Spring is Almost Here!!

With spring just around the corner, I am very excited to say that a new collection is about to debut as well! The new spring line will feature crisp, lightweight fabrics, bright colors, fresh designs, and comfortable styles. Girls will be wearing pretty, girly dresses and boys will look handsome in chic (but casual) shirts and vests. However, we have to keep in mind that it's not all sunshine and warm weather during spring. For those chilly nights and overcast days, we have debuted appropriately-colored gray sweaters. Check them out here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9838813. And remember the old saying "April showers bring May flowers"? Not a problem, we have your pooch covered (literally!) These are the newest addition to our line: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=9885534. Check back soon, though, cuz spring fever is just getting started and new items will be launched shortly!

This is Why I LOVE Etsy

http://www.Etsy.com/ is a great website to find a ton of things that are handmade. It supports the artist community and is anti-mass-production, which is a big problem in our modern society. Not only is it a great site to find a wide asssortment of handmade products, but when you purchase an item from this site, you can be sure you have a one-of-a-kind original item that was flawlessly made with love and dedication. This is why we chose to sell our 1+1=ONE clothing line for dogs on this site (http://designsbyone.etsy.com); because we love doing what we do, we enjoy having a closer, more personal connection with our customers, and because it encourages people to buy handmade merchandise, rather than lower-quality, mass-produced garments that can be found in department stores and the like. Furthermore, Etsy has become a lovely community where crafters, creators, and artisans come together to support each other, give each other advice and help each other become successful doing what they love to do: create. Allow me to give you an example of how other online sellers and members of the Etsy community have been there for me. Several days ago, I was having a bad day because of a purchase that I had made online which turned out to be a scam (the seller had taken my money and run). I found out that this online seller was known for taking custom orders, taking her clients' money and never delivering. I immediately turned to the Etsy forums to ask for advice on what to do. Within seconds, I had several responses giving me tips on how to get my money back and wishing me better luck with future online purchases. Not only this, but one Etsy seller (http://showertreatsoap.etsy.com) offered to send me a FREE sample from her shop, just to make my day and so that I did not become weary of online sellers. It turns out that Laura, the online shop owner, has a beautiful online shop with a wide assortment of shower goodies. All I have to say is this: if you haven't done so already, give Etsy a try. You'll be amazed by the quality, friendliness, and beauty that you'll find there!

All Eyes On...

I have decided to start an "All Eyes On..." special featuring some of our customers' dogs to give them their well-deserved five minutes of fame. Each special will spotlight some of that particular pooch's personality, favorite things to do, etc. as well as some pictures of them in their favorite outfit designed and made by us. Of course, to kick things off, our top star and model will be the first to be featured:

All Eyes on Velma Kelly

My name is Velma Kelly and my mommy always says that I am the love of her life. I go EVERYWHERE with her since we hate being apart. I have not met anyone who has not fallen completely in love with me. Some people have tried resisting, but I always win them over! however, there are some people that I do not particularily like (i.e men and obnoxious children!). I am more spoiled than most people's children which is why many people say that I am a snob. My mommy disagrees, though, and says that I am a perfect angel! Just like my fashion designer mommy, I LOVE clothes and looking pretty. I get VERY excited when my mommy opens my wardrobe where she keeps all my clothes, fashion accessories, grooming supplies and perfume. She even lets me choose what I am going to wear! She holds up a couple of outfits at a time and I rush to the one that I want to put on. Pretty impressive, right? I have a full-time job being my mommy's model for her line and she even lets me make some design choices. Anything that does not obtain the "Velma lick of approval" does not make it into the 1+1=ONE line (Yes, I am being totally serious) . I can't say that I have a favorite outfit, anything that my mommy custom makes is good enough for me! Here I am seen wearing my gingham jacket to kick off mommy's spring collection. Want to look cute like me? Check it out http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8684976 or e-mail my mommy at designsbyone@yahoo.com for custom orders.

the introduction

Hi! I've heard that having a blog is a fun idea and good way to communicate ideas, share thoughts, and simply a pleasant thing to do. I figured I should give it a try, so here I am :)

First of all, let me introduce myself and our company. Our company (a very small one) is 1+1=ONE which is a clothing line for dogs. Our clothes are meant to be comfortable, but cute, hip, and completely adorable because we absolutely ADORE dogs!! When I say "we" I am referring to the three of us who make up the company:
*Leo: that is me! I am the co-owner and fashion designer for 1+1=ONE My job is to take care of EVERYTHING and make sure work gets done and accomplished in an orderly manner. Allow me to list a few of the things I do: I design the line, make patterns, sew up samples, find fit-models to try samples on in each size (XS-L), perfect the patterns, sew up corrected garments, run our online shop (designsbyone.etsy.com), take pictures for the website and update our listings, return e-mails, and the list goes on... Most importantly, I am the owner and guardian of our precious model, Velma.
*Velma: Like I said before, Velma is my fur-baby and top model for 1+1=ONE. She is a chihuahua/ dachsund mix and positively the cutest thing I've seen in my life! She came into my life while my business partner and I were studying fashion design at FIDM and became the inspiration for this clothing line. She always seemed to be cold and on one occassion, I was sewing up a homework assignment for my sewing class late at night in my chilly bedroom. Meanwhile, Velma was sitting next to me (she never leaves my side) shivering from the cold. Suddenly, I had an epiphany! With one of my scraps of fabric, I quickly whipped up a hoodie for her. It wasn't perfect, of course, but hey, it was my first attempt at dog clothing. However, to my surprise, she loved it! I held it up and her tail immediately started wagging and her eyes seemed to twinkle with excitement. She knew she looked good in it once it was on! and most importantly, she stopped shivering. Since then, her clothes have gotten better-made, more detailed, and, if I do say so myself, perfectly tailored to her :) She has a larger wardrobe than I do and gets extremely excited when she knows it's time to dress up. Check out our star's profile at http://www.dogster.com/dogs/671873
*Heera: Heera is my friend and business partner who helps me run our business. She is also a co-owner and fashion designer for the line and her duties are pretty similar to mine. She goes over the designs with me and helps me improve them. She helps me make patterns, sew up garments and shop for fabric and other supplies we may need. She also takes care of some of the promotion of our business and is a delight to work with. She is nice and helpful and very cooperative with me. So far, I must say we make a lovely team.

In the future, we plan to expand into clothing for people as well, I mean, how cute would it be to have matching outfits for pets and pet-parents?! ADORABLE!! In the meantime, we are starting small until we get the hang of how to run a business. Until then, wish us luck! We will keep you updated with the progress of our business and lives in general, Talk to you soon :)

Leo