Young B.C. designer shows off luxury headdresses

I’m the owner, designer, seamstress, photographer and marketer. Running a business on your own is a daunting task and it certainly has its ups and downs, however, I feel as though it is my main drive to develop my brand continuously because I am in charge of not only the creative process, but everything down to the details. Packaging, website design and product descriptions are all things I enjoy working on and I put just as much time and effort into each of these as I do sewing and designing a collection.

I’m located in Vancouver, B.C. and I am the sole employee at IWTHD. I’m fortunate to have a large studio space to work out of in our home and I can often be found working late into the evenings / early morning as I spend my days focusing my energy on our son, Isaac. We’re expecting our second son this February right before Isaac’s second birthday so I have a new business plan in the works for 2015 to accommodate my life with two children.

I sell primarily online through my website www.iweartheheadress.com, however, I have many stockists carrying IWEARTHEHEADRESS throughout North America & Europe. Listed are a few of my stockists, the full list can be viewed on my website:

• Art Knapp Fashion Department – Surrey, B.C
• Hunnis Urban Boutique – Langley, B.C
• Privilege Clothing – Coquitlam, Langley, Surrey, B.C
• Wishlist Boutique – Vancouver, B.C
• Top Knot Goods – Atlanta, GA
• Parts + Labour – Hood River, OR
• Sport N Chic – France

I knew I wanted my product to stand out in the crowd, so I started using antique or ethnic textiles sourced from around the globe and turning them into limited edition and sometimes one of a kind head wraps. My customers love that they can own something that is completely original and it’s also recycled materials, which is a bonus. I also like to focus on the quality of the fabric, so the past two fall seasons have consisted of cashmere, velvet, vegan leather etc. I want to sell pieces that look and feel luxurious.

What's your design philosophy?

I will never design anything that I wouldn’t wear myself and I choose quality over quantity every time.

I knew I wanted my product to stand out in the crowd, so I started using antique or ethnic textiles sourced from around the globe and turning them into limited edition and sometimes one of a kind head wraps. My customers love that they can own something that is completely original and it’s also recycled materials, which is a bonus. I also like to focus on the quality of the fabric, so the past two fall seasons have consisted of cashmere, velvet, vegan leather etc. I want to sell pieces that look and feel luxurious.

What's something most people don't know about your business?

Many people don’t know that this is a one woman show, there are no seamstresses, photographers, web designers or packaging teams. I have no experience in fashion design, business or marketing – I stumbled into this not knowing that I would eventually be selling my pieces to women and boutiques around the world, and sneaking a few celebrities into IWEARTHEHEADRESS as well.

I will never design anything that I wouldn’t wear myself and I choose quality over quantity every time. The biggest challenge as a small business is the pressure to compete with larger corporations offering similar products for much less. When a big chain store such as H&M or Forever21 sells a head wrap that costs a third of what mine does, I worry it may persuade a possible customer to purchase the cheaper product as opposed to mine. Fortunately, nearly every customer who shops with IWTHD is a repeat customer so I know that quality and craftsmanship still hold value in the modern marketplace!

My advice for entrepreneurs in this business is to be confident in your brand and to make use of your connections and never stop making new ones!! If I’m unsure about a piece, I send photos or samples to my friends who are designers or have curated stores and get honest and helpful feedback from them. Because I have customers all around the world, I really like hearing what women in America or Europe think of a piece and I’m so grateful to be able to collaborate with some very talented entrepreneurs who have also become some of my closest friends.