It’s been awhile since we’ve had an interview post so I am happy to say that they are back! This week our interview is with Miss Erika of Spicy Toast fame. Not only is she a wonderful designer and seamstress but also a vocalist. If you get a chance please visit her myspace page and have a listen. Now onto the interview…

How did you get your start?

I started sewing after a vintage machine at my grandmothers house caught my eye. I was 12 years old and I said, “Grandma, teach me hw to work this thing” so, grandmother taught me the basics.

What was the first item you ever made?

Hummm. An animal pillow. I still have the first dress I made in middle school out of lips and kisses fabric.

Do you have any formal training?

None

When and why did you create your business?

I started selling on Ebay in 2000, though I started with handmade one of a kind crafts for christmas. I moved to handmade clothing after a suggestion from my sister. I came up with Spicy Toast out of the blue and in a few months, it took off!

What made you decide to focus on clothing?

I’ve always had that fascination with vintage clothing. Actually, everything old inspires me and makes me feel alive! I love old fabric, old time vocalists and old chipped painted things! So, I figured I would channel my love of the past into the present through designing clothing.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Oh, I enjoy pushing my mind to create something new each week. I love digig deep into my imagination! I’ve never made the same exact thing twice in seven years!!!!

From your myspace page I can tell you are a wonderful vocalist. How do you balance your singing career with creating your clothing line?

Oh, you saw that eh?! :} Thank you dear! Yes, singing is in my blood. Balance, This is a tough one. You know, when I am singing, I feel completed. Each gig, I have to wear something new and exciting to compliment my voice and mood that night. When I am busy singing, it keeps me busy sewing up a new delight for the next show! Then I come home and am full of inspiration for new design ideas. So, they fuel each other.

Who is your favorite indie designer?

hummm. that is quite a toughie. the correct answer is Spicy Toast…right?

What one thing couldn’t you live without?

Faith in myself.

Summer can be a slow season for some of us in the indie world. What have you been doing to keep busy?

Oh, praying for a miracle…heh. I’ve been plugging along with new ideas and spending time with my family. This fall I plan for extreme progression!

What music/books are you into right now?

Oh, I am completely into Miss Edith Piaf.

You’ve been very successful at selling your designs online, what advice would you give to other designers that are just starting out?

Yes, I sometimes forget to stop and smell the roses. ;P
I would say, close your eyes and imagine a world of bland and boring, then jump start that world by adding a bit of you. Listen to your heart and create what makes you feel alive. Above all, never doubt yourself.

Where do you hope you/your business will be in 5 years?

Oh, I plan to have my clothing line in a few department stores. Plus an album of my music out!
Go-Go-Go!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received regarding your business?

To keep pushing on and do my own thing. That I am inspiring others and showing them and myself that, when you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

Site: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZspicy_toast

How did you get your start?

I was going to Cancun for vacation and was looking all around for a bathing suit that I liked and could not find one so I decided to make a few swimsuits.

What was the first item you ever made?

On my trip to Mexico the Poppi Retro Sadie, Boy Short, Halter Top and Bandeau (available soon) were born. Since that time I have made many adjustments to hone my fits. The beauty of having a retail store front is that you can get direct feedback from the customer, I am also Poppi Swimwear‘s fit model. I design everything for comfort, fun and style.

Do you have any formal training?

I studied fashion design in college, my first internship was at a small bikini shop in Hermosa Beach, California where I spent most of my time cutting out suits for a custom sizing service offered at the shop. I never imagined that internship would come in handy later in life.

I have worked in the garment industry for the past 20 years. This experience has provided me opportunities to work for Guess? Jeans in Los Angeles and Paris, as well as several large clothing companies in Oregon.

When and why did you create your business?

I have always dreamed of having my own boutique store, I never thought I would do a swimwear line, it started very innocently. After having fun making a few suits for myself, I started making suits for friends, then consignment and in March of 2006 I made the big leap to leave my day job
and do Poppi Swimwear full time. We now offer Poppi Swimwear at our retail store in Portland, Oregon, at 25 retail outlets in six states (including Hawaii!) and on line.

What made you decide to focus on bathing suits?

I think bathing suits chose me. I have always loved fashion and have sewn all my life. I never would have imagined that I would be a swimwear manufacturer when I grew up. It was fortunate that I had the sewing background to act on my ideas and it is very fullfilling that people have responded so positively to my designs and comfortable fits.

What is the best part of running your own business?

Seeing direct results from your work, getting positive feedback from customers, bringing my dog Cassis to work.

and the worst?

The administrative chores.

I love the retro feel of your suits. Where do you get your inspiration from?

I have always had a passion for styling of the past (40′s and 50′s in particular) and swimwear is no exception. Reaching back to those eras, I created styles with the influence of days gone by but with the modern convenience of today’s fabric innovations and bathing suit construction.

Who is your favorite indie designer?

Angie Furlong of Blue Dot Clothing www.bluedotclothing.com

What one thing couldn’t you live without?

My Queen Bee handbag (a Portland Company) I could not find a web site for them but here is a picture of one of their bags.

What music/books are you into right now?

I really enjoyed the Guilded Chamber by Rebecca Kohn. With summer here Blue Grass music has been in my ears a lot.

Now that it is Summer I’m sure you are super busy but when you do get some free time what will you be doing this season?

Swim of course! Summer time is beautiful in Portland, My husband Will and I love going to our local community pool – Grant pool, to do some lap swimming or read and lounge and watch the chaos – every day is like the Caddyshack pool party. It is also great fun to swim at the Sandy River about 30 minutes outside of Portland or at lakes in the Mount Hood Wilderness about an hour from our home.

You’ve been very successful at selling your designs online, what advice would you give to other designers trying to sell online?

I think it is too early to say that we have been successful, but we have had a good start. I would suggest to work with the most talented people you can afford – and make sure you have good chemistry with them. If you don’t feel like you would want to go out for a drink with your graphic designer, coder, accountant or lawyer, if work wasn’t involved, keep shopping. From a marketing perspective our web site has been by far our best used capital. We had great design assistance by dotzerodesign.com and e-commerce technical assistance from kosmoscentral.com I highly recommend both of these groups. Even though these are Portland based companies because of the internet it is possible to work with anyone. They are affordable, creative and great to work with.

Where do you hope you/your business will be in 5 years?

There are four components to our business. Brick and Mortar Retail, Wholesale, Web-Retail and Custom Sizing Services (only available in the retail store). First in the minds of Portland, Oregon women who are looking for swimwear we aspire to be the go to store for a swimsuit and to be known as a fun, comfortable place to make a swimwear purchase. We hope to grow our wholesale base to 150-200 accounts and that Poppi Swimwear will be available in all 50 states, Canada and abroad. We hope to grow our web-retail business to sell 1,500-3,000 suits annually and at some point to offer custom sizing and fabric selection on line. Finally, I hope to train a sewer to manage our custom sizing service to add capacity to free up my time to develop more designs and manage production – I am currently doing all the custom sewing myself.

My goal is to continue to have fun as I grow my business, and strive to have a balance of work and pleasure. Perhaps working a lot, but loving what I do and mixing business and pleasure by visiting accounts in fun tropical places and resorts. I really like the idea of taking two extended “research” trips a year. For example on a Maui vacation this spring we picked up a new wholesale account!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Never ever stop dreaming.

*Use the discount code indieshopper to recieve 10% off your purchase of $100 or more.

Site: www.poppiswim.com

How did you get your start?

I went to college for art. I stopped making much art for a long time and taught. Then I participated in the first Renegade Craft Fair and I remembered how much I loved making things and so I went back to it.

What was the first item you ever made?

The first item I ever made for “i’m smitten” was the giraffe boy greeting card. I would print them out on my printer at home and make them by hand.

Do you have any formal training?

Yep, I went to the University of New Mexico where I got my BFA and my MA

When and why did you create your business?

I started it officially in 2004 because I was really just touched by the indie art/craft scene here in Chicago.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love that I get to spend my days in my studio with my dog and that I make my own schedule.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Children’s books

Who is your favorite indie designer?

I was really inspired to “give it a go” after seeing Lotta Jansdotter‘s work and how she lives. She is very different stylistically than me, but she was inspiring. I really like Amy Shutt’s work who runs Day-lab

What one thing couldn’t you live without?

Love and mashed potaotes- oh wait thats two!

What music/books are you into right now?

I’ve been listening to Feist a lot. And I have been reading Flannery O’connor a lot of non-fiction- the World is Flat, Parasite Rex

You’ve been very successful at selling your designs online, what advice would you give to other designers trying to sell online?

Trade links with other designers, try to be in online stores that sell a lot of different designers’ work

Where do you hope you/your business will be in 5 years?

I really hope that in five years I will have met someone to settle down and start a family with. I hope I’ve got some little ones running around getting into things while I’m trying to work. Hopefully I would be able to work part time from home.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

That we can consciously choose to alter how we react to life and that in turn can shape our happiness.

Site: www.imsmitten.com

Miss Misa was created in 2006 by Misa in her small dorm room in Los Angeles. Misa uses vintage and retro charms, chains and semi-precious stones to create one-of-a-kind priceless jewelry.

How did you get your start?

I started selling my handmade jewelry on ebay my freshmen year of college, and it just took off from there. A year ago I opened the Miss Misa webshop, where I sell my own jewelry line and other lines from around the world.

What was the first item you ever made?

Hmmm I would say the first item I remember making was when I was three. It was this little handmade book about my invisible alien friend, Kombajackie Spacely. He was quite a character!

Do you have any formal training?

Not really, I went to a private elementary school that really promoted creativity and innovation.

When and why did you create your business?

After having a couple internships in college, I realized that I never ever wanted to have a boss, and that I wanted to be my own boss! By seeing what I did not want to do, I figured out what I did want to do, if that makes sense.

“Leda Leaf Necklace by We Dream In Colour”

What is the best part of running your own business?

I love being able to do what I am passionate about, and set my own scheduale.

and the worst?

Having to balance modeling, full time school, and Miss Misa, it is difficult to find some free time.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I love vintage charms, and retro designs. I also love French inspired charms, which is going to be the theme of my fall jewelry line.

Who is your favorite indie designer?

I would say it is between Tarina Tarantino and LuLu Frost and Supayana!

What one thing couldn’t you live without?

Bread. Most amazin’ thing of ma life.

What music/books are you into right now?

I LOVE Mika, I’m going to his concert in a week! I just read Freakonomics, a very shocking book about unusual statistics.

You’ve been very successful at selling your designs online, what advice would you give to other designers trying to sell online?

When selling online, you need something that sets you apart from other businesses. For Miss Misa, I try to offer my own particular style, flare, and creativity. If you have a business, you have to be very passionate about it and what you do, and work for it every day.

Where do you hope you/your business will be in 5 years?

I hope to be doing Miss Misa as my full time career, graduated from college, and possibly go to graduate school to get a degree in entrepreneurship. I am also planning on moving to New York for both modeling and Miss Misa after college, so that should be a great experience!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

My dad always said, follow your passion. That is what I am doing now, and hopefully it will work out for the best!

Site: shop.missmisa.com

How did you get your start?

Naughty Secretary Club started as an online zine with band interviews and craft tips. Eventually I started making resin jewelry and selling it through my friend Tina’s web site Sparkle Craft. Eventually she and I hooked up with a newbie to Austin named Jenny Hart who was starting a business called Sublime Stitching and we started talking about business. The more we talked the more our respective businesses grew and one by one within about a year of each other we were able to quit our day jobs and work on our crafty businesses full time.

What was the first item you ever made?

If you mean as Jennifer Perkins I found a letter at my grandmothers house I wrote in about 3rd grade explaining the crocheted necklace I had sent her. She was to tape it to the back of her neck to hold it in place according to my instructions. As Naughty Secretary Club my first piece of jewelry was a resin bracelet with linking cubes. It was at the height of the WWJJD (What Would Joan Jett Do) trend. The WWD each had their own cubes with hot pink leopard skin felt in the background of the resin and little letter stickers floating on top. The JJ cube was a picture of Joan Jett.

Do you have any formal training?

I once took a class at a local bead store just to learn the basics of wire wrapping. I debate taking some formal classes, but it is hard to find the time.

When and why did you create your business?

About 5 years ago I was a secretary at a telephone company here in Austin. I had a lot of free time and had always written zines in high school and college so a zine seemed like the perfect time killer while at the office. The difference was that Naughty Secretary Club was my first online zine where the others had been print. While Naughty Secretary Club the zine was going full steam ahead with interviews of bands like The Faint and Spoon I decided to revisit one of my favorite hobbies, jewelry making. Lucky for me people liked my jewelry and after a feature in Bust magazine so many orders poured in I didn’t have a choice but to give 3 days notice at my day job. So my business got started to keep me occupied and entertained at my day job and somehow eventually became my day job.

What is the best part of running your own business?

That I am typing this interview in my pajamas. Well that is not the best part, but it is top 10 best things about the job. I love making jewelry and doing creative things and it is so unbelievably awesome that it is my job. I never in a million years thought I would get to be creative full time. I have a psychology degree I thought I was going to be a shrink for a living, not a jewelry designer and a craft show host. Through this I have been able to meet so many amazing creative people like the lovely ladies of the Austin Craft Mafia. On the set of Craft Lab I get to meet like 3 craft pros a day when filming. When we are doing the Stitch Fashion Show and Craft Bazaar vendors come in from all over the country that I get to chat with. So one of the best parts of my job is all the awesome crafty peeps I get to meet.

and the worst?

Running a business is hard and unfortunately being creative and business savvy do not always go hand in hand. Work is never over. When I was a secretary at 5:30 I left and did not look back until I hit my desk the next morning. With Naughty Secretary Club it is always there in the back of my mind, it never goes away, there are always things that could be done and fixed. Plus my office is in my home so work never really leaves.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I get inspiration from everything. I just recently attended a Vivian Westwood exhibit that had my head spinning with inspiration. During SXSW there were so many trendy and hip girls walking the streets working their individual styles that I wanted to take notes. There is no one place that I get inspiration from I just make sure to stay conscious of my surroundings and try to take everything in.

Who is your favorite indie designer?

Eeek I can’t choose just one. Without sounding biased I love my sister’s label Hot Pink Pistol. I have clothing, jewelry and purses that she has hand painted that I get accosted about when I wear out. I really think Karly Hand of Identity Crisis Clothing has amazing talent and a great eye for trends. When you know how to make your own clothing and jewelry it makes it hard to buy it from other people so I always hold in high regard the designers who prompt me to get my wallet out. Some people I have scored goodies from are: Tatty Devine, Blood is the New Black, Charcoal Designs, Monica Burnett, Model Citizen, Happy Owl Glass, Otter Otto and Ramonster Wear. There are tons of people out there who I love and admire and if I had a million dollars to spend would load up on their goodies.

What one thing couldn’t you live without?

Diet Coke and a computer.

What music/books are you into right now?

Well I am fresh off of SXSW here in Austin so my musical taste is all over the place. At the festival I saw The Pipettes, Amy Whinehouse, The Federation, Kid Sister – man I could go on. I am going through a hip hop phase right now listening to lots of Plastic Little and Spank Rock. Book wise on a recent trip to San Francisco I loaded up on tons of Japanese Craft, fashion and home décor books that I am smitten on. So I am not exactly reading them since they are Japanese, I am more like looking at the pictures.

You’ve been very successful at selling your designs online, what advice would you give to other designers trying to sell online?

I used to always say it is so easy to start a website and there is no excuse not to do it. Now with Etsy even more so. There is NO excuse if you are crafty and interested in selling your wares – get your butt over to ETSY like yesterday. Even I have an ETSY shop now (www.naughtysecretaryclub.etsy.com) selling Crafty Curios. Selling online is awesome because you don’t have any overhead like at a traditional bricks and mortar store. It costs what maybe $10 a month for web hosting? Plus online you can reach people all over the world with your product. Once you have a website or an Etsy store remember that is only half the battle, you have to let people know about your website. This is where links and such come into play. I ran my business just fine and dandy without taking out the pay ads like I do now just based on links with other websites.

Where do you hope you/your business will be in 5 years?

I am always looking ahead with my business, my worst fear is to have to go back to a day job. After working from home for 5 years there is no going back. I would like to expand Naughty Secretary Club to carry other lines and other items beyond jewelry. More like a one stop shop for kitschy goodness. I would like to move the business out of my house and hire some more people to help keep me better organized. I hope that Craft Lab is still going full stream ahead on DIY Network. I also hope that Stitch has become a household name synonymous with awesome fashion and crafts. I am working on a book at this very moment so in 5 years hopefully I will have a few titles under my belt.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

I’m not sure if it is advice that I received or instinctually knew already from running my own record label (Has Anyone Ever Told You?). I learned early on that marketing is every bit as important as product. I say this again and again in interviews, but it is totally true.

Site: www.naughtysecretaryclub.com

Check out the interview that I did for boxvsindie.com…Thank you Maile for thinking of me!

Indieshopping.com’s reviews, articles and interviews have become quite an asset to the indie community. How did the website get its start?

Indieshopping.com got its start in February of 2005. I was also running my other site Femminastyle.com at the time, and in searching for places to advertise, I realized that there weren’t many affordable places for small indies to be featured.

Has it changed at all since you began? How?

When the site first started, it was primarily focused on the newsletter. Now most of the content is in the blog and we’ve added a lot of different features like the shopping directory, gift guides, Spotlight on Emerging Designers and monthly contests.

What has been your favorite thing about running nightowlvintage.com?

Just being able to help other small businesses in getting the word out about their products is great. I love receiving emails from people I have featured or who have advertised with the site. Knowing that my newsletter and/or blog is getting these artists and designers sales is a fantastic feeling!

read more over at Box vs Indie…