TWO awesome giveaways happening! Earrings and ad space AND a super cute plush elephant
I am always on the hunt for accessories that fit into my vegetarian lifestyle when I stumbled upon Gigee Marie, an accessories website that features handmade clutches in faux leather and suede. Since, Gigee Marie answered my prayers for a vegan clutch, I quickly emailed the brains behind the shop Angela to find out a little more. Oh, and Gigee Marie has just expanded into jewelry!!!
Q. How did you get started making clutches?
A. I don't have a background in design or anything like that so it happened kind of randomly. I bought a sewing machine in th Fall of 2011 with the intent of just doing small fixes to clothes (i.e. hems, buttons, etc.) but I began experiementing with other projects. I started making small pouches at first, and then thought it would be cool to make clutches. That's pretty much where my idea started and it expanded from there.Q. I noticed you recently added some jewelry to your shop. What influenced your decision to expand?
A. Ultimately, I want Gigee Marie to be an accessories brand so I wanted to start off slow by adding a few pieces of jewelry to compliment the clutches. It also give the customer a wider selection of products to choose from.
Q. Any other future plans for the shop?
A. As I mentioned, I want Gigee Marie to be an accessories brand, but I always go back and forth on how I want to position the brand for that stage. I haven't decided if I want to have just Gigee Marie products, or if I want to make it more like a boutique with other brands as well. If you ask me this question in another month, I'll probably have a different answer lol.
Q. Tell me a little bit about you. What are you doing when you're not making clutches and managing your shop?
A. I'm originally from outside of Philly but I've been living in the Washington, DC area for almost 6 years. By day, I'm a marketing specialist at a consulting firm with big dreams of leaving my 9-5 to pursue Gigee Marie full-time :-)
Q. Any advice to ladies thinking of starting their own business?
A. Just go for it! If you're passionate about starting your own business, do it. People spend so much time thinking about why they can't/shouldn't start a business, but start thinking about why you should and the positives. Having your own business isn't always easy, but it's so rewarding; especially knowing that you created something from the ground up that is a reflection of you. It also gives you the freedom to set up your career in a way that best fits your lifestyle.
Q. Who are your style icons?
A. Olivia Palermo...she can do no wrong in my book lol. I also really like Lauren Conrad and LeToya Luckett. They're not necessarily seen as fashion "icons", but I love their style because it's practical, polished, and chic. I like fashion that I can relate to and can actually wear in my everyday life; their styles are most like mine.
Q. What are some of your favorite pieces in your shop right now?
A. The Python clutch and the Transparent clutch are my favorites right now. Until recently, the main clutch style that I sold was the foldover clutch. But I recently started making envelope style clutches and I love them. I plan on adding a lot more of that style very soon.
And, in case you were wondering, here's some of my (Tara) favorite pieces.
So, stop by the shop and follow Gigee Marie on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram and check out the Blog!
Full Disclosure: I received a discount on the clutch from Gigee Marie, but used my own money to pay for it. I did not receive any thing else in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% mine.
Linking up with Long Distance Loving, Aloha Friday Blog Hop, Follow Friend Friday, Style Sunday, DC in Style
