It’s an exciting time for Design Glut – we’re growing fast – and we have all sorts of news to share with you! Check back here to stay in the loop. This is the place for announcements, new product launches, details on upcoming shows, rants, revelations, collaborations, and anything else we feel like sharing.
As a young start-up, money is hard to come by. Skinny Vinny started with $2,000 I had in my savings, so money was is tight. I would always try to find the most economical way to execute things. For example, after printing my business cards I didn’t have the funding to print hang tags or packaging for my bags. So the solution I came up with was that I would do it myself. I went to Staples and picked up a box of Manila Shipping Tags ($6 for pack of 100). Then I order a custom stamp online with my logo on it. I hand stamped each hang tag myself and it only took me a few hours at most. The hang tags for my bags only cost me $15. Anybody can make them, it’s really simple and it serves it’s purpose.
I also printed the Skinny Vinny Lookbooks on my ink jet printer at home. I bought a pack of nice paper from Staples and a few sheets of cover stock from a stationary store. Having the books professionally printed would have set me back about $500. I didn’t need more then 30 books, so printing them and binding them myself wasn’t too big of a task. Even though it did take me a while, I loved working on them and adding my personal touch to every piece is what I like to do.
When it comes to materials or supplies for my bags, money is usually not an issue. I want the best materials for my product and I rarely compromise. However, during the process and designing phase I have done things that was pretty ghetto. When I’m designing, I would make a sample pieces out of muslin to test out proportions or how the bag would hang. In the beginning, I didn’t have muslin or fabric to make the samples, so I made my sample pieces out of my old childhood bed-sheets. I therefore had a bunch of bags with Teddy Ruxpin or Rainbow Brite on them. ( Just to clear the air, I never slept on Rainbow Brite sheets as a kid, they were probably my cousin’s.) Eventually, I ran out of old bed-sheets and my mom wouldn’t let me cut up her curtains so I made the move onto muslin.
It would be great if I have the resources to do things “officially”, but sometimes, I just don’t. Things seem to work out fine for me so far so it’s no biggie. I also think that being resourceful like that is kind of fun.
1. You should sell all your rainbow brite samples to some NuRave kids
2. I have been inspired, I should ask everyone we interview what the ghettoest thing they’ve done is, I bet it would pull out amazing stories
3. (Last but definitely not least) Thanks for the awesome posts! Everyone welcome Vinny to the team!
can i buy the rainbow brite bag? it sounds hot and nostalgic.
Well done, Vinny. Way to think outside of the box; sometimes we fall into the habit of treating certain costs as “required” in the creation process, but obviously they don’t have to be if you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty.
I am a HUGE Skinny Vinny fan. I still cannot afford it, but someday… sigh… Keep on keeping on Bin.
And Liz, props on your work… mucho cool…. xxx M Cruz
Content © Design Glut 2007-2010