Factory Delivery!!

Hello friends!

I want to thank you for your patience since the last update. In between, the fabric went to the factory, and two months later, they're emerging as dresses. We're picking them up today, just ahead of a big winter storm!

I've been back and forth to the factory many times since they started production, and was even interviewed on Japanese TV for an NHK show called "El Mundo" as the symbolic representative of all the indie plus size designers in the US. How cool is that? And yesterday, I was in the factory bagging up the dresses for transport to my studio, which is about to get very, very crowded. Hopefully, not for very long!

For your viewing pleasure, a few racks waiting for delivery:

I'll next be delivering dresses to those who pledged at the amounts to get them as part of their Kickstarter swag (thank you again!!), and to the several boutiques who pre-ordered them. I will also then release them for sale on the e-store website, http://www.store.cabiriastyle.com and hopefully sell out very quickly. The success of the line's sales will determine if Cabiria goes forward with a Fall Winter 13/14 line, but here's the secret: it's already been designed, patterned, and first prototyped. Prepared!

I'll be updating soon, and if you were a backer at the level to get dresses but did not pick what you wanted, PLEASE get in touch with me as soon as humanly possible! If they are sold and gone, I can't replace them for you.

Thank you again, and all the best,

Eden

The Best of Kickstarter 2012

Hello friends!

By now those that pledged should have received their incentives in the mail. I understand that one mug arrived in tiny pieces (so sad!), and I will be replacing it. If you had trouble with your package, please let me know so I can replace it for you - there's a (very) few mugs left here at HQ.

Those that pledged for dresses as well, news from the factory is that they should be ready to start shipping in about 2 weeks. First orders will be sent to the backers and the stores that have preordered. The rest will be placed in the online store, as well as re-offered to plus size boutiques who'd expressed interest. Please note: I have non-compete pricing on the website, so you will be paying the same AND supporting small businesses in your area if you get your Cabiria dresses at a boutique near you. I will be telling you who is stocking Cabiria once we ship.

Finally, I want to express my utmost gratitude to those who backed us on the Kickstarter campaign, no matter what level. The Best of Kickstarter 2012 numbers are out, and it turns out that Fashion, as a category, is the least funded, with projects only meeting their goals 26% of the time. The fact that you guys believed that we are a worthwhile project, so much so that you made us the Most Successful Plus Size Project EVER on Kickstarter, means even more given this new information.

Thanks again so very much, and have a glorious next few weeks. I'll be posting again probably when we go to ship to you. Hooray!

All the best, Eden

Following are two images from Cabiria being manufactured (notice the Cabiria label on the bottom far left of the Flaminia in Tropicalia dresses in the 1st image), and a third image with the astounding numbers from the Best of Kickstarter 2012. You guys made this happen.

Final week of Kickstarter Campaign and a Call to Action!

Hello, friends!

We are four leaf clovers and unicorns! The incredible blog Envynde, which advocates for emerging designers across all size ranges (fantastic yeoman's work) has written an article about us stating that the rarity of a great, high quality, fashionable plus size line such as Cabiria is like finding four leaf clovers and unicorns. Pretty fantastic! They also wanted to write the article in advance of completion of our Kickstarter campaign so they could brag about the scoop. Well done!

Our Kickstarter campaign was also mentioned quite flatteringly in the "Links:Shopping" on the fantastic DIY design blog Not Martha. She really liked our coloring book incentive as well as the dresses! Her blog makes my home decorating, craft-making fingers itch.

We are now in the final stretch of the Kickstarter campaign. With a little over a week to go, we will be reminding you (again) to make those backing pledges which will bump up our popularity on the Kickstarter website. Kickstarter themselves need to be reminded that our numbers prove that we are a worthwhile project, and they should put their considerable marketing force behind us as well. So far, an astounding 81% of backing has come from word of mouth from friends and allies, known to me and new friends, and only 19% from Kickstarter generated links. Thank you for that, you guys! But the power of a strong platform like Kickstarter is that if they believe that the project is worth boosting in the feed, they can make people pay attention. So I ask you two things:

1. if you have not already backed the project, now is a great time to do it. We have 7 days left and every dollar creates a bump of interest across the platform and
2. write to Kickstarter on their webpage. You will need to scroll to the bottom of the page to the "Contact" link in the footer, but then let them know that you think this is a great project and you want to see it gain recognition in the Kickstarter public arena (their Staff picks, their blog posts, and their emailer to backers internationally. Feel free to point out that we are the MOST SUCCESSFUL plus size project EVER on Kickstarter, and why you think we're worth promoting.

Let's make this a record breaker together!

All the best, Eden

132% Funded! 16 More Days! And Where Your Money is Going

Hello friends,

First of all, thank you so much for this great momentum we have on Kickstarter. We're 132% funded and still have 16 days left in the campaign! I can't even tell you how exciting this is, and I'm so glad you believe in Cabiria and it's message of social justice through beautiful clothes.

I've been talking to some potential retailers for stocking the line, and potential business backers who want to expand the way we're currently structured (one woman running around like a chicken). I'm a designer. I like to think of myself as a pretty good designer. But in starting a project like this I've had to scale a pretty steep learning curve to become a proficient traditional marketer, social media marketer, public relations person, accountant, photoshoot producer, web developer, tech pack producer, factory production manager, sales rep, and fashion lawyer. Oh yeah, and autodidact MBA. I wouldn't say I'm great at any of these, although I'm not too shabby for an art school graduate (cough). All that said, I'd love to work with people who do these things well and with ease, all in concert to make the end result access to beautiful clothes. Big plans!

In the meantime, the knowledge that I will receive funding from Kickstarter backers at the end of the campaign has allowed me to order beautiful hand screened hang tags and business cards from an independently owned press in Richmond, VA. For a long time I'd been hunting for the perfect hang tag - those heavy cardboard tags that hang off garments to say what brand they are, and that hold the secondary information, price and RFID tags. I obsess about these small details because I really do think that the details are part of what differentiate Cabiria from others out there. All the details, on the clothes and off. I can't wait for them to arrive in the mail so I can show them off!

The funding has allowed me to look at planning a trunk show or three with Bombshell Boutique in St. Paul, MN, Vive la Femme in Chicago, and The Voluptuous Vixen in New Orleans.

The Voluptuous Vixen (and the Head Vixen herself),

Bombshell Boutique,

and Vive la Femme.

The funding allows me to consider making more pieces than the original factory quota that I'd need to meet, so I can have more to sell to more retailers. More access for customers. It also allows me to devote stock to online retailers that we can pair with so there's more ways to get the clothes.

Reaching past the funding goal has allowed me to start conversations with silk mills to make our own production runs of fabric, so we aren't limited to job lot fabrics sourced in the marketplace. Meaning if you want that dress in that print, it's yours. And reorderable.

Every dollar added allows all these possibilities to come together. Thank you for helping me reach these goals and create new opportunities together. As always, please spread the word!

All the best, Eden

please support independent retailers and help them thrive

Moving Forward and Reaching Further

Hi everyone,

Friday was a big day for me. I'm a cancer survivor, and yesterday was the one year anniversary of my very successful surgery. Yay! I'd been planning on launching the Kickstarter campaign almost 2 years ago when Cabiria was a dream and relatively half baked, but then life stuff happened and slowed me down. Well, here I am in 2012, halfway through the campaign and it's a lot more vital a project than it would have been when I first thought of getting it up online.

I've been quiet(er) this week because of Sandy's devastation, but I also have a short window in which to get out the word about Cabiria on Kickstarter. This project was on track waaaay before the storm, and has a set end date of November 21st. I am a fighter and survivor, and don't let things like force majeure take me off track. So there!

Please tell your friends that the campaign is still going and we want to meet those stretch goals. Please spread the word OUTSIDE THE PLUS SIZE COMMUNITY TOO. This is a product for plus size women, but the reasons for it have to do with EQUALITY, SELF LOVE, ART, SOCIAL JUSTICE, and FASHION. The mainstream media still want to have daily interest pieces that aren't all about Sandy's aftermath, and I've got that with a ticking timer.

I've spent this week contacting mainstream fashion bloggers and daily trend reporters like Racked (part of the Curbed Network), Refinery29, Daily Candy, Scoutmob, Yelp, and Marie Claire. If you have any contacts in PR or media, please let me know. I've even written to Beth Ditto. You never know what might stick, right?

Stay safe out there, and think big.

- Eden

following is Allison McGevna and I on the cyc from the collection shoot. Yes, I look silly in my socks, but that's how you keep the white floor clean. And yes, Allison is a gorgeous woman, even when being silly.

More great news (69% funded!) and an explanation for some critics

Hi friends,

Today was another great day for Cabiria's Kickstarter campaign moving ahead. We're 69% funded on Day 4! Thank you! First thing this morning I met with a lawyer from the Fashion Law Institute Clinic from Fordham University. Yes, there is something as specific as a Fashion Lawyer. Although the woman who runs the program is smartly dressed, it's regarding the specific laws around contracture for sales, licensing, labeling laws, indemnity, delivery, as well as intellectual property protection and trademarks, etc. for a business where garments are knocked off all the time, and designs are difficult to protect.

This may sound cutthroat and not in the spirit of starting a creative project, but as an artist it's also important to think like a businesswoman. Upshot is that I got some great pointers and referrals. Yay!

here I am heading out to a networking event last night in Flaminia in Black Cherries. Tiny Empire State Building in the hazy background.

Afterwards, I found out that we'd been mentioned by The Brickhouse of Style and Skorch Magazine on their social media platforms, and the store Wells & Verne in Portland, OR and Nina Blakemore in London, UK are interested in carrying Cabiria as well! We're international, baby. (hey - the new James Bond is coming out. I can't resist a little Austin Powers impression.)

Then off to the patternmaker, Michael Bevins at 4 Seasons Fashion, right down the street from swag provider Gregory's Coffee to do some final pattern tweaks before being ready for grading and production.

In the past few days, I've gotten a lot of compliments and kudos from people really seeing the value of this line. But, being in a public forum, I've gotten a few critics on one specific question, and I'd like to address that.

Why don't you make higher than a size 24?
The implication in this question - actually it's been outright stated - is that I am becoming part of the problem that excludes plus size consumers greater than a size 24. Since I stop at a size 24, I suppose it's a valid accusation. However, it's unfair to lay the ills of an entire industry at the feet of one small designer simply because I'm accessible with a face and an email address. Succinctly, it becomes a financial decision that I had to make to have any solvency ever.

It took me 2 years to get this project up on Kickstarter, after years of just mulling it over in my head. I worked several jobs, didn't go out and play too much, and saved my money in order to pay for the development and initial launch of the line. I called in a lot of favors, but some things are still costly and set as a fee, such as use of people's factories or services. They in turn have spent money to keep their doors open, much in the same way that many of the indie boutiques Cabiria wants to be in are self financed and run with a very narrow margin of error.

Pattern development and fittings cost money. Each size that you add to a line adds development and grading costs to the line, which is why numbered sizes tend to fit truer than 1x, 2x, 3x, etc. But it's money, which I'm on Kickstarter to help supply.

a long article on grading and pricing

a long article on what's involved in developing a line with a patternmaker and samplemaker

Also, most brick and mortar plus size boutiques carry up to a 24. Yes, it perpetrates a difficult cycle, but why should a tiny business absorb more risk on top of all the inherent risks already in place? Again, I have a face so I am on the block, but there are LOTS of people with more money than I have who can take the financial risks and change the system. For instance, Marc Jacobs talking about having a plus line, but where is it? And Oscar de la Renta making "plus size" up to a 16. And Ralph Lauren saying they're using the first "plus size model (she's a 12)", when I clearly remember Guess? using Anna Nicole Smith at a size 16 in the 1980s and my dad showing it to me. Just three off the top of my head with much deeper pockets and false promises to the plus community.

I am one woman doing what I can within parameters that will allow slow and steady growth and survival. I am also very proud of trying to forge a path with a very unique line in beautiful fabrics and fabrications, and that's why I'm on Kickstarter.

All the best, Eden

Below are first fitting muslins for a master pattern, taken in 2010, when I first started working on this project.

Astounding and Fantastic!

What an astounding day so far! The Kickstarter project went live just after midnight last night, and was on Facebook and Twitter and all sorts of other platforms as of this morning. It's unbelievable to see how supportive and wonderful everyone has been, and how quickly word spreads!

I have been very fortunate to have one Super Secret Backer that has told me that if we get over the $6,000 level in pledges on Kickstarter, that SSB will be a guarantor to get us funded for sure! Huge news! Of course I'd like to raise more than 100% - I'd like to be one of those amazing success stories like my friend Roman Mars, whose 99% Invisible radio show was the most funded journalism project of all time on this site, or another friend Andrew Plotkin, whose Hadean Lands interactive fiction adventure was fully funded in the first 24 hours, then went on to become wildly successful. What can I say? I keep company with winners!

Another great boost was that Jaclyn McCabe of Voluptuous Vixen boutique in New Orleans became a backer. The reason this is so special is because she is also a Retailer of Plus Size clothing, someone whose store I want Cabiria to be in, and someone who is a tastemaker for this market. She believes in Cabiria enough to put her money where her mouth is, and cross post it on her store's Facebook page as well. That's walking the walk, and I love it.

Every backer on this project is helping, no matter big or small, and every dollar is a dollar closer to the goal of getting funded. If you have any ideas for me to cross promote the campaign or the brand, I am listening and very enthusiastic. Please let me know, and keep telling people about us!

Thank you and talk soon.

-Eden

Kickstarter Campaign is LIVE! Raising funds for swag!

Hello friends,

What a great day! In addition to launching the line and getting huge amounts of wonderful feedback and interest on social media platforms, we got approved for our Kickstarter Project! It's called Get Cabiria Plus Size SS13 Collection Into Stores and that's exactly what we plan to do.

The web address is http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cabiriastyle/get-cabiria-plus-size-ss13-collection-into-stores. Click on any of the links in this post or copy that link into your browser to be taking to Kickstarter's Project page.

We have until November 21st - the day before Thanksgiving - at 5:08pm EST to raise $8,000 or we get nothing at all. What a challenge, but one I know we can meet. The $8,000 is to pay for grading (sizing up and down) costs for each pattern, factory productions fees (higher here in the US than abroad, but so important to keep skilled jobs local), shipping costs, website development, and marketing to let the buyers know about our SS13 line.

This is what the front page of the campaign looks like, including our URL:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cabiriastyle/get-cabiria-plus-size-ss13-collection-into-stores

If we raise more than $8,000, I have big plans, including expanding production abilities, printing our own fabrics, showing the line at trade shows, upgrading our website and e-store, expanding into new markets, and paying photographers, models, assistants and web developers, etc. a fair wage for their services.

I NEED YOUR HELP TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL!!! Please donate what you can; we have great incentives in the offer starting at ridiculously low pledge amounts, so that little drop in the bucket plus others makes for a huge flood. And even if you don't choose to contribute, please boost the signal by passing along the message to all your pals. Anyone who believes in equality entitlement, or body pride, or American small business entrepreneurship, or just beautiful clothes. Every ripple outward helps.

I can't wait to see what's in store this month, and I am already so thankful!

- Eden

Everything Coming Together This Weekend

Hello friends,

I have been working really hard the past few weeks to get all the ducks in a row and to introduce you to the new line, website, lookbooks, and videos for Cabiria. I have had a lot of help, and it's really great, because no one can do something this ambitious alone.

I have also learned a lot in the process. For instance, my initial desire was to launch all the new website, e-store, and Kickstarter campaign all at the same time. I should have read the fine print that said it takes up to a week for Kickstarter to approve my campaign application. That's okay - it means that the website and e-store will be open and tested live.

Live? Did I say live? Yes I did! And that's the most exciting news of all: we are going to be ready to launch and show off the website and lookbooks and catalogs Sunday or Monday! Tell your friends, tell your neighbors! In the meantime, here's another teaser from the photoshoot, the back cover of our lookbook:

And one more, with our music credit for El Haru Kuroi:

Mama Dog took quite a shine to Maxey on the location shoot - protective sweet old girl.

Stay tuned over this weekend, and get all the new developments as they come together!

xo, Eden

Almost ready to Launch!

Hello friends,

It's been pretty busy here with Cabiria - we're gearing up to launch the e-store, the Lookbook and Collections Catalog will be online shortly, the Behind-the-Scenes video is almost cut, and we're about to launch a public crowdsource funding campaign next week!

I will be sharing all of the links to our visuals next week when we're 100% ready, but here's one I love from the photoshoot. The lovely Maxey Greene enjoying life on location with a little help from her waiter Josh and a Pinot Grigio. Hard work, right?

Oh, and that's the Giuseppina dress in our Butterflies 100% silk jersey she's wearing.

Please stay tuned for the launch coming very very soon!

-Eden

It's Here!! The Photoshoot is Here!!

Hi friends,

Another short note for you all tonight: I've been working really hard with a bunch of fantastic people, and TOMORROW IS THE PHOTOSHOOT AND VIDEO SHOOT! I'm halfway between terrified and excited beyond measure. Today in the rain, the wonderful Janie Martinez and I went around town picking up and unloading a bunch of gear and food for the shoot, and tomorrow I'm waking up super early to get the photographer, the last of the gear, and WE'RE OFF!

If it rains tomorrow, we won't give up: our contingency plan is "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", a 1964 French film starring Catherine Deneuve and a bunch of umbrellas...

And of course, the inimitable Giulietta Massina in my favorite film, "Nights of Cabiria"

Raindrops and roses and whiskers on kittens... see you with lots of updates very soon!

xo, Eden

Check, check, one two on the microphone

Hello friends,

So many new things happening over here at Cabiria HQ! The photoshoot and video shoot are coming together beautifully, and now I've released my first MailChimp email subscriber newsletter.

I am not a technically gifted girl - I know clothing and plus size fit like the back of my extra large hand - but working with the advanced settings of a social media mailer isn't my strongest suit. If you find anything wonky in any mail you receive, first off, my humblest apologies, but please point them out to me!

In the meantime, this means if you're a subscriber to the newsletter, I believe you will now receive the blog posts automatically as well, and it should let you know on Twitter and the Facebook Cabiria Page as well.

I will leave you with this bit of locations research from our photoshoot hunt. It's a 15th century marble well head turned into a fountain... and we have access!

Talk soon,

Eden

Pattermakers, Accountants, and Other Fun Updates

Hey there folks!

It's been a few weeks, and there have been some new combinations afoot. One of the things I'd done was learn Adobe Illustrator, at least the basics, so I could make flats of my garments for the patternmaker. Since I seem to do everything from the ground up, I'll happily share my flat plus size template for drawing out clothing on a truly plus size figure:

There were many like this available in mainstream sizes, but of course, like with so much in the plus size world, I found none so I drew that one myself. You like?

I've also changed patternmakers - while Werkstatt is a wonderful resource and she is obviously a talented patternmaker, it wasn't the perfect fit. I did manage to track down the patternmaker and samplemaker I'd worked with over a decade ago, when we were at Lucy Barnes (now wholesale private sales only). When I designed the line and envisioned the quality, it was always with this woman's craftsmanship in mind, so it's pretty genius to get her on board.

Finally, I've been reworking the business plan. I'd always thought of starting up with crowdsource funding and using that collateral to gain business loans, but now I'm trying to research what options are available with business partners and shared equity. I'm a workhorse, but I don't know everything about business and accounting, so finding someone gifted in the arena would be amazing. If you, dear readers, know of anyone who would be interested in contributing knowledge, resources, or/ and funds to bring Cabiria to market for love and profit, please contact me. I'm very open minded!

Monday begins a new phase of development, and hopefully my next posts will be about finding wonderful size 18/20 models in the New York area soon!

-Eden

Cabiria Studio is up and running!

Hi all,

First of all, thank you so much for your patience in waiting for my blog updates. It's been a very hectic few months here with the move to New York and the new studio set up, but we're in and ready to start cranking out beautiful patterns now. Thank you for everyone who's helped and supported along the way!

For your enjoyment, the first shots of the new Cabiria Studio!

My next step is to start working with the wonderful patternmakers and samplemakers I've reconnected with here in New York, and hopefully knock out the first samples so I can photograph them on beautiful plus size women and show them to wonderful plus size boutiques! I'm keeping busy, for sure!

Thank you again to my generous and wonderful donors, who are collectively responsible for much of the items you see in the studio - bolts of fabric, labels, notions, and of some you don't see - licensing and bureaucratic paperwork fees, professional services, etc. Your help means the world to me, and I appreciate it greatly. Hope to show you what I can do with those gifts soon!

-Eden

percolation

As I mentioned previously, I'm new to the world of blogging, but I realized in a dream last night (also involving Galaga spacecraft, for no important reason) that it's also a great way to let you all in on what new developments are percolating.

Last night I attended a pitch practice session at 151 Locust, an entrepreneur fostering workshop space in Avondale Estates.  Now admittedly, most of the folks who seem to attend these things are in the IT/tech world. They talk about B2B and workforce management and a whole lot of other stuff that's relatively alien to me.  Maybe that's where the Galaga dream came from?  But the reason I go is to get practice telling people about Cabiria, and about how to ask for what I need to make it a beautiful reality.

I've been working hard on getting together images, materials, and information so I can go on Kickstarter or IndieGoGo and really make people sit up and notice.  I've been trying to build out the Cabiriastyle website so the site can be live at least as a potential show space before I have product.  And I've been researching the best options for integrating this blog here, an e-commerce space that looks as high quality as my clothing, and hosting support.  So much to do just to get the dress samples made in the first place!

The one thing I know is that all the years I've spent designing and making beautiful clothes, shopping for other people and trying to find perfect shapes for bodies similar to my own means Cabiria will be gorgeous.    The hurdle of financing the first samples is small, if you really look at it in perspective, and it can be done with a little help from my friends.

Looking forward to updating you all soon, hopefully with news that a crowdsource funding site is live and waiting for you!

                                        -Eden