Meet Ryan Dowd from Blue Sky Creative Group….a great story!!
by JULIA
Ryan Dowd was nice enough to respond to last week’s posting regarding companies that started out of the trunk of a car (http://www.shoebizness.com/?p=949) . In his email he had a link to his website which of course I had to take a peek at. I immediately noticed that there was a cool story there. Two brothers designing footwear together….I asked Ryan to share his story with you all and he kindly agreed. I hope it inspire…
Happy Monday!
by JULIA
Happy Monday everyone! We have some really interesting and fun features this week so keep checking in! I want to announce that we are continuing to gain more and more popularity in the industry and last week we increased the number of visitors by more than 35%! Also our LinkedIn group continues to grow and we surpassed the 2400 member mark. If you haven’t joined yet, you should: http://www.linkedin.com/grou…
I am stealing from Wayne’s blog again…he has some good things to say!
by JULIA
Wayne Elsey, the CEO of Souls4Souls posted the following in his blog a couple days ago and I really cannot agree more with what he says! The key… March 22nd, 2009 This last week on several interviews and preparing for my talk in DC in a week on the charity, I have and will continue to focus on three core elements to be successful. 1) Get of the couch. When I saw the single shoe float up on the newscast, I was sitting on the couch wa…
Matisse Sheena’s Weekly Rant :)
by Matisse Sheena
It’s that time again! I really enjoyed this week’s rant, so hopefully you will too!The disclaimer reads: “Sheena’s Weekly Rant is meant for entertainment purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of all Shoebizness contributors. Here on Shoebizness we like to highlight all different perspectives.” This weeks topic: PUBLIC RELATIONS 101 – Keys to Getting a Brand Out There This is a difficult su…
Stephen Gill-Eye on the UK
by JULIA
I introduced Stephen Gill a couple days ago. Stephen is going to be providing insight on the UK market on an ongoing basis here on Shoebizness which I personally am very excited about! If you ever have any questions that you would like to see him answer, please email me at julia@shoebizness.com and I will ask him ever so nicely to share. For this posting Stephen is giving us a perspective on the current retail landscape an…
Just for fun….
by JULIA
I went to a “Shoe Fetish” footwear fashion show this past weekend and thought I would share some of the pics. The host of the show was Chris Phashion who is one of the well known fashion personalities in the Miami area. The show was put on by a company call High Society Events in partnership with local designer shoe boutique Koko&Palenki, www.kokopalenki.com . They have 3 locations here in Miami and hav…
Beating the Bully-Words of Encouragement!
by JULIA
I have been contemplating this subject and exactly how I should bring it to the surface for few months now. Because I prefer to keep things completely positive, and because this is an issue that hits close to home for many, I needed to convince myself that I could convey this information without dragging the place down. But we’re all friends here and this site is about the good things and growing as individ…
It’s time for Matisse Sheena’s Weekly Rant again…
by Matisse Sheena
Poor Sheena tore a tendon in her left ankle last Friday and is in a cast, but she still was able to send us her “rant”. It would be very nice if you would kindly leave a message of support for her recovery in the comment section… unless you are a department store buyer, then you probably won’t feel sorry for her. haha Now, that being said…The disclaimer reads: “Sheena’s Weekly Rant is mea…
“Free Your Toes – Bring Your Soles” Sweeps the Nation
by JULIA
A big part of our company philosophy involves charity and giving back – that’s why I was so excited to hear of the partnership between Flip Flop Shops of Atlanta and Soles4Souls. The “Free Your Toes – Bring Your Soles” event will cover more than 20 soon-to-open locations in the US. The retailer is hosting shoe drives and hopes to collect over 10,000 shoes for charity. As an added bonu…
Thank you!
by JULIA
I really want to thank all of you who are helping make Shoebizness.com successful! We had more than 3000 visitors since we launched only one month ago and last week we had nearly 600 new visitors! I want to express my appreciation to all of you who have contributed your stories as well as those of you who are spreading the word. My goal is to make Shoebizness.com the most visited website in the industry and I have a fee…
5 New Weekly Features!!
by JULIA
1. Showroom Shenanigans-kind of speaks for itself hopefully, but just in case it doesn’t, I am going to be hitting you all up for your funny and ridiculous stories from the showroom floor! 2. L.A. Beat-Our LA contributor Britt will be giving a weekly glance at the shoe world on the West Coast. 3. Day in the Life-We will be featuring different people from all different roles across the industry who will share what t…
Matisse Sheena’s Weekly Rant-must have a sense of humor to read…..
by Matisse Sheena
What a treat! I got my lol’s and haha’s a day early! Thanks Sheena!! The disclaimer reads: “Sheena’s Weekly Rant is meant for entertainment purposes only and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of all Shoebizness contributors. Here on Shoebizness we like to highlight all different perspectives.” This week’s topic: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BEST DESIGNERS When you think of a “Designer”, when referring to app…
Shopping for the Recessionista, by Craig Stephenson
by JULIA
I have known Craig for many years. We have supported each other through the ups and downs of working in the fashion industry as well as in our own personal relationship. Our friendship like our careers has stood the test of time. I know that his boutique, in Charlotte, NC always had about a $250 price point for their shoes. Craig called me while he was stomping around Magic and said “Oh my, I just saw the cutes…
The Daily 5-It’s all about the Good News!
by JULIA
I have been trying to find good news to highlight for the last couple of days and it is not such an easy task these days. I decided to reach out to the most optimistic, positive person in the shoe industry Rebo McFadden for help. Thanks to him and Blackberry Messenger, I was able to complete my list: 1. Reebok came out with their version of a fitness shoe and a new workout in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil: http://www.…
I was there! SMOTA Turnout
by JULIA
NEW YORK — The Shoe Market of the Americas saw a slight decrease in attendance for its fall 2009 show, which ran at the Miami Beach Convention Center from March 1-3. “We were about 8 percent down,” said Executive Director Beverlee Maier. “As expected, everyone’s being conservative. But we were pleased with the turnout.” by Meghan Cass Posted Monday March 09, 2009 From Footwear News Issue 03/09/2009 -I heard the show…
