As you can see immediately, I didn’t properly prop the pink weekender tote on the bottom left corner. Hubby suggests that we redo it, this time with dental floss tied to the two outer edges and him holding up the floss like marionette strings. That will show off the cool shape of the tote better.

Clockwise starting at 12 o’clock, we’ve got the Precisionist satchel, which comes with an ID wallet (not pictured); the Ambitionist briefcase and matching clutch (comes with a shoulder strap, not pictured); the Executive satchel brief (comes with a shoulder strap, not pictured); the Workaholic shoulder tote and wristlet clutch (center); the Peripatetic weekender tote (the pink one we were talking about earlier); and the Catalyst briefcase. The Catalyst also comes with a matching wristlet clutch similar to the Workaholic clutch (but not pictured).

We’re still waiting on our legit and professional photo shoot. Our legit and professional photo shoot with super-talented photographer Sherrie and former-pageant-queen model Heidi won’t happen until late September, or even October-ish. Hold your breath for it because there’s going to be some sick level of eye candy! =)

In the meantime, I had to settle for me as photographer. Today we shot just the bags in our living room.

That’s our kitchen table pushed up against the living room wall, and the white platform is the backboard of my IKEA bookshelf. Behind me we crowded every freestanding lamp in the house for makeshift lighting. No matter how we positioned them, we couldn’t get rid of the shadows. Ah well. Like I said. Legit and professional photo shoot forthcoming.

I’m also designing a temporary lookbook to use. Since I can’t wait until after the legit and professional photo shoot (late September early October, ish) to start wholesaler-hunting, we’ve recruited our friend Carolina to stand in temporarily as our model. This way I can create a lookbook asap and use it to query wholesalers. Carolina is the total package, definitely a “Taryn Zhang” woman– beautiful, intelligent, kind, successful in her career, and in a loving, wonderful marriage. We’ll be shooting by the bay Sunday afternoon. Pray for warm weather and bright skies!

In addition to working on minor edits to the bags, I’m also designing the dustbags. Every Taryn Zhang purse will come in a sturdy drawstring TZ dustbag. I can’t decide whether I want a minimalist black one with just the logo and brand name (above left) or mimic the black and gray stripes of the interior lining of the bags (above middle) or a repetitive pattern of the TZ logo (above right).

Final update: Everything so far has been in silver. Now we’re exploring our golden possibilities. Some of the bags will come in a gold-tone hardware option, such as the Workaholic set. You could get it in black with silver-tone hardware, for example, or black with gold-tone hardware. However, this gold option is still tentative. It really depends on how the gold samples come out.

Lookbooks, line sheets, hangtags and other details for packaging, edits to the bags for final production, and finding boutiques that are willing to carry my bags… oh, so much to do, so little time…

Now we edit. The whole batch of Round 2 samples production are in. They’re scattered all over my living room right now, along with dust bag samples (the drawstring bags that the purses come in with each order). But first a quick overview of the small leather goods. Leather here meaning vegan leather, which I will have you know feels just like real leather. You’d be hard-pressed to make the distinction.

Please note these are un-artistic, un-professional shots I personally took with a low-quality digicam. There’s no way you can compare these images with photographs taken by a professional during a shoot, which Taryn Zhang will do once we’ve settled on the Alpha Collection. These photographs on my blog are not to show off the handbags; they’re to show you my process and the experience I am going through as I try to produce my first line. The Taryn Zhang Lookbook, which is forthcoming, will be where we officially show off the handbags! =)

Alrightey. Now that we’ve got the disclaimers out of the way…

The above is the sample for a wristlet cosmetic bag. There is an unintended “sporty” feel to this bag. I’m really not a “sporty” kind of gal, so I’d like to modify this design a bit, but I do love the quality of craftsmanship, the gorgeous fabric, and the detailing of this wristlet.

That’s the clutch that goes with the Ambitionist. There’s also a back zip pocket. I’m really liking this. I’d totally use it as a day clutch or checkbook wallet.

Yuck! What is that!? Bleh bleh bleh bleh…!! Thought I’d post it for a fair and balanced representation of this little purse venture of mine. You win some and you lose some. And that is a big fat lose. Okay. Now let’s move on.

Here’s yet another wristlet clutch. Oopsie, the metal logo plate is upside down! Obviously we’re going to have to fix that before we enter production phase.

Oscar de la Renta once said you can give the same sketch of a dress to ten different sample makers and you’ll get ten completely different dresses back. I’m paraphrasing. That was the essence of the quote, executed awkwardly. Anyway, he’s right. I gave the same sketches and briefs to two different sample makers, known affectionately on this blog as Samples Round 1 and Samples Round 2, and got two different bags back.

On the left is the nightmarish Catalyst that came back early this year when I first started this endeavor. Realizing really quick that I needed to switch to a higher-end manufacturer, I went with my current group in Hong Kong, and the end result is the bag on the right, produced from the same exact sketch and briefs, mind you. They don’t look like the same bag! And yet they are. It’s the same exact design made by two different people.

Definitely going to produce a black one of the Catalyst. I’d totally carry this bag in black.

Same comparison: The “before” picture is the Workaholic bag produced by the former manufacturer and the “after” picture is the same Workaholic bag produced by the present manufacturer. Note that there is a weight inside the “before” bag. It cannot stand on its own, while the “after” bag is structured and stiff.

The Tycooness bag (below) has so much potential, but the color–! What possessed me to select this color?

It feels great slung over the shoulder. It’s huge. Very roomy, and yet surprisingly compact, and not clunky at all. It’s very easy to carry. It could easily become a staple go-to tote for all the casual days. This thing will even fit a pair of high heels!

The side wall pockets each come with a small zipper bag, great for securely storing miscellaneous knick-knacks. They slip perfectly into the open pocket, and then the open pocket snaps shut by a magnetic button. This is the bag for the pack rat. For sure. It’s just kind of ugly. I’ll work on that. =/ I’ll find some way to pretty it up during the editing process.

The Executive, a satchel brief that comes with a detachable adjustable shoulder strap, also needs work. As you can see, the flap is too short, and throws the proportions of the bag off kilter. What’s more, the positioning of the metal TZ logo plate is a bit funky. The two handles are also a tad short. I wanted a longer handle drop. These are all minor edits, though. Overall, I like how the Executive came out. I would prefer this bag in a neutral taupe, though. Perhaps I’ll offer it in this red, black, and taupe.

If I may be candid, I’m going through a bit of a something right now. I’m questioning the designs, critiquing them to the point of loathing them and wanting to give up altogether. Sure, Samples Round 2 is an improvement over Samples Round 1 by leaps and bounds, but it’s not where I want it yet. I feel like that level is just beyond my reach.

When that box arrived, I stared at it in trepidation. I had to send the resident kitty to scout first.

Four of the Round 2 bags, left to right (above): Catalyst; Workaholic; Ambitionist; and Executive.

The purpose of this post is to round off the earlier Samples Round 2 reports (here and here). Now, the last bag that hasn’t been posted here before, the Ambitionist.

Alrightey, it’s a little off. See the matching clutch? Compare the photograph of the sample with the sketch. Ah well. I think the unintended flip of the clutch design actually looks good. I’ll probably keep it that way. As I already mentioned earlier in this post, I really love this clutch.

Top right corner pic of the back view of the Ambitionist is held up by Hubby. He also really likes the Ambitionist. In all black, it would be the perfect interview bag. You cannot go wrong bringing the Ambitionist in all black to any interview, no matter how conservative the corporate culture. Plus, there’s a real “designer” feel to this bag. Hm, what does that mean? A real “designer” feel? In any case, if such a phrase could be universally defined, the Ambitionist would have it.

I’m having mixed feelings about the Unnamed weekender, and the struggle isn’t all attributed to the fact that the bag is still unnamed.

No, the weekender bag is not small. My kitty is just big. Real big.

After I reviewed all the Round 2 bags, I felt like crawling into the fetal position and moping. I’m not there yet. I expected better. How do I make it better? There’s something still a little off about it all, but what?

Every one of us has in their lives that section of the peanut gallery filled with people who would reap great satisfaction to see us fail, and I certainly have that peanut gallery. I don’t want to give those people the satisfaction of seeing me fail. But how do I not fail? How do I make this better?

Well, folks, I’m going to get into that fetal position I was talking about and mope in bed until I either come up with an answer to that question, how do I make this better, or fall asleep, whichever comes first. Don’t mind me. I’m just having a moment of insecurity. Like you, I’ll be fine in the morning.

After I submitted the spec briefs for production and before the above sample came, I contemplated editing this bag out of the initial collection. However, if I may say so, that is a pretty cute satchel. Me thinking that it is cute is not a justification for putting this bag through production, however. I’m trying hard to examine it objectively, but it’s not easy. I’m worried that maybe my subjective is getting shady on me, disguising itself as objective and… and this is not a blog about Cartesian theory or methodological skepticism. Oi vey. Let’s move on.

This is the Precisionist, in a color I have referred to interchangeably as either seafoam green or jade green. I saw the swatch for this pretty light green and just wanted to see how it’d look on a bag. If I do end up producing this bag, I’m thinking in black, for sure, maybe one in a pale rose color, and maybe also a beige-taupe-something-tannish. I really don’t know. The color issue is totally eluding me.

Next, the Artista, a bowler shoulder tote and matching clutch, a clutch that was formerly the Modernist (see its evolution here and here). The Artista and the Unnamed weekender are the two more casual styles in the first collection, the Unnamed being a travel bag and the Artista for the artsy professions.

Above renderings are from original doodles of the Artista bag set (bowler tote and clutch). I pictured the bag on the arms of a bohemian spirited writer who has flown off to Europe without telling a soul. She’s there to be inspired and to write without distraction. Hmm, but then if I flew to Europe, I hardly think I’d sit in a hotel room all day and night writing. I’d get out there and, well, see Europe. Anyway. Silly or not, that’s what I pictured, a lone traveling woman seeking to be inspired.

Above is a side by side comparison of the MS Paint sketch and the actual sample. The plastic wrap over the handles is obstructing view of the braided detailing, which is my favorite part of this bag.

Hubby noted immediately that the silhouette is wrong. My original sketch has that extra diagonal flare out on the two edges. The sample produced is just a basic arc shape, no extra diagonal flares. I had said, “so what?” Hubby, on the other hand, thinks it’s a big deal. He thinks that little extra flare is what makes this particular bag unique. Otherwise, it’s just another bowler bag. Hmm. He sort of has a point, though frankly, I still don’t mind the sample, sans flare.

We haven’t seen the corresponding clutches and wristlets to any of the bags yet. That’s forthcoming. See above for an angled view of the Artista bowler-style tote. I appreciate the side pockets, one to stash a phone, and the other to stash miscellaneous receipts. Not sure how many miscellaneous receipts are cluttering the bottom of your handbag, but mine… I’m pretty sure if I looked hard enough in one of my many bags, I’ll find a receipt from the 90s…

The first issue that leaps out at me is quality control. I am going to have a crazy time checking and double-checking each Artista bag to make sure those studs are equidistant. Like I’m not busy enough. For every order of the Artista, prior to shipment, I’m going to have to sit there and make sure I’m not sending someone a bag with crooked studs. The Artista bag is going to be a quality control nightmare. I need to rethink this bag’s design.

The Executive satchel brief is one of the bags I couldn’t wait to see. (Random doodling of the Executive previously posted here.) It’s essentially a briefcase, or can be used as one, but is not briefcasey. It’s very, well, it’s very Taryn Zhang. :-) For the business woman with style; adding just a touch of flair to corporate conservative. Except the above sample has a couple of major issues that need attention. For context, let’s see the specs:

So okay, my first question is where are the handles? Where did my two handles go? Erf? It’s a briefcase clutch! Yay! Have fun hugging your files under your armpit! No, seriously. Going to have to inquire further with the production team.

The second issue is the flap, which closes by magnetic snap closure. I love magnetic snap closures! Anyway, it’s too short. That short makes it funny looking. But if too long, it’s going to end up looking like a nose. Proportion is everything here. Now that I’m looking at my illustrated spec, it’s already too long, so thank goodness to the production team for shortening it, but what they did is too short. We need a happy proportion.

And finally, is that the best place to sew on the hook for the shoulder strap? (The Executive brief comes with a detachable adjustable shoulder strap.) I was thinking maybe centered, at the top edge of the side walls. Well we’ll work on this. Perhaps I’ll realize it makes better sense for the hook to be where it is right now, who knows. I’m still learning.

For Round 2 of samples production, we’ve seen previews of the following: the Workaholic, which I like; the Tycooness, which I don’t like and we need to fix it, a lot; the Unnamed, which needs a name but otherwise I like it as long as we make those side chains optionally detachable… can I say that, optionally detachable? And now we have the Precisionist, like; the Artista, ambivalent, need to figure out why I’m ambivalent about this bag and what can I do to make me like it more; and finally, the Executive, which I’ll love more if I can get some info on where the handles went.

And we wait for more. Round 2 is not yet complete. Also, some of the designs require a Round 3. Sigh. Revision after revision… this is worse, this is way more work and effort than drafting motions or memoranda of points and authorities or even writing short stories or law review articles. This is a lot of editing work. (And usually people don’t show the world their rough drafts, yet here I am doing exactly that, showing the world wide web all my rough, rough drafts…am I crazy?)

The handbag photos are credited to my beloved manufacturer in Hong Kong. My contact over there is like my angel right now; she’s been awesome. However sketches and ensuing silliness are my actus reus alone.

The WORKAHOLIC shoulder tote and accompanying wristlet are designed to be a staple work bag. The tote fits a 13.5 inch laptop and standard size file folders, which I have lots of and constantly need to lug around. The tote also fits a textbook, maybe two, so will be functional for the dressier-type university students. Me, I carried around a worn-out backpack in college, but I know girls who think they’re allergic to such things. =)

I wanted the bags to include a smaller wristlet or clutch for mid-day coffee runs or after work dinner plans. One time I saw a gorgeously dressed young woman at a bakery wearing red and carrying a red handbag. From the red handbag she took out a red wallet that you could tell didn’t come with the handbag, but somehow she had the savvy for matching the reds perfectly. That inspired me to make handbag sets for the rest of us who aren’t so savvy. Me personally, unless I buy a set like the Workaholic, my wallet will never match my bag.

And here for reference is the original sketch of the model and bags, with cheesy graphics added courtesy of Jasc Paint Shop Pro:

I’ve snipped from the production briefs my tech drawings of the tote, which aren’t great and I’m embarrassed to post them, but it is what it is. This design blog is about my learning curve and progress, not perfection.

The original sketch is more of a trapezoid and the prototype is more of a rectangle, but I am totally okay with this. As it turns out, it looks better rectangular than trapezoidal… is trapezoidal a real word? Too lazy to look it up.

The above left photo is the original undoctored image. On the right, I used MS Paint to “remove” the white hang tag, hence the slightly crooked stitch line. Rest assured the slightly crooked stitch line is not reality! =D It’s me imperfectly cutting and pasting the pixels to give the illusion of a stitched line.

My 21-year-old baby sister, who has candidly told me that everything I have designed so far is ugly, loves this Workaholic tote. That must mean something generally good. “Can I have it? Can I have it?” she keeps asking me. Again, a good sign. (Also I guess she’s not really a “baby” anymore if she’s 21, but in my mind, she’ll always be 8.)

No photos of the accompanying wristlet yet, but my hopes are high if the tote came out this well.

Moving on, we have the TYCOONESS doctor style satchel (below). The Tycooness comes with 2 identical zip pouches to store cosmetics, business cards, candy and cough drops, and all those loose knick-knacks we women carry around. Zip pouches not shown, however.

The Tycooness won’t fit folders or a laptop, but some women do not need to carry such things to work. This is a great easy-access bag. You unzip it and everything is right there. There are also open pockets on the front and side walls, and a zip pocket on the back for secured easy access to phone, car keys, etc.

I once heard that a major behavioral difference between men and women is that men will walk across the parking lot and arrive at their cars before reaching into a pocket to pull out their car keys, while women before exiting the building, will locate their keys and carry them on hand so that as soon as they get to their cars, they can get right in without having to fumble for it later. So, in light of that information, every Taryn Zhang handbag has a place somewhere easily and quickly accessible to store your car keys.

Continuing with the silliness, here is our 2-D model sporting the Tycooness bag in Central Park (sort of):

The Tycooness sample came out okay. I love it, but then again what mother would call her own child ugly, right?

Maybe it’s the color, which I did select so is 100% my fault. The material, though, cannot be beat. It’s soft and luxuriant and yet vegan. I could paw at the fabric all day with a drunk grin on my face, it’s that fantabulous. I got the Tycooness sample in a grayish taupe color to compare it with the antique rose color, which I applied to another bag currently in production. Crap, then again maybe the material is the problem. Looks like the fabric bunches up in a very unflattering way. For slouchy unstructured bags, this material probably works great. On my stiffer, more structured styles, no way. Great. Back to the swatchbook to pick out a new swatch for the Tycooness.

Color-wise, this sample shows me that I need to select more vibrant colors. It looks very drab in gray.

Now for the UNNAMED weekender, the namesake of which has given me so much trouble. I wanted to call it the Jetsetter, only to realize that every other line of handbags and your mother have a bag called the Jetsetter.

Then I thought about calling it the Daisy B, after Daisy Buchanan, a character from Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, only the character Daisy Buchanan wasn’t exactly known for her winning personality, so I thought twice about calling a Taryn Zhang bag “Daisy B.”

I entertained the name Sojourner, but Sojourner reminds me of Sojourner Truth, and naming this weekender after her would not be respectful of her accomplishments and historical impact. This weekender is fun and flirty and cute, which aren’t adjectives that come to mind when you think of Sojourner Truth. (Ain’t I A Woman?: one of the best speeches ever delivered, and many adjectives and thoughts come to mind, none of which are anything close to “fun,” “flirty,” or “cute”…) Maybe one of my future more serious looking bags can be called the Sojourner.

The base of the bag is not actually that dark. I digitally altered the contrast of the photographs so that other details could be more distinct. A side effect of that is the plum material now pretty much looks black. As for the material, it’s shiny, patent, and youthful, very different from the conservative matte material used for the Workaholic and Tycooness.

The handles were supposed to be quite short, so that the bag fit in the crook of your arm and that was about it. These handles on the prototype mean that the bag can be carried over the shoulder, which is a whole lot more practical, but not as aesthetically pleasing to me. I’m suspending judgment for now. I want to examine the bag myself and decide whether to request shortening of the handles, or to keep it as is. Form over function, or function over form?

Overall, I don’t know what to think about this Unnamed weekender. The side chains do not appeal to me at all, even though yep, I’m the one who designed and sketched it like that. They weigh the bag down and compromise the original intended silhouette. I’m ready to tell the manufacturer to rip ‘em off and forget about them. But both of my sisters insist on keeping the chains. Allegedly a lot of heavy metal on handbags is “in” right now. So my proposition is to add hooks to the chains to make them detachable. If you’re me, you can take the chains off yourself. If you’re one of my sisters, you can keep them on and break your back carrying such a heavy tote just to look cool.

(Note: The Unnamed weekender comes with a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap. Not shown.)

I sketch with a ballpoint pen. I know, how un-artist of me. The problem with ballpoint pen doodles is it’s a one shot deal. Normally I don’t mess up too bad because this kind of doodling is brainless to me. I messed up the Unnamed bag model’s face, though, so I had to tape paper over her messed up face and try again. Sketcher’s plastic surgery, if you will.

We’ve still got the Ambitionist, Catalyst, Executive, Artista, and the Precisionist to proof and finalize the color choices for each style. Blacks and reds are a must. Some of the bags will definitely come in antique rose, because I love the statement made by bringing pink into corporate conservative. I’m also thinking some sort of gray-nude-taupe-neutral-esque color, but how do I pull that off without looking drab? Finally, what about the rest of Roy G. Biv? Should I really be ignoring the colors of the rainbow?

These are all issues for another time. For now, I am content that the Workaholic, Tycooness, and the Unnamed bag are coming along well.

There is definitely something to smile about this week.

The other day I observed a dashing woman waiting in line at a kiosk for her morning coffee. She carried what I believe to be her work files in a plain black canvas tote. While observing her, I thought how much lovelier a picture she’d make if she carried the Executive satchel brief instead. I whipped out my sketchbook and doodled her with my Executive satchel brief. =)

Another woman came by in an elegant gray skirt suit, and yet she carried the dowdiest messenger bag. What, do working women not have pretty bags to stash their files in? (=P) So I sketched her with the Ambitionist and its matching clutch. I doubt anyone would carry both at the same time like that, but in 2-D, reality becomes a negligible matter. Even as a rough on-the-spot sketch, I see how the Ambitionist, especially in that antique rose color, softens the woman’s corporate attire, while still remaining serious and ready for business. Who would have thought that pink could be serious?

[Note: The colors in the Ambitionist sketch were added later, after uploading the phone cam. images onto my computer, using the MS Paint paint can function.]

And there’s a clearer depiction of the bags. (These are drawn in MS Paint. I love MS Paint, in case no one has picked up on that by now.)

Then this weekend I really went to town with the sketching.

I drew the model freehand, then took a picture of the sketch with my digicam, then played around with it in Jasc Paint Shop Pro and MS Paint. Below is my samples sketch of the Executive’s front face, rendered in none other than MS Paint.

Onto the Ambitionist ladies’ attache and clutch set:

I switched the evening clutch model over to the right, so it’d be the day model then the night model, left to right.

“You should get Photoshop,” everyone tells me, but I think I’m at that point where I’m too old to learn new tricks. I’ve been using Jasc Paint and MS Paint since high school. Just last night Hubby offered to buy me one of those computer sketch pad thingies that’s pressure sensitive. Supposedly you sketch directly onto the pad and automatically create digital images of your sketches, rather than my old school way of drawing by hand then taking a picture of the drawing and then manipulating the picture of a picture.

Yikes, I can’t draw feet. That much is evident.

I told Hubby no, at least not yet. Maybe when I become a legitimate designer, I can then get legitimate designing toys. Plus, aren’t those things like hundreds of dollars? No. Thank. You.

Mr. Economist Hubby then went on and on about something value added something or net value or net worth or net something and how if that gadget saves me X number of hours then it would be an investment if I used said gadget over drawing freehand, taking pictures of pictures, and tediously cleaning up the images in Paint. I said with finality, “No, that sounds complicated. I prefer simple.” He looked exasperated. How is that more complicated than taking pictures of pictures and sitting there hunched over your computer screen manually erasing away the background? Then I tuned him out and proceeded with the manual erasing of the background. Sshhh. =P 

Also, I am sure there is an easier way to render the above sketch of handbags without drawing it line by line, curve by curve in MS Paint, and adding color via the paint can. Oh, that fun paint can function that reminds me of those boxy Apple computers and oversize floppy disks from elementary school. Two decades later, I’m still drawing with the same programs I used as a kid. Maybe I should graduate on to the world of Photoshop…

In any case, I am told that the first batch of samples (half the bags for the tentative Alpha Collection) will be ready by Monday. Can’t wait! Progress photos and sketch-to-reality comparisons coming soon!

Random Other Happenings this Past Weekend:

Hubby’s parents had taught us how to make the dough for dumpling wrappers and Chinese buns. I tweaked the recipe, adding sugar, a pinch of salt, butter, oil, and milk to the mixture with his parents’ too-simple-for-me flour, yeast, and water. The tweak made for a much softer, suppler dough, perfect for the buns. Typically you’d fill the buns with pork, but Hubby doesn’t eat pork, so we substitute with a baby bok choy, shitake mushrooms, and shrimp filling (seasoned with everything short of the kitchen sink: soy sauce, mirin, hoisin, sesame oil, red chili peppers, garlic, ginger…).