I am Woman

Happy 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day to all my ladies!!

Some things you can do today to celebrate:

1. Buy yourself a gift that makes you feel amazing, or do something nice for a special girl in your life.
2. Blast "I'm Just A Girl" by No Doubt, because it's still so damn good.  (PS have you seen Gwen Stefani in the new L'Oreal Superior Preference ad?  I saw it last night, looked at my bf and announced "I need to go blonder".  She is amazing and gorgeous.  She is and always will be my favourite person I will never know).
3. Sign up to volunteer for a women's advocacy group or donate to one!  Today I made a donation to the Because I'm A Girl Fund, which helps girls and women around the world, and specifically to honour single mothers like mine.
4. Make your Facebook or Twitter status something to honour women-it can be as simple as "I love being a girl!"
5. Get informed:  Read about about the status of women in your country and around the world.  It's always smart to know where you stand.
6. Hug your grandmother.  She is a bridge between the past and present and has helped, in her way, shape the modern world and the women who live in it.

It is fitting that today I write about where I am in my business plan, since I have been working really hard with Marie on the part (and potentially the most vital section of all) where we define WHO our target consumer is.  Without going into too much detail, because it remains a work in progress and we still need to register our name and such (and WE HAVE A NAME NOW PEOPLE YESSS!), we have gotten really close to adequately and accurately identifying our customer.  It is important to Marie and I that we get this part of the plan completely right.  As two women, each unique in personality, background, physique and style, it is imperative that we create something that make sense for us and the other unique women we know.  Personally, it essential to me as the designer and creative director of this project that I produce items that I would wear myself and that my girlfriends would wear as well.  It is becoming apparent that it is really tough to design and produce the first collection, taking into account wearability, uniqueness and quality-three characteristics that represent our goals in this endeavour.  The initial collection requires that I focus on a small number of colours and styles, with the goal to expand and reinvent the brand as time goes on and more collections are created.  This means there is a lot of pressure to select the "right" styles among all my designs, ensuring these choices work both together and yet separately still reflecting what our brand stands for.  With that said, it is so much fun as well.  I feel like *knock on wood* things are really coming together for this project and as much as I am anxious to get it out there, taking our time has proven to be a far better and more successful route.

I think it's also important to mention that as female entrepreneurs, Marie and I strive to work with and represent women in our lives.  I am interested in knowing what other female customers look for when they go shopping for themselves, and we have begun to work on a survey to examine the multiple factors involved when women purchase items for their wardrobes.  Look out for this survey in a Bias Cut post near you!

Here are some fun quotes to celebrate the day of the Girl:

Despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, I have not yet been able to answer the great question that has never been answered:

What does a woman want?

-Sigmund Freud

I have an idea that the phrase "weaker sex" was coined by some woman to disarm some man she was preparing to overwhelm.

-Ogden Nash

The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.

-Charles Malik

Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels.

-Faith Whittlesey

I conclude this post with a shout out to all my beautiful girls and women in my life!  Love you!

xo Amber