*Another one bites the dust*

Here we go again..a topic that I have spent 10 seconds too long dwelling on in the past & has caused me nothing but complete annoyance & headache for 2 years coming. I created this original design 2 years ago for my spring collection. (hence, Lily, thumbsucker,age 2)  I did not have a pattern for it, I did not draw inspiration from anywhere but the fabrics I saw before me, I went on a whim, & put my heart & soul into it.

Spring 2009

I attempted to replenish the fabrics last year but, they were delivered too late in the season. I could take the high road here but, since I'm pretty much a "hold nothing back" kind of person, I have to say thank you to the designer who took it into her own hands to recreate one of my designs, once again...from the ribbon & the lace down to the double ruffle bottom pants & every ruffle in between, in a different fabric combination. I thought the knockoffs were only sold on the streets of New York, not on etsy where people are paying $100's of dollars for a designers original piece of art. Personally I wouldn't be able to sit easy & sleep at night knowing that I have basically just been riding the coat tails of another designer or taking my inspiration from them to the absolute extreme.

I know there is no way to stop people from replicating your work, it has be done since the begining of time in every industry, especially the fashion world. At a fashion seminar that Mr. MOMI & I attended in NYC last month it was proclaimed almost first & foremost that indeed this is one thing that you have absolutely no control over. However, is it still beyond frusturating when I'm losing sleep at night thinking "out of the box", to deliver a design to set myself apart from the other 20 gas stations on the street.  It is clear in my perspective now why at the end of the day I am completely exhausted. For the past 2 years I have not only been the brains behind the designs of MOMI boutique, but, it seems as though I am also pulling the weight of others.

For example: take this ballerina set that sold in the Spring 2009. I purchased this exact fabric in a pink colorwary intending to recreate my exact design with the pink fabric, when the white sold out. Unfortunately, for me, before I had 10 seconds to turn my pink fabric into my design, a replica of this design from lace on the bodice, to the double ruffle bottom showed up in another etsy shop in the pink ballerinas. At that point I have 2 options, list my design up anyway in the pink & risk people thinking that now I was the one who "copied", or just let it go, sit on the fabric, & dream up something else eventually. Call it pride but
a design that was going to be easy for me to offer turned into a complete lose & the fabric sat in my armoire for over a year before I finally turned it into a OOAK & a Friday Flirt skirt, and fabulous it was! :)

At the end of the day it makes my head spin....I feel like I can't even go back & recreate some of my designs because, somebody already did. I don't think it would bother me so much, and maybe I would have never even noticed the extreme similarity, if this certain someone hadn't drawn attention to themselves 2 years ago when their shop opened & asked me to do a dress trade with them because my dresses were "just darling".  They had nothing to offer in their shop except a fancy dress that my girls had no use for & a big costume thing.  Little did I know what was really going on.

I debated writing this blog but, it is something that rides heavy on my mind almost every day, or at least every season. I always have to brace myself for the worst, and it usually comes.  Above & beyond anything else in all of my ranting, I just want to say cheers...Cheers to the facts of life.....Cheers to the reality that I will never have the opportunity to become mindless in my endeavor because the competition will always keep me at the brink.  Whether that be at the brink of success or losing my mind, that is yet to be determined! 
At the end of the day, MOMI boutique will always be MOMI boutique...and no one can take that rare.beautiful.genuine away!

Summer 2009

*Cheers*

 

*Spring in Full Swing*

If you haven't heard...regardless of the weather outside your window....Spring has officially sprung at MOMI boutique.  If you haven't yet placed your order, I would highly recommend taking a look at the Spring 2011 lineup in my ETSY SHOP as the fabric supply is dwindling at a rapid rate!!  Once the designs are sold out, they will not be replenished and I can tell you for certain there are items that are about to see their last few dancing days!

Please note if you do place an order I am currently on a 3-4 week turn around time.  Gasp..I know, very uncharacteristic of MOMI boutique. Trust me, if I could fly in those North Pole elves, we would be rockin' & rollin' but, have no fear I am very "OCD" when it comes to leaving things undone and have bearly slept a wink in a week! I will probably be back down to my 2 week or less turn around by mid week next week  You know things are slightly crazy when Mr. MOMI is up and willingly working at 3am. The man is getting more job responsibilities by the day and I even contemplated teaching him how to sew on a button, it didn't happen but, you get the point!  He chooses to go the moral support route and serenade me with his guitar skills..or lack thereof  :)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, MOMI boutique is no longer accepting custom/special requests.  In a perfect world I would love to but, I am in a position where I have a clothing line that is growing at a rate that is almost beyond my relm.  For me special requests are a double edged sword. 

 I feel like MOMI is in the position it is in because of special requests and.....I feel like MOMI is in the position that it is in because of....ding ding..special requests!  It is what puts a smile on my face at the end of the day and what also makes me have less time to take MOMI in the direction I want to take it in. Here is the groundwork 101:

MOMI boutique accomodates special request = very happy customer=customer tells friends=customer returns=customer wears MOMI everyday..yay! = Big smile for MOMI

MOMI boutique accomodates special request= approx 2 hrs back & forth customer service + new design layout=pull fabrics from one design to make another, minus 1 inventory for other design due to fabric loss=

ZERO hours to make MOMI better

I will be completely honest and say that I do truly enjoy some special requests that I receive because they provide great moments of inspiration, in a day when that is sometimes hard to find, & I honestly am happy to accomodate a strap change & a this or that, here or there. I am not in any way, shape, or form targeting any one person. In this week alone I have received 23 emails in regards to custom requests/tweaking designs. I wish I could say yes to everyone, if I had 12 hands & an endless supply of each fabric, I would. I am simply trying to paint the picture & help everyone to understand  why I am at this time not willing to do something that at one time seemed very "second nature".  I think what has thrown me for a loop is I have realized that although I do LOVE "customer service", I do not have the hours in my day to customer service items that I do not offer in my shop and that is what I have been spending a great deal of my days doing. I truly hope that no one will take any offence to this and your heart will still belong to MOMI!