in my family. This last summer my mother, my aunt, and I sewed bloomers for my daughters. As each of us hemmed a pair I looked at my mother and my aunt, their fingers, less nimble than when I was a girl, guiding their needles, and I realized how fortunate I am to share the love of sewing with the women in my family. It is an activity that brings us together and keeps us close. At home, when I am with my own daughters, I prefer designing. I now have a person helping me with the sewing, which provides me with the time to share my love for designing with my three girls.
What’s your favorite project you have worked on?
Every project is my favorite when I am working on it. The next dress I have coming out is currently my favorite, but as soon as that project is done the next one will become my favorite, I’m sure. In general, I enjoy mixing patterns that are simple and elegant with bold colors. Although I don’t limit myself by conscribing to a specific style, I am most attracted to those styles that encompass the simple, the elegant, and the bold.
What’s your favorite item from your shop?
My favorite item as of now is the Green Moss Corduroy Jacket with the Burnt Orange Flower Belt. I am in love with that combination! It just looks so elegant. And, it can be dressed up or dressed down. It is extremely versatile. That said, it is so hard to pick just one favorite. I love all of my designs for different reasons.
Why should people buy handmade?
When a person buys handmade, she buys a piece of the person who made the item. That is, a handmade item has an extraordinary amount of love that has gone into it from the person who made it. That love, in turn, renders each item unique; in fact, each item has its own story sewn in every stitch. Moreover, the caring touch that goes into every item ensures that the quality of an item that is handmade is superb. Personally, I strive to keep the cost of an item low while making certain the quality of the item is high.
What do you do in your spare time?
In addition to the time I spend with my three girls, I also enjoy running. There is nothing like moving steadily forward in the chill of the morning mountain air to invigorate the soul. I feel that the time I spend running frees my mind and helps me to think more clearly for the rest of the day. Basically, running helps me keep everything in my life in order and “running” smoothly.
What is your favorite movie?
When I watch a movie I am intrigued by the costumes almost more than the movie itself. My favorite movie is Shakespeare in Love starring Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow. The story moves my heart, but it is the costumes that really catch my attention. They are gorgeous! Each costume has so much attention to detail and really represents the time period.
What is your favorite dessert?
Like with my designs, it is awfully hard to pick just one favorite when it comes to dessert. There’s the classic ice-cream sundae with the vanilla ice-cream, smothered in chocolate sauce, and with that beautiful maraschino cherry on top, but even with it’s beauty the sundae is not my favorite; though, it’s up there. There’s a giant slice of chocolate cake, dripping buttercream frosting, but that still isn’t my favorite. My favorite is sticky rice with mango. Though not as sweet as other desserts, there is an elegance to the flavor. It is sweet but rich and very satisfying.
My Review
Kimberly kindly has offered to giveaway a $25 Gift Certificate to Simplicity Couture!
The company did send me a product or service.
This in no way has affected my opinion of the product or service. This review is my opinion and has been written in my own words.
No comments:
Post a Comment