The Carnivale of the Couture, I mean. This week's question (hosted by I am Fashion) is:
Now, before I answer, I should warn you: I am BORING. Like, when you ask me what I'd take to a desert island, I say "A lifetime supply of flares and a flare gun, and the food replicator from Star Trek. 'Earl Grey, hot!'" All of my lottery daydreams up to now have involved fully-funding my retirement plan and buying real estate and more life insurance. In short: BORING.
Now, with $10M and strict instructions to spend it on fashion? That's easy. I would invest it all (I could get at least three percent return just from CDs, right?) and spend the $300K/year creating my own couture studio. I figure $300K/year would pay for two seamstresses (or a seamstress and a couple of assistants), a small space, equipment, fabric, and spare pins and whatnot. I'd saunter in once a week, describe what I wanted made, and work on some prototypes (just to keep my hand in. I'm sure the staff would unpick all my seams after I left). When I was satisfied, I'd have mine made, and maybe do some tweaking. Then I would post the design online and take limited orders from other people. Of course, I wouldn't really have to make too much money, because I would have the $10M pouring interest into the project. And I would always have *exactly* what I wanted to wear!
If I managed to turn a small profit (or earned more interest on the original $10M) I would start becoming even more obsessive, and get a textiles designer to make me prints, and a shoemaker/leatherworker for shoes and bags.
I forgot to buy a lottery ticket this week (um, pretty much like I forget every week) but I am always ready to entertain offers from angel investors.
Suprise darling! You have just won the lottery! How will you, the super fabulous fashionable blogger, spend your US$10m winnings? Tell us all about your money-spending plan!!
Now, before I answer, I should warn you: I am BORING. Like, when you ask me what I'd take to a desert island, I say "A lifetime supply of flares and a flare gun, and the food replicator from Star Trek. 'Earl Grey, hot!'" All of my lottery daydreams up to now have involved fully-funding my retirement plan and buying real estate and more life insurance. In short: BORING.
Now, with $10M and strict instructions to spend it on fashion? That's easy. I would invest it all (I could get at least three percent return just from CDs, right?) and spend the $300K/year creating my own couture studio. I figure $300K/year would pay for two seamstresses (or a seamstress and a couple of assistants), a small space, equipment, fabric, and spare pins and whatnot. I'd saunter in once a week, describe what I wanted made, and work on some prototypes (just to keep my hand in. I'm sure the staff would unpick all my seams after I left). When I was satisfied, I'd have mine made, and maybe do some tweaking. Then I would post the design online and take limited orders from other people. Of course, I wouldn't really have to make too much money, because I would have the $10M pouring interest into the project. And I would always have *exactly* what I wanted to wear!
If I managed to turn a small profit (or earned more interest on the original $10M) I would start becoming even more obsessive, and get a textiles designer to make me prints, and a shoemaker/leatherworker for shoes and bags.
I forgot to buy a lottery ticket this week (um, pretty much like I forget every week) but I am always ready to entertain offers from angel investors.
Your plan sounds very sensible to me, though I would move the "designing own prints" project nearer to the top of the list of priorities. I love wearing prints but can rarely find anything I like in stores (though perhaps it's the stores I'm going to--can we have a DressADay Addicts shopping excursion some time when you're in NYC, like what the PatternReview.com members do?). My interior monologue when shopping for fabric is like yours when shopping for dresses--"This would be absolutely perfect, if only . . ." followed by a list of twenty things I don't like about the stuff.
Posted by: IA | 02/18/2006 at 07:55 AM
Doll, you are NOT boring:"A lifetime supply of flares and a flare gun, and the food replicator from Star Trek. 'Earl Grey, hot!''"That is clever and hilarious! :-)I would love to do the exact same thing you do. But I don't do my own sewing work, and I don't have an education in fashion design. (Although, when I graduate for English, and have a lot of money ;-) ;-), I do want to start going part-time for something fashion related.) I would be afraid of not knowing how to make it work, getting flak for not being experienced and failing and looking silly. Also, I felt too silly to say that I would start my own handbag design business in MY entry for this, but I covered that privately hidden in the statement "... and make even more business-y ventures."Really, I would have to think about whether to start that, and maybe I should stick to writing? I could all these design ideas all the time, especially since Fashion Week. It's half exhilarating and half torture! I'm not able to live this dream.I also didn't mention it in my post, because I do want it so badly that it would make me sad to think about it like that.Why don't go after it? The sewing thing, for one. And I don't want to work hard to never be successful, I would be SO crushed. When I hear "it's not glamorous" I take in that it's like about as hard to be successful as it is to become famous. I'm such a perfectionist, and I'd want it all. I'd need really high quality bags, things would get expensive, and I think I'd really need the ....You know what? Sod it. I'm adding it to my post! I KNOW I'd start a handbag design business if I had all that money. Even if I blew the whole lot of the cash. I'd try.Thanks! *scurries off...*
Posted by: Designer Ella | 02/18/2006 at 05:21 PM
I agree with the above, Erin. If ever you meet with someone who has more money than things to do with it, turn on the charm and shamelessly work it!I can actually see you doing incredibly well in the textile-design area in particular. Gazing into my crystal ball, I see you with your own writeup in a posh magazine, highlighting the fabulous polka-dot prints you've become famous for...
Posted by: jenny | 02/19/2006 at 12:46 AM
I agree with designer ella you are not boring!!! I would have my own prints made up too it makes me nuts to see beautiful prints on designer clothing. Then I will go to a fabric store an there is crap fabric to pick from and this so infuriates me!!! I would have all sorts of polka-dotted fabric made up. Silk Taffeta, Silk Chiffion,and all sorts of fabrics like from the 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's. I would have been a clothing buyer 24 yrs ago if my girlfriend had not scared the crap out of me over it. She told me they chewed up buyers and spit them out and scared me for life!!! I have sewed in the past years ago. Iam too much of a perfectionist!!! Iam the same way with knitting it took me 2 yrs to knit a sweater once!!! I would make loads of prints of citys like London, Paris, Italy, Egypt. I loves scenes expecially french scenes. Iam hopelessly obessed over this!!! I would also hire the best shoe cobblers/leather maker too. I would love to do reproduction shoes of the 20's, 30's 40's 50's and some early 60's shoes. I would also want to do shoes from 1900's to 1920.I do own a beautiful pair of 1935 shoes but they are a size 7. Arrrg!!! On the island I would bring all the practical things that I would need & loads of tea & chocolate!!I also agree with Jenny too.I think I should *scurry* off too.
Posted by: Floridaprincess | 02/19/2006 at 01:40 AM
Whoa, I hope you DO win the lottery. I'd totally buy your stuff.
Posted by: Cari | 02/19/2006 at 11:29 AM
Your plan is very much like mine. Except, of course, my little fashion house would cater to an even more specialized market than yours, because I'd be The House of Gothic. But there would finally be a place to buy princess-seamed, full-skirted dresses with a variety of necklines, in a variety of fabrics. ... yeah, where are our angel investors when we need them?
Posted by: Jilli | 02/19/2006 at 12:51 PM