LONGKINI On the Catwalk!

Back at last. Am I the only one who is not great with a camera! Armed with a compact I went to a recent fashion show to get some pics of LONGKINI on the Catwalk. Needless to say despite making sure I had sufficient battery and card space I managed to switch on an artwork app which meant each shot 'took' umpteen times!!! This kinda made it nigh on impossible to take 'shot' as models had left the stage before I could take another shot, ah well! I look forward to the day when professional photographers take the photos AND I stick to trying to launch a new brand Oh and design some new swimwear!

The LONGKINI Preview event went really well and we have sold our first pieces already. I always knew that this was going to be a slow climb. Whilst we got lots of positive feedback predictably ladies are a little afraid of going for something they have not seen before. That advice, don't try breaking ground with a new business ringing in my ears! We made the press which is always fantastic and this spurred several visits to the boutique! Plans are in place to source some new and exciting materials and designs for the next range during July. This seems strange as we are just starting out with our first collection but as it takes time from concept to creation best get going!

Well we did it LONGKINI is in store and we got the web site up and running. We planned

Not long now!

We are in the final throws of getting ready to preview our first collection this week in Warwick. Manufacturing was very full on as we were making some pieces from scratch. I feel so lucky to be working with people who have been in the industry for a long time and know as much as anyone about making swimwear. I really have such respect for what I call 'proper people' in whatever walk of life; they are those who often just get on quietly doing their thing only really, really well. 'What they don't know...' etc.  LONGKINI is very about trying to create more industry in our factories, helping to keep skills alive and also to celebrate these qualities. Many of those who worked in the clothing industries in the UK have had a tough time over recent decades with highs and lows. Each decline brings with it factory closures and the loss of livelihoods. The immense pressure of low cost manufacturing in other countries where wages and cost of living are vastly different is perhaps the biggest challenge faced by UK manufacturing, especially in the clothing trade. In creating a new swimwear range, and my first, I could not contemplate how I could have achieved the same end result without the opportunity to be in the factory whilst working on samples. Being able to discuss the manufacturing process one to one is invaluable and OK no doubt the 'bigger boys' are out there doing it in other parts of the world, but for LONGKINI its not going to happen that way, I can't see how it could.    

Small steps

I'm back on blogging things happen slowly in the mad world of trying something completely new. I read a book on starting your own business and it said ' ....do not that is do not try to do ground breaking stuff..' and they are probably right . However as with children, telling me not to do something is like how could I not?? Since I last wrote new samples have been made and us four sisters had a Longkini Spa day to do more road trialling. I have 'sold' it to my very particular sister who loves it so much she wants to take it with her to America, another focus group success and another product competence tick as the sparkly material survived the sauna, thermal spa, hot tub and cold rain showers !! Onwards and upwards :))