Q&A with cinda b Founder Cinda Boomershine

Cinda joins huetopia Fall 2013 as one of this year's celebrity guests. Here, she talks shop with MADE about her wildly successful brand.

What is it about the Cinda B brand that most excites you? 
We make everything in our line right here in America. Being “Made in USA” is critically important to me.  When I started cinda b in 2004, I had two goals.  One was to make a fabulous, casual, chic, functional line of bags.  The other was to make those bags in the USA.  Initially, no one appreciated that the bags were made here.  I found that incredibly frustrating.  But as our economy changed people started to realize the importance of buying American made goods.  

For those readers that haven’t tried your line, what is the best feature of the Cinda B product?
I’d say our unique fabrics are our best attribute.  They are all custom - designed by me and my team.  They are all water resistant, stain resistant, machine washable (and pretty darn stylish if you ask me.)

How do you select your colors for your line?  Is it based on trend, Pantone or gut instinct?
When selecting new colors we have a rather strategic and methodical approach.  We are constantly looking at trends and talking to customers.  But we also mix in a healthy dose of gut instinct, and then cross our fingers and hope that everyone likes what we have created.

How did you arrive at your selection for the Cinda b fabrics and accents?
We design all our fabrics from scratch using a similar approach to how we select our colors.  We watch trends and talk to customers about what they would like to see, then we start designing and let our creative minds take over.  The pattern is the result of blending a little science in with a little art.

At the recent Southern Makers event we asked the public “What inspires you?” Since you design a great product and custom patterns, we feel this is a good question for you too. 
That is a tough one as I find inspiration by just about everything I see.  It could be the repeating pattern on the top of a manhole cover, or a vintage scarf my friend happens to be wearing.  But if I had to name one thing, it would be my travels.  I love traveling to new places, staying in new hotels and seeing a different side of our wonderful world.  Many of the cinda b fabrics have been largely and directly inspired by my travels.

What can we expect from Cinda B in the future?  Will we see you branch out of the luggage industry with your great patterns?
We are always thinking, planning (and dreaming) of products extensions for cinda b.  I’d love to see us expand into everything from stationary to personal accessories to more baby items. 

Do you have any advice for our budding designer / artist / entrepreneur readers that will help in their quest to start their own company?
If I can do it, you can do it!  Start by writing a business plan.  It doesn’t have to be pretty, but you need to do it, as it will help you flesh out all your ideas and give you a path to follow.  Then take one little step down that path every day.

Q&A with Oscar Adames: J Brand Jeans’ US Denim Guru

How is it you were crowned “J Brand Fit Specialist”?
I have been in the fashion industry for 17 years, seven with J Brand.  I have traveled the US and the world appreciating all types, shapes and sizes of women and from this I’ve learned how jeans should look and respond to a woman’s body.
 
Have you fit anyone we would know in J Brand?
Ohhhh more than I can remember!  Serena and Venus Williams, June Ambrose (style architect), and so many more. But my main goal is to fit Rihanna!
 
What is the most common mistake women make when buying denim?
Women always think they are one size bigger than they are.  They focus on what they think their faults are rather than accenting the positives.  Focus on the style and fit that looks best on you rather than hiding what you think is wrong.
 
Is there a fit or style that is a universally flattering fit for most body types? Skinny, Straight, Flare, Boot Cut?
J Brand Maria High Rise Skinny is a universal fit for women.
 
What is your most asked question when fitting women?
“Does my “sitting area” look good in these jeans?”

When you travel, do you see that most of the country embraces high fashion trends or do you have to teach trend?
Both! Each area has their own trend and style. But then there are places like NY and LA that set major trends.  Each city will have things that “locals” are wearing and it differs from place to place.  This is what really helped me hit “Guru” status; I see it all and have a healthy knowledge of what is out there and melt it all together for the individual I am helping.

Are your subjects more likely to buy “outside of their comfort zone” when you fit them?
Yes.  I get women to wear what looks good on them rather than what they “think” looks good on them.  The way others see you is not how you see yourself and this is a hard thing for women to understand on their own.
 
What “rules” can you give our readers for buying a great pair of jeans?
BE OPEN MINDED.  Be open to multiple styles that will accent different areas of your shape in different outfits.  You may need a few different pair of jeans to complete different looks - don’t settle on one pair or fit.
 
Who is your easiest subject to fit in a jean?
A confident women who is not afraid to show what she has.  Jeans are like bathing suits: they show everything. A woman who is not afraid to walk out that door showing what God gave her always wears them best!
 

  

Behind The Seams: Bell + Bragg

WORDS Andrea Jean   PHOTO Bell + Bragg

You don’t meet a lot of people who truly believe in “art for art’s sake” but Brad Bell does. Speak with him for five minutes about creativity, art and surroundings and you know he just gets it. That “it” is what makes Bell + Bragg so refreshing. Design duo Brad Bell (2008 AU Architecture Graduate) and Wife Amy Bell (Architect at Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood) opened their gallery in 2012.  The gallery lives at 420 S Gay St. in Auburn, right down the block from local hotspot Amsterdam Café, incubating the local art scene. Oh and I almost forgot to mention, you can buy the art too…

What led you to open a Gallery in Auburn?
Last year around this time we were sharing our space with two other folks. A local artist was using our basement as his studio and our storefront was a clothing boutique run by a local fashion designer. The creative energy was extremely contagious. After they both moved on to explore their passions elsewhere, we decided that the ever-changing exhibit and installation space would be a great fit.

How do you choose the artists you show at the gallery?
Some of our shows are highly curated and planned to a T. Others are completely spontaneous and happen when an artist comes by to share their new works with us or needs space to photograph their work. We have shows up to four weeks and pop-up shows that only last one night. We like to keep it fresh and unexpected. Our current exhibit, “After All,” is a solo show by local artist, RC Hagens. RC’s work is heavily influenced by contemporary street art, but primarily stencil graffiti.

Explain the thought process and inspiration for the gallery and the art you sell?
Whether it’s experimental paintings, haptic installations or delicate 3-D pieces, we like to show contemporary and progressive work. Our gallery is as much about the culture and incubating the local art scene as it is about selling art. It’s more of an interactive space - somewhere between the student pin-up space and curated museum.

How does one go about getting on your mailing list?
Come see a show, chat with us and sign our guest book.

www.facebook.com/BellBragg

Behind The Seams: Kellie Guthrie

A Special Kind of G.E.A.R. ... Kellie Guthrie Q&A

WORDS Andrea Jean

An old fire station sits at the intersection of Cottage Hill and Five Points. But the firemen of Station 5 have long since gone, and Kellie Guthrie and her team of talented seamstresses have moved in. Guthrie flipped the station into a veritable showroom and studio for her business, Re-Invention/G.E.A.R. by RI. And her workspace mirrors her products. 

A fashion industry veteran, Guthrie left the hustle and bustle of the trade in 2005 and applied her skills toward a more meaningful end. Think TOMS Shoes meets Anthropologie—her elevator chat summation.

G.E.A.R. (Go! Everyone, Everywhere and Re-Invent) is a social design business that creates recycled and re-purposed home accents, furnishings and an array of one-of-a-kind bags. Not only are her pieces aesthetically beautiful, but a majority of revenue from each of her “handmade with love” items benefits charitable organizations.

What led you to design home accents and travel bags?

A desire to find solutions for real, sustainable change for those ravaged and exploited by circumstances or poverty using my gifts and experiences. I have seen the effects of poverty and the many forms of exploitation and made the commitment that this won’t happen on my watch!

How did you start down this path of creating pieces made from re-purposed materials that are socially responsible? 

Work, and finding ways to provide work-based solutions, makes sense to me. I stumbled upon “Social Business,” which tackles a social or environmental need with a purpose absolutely central to what it does. The net-profits from these businesses are reinvested to sustain and further positive, lasting change. I believe real change happens when opportunity is created, and social businesses are at the forefront of driving that change. 

What are some of the challenges you face?

Along with day-to-day small business challenges, “Social Businesses” face additional obstacles —the business and the product is a means to an end.  G.E.A.R. by R-I was created to “Re-Invent” where we live - to create jobs and with the hope of expanding the organizations we serve. 

In our partnership with the Friendship Mission, we provided training for the homeless to help them learn skills and regain the confidence needed to join the workforce. Women and men learned to cut, sew and create in a re-purposed yellow school bus! Another partnership with The Nehemiah Center in the Chisholm area expands on the process started at Friendship Mission by providing a full textile manufacturing and upholstery processes program, followed by industry apprenticeships. Building a sustainable business that provides a solution to poverty is a challenge we face every day.  

What is the thought process or creative inspiration behind your bags and home designs?

My inspiration and design concept is about rich textures, color, repurposing and human struggle. By taking discarded materials and mixing them with “hope,” we create a product comprised of truth and beauty!

Tell me about the tools you use…

Our hands are our main tools, but we also use needles, thread, rotary cutters, scissors, regular and industrial sewing machines, drills, saws, wrenches, screwdrivers, tweezers, paint…just lots of tools! I love them—especially power tools. 

Where can we purchase your products?

Our website, www.re-invention.org, has a list of stores that carry G.E.A.R. goods. We’re also at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts store. And make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and of course, Pinterest!