Green Cinderella: proof that shoes can change your life

Like a kid at a sample sale

Song of the day: Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo

A few weeks ago I had a sample sale at my place and it was a little chaotic. Women tend to get excited when Italian shoes are selling at 95% off! (btw- still some available- if you are a size 7 email me at jkoskella at charmoneshoes.com!) While the “grown ups” performed a detailed analysis of which shoes would go with which outfits and how many pair they could get away with buying, my friend Rowena’s little girl Sophie sat there completely relaxed and played with her flowers. Sophie was able to get to the point with simple advice like “pretty!” and “I like those, they have purple in them.” She had the luxury of seeing things from a pure face-value point of view that doesn’t require overanalyzing.

Easy to say when you don’t have to worry about money or closet space. But being around her is always a great reminder to just enjoy what’s in front of you and not overanalyze things too much. I always think we were really lucky to go into creating Charmone with almost child-like eyes. We didn’t have any preconceived notions of how things should work. We were able to take a fresh look at all kinds of eco-friendly fabrics and vegan materials without “knowing any better”. Our only expectations were that it would be an adventure, and it certainly has been! We made a lot of mistakes with those child-like eyes, but we also learned more and experienced more in a very short period of time, way faster than if we had gone back to school for shoe design, started working for someone else to learn the business, etc. We just dove right in and got our own “degree” in the shoe business just by doing it.

I’m getting those child-like eyes back again since leaving the day job. I no longer have any structure to my day and don’t really have any habits or routines at this point. While in the past this has made things more chaotic for me, this time I see it as an opportunity to make every day new, fresh and expectation-free. Lack of routine enables you to be more creative and more flexible, and it may be the ticket to tapping into that child-like wonder more often. In the meantime, when things get chaotic I’m going to try to channel Sophie sitting there with her flowers – the most zen 3 year old I know!

Today's eco-friendly summer outfit: Doie and Charmone

Song of the day: Stir it up by Bob Marley

Nothing says summer and vacation to me more than this song - its the perfect soundtrack to a day laying at the beach with an icy cold drink with no where to go and nothing to do. But truth be told, I get bored after about 45 minutes of laying out (not to mention very red) and nothing puts me into more of a panic than figuring out what to wear in the summer. I'm a huge fan of fall fashion, it seems more glamorous and exciting. I love long coats, high boots, dark, rich colors, the excitement of fashion weeks all over the world. And although I love summer, I really don't like to wear shorts, I hate flip flops, and I'm bored to tears with capris. (Did I mention I may have to move out of San Diego? After the flip flop comment, I think I may be kicked out.)

So I was thrilled when Sara Kirsner from Doie Designs emailed with news of her latest collection- a gorgeous array of easy, fun, sexy and, of course, eco-friendly dresses and tops. My favorites are the organic cotton jersey black Melrose and white Sunset dresses below- ideal for showing off Charmone's colorful summer sandals and easy to wear pretty much anywhere you're going this summer. Get out of those shorts and into something like this and see what happens!

 

 

 

The coolest thing I've seen in a long time

Song of the day: The Yeah Yeah Yeah song by Flaming Lips

It could be the espresso shot I did at lunch but I'm literally BOUNCING off the walls with excitement over this collage site I found- Polyvore- check it out! SO fun! They provide a set of images for collaging and happily you can pull in your own, so of course I made a "Perfect Summer Day" collage of images inspired by the Charmoné monarch sandal. The image is below and you can check out others on the left navigation bar or here!

Props to whoever created this site, I have a feeling this will be keeping me busy for a long, long time so keep checking Polyvore for more Charmoné images- now go create your own!

A Different Kind of Fashion Inspiration

Song of the Day: Magic from Xanadu

Last night I had the opportunity to re-watch the movie: What the Bleep Do We Know? 

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend this amazing look into Quantum Physics and the power of the mind. At one point the movie showcases the work of Masura Emoto, a Japanese scientist who found that water molecules became vibrant when placed on positive words and deformed when on negative words. The thinking goes that if we are 70% water, what would happen if we wore positive messages on our body?

Well a cool little company called ZENsei is trying to find out. I came across them late last summer when I bought the "Summer Dress"  pictured here,

largely because it looks fabulous with the Gingko flats and more pulled together for running errands than sweats (not that I would really wear sweats). What I didn’t notice until later was that there was a message on the inside of the dress that read:

Be Fearless.
Understand You Have the Strength and Power to Do
Whatever You Choose.

Now I tend to get really excited about dresses and may sometimes feel that I have a relationship with them, but this is the first time one talked to me! This was particularly cool because I was going through a bit of a rough time and I felt like this message was exactly what I needed, when I needed it. And now that it's summer again and life is getting more and more “interesting”, it’s once again the perfect dress at the perfect time.

For something more eco-friendly, check out this awesome hoodie made of organic cotton and lycra! 

And whatever you’re wearing, be aware of the subtle and no-so-subtle messages you take in every day. If they make you feel bad, stop listening to them. Life is too short, and, it could be the dress talking, but I do think You Have the Strength and Power to Do Whatever You Choose.

You have to believe we are magic.
Nothin' can stand in our way.
You have to believe we are magic.
Don't let your aim ever stray.

A friend to everyone is a friend to no one

Song for the day: My way: Frank Sinatra

As I was listening to Frank this afternoon while sorting shoes, I couldn’t help remembering something my Grandma once said about him. He was coming to town and I asked her if she wanted tickets. I figured he was from her generation, so of course she would like him. She rolled her eyes, waved her hand and said:  “I wouldn’t so much as cross the street to SPIT on him!*”

Now I’m not sure what Old Blue Eyes did to offend her so much, but I never had to wonder how she felt about him. Or anything else for that matter. She always makes it extremely clear how she feels, and it’s always 100%, whole hearted, no holds barred. Ask her about the popovers at The Oak Grill Room and they are “out of this world”, ask her how she felt about Bob Barker retiring and it was “just awful”… I don’t think I’ve ever heard her be neutral about anything.

Some people find that off-putting - they would rather you smile, nod and be agreeable about everything. I have certainly fallen victim to this many times over the years, but as I get older I am much more comfortable being like my grandma.

This is particularly important in design. Everyone has an opinion and it’s easy to get sidetracked from your vision. Everyone has advice: “make lots of high heels, something very editorial for the press”; “no, no, do flats, older women want flats”, or my personal favorite "when are you going to get over this whole eco thing?”… it goes on and on. And when you’re a newer designer you tend to be eager to please, you want people to like you. But when you aim to please everyone you end up pleasing no one, least of all yourself. 

So there are a few things that you’ll just never see at Charmoné, even if its super trendy. Western, for one. I just cannot deal. Same goes for the manly, winged-tip men’s adaptations that have been hot the last few seasons. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that”, but for us, we just can’t make anything that we wouldn’t wear ourselves. It’s not always easy to stick to your guns, but in the end we hope that doing it “our way” will please just the right people, including ourselves. 

*The views of Jodi’s Grandma do not necessarily reflect those of Charmoné or its owners. And no one was spit on during the writing of this blog.

Faux is not a 4-letter word

Song of the day: Damn it feels good to be a gangsta by Ghetto Boys

So often we say something without really thinking about the meaning behind it, especially if it’s a commonly accepted assumption. I’m always struck when people balk at the price tag on a vegan item and say something like “its not even leather!” The logic goes that if its leather, it must be better, and therefore it can (and should) be expensive. I used to fall for this myself. And rightly so – there were (are?) plenty of faux leathers out there that just screamed cheap and plastic! Rest assured, this type of faux goes no where near our shoes.

Part of the reason we started Charmoné was to challenge the status quo. We wondered why no one was making vegan shoes that were attractive and high quality, and our first assumption was that it couldn’t be done. In fact, no one was doing it simply because no one wanted to challenge the perception that leather is a requirement for high quality. It’s so ingrained in the world of luxury that none of the big companies dared to challenge it. And I can’t blame them – why risk it? I’m not wagging my finger at leather, I’m just saying, let’s broaden our experience and challenge our assumptions.

But we knew there was a demand for vegan/eco-chic, and we also knew nothing of making shoes- which made it a whole lot easier to go in with an open mind and evaluate all the amazing textile options out there. The high tech microfibers we use in place of leather are often more expensive than leather simply because they wear better, they stand up to water better and they last longer. Four years into this and I’m still wearing our first samples – to death- and they are in excellent condition!

And that’s keepin’ it real.

21 worry-free days ahead

Song for the day: Three Little Birds- Bob Marley

♪♫ Don’t worry

‘Bout a thing

Cuz every little things

Gonna be alright

 
When I first found out I was laid off, my mind vacillated between 2 extreme modes of thought:

-          Exuberance: I can go to yoga in the middle of the day! I can go to the beach- RIGHT NOW! (and I did)

-          Fear: How am I going to pay my rent?

-          Exuberance: I can work on Charmone any time of day – from anywhere. I can go ANYWHERE. I am free!

-          Fear: How exactly am I going to pay for yoga? How am I going to pay for all the big plans I have? Does this mean I have to cancel cable? (btw, that is a yes)

Seeing the opportunity to slide into whatever extreme state I wanted, I made a decision. I will choose exuberance. I made a deal with myself that I will be positive, joyous, excited and happy and not allow an ounce of fear or panic to cross my mind- at least for the rest of this month. There’s something freeing about telling yourself that it’s okay to worry, but you’re just not going to worry RIGHT NOW. You’re putting worry on a shelf and recognizing that it's there, but it’s not part of you. Does that mean I'm going to spend all day at the beach chillin’? No, but I’m certainly going to spend some parts of some days doing just that. Every day I’m going to focus on what I can do that day to affect the outcome I desire- whether it’s making Charmoné more successful, or looking for work or consulting gigs. And once I’ve done all I can for that day, I’m going to play! I’m going to enjoy this time off like I’ve never been able to in the past, without fear or worry. Because I can worry in June, if I must, but I’m kind of thinking by then this whole no fear/no worry thing just might be a habit. Try it with me- who knows what we can all accomplish if we put worry on a shelf?

Ask and it is given

Song for today: Brand New Day by Joshua Radin

Yesterday I wished for more time to blog, and the universe promptly answered me – I got laid off from my day job. No, not from Charmoné - we are committed to this thing no matter what the pay - but from my day job as a Marketing Manager. Ssshh, don’t tell anyone I had a day job! Working while running a business is not easy, but it’s a choice I had to make last year when it became clear this awesome little operation just wasn’t going to pay my bills.

At first I felt like it was this dirty little secret- like I was somehow a fraud for ‘working for the man’ all day. I didn’t want anyone to think that I didn’t take Charmoné seriously or that the business was fading away. Taking a job was actually a preventative measure to ensure we didn’t have to compromise the integrity of the company in order to make money. I figured, I’ll make money elsewhere and then we can stay true to our values at Charmoné - not move production to China, not compromise the materials, etc. But still, from 8-5 every day, I felt like I was lying to myself and to anyone that I spoke with regarding Charmoné.

I know there are a lot of artists and designers caught in this conundrum, and the only advice I can give is to stay true to the intent of your business. If that means you have to suck it up and work for someone else, do it, there’s a TON of value in working outside. It takes the pressure off your business, allowing you the space to be creative. It also gives you some sense of grounding and normalcy, which isn’t always exciting but often important when you’re in this roller coaster of entrepreneurship. And the connections you make will be priceless. I was lucky enough to have a job with really supportive, wonderful and laid back people, but if you don’t have that, at least you can use the desire to break away from the day job as fuel to make your venture successful.

So what’s next? Stay tuned – I’m envisioning big sales, some new styles and new partnerships. For today, I’m grateful for the job I had, grateful to now be free, and ready for the next adventure!

By Jodi

I wanna be the one to walk in the sun...

Wow- it’s been awhile since we’ve blogged! I won’t come up with any excuses- I’ll just get right to it…

 

April was “earth month” and we were so lucky to be featured in Footwear News, Footwear Plus and WSA Today – plus coming soon the Travel Channel (Samantha Brown- my fav!) and What Not to Wear (love them)!

 

But we also got lots of cool blog coverage, and I have to take some time to mention one of my favorites here - The Bright Side. This amazing site brings together art, fashion, generosity of spirit and abundance – all in a cool community - what more could one want? If I could live in The Bright Side, I would. And believe me…. I try.

 

Each day on The Bright Side, an artist or designer offers a chance to win one of their fabulous pieces. You win by answering a question posed by said super inspiring designer and they get to pick their favorite answer. I had an absolute blast with this - our question was “what’s your favorite song lyric and why?” I couldn’t get enough of the answers – it was like watching hundreds of short, intense movie clips from different lives. I laughed out loud, I cried, I was touched, I was confused- it was awesome. More than anything, it made me so happy to be human, to feel connected and to know that everyone gets wrapped up in their own drama, and it’s all okay. Honestly, I wish I could feel this much every day.

So who won? It was SO TOUGH - but ultimately we wanted a combination of love, risk taking, and sassiness - so we picked three winners:

 

"Logic will break your heart forever. Be brave."

- The Stills, Gender Bombs

 

“Some boys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I want to be the one to walk in the sun
Oh girls they want to have fun
Oh girls just wanna have fun”

- Cyndi Lauper, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

 

"He said it’s all in your head

And I said, so’s everything
But he didn’t get it

I thought he was a man
But he was just a little boy"

-Paper Bag by Fiona Apple

 

Today be brave, walk in the sun, ignore all logic and follow your heart. And don’t let anyone tell you its all in your head!

 

To check out all the responses, visit the Bright Side at: http://www.thebrightsideproject.com/2009/04/did-someone-mention-shoes-i-am-never-one-to-miss-an-opportunity-that-concerns-cute-shoes-nope-not-i-good-thing-i-am-a-blab.html

By Jodi