Running a brand that makes things is interesting.
Because even after you conceived, designed, made and sold your thing.
The thing is still yours.
It’s Still Yours.
What I mean is, you’re still responsible for it.
And it for you.
Because right after you sell the thing you conceived, designed and made.
People experience and talk about your thing.
They talk about whether it faltered, failed and disappointed.
Or whether it surprised, delighted and flew.
And whatever it is they say impacts your brand.
And you feel that as if you really do still own the thing.
After all, it’s your thing they’re talking about.
The impact and the influence never leaves.
Pick The Best.
So because the thing you made it’s still yours even after you conceived, designed, made and sold it.
Pick the best materials you can.
Pick the best makers.
Hone the design.
Then hone it again.
And you might even do something weird like I did with Always Wear Red.
Weird.
Once the Always Wear Red hand knit collection was complete.
I invited the best hand knitter we had to stay at AWR HQ for three days.
And all I asked Eleanor to do was to imagine where all 20 sweaters, years down the line, were most likely to fail first.
Then, to do some ‘Predictive Darning.’*
It looked amazing!
More interesting.
The product as tougher.
And I was more comfortable with the truth that, even after the hand knits were sold.
They were still mine.
They were still saying something – about me.
Something personal.
And that’s why I really do think you own that thing you made forever.
Even after you sold it.
…
*Made Up Term.
