Elsa and Me Kickstarter

Elsa and Me

One of my favourite go to dresses is a black shift from Elsa and Me. Handmade and exquisitely crafted, I get lots of compliments when I wear it!

Now the brand has launched a Kickstarter to help fund their next project. To expand and improve their service for the fall season, ELSA AND ME is working to purchase its largest bulk order of fabric yet and is enlisting the help of its customers and fans through Kickstarter. Having an inventory of material will speed up their production process, shorten the time between ordering and delivery, and keep prices low.

With ten pledges to choose from starting from $15, there's an option to suit every price point. Plus you can donate to have a bespoke dress made in the style and fabric of your choice!

For more details on the Kickstarter and to pledge, click here. 

Support Covey

Captured by Lani Michelle

Are you looking to support independent designers that use ethical manufacturing standards? You may want to shop at Covey!

Covey are launching their Kickstarter campaign today, and it will feature pieces from the first wave of designers who have joined this innovative project. Garments and accessories on the site have a fresh, contemporary aesthetic with a keen emphasis on quality and craftsmanship.

I spoke to Covey's founders, Monica Rojas and Sarah hicks about their hopes for Covey.

How is Covey different from other ‘ethical’ online stores? 

Shopping consciously is not easy. Buzzwords such as "ethical", "conscious" and "sustainable" get thrown around by many retailers to cash in on people's goodwill. Covey is all about the products. Our focus is design, craftsmanship, and sustainability. We will let the designs speak for themselves, but we will take the time to tell the story behind the garment. We love customers who ask questions about products. We want to provide all the answers right off the bat, to give you an effortless and transparent shopping experience.

Tell us about some of the independent designers that Covey is supporting.

Probably the most rewarding part of this project is creating a platform to showcase so much incredible talent. One of our Kickstarter rewards is the Mond Top by Elise Ballegeer. Elise founded her namesake brand in Berlin, Germany. The simplicity of her garments allude to that effortless sophistication of Northern European design. We are also crazy about Trajet jewelry by Tracy McClain. Tracy channels her creativity to deconstruct vintage jewelry and transform it into something new and modern. Each piece has a story, and many are one of a kind.

How is Kickstarter transforming your quest?

Kickstarter will help us reach more like-minded people and grow our community. The financial support will help us to fund all the infrastructure and logistics that a business needs to run smoothly. More importantly, we want to reach as many people as possible and tell them why we are so passionate about Covey. We want to change the fashion industry. Every time we get even one more person to shop more consciously, we are making a difference.

How do you encourage other female entrepreneurs in the world of fashion to achieve their dreams? 

This country is based on our right to the "pursuit of happiness". I think the key to happiness is two-fold. Step one: figure out what you want. Step two: make it happen. Step one being the most difficult. Once you know where you're going, it's a lot easier to figure out which road will get you there. You have to stay focused on your goal, and surround yourself with people who share your vision and encourage you to be better.

What do you want Covey to achieve both short term and long term?

Our goal is to create value, for our customers, for our vendors, for our community. We want to make it easy for people to make the right choice. Covey will provide ethical fashion that you want to wear. In the short term, this will result in a successful business. In the long term, this will change the way people think about fashion.

Check out Covey today! 

Knotty Gal's Kickstarter Campaign

Who doesn't love a large, statement necklace that gives back? Enter Knotty Gal and their Kickstarter campaign!

As the brainchild of mother-daughter duo Nur-E Gulshan Rahman and Nur-E Farhana Rahman, Knotty Gal is the producer of one-of-a-kind knotted, handmade accessories for a cause! 

Knotty Gal’s pieces are designed by the pair and hand-crafted by Nur-E Gulshan Rahman, who incorporates intricate knots into bold, colorful, and one-of-a-kind statement pieces. Each of Knotty Gal’s necklaces, bracelets, and earrings is made from a combination of carefully selected cords and metals to produce a modern take on classic knots.  

Delightfully “knotty” by nature, the line is equally as “nice” in purpose. Knotty Gal is the result of the founders’ desire to raise funds for the Bhandari Girls’ School in Bogra, Bangladesh. Founded in 1962 by Nur-E Farhana’s great-grandfather, the institution was one of the first all-girls’ schools in the region. Today, the student body has swelled to over 1,200 girls, the majority of whom come from impoverished backgrounds.

Knotty Gal

After visiting the school in 2011 and seeing the overcrowded classrooms, lack of educational materials, and overall lack of resources, Nur-E Farhana knew something had to be done. She and her mother decided to combine their creative passions with their desire to help and create an accessories line that would resonate with knotty gals everywhere. A portion of all Knotty Gal proceeds directly benefits the Bhandari Girls’ School. 

Knotty Gal's current Kickstarter campaign will help the company to expand their efforts, allowing them to scale up their manufacturing, increase distribution and marketing the brand to a larger audience. 

The campaign ends on December 17th and backers have the opportunity to receive a number of unique Knotty Gal products and benefits as part of their donation. A donation also makes the perfect Christmas gift for a friend or loved one! Don't miss out on your chance to back a wonderful brand and individual who is committed to giving back and doing good!

Layo G launches Kickstarter campaign

Layo G. is a luxury brand that provides edgy, tailored clothing for modern day women. They design pieces that take women from the office to a lounge, from day to night, from professional to chic and beyond.

Nigerian born designer, Layo Gbadamosi established Layo G. in the heart of the Garment District in New York City. Layo studied Fashion Design at Parsons, The New School for Design, while simultaneously attending law school at Fordham University School of Law. She spent years learning about the business of fashion while interning and working in the legal departments of Burberry, Coach, Saks Fifth Avenue and Stuart Weitzman. Upon obtaining her law license, she served as Counsel and Legal Director for Jovani Fashions before establishing Layo G.

Layo G have recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for their patent-pending “Timeless Jacket”. It features jackets with pocket slits that can be worn together with other pieces in current and future collections. Wearers simply insert the pocket flaps of the inner piece through the pocket slit of the outer Timeless Jacket. Proceeds from their Kickstarter campaign will go towards developing their next upcoming collection, titled “She Is King,” in collaboration with artist, Ndidi Emefiele.  The collection will debut in August 2014.  The company also plans to gear up their PR efforts in order to enhance their brand visibility and increase their production capabilities.

To find out more and to support the Kickstarter campaign click here. 

Layo G

Carte Blanche: Female fashion with a twist

Carte Blanche is redefining women's fashion by creating high-quality dresses, which are crowd-sourced and sold directly to consumers. After years of experience working in the industry, Monica Noh, founder & designer grew frustrated with the way the same analog model is used to design and manufacture clothing in a digital age. Carte Blanche is about creating something new for today's consumer -- less waste, better quality, and producing only what users want.

Here’s how Carte Blanche are different:

1. Crafted with love in NYC - They work with the same fabric vendors and factories as your favorite luxury brands and keep their production in NYC to ensure that dresses are of the highest quality.

2. Crowd-sourcing - Fashion companies spend a fortune each season trying to forecast trends. Carte Blanche is the first women’s fashion brand that uses crowd-sourcing to allow users to vote on which styles will be manufactured.

3. No more middlemen - Carte Blanche sell their dresses at their true cost, not 4-8x, which is what you’d pay at a traditional retailer.

Carte Blanche

Carte Blanche is currently running a Kickstarter campaign, and are seeking $20,000 to produce their debut collection. I love the dresses, as they are so versatile and perfect for season to season and I can't wait to see how Carte Blanche transforms the way we dress and think about the process behind it!

Crane & Canopy launch first Kickstarter campaign

Crane & Canopy

Kickstarter is a fantastic initiative to help startups launch new ideas. Crane & Canopy have launched their first Kickstarter campaign aiming to raise $20,000 in funds to bring the innovative Nova Duvet Cover to market.

Crane & Canopy is on a mission to transform the way people feel about their bedding. With four key features that reduce the time needed to make the perfect bed by 80%, the Nova Duvet Cover is perfect for occupied moms, busy young professionals, and everyone in between.

Some of the key features and benefits of the Nova Duvet Cover include:

•The Easiest Way to Stuff Your Comforter: A repositioned opening of the duvet cover from the bottom to the middle allows for greater ease of use.
•No More Button, No More Pain: A durable zipper closure makes it quick and easy to close the duvet cover.
•The Comforter is Guaranteed to Stay in Place: The simple addition of four interior corner ties ensures the comforter will stay in place.
•The Perfect Bed, Every Time: Elegant design details, like a tailored flap and accent strip, create the illusion of a flat sheet so consumers can now sleep without a top sheet and achieve a perfectly made bed in just one motion.

Founded in July 2012 by husband and wife team Karin and Christopher Sun, SF-based Crane & Canopy is the leading online home goods company that offers beautifully-designed, high-quality bedding at innovative price points. Armed with a team of talented designers, Crane & Canopy works directly with manufacturers to deliver customers a continuous new selection of on-trend, premium designer bedding without the department store price markup. The company was founded with the mission to change the way consumers shop for home décor, utilizing a direct-to-consumer-only model. For more information about Crane & Canopy click here.