All Articles Tagged "clothing line"
Karrueche Tran Asks A Very Legitimate Question: ‘Chris Isn’t With Me. Why Are You Following Me?’
Source: WENN
Her name has been synonymous with the Chris Brown, Rihanna love triangle but somehow Karrueche Tran trying to stay above it all– while working with her ex. The 24-year-old has started a clothing line with Chris called The Kill that’s for a young, urban demographic. She spoke with Vibe magazine about the line, her current relationship with the singer and the attention she’s gained from the very public break-up.
Check out what she had to say in her interview on StyleBlazer.com.
“I Couldn’t Fit Into Anything. I Was 224 Pounds.” Laura Govan Explains Why She’s Launching An After-Baby Clothing Line
When you think about children’s book authors Laura Govan’s name is certainly not at the top of the list. But you never know what these Basketball Wives will do next. Watch above as Laura explains the inspiration behind her new clothing line, why she’s writing a children’s book and her upcoming wedding.
Get Money: The Side Hustles Of 8 Of Our Favorite Celebrities
We see them on TV, and on the movie screen. We hear them on the radio. We follow them on Twitter. Our fave celebs are creating all kinds of buzz and blazing trails in everything they do. These business-savvy celebs have launched some lucrative ventures worth checking out. Take a look…
straightfromthea.com
Jennifer Hudson
It seems that just about everything JHud touches turns to gold. First, it was her Oscar-worthy role in Dreamgirls. Then it was her Grammy-award winning debut album. Now it is Weight Watchers. JHud wowed us with her phenomenal weight loss reveal last year, and now she hopes to influence people in her native Chicago to do the same. JHud became the first celebrity to have a Weight Watchers center when she opened the Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers Center in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood last fall.
What’s next for JHud? A launch of her new clothing line, the Jennifer Hudson Collection on QVC this fall, as well as recurring role on the hit NBC show Smash, where she’ll take on the role of Broadway star Veronica Moore.
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acting, anthony mackie, Boris Kodjoe, celebrity entrepreneurs, celebrity restaurants, celebrity side hustles, clothing line, clothing lines, entrepreneurs, fitness, forplai, hair extensions, jennifer hudson, jewelry line, JHud, lamman rucker, natural body care, Natural Skin Care, nene leakes, Nicole Ari Parker, QVC, restaurateurs, RHOA, save your do, Sherri Shepherd, side hustles, Star Jones, Suzanne de Passe, tasha smith, The Wendy Williams Show, tyler perry, Weight Watchers, Wendy Williams, wigsHow She Launched: Rebekah Livingston Makes Philanthropy Chic With Apparel Line
As a teacher in the Portland public school system, Rebekah Livingston has been dedicated to making small differences in the lives of her students, but she’s always wondered how she could have a bigger impact.
She noticed that most of the students that fell behind or received lower marks in school were African American or Latino. She spent a lot of time thinking about how she could funnel resources to assist them and uplift the community in the process, but it would take a life-changing journey for one of her ideas to finally click.
While abroad on a trip to Ethiopia,Livingston decided to launch a clothing line with a philanthropic twist. And when she returned, Change the Definition, LLC was formed.
In the few months since the launch of Change the Definition, Livingston has donated 50 percent of the proceeds to area charities and has provided more than 5,000 books to at-risk youth with below-average reading levels. Her company has also been able to build a library in Ethiopia so that the schoolchildren there could have easier access to books. Madame Noire recently caught up with Livingston to talk about how she launched her company.
MN: What is Change the Definition, LLC?
RL: Change The Definition is a Portland, Ore. apparel company thats purpose is to change the path of at-risk youth. We invest our profits & time in funding and supporting programs that help give a successful foundation for education. Our particular area of focus is on literacy.
MN: When did you launch the company?
RL: I launched the company in January 2012 (our line launched in mid-February). Because of the great idea behind our company, we have gained a lot of momentum in a short time.
MN: What was your inspiration for launching the company?
RL: I have a deep connection with kids, and have been a volunteer teacher for 5 years now. I realize that there is a HUGE need for funding education for kids who need extra help. Because our school systems are failing and lack funding, I wanted to find a way to help these kids so that they wont become a negative statistic. I want to set an example for them, that its cool to be intelligent and it’s cool to help people. I just took action and moved forward finding an appropriate name and aligning the company with different non-profits that share the same passion for education and literacy.
MN: What industry did you work in prior to launch? What was your position at your company?
RL: I have worked for myself since I was 22. I opened a small skincare salon in Portland. I have always loved pursuing creative ideas and going after what I want. I cant remember ever wanting to work for a corporation or having a boss.
MN: Do you have a co-founder?
RL: No, I do not have a co-founder however I brought my younger brother, Reuben Gabriel, on to do design work and to work with me as a partner. He’s got a lot of great ideas and he’s young, hip and eclectic.
MN: How many people are on your team?
RL: Since we are new business, we hire people on contract. My brother and I are the only permanent team members. Our family and close friends help out a quite a bit. My hope is that we grow fast and have a need to hire more people and stimulate the economy.
MN: How long did you plan and strategize before launching the company?
RL: I spent 1 1/2 years before actually officially launching in January 2012. I just wanted to make sure my vision was on point and that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It brings me so much joy to tell people what kind of an impact we are making on the lives of thousands of kids. These kids will grow up to be great members of our society and hopefully pass education on to their children. Breaking a cycle that continues to plague underserved communities. We need to break this cycle immediately!
Kanye’s Moving to London to Watch the Fashion Throne
I guess we’ll have to watch the throne long distance because Kanye West has packed his Louis Vuitton bags and is planning a move to London to seriously pursue his fashion career.
Earlier this year, Ye debuted his women’s clothing line during Paris Fashion Week but despite the praise he receives for his own sense of style, the response to his ladies apparel was less than exciting. It makes sense for him to immerse himself in one of the biggest fashion capitals if he wants to be taken seriously, but some fans are already concerned about what the move from LA will mean for his music career.
Not to worry, Big Sean says the G.O.O.D. Music compilation album expected in Spring 2012 will be finished overseas and still released on time. Sounds like the team has a plan, let’s see how all this works out.
Do you think Kanye has a chance of becoming a serious force in the women’s fashion industry?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
More on Madame Noire!
Ask Felicia Joy: 3 Ways to Fund Your Business
Dear Felicia,
I want to start my own toy brand. Where can I go to get finances, backers, and a grant within a year or so? Is my goal of having my product to market by the end of next year realistic?
Mechal Roe-Barber
via email
I have a kids fashion line and have just completed a proposal. How do I acquire funding?
@bluejeanbandits
Via Twitter
Dear Mechal and @bluejeanbandits,
Eighteen months is more than enough time to get a business off the ground if you’re determined to do so, but life can happen so the amount of time you actually take will really depend on you.
As far as your questions regarding funding, well, that’s on every business owner’s mind—even for leaders of massive, multibillion dollar, publicly traded companies. I have three ideas that may help you find the funding you need to get started.
1. Gather money from every source you can think of including family and friends. If your friends and family are willing to contribute to your business endeavor, it may only be in small amounts since people are still feeling the pinch these days. But, little amounts add up. If you could get 50 people to contribute $25 to your business, that would be $1,250. Before you brush that off as a measly amount, consider the fact that real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran turned a $1,000 loan into a successful real estate company that she eventually sold for $70 million. Or consider David Green, founder of Hobby Lobby. He and his wife started their business by making and selling picture frames in their garage and at their kitchen table. Today the business rakes in sales of more than $2 billion. The key is to invest whatever amount of capital you are able to raise from family and friends — and other sources — into sales and marketing to make more money than you’ve spent and keep repeating the process. For example, make five or ten of one of your toys or clothing items, sell those and re-up. Once you’ve done that a few times and can prove that there is demand for what you have, start a wholesale program where stores pay you in advance for bulk orders.
2. Get a U.S. Small Business Administration (federal government) guaranteed loan. The SBA has launched several new loan programs, including the Community Advantage loan. The SBA doesn’t actually make the loans; rather, they act as a guarantor for up to 85 percent of a small business loan. This way, the bank making the loan knows that if for some reason the borrower defaults, they will recover at least 85 percent of their money from the SBA. This makes it easier for small businesses to get loans because it substantially reduces risk for financial institutions. The Community Advantage loan program was particularly created for not-for-profit and community based lenders to have the flexibility to lend to people who don’t have the typical collateral required by financial institutions, like a house. Also, these community based lenders may know “the story” of these borrowers. On paper, the entrepreneur may not appear to be a good risk, but because their business has cash flow and they have a local reputation for being responsible, the Community Advantage lender can make the subjective decision to loan the individual money for business. The maximum loan amount is $250,000. Check out the list of approved Community Advantage lenders and call the SBA at 1-800-827-5722 to get answers to your questions before you submit an application.
3. Become an amazing storyteller. For creative projects like toys and kids clothing, Kickstarter.com might be your ticket — if you can tell a convincing and compelling story. The ingenious founders of this site, which has been operating since 2009, have created a platform where people who don’t know you can contribute to your project. That is if you can convince them to support you by sharing what you’re working to accomplish, why you’re launching your project, and what they’ll get out of supporting you (you are required to give rewards for each level of support, but the nature of the reward is up to you). Kickstarter has to approve your project before you can post it, but unless you violate their guidelines, most projects will be approved. Contributors, or “backers” as Kickstarter calls them, can give as little as $1 up to thousands of dollars. I have personally contributed a fair amount to two projects on Kickstarter, and I didn’t know either entrepreneur I supported. I simply liked their ideas, respected their grind, and I thought the rewards they were giving were cool. Recently funded projects have raised from $14,000 to $121,000. The most funded project ever earned nearly $1 million within 90 days.
I hope one or more of these ideas will work for you.
Grace & Peace,
Felicia Joy
Felicia Joy is a nationally recognized entrepreneur who created $50 million in value for the various organizations and companies she served in corporate America before launching her business enterprise. She is often called on to discuss the ins and outs of entrepreneurial success and has appeared on CNN, FOX and in other national press. Felicia operates Ms. CEO Inc., a company that helps women entrepreneurs achieve more success, faster — as well as Joy Group International, LLC, a business development and consulting firm. Send her your questions at ask@feliciajoy.biz or www.twitter.com/feliciajoy.
Hip Hop’s Sartorial Pursuits
(JohnJohnSaidIt) — The growing demand for urban and hip hop clothing lines have lead many to start their own lines of branded hip hop clothing lines. some are small, and some are big. some of the biggest names in hip hop fashion clothing lines today weren’t only started by professional fashion designers alone. Popular branded hip hop and urban clothing lines today, such as sean john clothing, house of dereon, dereon, apple bottoms, rocawear, are those brands of whom are started by some of the most famous entertainers and hip hop artists today. Here are a short list of those popular brands of clothing lines that were founded by different celebrities and hip hop executives.
Sean John Clothing: First of the list is sean john clothing. Coming from the man they once called as the “Shiny Suit Man”, Sean John Combs has showed his talents not only on hip hop music, but also with Sean John Clothing is an urban clothing line founded by Sean “Diddy” Combs in 1998 that won the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award for Menswear Designer of the Year in 2000, and one in 2004.
Fashion Forward: 10 Tips for Starting a Clothing Line
(Black Enterprise) — Many African-American entrepreneurs have found success in the fashion business – Jay-Z, Russell Simmons andTracy Reese to name a celebrated few. But for those looking to build their fashion house lack the financial resources and celebrity backing of the big players, missteps can be fatal. Here’s how fashion experts say you can stack the odds in your favor and go from fashionista to fashion mogul.
Identify a clothing concept and target audience. Determine what garments you will make and study the fabrics you will most likely use. Then conduct market research to see if there is a target audience for your clothes. Talk to owners of retail stores and textile suppliers for information about businesses that produce the same kind of apparel that interests you. These contacts should also be able to tell you the buying patterns within various price points.
Celebrity Stylist’s Designer Turn
(Black Enterprise) — Over the years, Misa Hylton-Brim has made a name for herself as a celebrity stylist, transforming some of today’s biggest stars into veritable fashion icons. With her latest business venture, though, the CEO of Chyna Doll Enterprises, a fashion styling and image consulting company, is switching her focus to the everyday woman. Her new online boutique, Madison Star Couture, which is named after her daughter set to launch Fall/Holiday 2011, will deliver red-carpet flair to full-figured women with a penchant for luxury and style. Hylton-Brim gives BlackEnterprise.com an exclusive first look.
Rick Ross Signed To Promote Sean John
(HipHop DX) — Rick Ross has signed on to promote Sean John, Diddy’s longtime clothing line. “You know Puff is a good friend first, a mentor, and business partner. The partnership was something that came natural,” said Ross to examiner.com. The Miami rapper recently promoted the line at Macy’s, the exclusive department store retailer for the Sean John men’s sportswear collection, and believes he’s the perfect man for the job. “Being a big guy that’s fashion conscious Sean John is definitely a brand I rock wit. I have plans to dabble in the fashion industry. I get to rock fly clothes and that always good” said Ross. “It’s a great opportunity for me. I mean Sean John represents hip hop. He is a Hip Hop mogul.”
