Brass Tacks turns Four!

I'm working on the anniversary email that goes out to everyone announcing our August sale. Writing these anniversary emails always forces me to stop and think about the path I've taken these last few years. Yes, I am sentimental - I've put my mind, body and heart into building Brass Tacks! Not that I regret my choices, but there have probably been more bumps along the way than I anticipated.

There's something very different about this anniversary though. I don't have that feeling of "it feels like just yesterday when I opened my store". In fact, I feel like it's been ages since I started Brass Tacks, and so much has happened along the way. But what makes this year truly different from any other is that for the first time I'm seeing the company make larger leaps towards growth. It's exciting. No, it's thrilling (a bit scary too, but mostly just really very thrilling)!!

Some of the changes that have helped Brass Tacks grow are having a stronger production team (not just tailors, but also a quality checker, an office assistant and a sewing helper), finally buying a computer and a billing/inventory software, and having a motivated sales team at the store (plus a great new store manager who frees up a lot of my time). All of these changes have helped me focus more on designing, thinking about the direction of the brand, and growing the company. Soon we're going to have online retail up on the website, and a cool new marketing campaign I can't wait to share!

The scary part is knowing that nothing is permanent- markets change, employee turnover can be high when you least need it to be, and it's such a struggle for a small company to get access to resources usually reserved for large retail brands who can order in thousands. But that's running a business anywhere I guess!

For now I'm going to enjoy this birthday- it's the most exciting one yet! And I'm filled with gratitude for having come this far. Thanks to everyone who has shown me love, support, and encouragement.

*Our Anniversary sale is on from August 10th - August 21st, with a holiday on Independence day. If you live in Chennai, you really should drop by!

Ocean Blouson Dress (M11)

A few weeks ago I posted a photo of this gorgeous clamp shibori fabric on the Brass Tacks facebook page. The photo got many likes and I wanted to share a sketch of the actual garment that is going to be made from this fabric. Although my talented intern has done a great job of capturing this dress in her sketch, you really have to try on this piece to get a feel of how it moves and how it feels against your skin. Made from 100% crepe silk, the dress has a racer back and will be out with our Monsoon 2011 collection in a few weeks.