Launching the first stripes products

Yes, I launched my first products!  

The last Saturday of June I finally launched my first products, at an event for Climate Conversation-coaches in the Netherlands. It was agile style: only two of my products were ready: the ties and the wristbands. The caps were there as an image, as they had not arrived yet. And we had just managed to make two prototypes of the new fabrics.

The newly printed fabrics I had been waiting for the whole week, did not arrive on Friday, but I could come and pick them up. Next morning my daughter and I made the first prototypes: one of the scarves and a pocket square. The prototype scarf was finished by hand during the event using the wrong colour, needle and technique.  The other prototype scarf was only cut and remained without any finishing (see here below). Still I was excited.

I got a nice table where everyone could see there was something going on. I laid my new flyers on all the chairs and at the end of the day they were all taken. Great! I still had one little challenge. My website was still a total mess, showing all kinds of irrelevant decoration stuff. Soon I got my webshop developer to get a sign up that it was under construction. That was a relief. I enjoyed the many contacts I made. There were people interested in signing up for ordering the scarves and the caps. And I met some persons that might become helpful or even crucial along the road. I sold a handful of wristbands. This wristband even got to a wedding party that same evening, as I got a photo for how well it matched the outfit.

I also sold my one and only pocket square prototype. I could not say no to the initiator of the Climate Conversations in the Netherlands, Manu Busschots. More than 500 climate conversation coaches are now trained to lead two hour workshops during six weeks. You learn about living more sustainably and having friendly conversations with people less aware about the climate. There are groups now online and in more countries, so get in touch if you are curious.

Men here don’t wear suits often and Manu had come up with a different application for the pocket square. As the fabric is very soft it can serve as a glasses cleaning cloth. He thought that could be a very subtle way to introduce the stripes to people, when done in public. And what a beautiful metaphor: don’t we all need to clean our glasses to see the effect of our habits?

I got Peter to be a model for a tie! I will use these pictures in the webshop until I have more professional photo’s taken. But also then, I will keep showing the photo’s of products being in use in all kinds of settings as well, somewhere on the site. So please do send me the picture if you are okay with sharing online, either with or without your name. (email me at info@awarenessproducts.net)