Green Cinderella: proof that shoes can change your life

Fashion Week (and a half): Part 1

Song of the Day: Paper Planes by M.I.A.

The past 10 days were action-packed with runway shows, sample sales and designer events. Although I was questioning moving to NY when it was high 90s and muggy in August, I can now say that I definitely picked the right time to move!

I'll start with Fashion’s Night Out- WOW – this event blew me away. On September 10, every single store in Manhattan (and Queens and Brooklyn for that matter) threw a big old party with special sales, appearances by designers and celebrities, food, drinks, giveaways… it was an absolute blast. And we were lucky enough to meet two of the coolest women in the fashion world that night:

Stacey London from What Not to Wear- she is awesome! She was at Ann Taylor giving people fashion makeover advice on the spot. She has an unusual ability to get right to the point without making anyone feel bad, and every person left her presence feeling positive and excited about embracing a new look. I got a chance to say hi real quick and thank her for featuring Charmoné shoes on the show (twice!)….no time for our own makeovers, but maybe someday!  

Donna Karan: Her DKNY store on Madison Ave. had an amazing performance by Irish dancers- which you might think as a little odd but it was really breathtaking, very dramatic. The dancers wore the fall collection which asks you to FALL IN LOVE WITH COLOR, and let me tell you, that is one love that is hard to resist. Just look at those rich hues- doesn’t it make you want to walk around Central Park when its 58 degrees, crisp and sunny… and forget those all-black outfits for good? You can clearly see that DKNY is kicking the sophistication up a notch and I think it’s very well done – I hope to see those colors on a lot of people this season. And these outfits would go great with our Darjeeling boots in green or black…

 

I met Donna briefly after being introduced by her longtime marketing VP who is a friend. Donna (and Patti for that matter) was incredibly gracious, particularly given the long line of people trying to meet her- and she even knew about Charmoné! Very exciting for us- and I just know she’s dying to collaborate! :) 

The days that followed were full of GREEN fashion- all eco-friendly fashion shows and shoes- more on that later this week!

Cinnamon takes America!

Song of the day: Whole Wide World by Wreckless Eric

So I decided to move to NY. But not without my shoes. I got rid of just about everything I owned, except what could fit in my VW golf. And being the best business partner ever, Lauren flew out to meet me in San Francisco and do the drive with me, along with our first prototype of the Cinnamon Shoe - here are pics of "her" enjoying the country!

And it begins: San Francisco- the beginning of I-80

Cinnamon likes Mighty Leaf tea and journaling in San Francisco.

 Lake Tahoe

The biggest little city in the world.

 Cinnamon gets chatty with a gas station clerk in Reno

 We had to pull her away from the slots in Reno!

Fresh air in Park City!

Hangin with Mama Sage in Wyoming

Somewhere in Nebraska- wide open spaces!

Welcome to Iowa

Welcome to Indiana! I'm not sure what happened to Illinois.

And finally- NY! Not sure what happened to Ohio or Pennsylvania, I think we were super tired and descending into madness at that point.

Stay tuned for more adventures and new shoes....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Fashion Cleansing: Recycling your shoes and clothes

Song of the day: Waste by Phish

Despite the Phish song and the fact that we make shoes that are vegan, eco-friendly and sweatshop-free, the women of Charmone are no hippies. Not even close. So it bothers me that today as everyone is talking about waste, overindulgence and consumption, a lot of people are pointing fingers while others are feeling very guilty. Someone once told me that guilt was intended to prevent you from doing something that would hurt you or someone else- otherwise, it’s pretty worthless. So why feel guilty for doing something you love if it doesn’t harm anyone else? Unless you’ve forced your family into the poorhouse over your love of fashion, just relax… and recycle. Enjoy your new stilettos, wear them to death, and when you’re over them- send them off to Soles4Souls.
 
Soles4souls is a charity with the simple mission to impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes. I’ve known about them for awhile, but I was a little stuck at the idea of sending Charmone “dress” shoes to them – I thought they were too impractical for many of the countries they deal with. After talking with them, I learned that they accept ALL types of shoes and almost always find a home for them – including that odd single shoe that’s been hiding in the back of your closet!

And as for clothing, go through your closets at least twice per year and pull out everything that doesn’t fit (and never will), doesn’t look good (and never did) and that you really just don’t ever wear. Pack it up and get yourself to either Goodwill or Salvation Army before you change your mind! Don’t fall into the trap of “I paid so much for it, I really should try to sell it or give it to a friend” or the “well, it might come back in style/might fit again later/etc.” traps. Everyone makes fashion mistakes, let others benefit from yours. Don’t worry if an item is out of style or worn to death- both Goodwill and Salvation Army will even take the fabric and recycle it into dishrags or other needed items- there’s always a way to make a new life out of something! Cleaning out your closet is a great way to help others while also clearing both your physical and mental clutter- try it and see!

 

 

Dancing in Paris

Today's Song: God is a DJ: Faithless

It's fantasy time. Too much reality kills your imagination. Its springtime, you're in Paris. It's 11:00 PM, the air smells like lilacs and you get an invite that you can't refuse: come dancing, wear all black, be ready for anything. If I got that invite, this is what I'd wear:

I'm ready- are you?

This is clearly what the Bellini was designed for.

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!

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.

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