urban:kitty made the cover of the Advocate’s People section! Woot!
BR designer producing urban:kitty line of unique handbags
By KAREN MARTIN
Assistant People Editor
Published: Nov 23, 2009 – Page: 1D
There’s only one thing Sherry Brown discovered she didn’t like about architecture after she got her degree from LSU.
“It takes too long to see the finished product,” she said.
Brown, 35, likes change.
And there’s nothing that changes faster than fashion.
So, in 2005, Brown started her own line of handbags.
“I’ve always been a fashion person,” said Brown, who grew up in Donaldsonville, where her mom taught her to sew. “One day I found these handbags online, but there’s no way I could justify spending that kind of money.”
So, to satisfy her fashionista soul, she made her own.
Friends saw and liked. She had a show. Then she had a hit. Her urban:kitty line was born.
Today, Brown continues to produce handbags unique not only in the design, but in the utilitarian qualities she builds in.
For example, there’s DECONstruct, which, by a quick presto-chango of the straps, goes from being a two-handle handbag to a messenger bag to a smart clutch, which can be worn with or without a strap.
“It’s really four bags in one,” said Brown, who works out of a small house in Baton Rouge not far from the Mississippi.
Then there’s her TravelCITY bag, a roomy tote that reverses to a completely different look. On one side, the “Driftwood” model has an abstract animal print and bronze metallic leather pockets; on the other, it is a brown/blue fleck pattern. “It’s like a walking gallery,” Brown said of the display of rich upholstery fabrics, which she uses for all of her bags.
The EL, her most popular style, is just an all-around bag, particularly nice in either a bright green “Bamboo” or rich orangey-red “Cypress.”
Her Roadtrip bag, which Brown, of course, designed while on a road trip, has an adjustable strap and extra large pockets.
“I sketched the design while I was in the back seat on a trip,” said Brown, pulling out the tiny notebook where the sketch appears, looking very much like the finished product.
She particularly loves this bag with its bright splashes of orange and lavender dandelions on the “Yield” version in pewter metallic and the green and lavender dandelions on the “Merge” version in gold metallic leather. She had the dandelion images screen printed by Storyville.
“I am very proud of this design because it showcases all the things I am passionate about right now — graphic design, local sourcing, handbags, and, for some reason, dandelions.”
She has her bags manufactured in Dallas from her specific design instructions.
“But I always sample first in the actual fabric before I have it made,” Brown said.
Beautiful leather straps, which she has specially crafted, are found on some of her bags, which retail between $140 and $260.
Brown enjoys that her bags get noticed.
“I like to design something that will stand out,” she said, adding that there’s nothing she loves more than hearing compliments her customers get on their handbags. “If you have a sense of style, people will notice.”
You can find Brown’s bags in Baton Rouge at Loft 3H, the LSU Museum of Art, SOGO Boutique and Stella Boutique or online at http://www.urban-kitty.com.
While she waits to someday go full time as a handbag designer — she currently pays the bills with her Twitch Design Labs graphic design business — Brown dreams even bigger.
She wants to expand her style beyond the handbag business into a home collection.
“I love placemats,” she said, adding with a laugh, “I’m a placemat freak.”
And throw pillows and cloth napkins. And other contemporary home textiles.
So someday, urban:kitty may be a litter of goods. And, if you’re wondering about the name of her enterprise, the story is bittersweet. When Brown and her husband, Rick, were living in a downtown loft, her cat, Tigger, roamed the rooftop deck.
“He loved it. I called him my ‘urban kitty,’ because no other cat had a life like he had,” said Brown, adding that she equated urban with home and kitty with fashion.
Sadly, after the couple moved, Brown said the 14-year-old Tigger was killed by wild dogs.
November 23rd, 2009 in
Good Design |
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I went to see Julie and Julia with a couple of girlfriends the other night. Since then I have been thinking about blogging a bit more than usual. If Julie can make a book out of her blog and then get a movie deal out of it, why can’t I create a buzz about the impending HUGE deal exhibiting urban:kitty at market in NYC will be (yeah, right)? So here I am, creating a daily countdown to the big day. I hope you enjoy and visit daily for updates…
——- September 14, 2009 “T minus 7″:——-
In exactly one week the urban:kitty team will be boarding the non-stop flight straight to JFK to kick off the World Tour. Well, not really a “World Tour,” but it sure seems like it to me. All of the prep is just about completed. The only thing left is to have photographs taken of the bags by a “professional,” which happens to be a friend of mine–lucky me. Then from there the photos need to be inserted into the final line sheet, printed, and stapled to the order forms.
My biggest concern now is how to stuff all of the sample bags, promo cards, media kits, hooks, hangers, tees, and signage into a bag that is small enough to be considered a carry-on piece of luggage. At this point I just can’t risk the airlines losing the most important pieces of the entire trip, so they are not going to leave my side. I can replace my clothes and makeup once we arrive in NYC, but not these bags!
——- September 11, 2009 “T minus 10″:——-
Aside from the fact that today is a very historical day for everyone who was an American citizen eight years ago, it has been an historical day for urban:kitty as well. The logo tees have arrived!
Seriously, I understand the comparison is absolutely unrelated and I am no prouder to be a United States citizen on any other day in the year than today, but I think we have hit the mark here. The “Prowl in Style” tagline on the back of the tee is a testament to the independence that we American’s take for granted everyday. We are allowed the freedom to pursue our dreams and showcase our opinions directly upon the items with which we choose to adorn ourselves. So grab your most politically incorrect slogan and display it with pride. God bless America and all of her loyal servants. We owe you much!
——- September 10, 2009 “T minus 11″:——-
Fine-a-lee. They have arrived. Now the sample collection is complete and can be confidently exhibited in NYC. I am so overwhelmed with this fabulous collection…I am speechless. (Imagine that.) I have faith that this collection is going to wow them all.
——- September 9, 2009 “T minus 12″:———–
The good news is the sample bags have been located and will arrive tomorrow! Good bless America! My patience was running thin. Many thanks to my pal, Pete. Too bad he isn’t female or he would be the lucky recipient of a snazzy urban:kitty bag…maybe he has a girlfriend that could benefit from his generosity?
——- September 8, 2009 “T minus 13″:———–
We are still waiting on the sample bags. Seems they are stuck in Texas. BIG bummer. BIG. HUGE!
I sure hope I hear some good news tomorrow.
——- September 4, 2009 “T minus 17″:———–
Oh, how I love making cuffs! It always puts me in a good mood and makes me feel as if I have painted little canvases that can be worn around the wrist. And considering they are all made from the bits that would normally get tossed, I am calling them Scrappy Cuffs!
——- September 3, 2009 “T minus 18″:———–
Today’s project was to sample the EL bag in its new colorways, “redwood” and “cypress.” The existing colorway, “bamboo,” received lots of attention since its inclusion in the line so I thought it would be a good idea to add an additional color of the same fabric. But I couldn’t decide on just one, so I asked my fans to vote on urban:kitty’s facebook fan page. Most said they liked both, and so did I. So then there were three. Pictured are the two new ones. The “bamboo” colorway can be seen here.
——– September 2, 2009 “T minus 19″:———
Just when I think I’ve got it all figured out, someone throws a wrench in my plans. I spent hours researching and selecting display fixtures and sketching a layout for the booth and filling in all kinds of paperwork to now have it all be obsolete. It turns out the back wall of my booth will be covered with a show graphic that includes my logo so I am not able to use the grid fixtures I had originally chosen. This doesn’t particularly upset me since now I don’t have to bring my own graphics, but it has made me scramble to find a new approach.
This is a picture of what I think is going to do the job of showcasing the collection just fine. With a few S-hooks the bags should be able to rock this new look. There won’t be any shelves on which to sit the ECo:collection so I am going to get a separate two-foot wide display for that purpose. Luckily all of this is just rented and will already be installed when we arrive.
The best thing about all of this confusion is the money I am saving. Instead of spending over $600 to rent the original display system that included three vinyl billboards with my logo and graphics I am now only spending $240. So I should probably stop complaining, shouldn’t I?
—————— August 31, 2009 “T minus 21″:———————————
At this exact moment three weeks from now the urban:kitty team will be admiring the finished product of our very own exhibitor booth in NYC. One minute later I will most likely be dabbing my eyes as I shed tears of joy. And fifteen minutes later I better have a cocktail in my hand.
—————— August 30, 2009 “T minus 22″:———————————
A big THANK YOU goes out to my close friend, Katie. Without her help there is no way I would have been able to get the direct mail pieces put together for tomorrow’s mailing deadline while still squeezing in a few hours sleep. She even supplied the wine!
I also want to mention a blog I came across that had quite a few great suggestions on boutiques in NYC: the Boutique of the Week. It is very well categorized, so if you are looking for, say, boutiques in a certain ‘hood in NYC, just click on the category and there they are. Or say you are looking for boutiques that carry handbags, again, just click on the category and there they are. After adding those to my list and feeling very grateful for skipping across this blog I left a bit of feedback, thanking the blogger for providing a great source for emerging designers. I “happen to” list my website and asked, if she had a minute, to take a look at the collection and make any suggestions on boutiques she thought would be a good fit for urban:kitty. I was tickled when I received a response within an hour or so with a list of recommendations from the blog as well as a few that hadn’t yet been featured along with links to their websites. She also mentioned she would be happy to publicize any urban:kitty events or promos on her blog. What a cool chick you are, Jess!
I can’t say it enough, so here it goes again: THANK YOU to all who support urban:kitty. We couldn’t do it without you. XOXOXO
—————— August 28, 2009 “T minus 24″:———————————
Lucky magazine is a great resource for all things fashion. urban:kitty has been striving to be included somewhere in those pages of fashion gluttony for years. Although this has never happened (yet), I am very grateful for this year’s September issue because in the very last pages is printed a list of the top 100 boutiques in New York. Being an emerging handbag designer who is exhibiting in NYC in three weeks (!), this comes in VERY handy. I am slowly scouring each listing for signs of unique shops that would be “lucky” to carry this collection. It is a slow process, as they don’t print the zip codes in the listings and not all of the shops have websites. As long as I get these direct mail pieces out by Monday, it should all work out. Then the cold-calling starts… ick.
—————— August 27, 2009 “T minus 25″:———————————
I was able to scratch a few more items off the list today. The ECo:collection samples are now 75% completed. All that is left are the i:kitty’s and those won’t be available to sew until after they get letterpressed next week. I was also able to design and have printed the show flyers which I will also be using as a direct mail to boutiques in NYC, in hopes of making a few appointments for the show, which I understand is vital to writing orders. The only tricky thing about that is I have to call these boutiques after they receive the direct mail piece to follow up. Cold-calling makes me nauseous. But I will just have to swallow it and make it happen, right? If that is what it takes to ensure a successful show, then I am all in, upset stomach included.
—————— August 26, 2009 “T minus 26″:———————————
Sorry for the lapse in posts, oh many fans of the urban:kitty blog. We’ve been busy. The Dallas road trip was a huge success. We left early Monday morning and drove seven+ hours to arrive at the manufacturer’s workshop with concepts and fabric swatches in hand. Luckily there was an English-Spanish interpreter in house so the transfer of instructions went smoothly. Or so I assume it did. I guess we will see how smoothly it went when the sample bags arrive in the post next week.
We met with a new fabric rep that reps a few American mills and the price points per yard were much more reasonable than some of the ones we are paying now. With luck, and a bit of hard work, we will be able to meet the minimums after this show in NYC.
I have to say, after establishing the title on this current post, “August 26, 2009 T-minus 26,” I started to panic. I only have THREE WEEKS to design and send out promos to NYC boutiques, give them time to arrive via snail mail, and follow up with a call just HOPING to schedule an appointment to meet at the show? Not to mention I have to make multiple samples of the ECO:collection AND the EL bag, design and print the vinyl graphics for the show booth, create a current line sheet THEN have the web developers post IT, AND the updated collection, to the website? All the while keeping up with my current graphic design clients?!
No Prawblin. I got it.
Piece. Of. Pie.
—————— August 22, 2009 “T minus 30″:———————————
Not much happened on the urban:kitty front today, but I can’t say the same thing about our garden. We woke early to rejuvenate the plantings along the front fence and we are very pleased with the results. I then spent the afternoon with a close friend arranging succulents into mini landscapes which we will be using as centerpieces for her wedding in October. Icy beverages in hand, we planted over 20 individual pots and, again, are very pleased with the results.
Oh, wait, something DID happen on the urban:kitty front today–the custom screen printed panels for the road trip bag were completed and they rock! I can’t wait to see them in full effect on the new bag, all decked out in leather. These bags are going to make me rich! (ummm, yeah.)
—————— August 21, 2009 “T minus 31″:———————————
As promised, today we have selected the tag line for the back of the urban:kitty logo tees. It was a very close race. Our fans on Facebook had many suggestions, all of them worthy of gracing the back of our tees.
The winning tag line humbly pays homage to our favorite “urban kitty,” Tigger. He was the type of kitty that always kept his cool, never lost control in a crowd. He partied with the best and always kept the girls wondering. So in honor of the hippest, coolest cat in the ‘hood, the tagline will be:
—– prowl in style —–
Thanks to all for your participation! And Kirsten, it looks like you have earned yourself a free tee!
—————— August 20, 2009 “T minus 32″:———————————
Yesterday was one of those days in which, at the end of the day, it feels as though great strides have been made toward the goal. The previous evening I received via email a link to Accessories the Show’s (ATC) “Show Helper,” which is a comprehensive list of everything (and more) you need to know about preparing and organizing one’s space at the show. I admit, at first I was a bit overwhelmed. Since this is the first trade show of such size at which I have exhibited, I had no idea how many things had to come together all at one time. So I hunkered down and designed and organized and scheduled only to find out the next day how much it would cost to have this dream booth of mine. It was time for plan B.
i:Kitty blanks
Since I am exhibiting with a group of designers, collectively called Thread Select, instead of individually, I phoned the group’s leader, Lara. She calmed my nerves by stating, “keep it simple,” k.i.s.s. (there’s that concept again). Instead of spending half my budget on signage and hanging grids and stands she advised to show up with just my handbags, business cards, and line sheets. Being a graphic designer by trade, that is a difficult concept for me to grasp. But I will heed her advice. Mostly. There will be a few banners that get slipped into the mix, along with hanging rods and shelving (all of this for only half of the initial design’s cost).
Once that was handled I was free to catch up on a few other items. Fabric was selected, ordered and shipped. Leather swatches were chosen, and re-chosen, then ordered. And the i:Kitty die was tested at a local print shop, which I have to say was the most exciting part of my day.
In order to save time, and my sanity, I had to find a way to cut all of the tiny openings in the i:Kitty without having to do it by hand with an X-acto knife. Luckily I have a good relationship with a few print shops in town so I requested a favor from my fav. After a bit of moaning about it, he agreed. And weren’t we both surprised when it actually worked! Now I wish he could stamp out all of my patterns that way!
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post when we select the tagline for the back of the urban:kitty logo tees. Become a fan on Facebook to keep up with the suggestions and add your own.
—————— August 18, 2009 “T minus 34″:———————————
I’m a perpetual list-maker. My day-to-day lists consists mostly of items to do and people to call. As one can surely imagine, the list I have started that will take me through to NYC is only getting longer by the day. It seems as one thing gets crossed off two more are added to the bottom or an item further up the list gets more detailed and refined. Here is a brief glance at how this list is shaping up:
> make 6-8 cuffs as samples
> make 2-3 eco totes, both sizes, as samples
> update line sheet and add to website
> order bronze hide (and additional hide in color to be determined…)
So far the completion of all items on the list does not seem unattainable. But when there are other projects to finish, like designing a calendar for one client and a house for another, it can get a bit daunting. (I know, I know, I have too much on my plate. But that’s the way I like it.) And the fact that it’s all up to me to design and have printed every promotional item that goes along with this event just makes it a little trickier. Don’t get me wrong, that is one of the fun parts, too. But I can easily get overwhelmed if I think about it too much.
That being said, it’s time to get back to work. Lots to do. Til tomorrow…
—————— August 17, 2009 “T minus 35″:———————————
One of the unique aspects of urban:kitty handbags is the quality of the fabric that is used. Just about every inch of fiber used in an urban:kitty back is high grade upholstery and/or leather. Of course, this quality doesn’t come cheap. It is also the main reason why we have to charge more than we would like to for the bags. But today I might have found a small relief from this burden.
There is a fabric rep in Fort Worth that has direct connections with the mills here in the U.S. This means that instead of buying from contract sellers I can get the exact same fabrics, or something very similar, directly from the source. I have been looking for someone like this for a long time and am really looking forward to meeting with him in Dallas next week. Now all I have to do is sell a ton of bags in order to meet the minimums at these mills. Piece of cake!
By the way, the custom screen printed panel design made its way over to Storyville today. It didn’t change much from the original version. The best solution is usually the first, right?
—————— August 16, 2009 “T minus 36″:———————————
Not much to report today–woke up with an overwhelming urge to rip out the severely withered blue fescue along the front fence. That took all of ten minutes, so it was off to the nursery to find replacements. Variegated Bonsai grass caught our eye and hopefully it will make up for the lack-luster performance of the fescue.
After a sweaty trip to the nursery and a quick shower it was off to the studio to wrap up the Boutique 610 order. All that is missing is a couple of leather straps from my guy in Michigan and then the order is ready to ship. Since I don’t normally do the “manufacturing” anymore, it is sort of rewarding to know that I still have the skills to get it done on my own. (I celebrated with a Lazy Magnolia “Indian Summer” brew.)
Tomorrow’s task is to wrap up the custom screen printed panel design. As any designer knows, over-tweaking is a vicious cycle. Hopefully this custom panel won’t increase the colony of gray hairs that have already taken up residence on my head.
—————— August 15, 2009 “T minus 37″: ———————————
Three weeks ago, completely out of the clear blue air, I received an email from a very nice lady in Arizona that was interested in purchasing urban:kitty bags for her soon-to-be-opened boutique. It just so happened that the timing of her email could not have been better. Since I was currently tossing around the idea of exhibiting at market in NYC, randomly learning of an interest in the collection was a huge boost to the ego and exactly what was needed to push me in the direction of the Big Apple. Now that the space has been reserved, the flights and hotel booked, and the plan set in motion, urban:kitty is full speed ahead.
But first, a sincere thank you must be rendered to all of those who have supported urban:kitty up to this point. To all of the boutiques that took a chance on an unknown designer, thank you. To all of the seamstresses who tirelessly stitched and unstitched until I was satisfied with the final product, thank you. To all of the fabric reps who continuously and consistently send fabric swatches of this color and then that color, thank you. To the leather strap guy way up in Michigan, thank you. And, finally, to my family and friends, whose faith in me has never faltered, thank you from the bottom of my heart. None of this would be possible without the support of many. My cup runneth over.
(For those in the Arizona area, Boutique 610 in Chandler, Arizona is patiently awaiting the arrival of its order which is currently in production at the studio. The shop is set to open mid-September, so please stop in if you get a chance. Tell them urban:kitty sent ‘ya.)
—————— August 14, 2009 “T minus 38″: ———————————
urban:kitty visited Storyville in BR yesterday to discuss screen printing the custom designed panel for the new “road trip” bag. Lucky for us, they are open to printing on canvas panels and not just cotton tees. So the task now is to finalize the design.
The opinion on the design of this custom panel varies a bit around here. I think keeping it simple is the best idea (k.i.s.s.), making the color scheme work for the design. Others are of the opinion that a bit more depth in the design is the way to go. Considering all of these not particularly qualified opinions, I am going to give it the weekend to sink in. Here is a sneak peak of the design… I am open for discussion…
August 14th, 2009 in
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Boutique of the Week,
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k.i.s.s.,
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lazy magnolia,
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prowl in style,
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urban kitty |
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My neighborhood is littered with stray cats. It seems that most of my neighbors either have an affinity for the little furballs or at least have learned to accept their late night howling and prowling. Ever since we lost our own furball in April my friends and neighbors have been soliciting me with offers of kittens in every shape, size, and color. Although I appreciate their compassion, I am still not ready to replace my four-legged best friend. Instead, I have decided to resurrect another kitty in honor of Tigger–urban:kitty.
I began urban:kitty handbags in 2003 and have continuously plugged away as sole designer, fabricator (at first), marketer, and salesperson. Releasing a new collection every Fall and Spring since then, urban:kitty began to gather a local following and was even picked up by a few out-of-state boutiques. As a part-time job, this was beginning to look like it had potential to become full-time. The next step for the company was to exhibit at a national wholesale market in order to get the exposure it needed since at this point the only exposure it had was whatever business I could drum up locally. Then reality hit. This was costing me a lot of money and in order to take that next step I needed more.
the EL bag, Fall '07 Collection
After a year of putting urban:kitty handbags on the shelf, I began to realize how integral to my happiness it had become. I am somewhat known in my circle as being one to go full force with any idea that pops into my head, designing my own line of handbags as being the one in which I am mostly known for (though there are many other hair-brained ideas that fizzled out that I don’t have space to list). Since I am a creative type, trudging along with a measly handbag order every other month was not cutting it. I needed to cash in on one of those nine lives.
So with the support of many, I am thrilled to report that urban:kitty handbags will be exhibiting at Accessories the Show in NYC September 22-24! We have managed to be selected for a juried collection with Thread so we will be showing with five other emerging designers in one large booth. I am very hopeful that this will give us the exposure we need and hopefully bring in a few large accounts that have shops across the country.
the EL, Spring '10 Collection
We have refined the current collection a bit, more real leather and color options, and are adding a new bag named “road trip,” which I know will be a hit. If all goes as planned the “road trip” bag will have an exclusive screen printed panel, designed by yours truly, that is printed locally. The ECO collection, which includes market bags and an iPhone cover made from re-purposed vinyl wallcovering, will also be available at the show. I am very excited to have the new line of cuffs made from remnants on the list, too.
Being the ultimate positive thinker, I have a feeling urban:kitty is going to kick some accessory rear end at this show. That makes me extremely happy, and, of course, equally scared. But I know I can handle whatever the universe puts in front of me. After all, I have only claimed two of the nine lives of urban:kitty. There are seven more to go.
ECO cuff
