Progress Report: Glacier’s Pace

Posted on March 27, 2011 by tarynzhang

Well, glacier’s pace per the original idiom, not today’s glacier paces thanks to climate change. (Word has it our world’s glaciers are melting at an accelerated pace and that does not bode well for us. Anyway.)

It’s been slow and steady here in terms of progress, more “slow” than “steady,” because we’re kind of reinventing the wheel again with our new factory. We’ve also made numerous functional changes to the bags, improvements made after product testing.

Betty touched base with me a few days ago and that’s when I realized I’ve been neglecting TZ. So much is going on in my day job professional life that I have not had a chance to focus on the design gig. =(

Above is a photo of the Ambitionist briefcase in brown stuffed beyond capacity. This past week’s personal use of the Ambitionist during trial prep has made it glaringly apparent that this bag is not wide enough. Look at that thing in the above picture!

L., an antitrust attorney in New York has also been using one of our prototypes and remarked the same: that the Ambitionist briefcase needs to be just a smidge wider.

I’ve also been rethinking the two handles. When I carry the bag over my shoulder, similar to how L. is carrying it in the above pic, I use the accompanying shoulder strap. Although the shoulder strap is detachable, I never detach it. Because it’s just so useful. That kind of renders the two handles useless. Instead, I’m now thinking the two little handles should just be available for carrying in your hand, like so:

Also, since these past few days of day job work required business formal, I was contemplating outfit posts to show how I was incorporating the TZ bags into everyday use at the office. But work was just so topsy turvy that I ended up with neither the time nor the will to follow through with the OOTDs. So I’ll post the only thing I did end up doing, and the pics don’t even show my TZ bag! I’m awful at this!

That’s me in a courthouse ladies room. It’s just a tailored black dress with a black turtleneck underneath to keep it conservative, accessorized with a black belt. With opaque black stockings and black pumps. It was morning, and chilly, so I still had on my black overcoat. I had toted my Ambitionist briefcase in all black that day.

I’m very reliant on Hubby’s strength and love, especially through something as  important as trial. The pendant I am wearing is of two swans kissing, their heads and necks forming a heart shape. Swans mate for life. So the pendant reminds me of Hubby. =D Hehe. There’s always something on me that reminds me of Hubby, like my swan pendant, the way most women wear their wedding, engagement, or promise rings. The reminder is just not something so typically-obvious like a wedding ring.

Mae had mentioned in a previous post that she rarely sees me wearing my wedding ring. That’s true, I rarely wear it because it’s big and clunky. (Sorry, Hubby!) However there are a few instances when I do want to make a statement without making a statement, when I’m in certain settings, and those are the times I’ll put on my ring. See above center pic. =P

Finally, Hubby and I are looking for a bigger apartment, that or more preferably, TZ office space. Right now our place looks like the above pic. When doing taxes for a small business, one can deduct for home office space if that space is used exclusively for the small business. Um… yep, that looks like it’s being used exclusively for TZ! Sigh… TZ stuff is definitely encroaching on our living space, and while Hubby has been super duper patient and understanding, I’m pretty sure he’s not down with this. =P So…we start the hunt for an office.

In short, yes, I’m still alive, Project TZ is still ongoing, but the collection that takes most designers one season to launch is taking us, uh… 3 years. And that’s because as much as I would love to devote every extraneous hour to working on Project TZ, instead, to make sure I don’t completely suck at my day job, I have to devote every extraneous hour to reading stuff like this:

Guai Guai, our kitty, who really should get a Juris Doctor too since he made it through law school with me, is much more of an erudite than I’ll ever be. So I tasked him to read the California Evidence Benchbook and summarize the contents in a short report for me. The book, frankly, puts me to sleep, so I figured Guai Guai would have a better shot of getting something out of reading it than I would. It’s no Dan Brown that’s for sure, not that I read Dan Brown but no one in Hollywood is going to make a movie adaptation of this book any time soon, let’s just say.

Oh wait. Looks like the Benchbook puts even Guai to sleep…

Ah well. It was worth a shot. He tried. Maybe I should have gone all tiger mom on him and threaten to withhold Fancy Feast unless he finishes the book by end of day.

Posted in Business Development, Collection, Design Conception, Learning Curve, Musings, One Step Closer, Personal, Progress, Sketches SW | 17 Comments

For Business & Leisure: Part II, Leisure

Posted on March 14, 2011 by tarynzhang

Hubby took the above photo of me at The Peak in Hong Kong on the night I arrived. The view from there totally reminds me of our Kartika Review (where I serve as managing editor) anthology cover art. See below:

Kartika Review Anthology COvert Art

Hubby led the way on all our sightseeing adventures, since he’s literate in Chinese. It wasn’t until after the trip when we started looking through the photos that we realized how many pictures we took of Hubby reading a map. See below for 3 of many. Posting them on this blog only because I think they’re cute!

My cousins from Taiwan met us in Hong Kong and we visited Ngong Ping 360 together. You ride a cable car suspended lord knows how many feet above ground to get to Lantau Island. We took the crystal cabin where the floor of the cabin is made entirely of see-through glass. Not for those with a fear of heights!

Hubby made me climb the dozen or so flights of stairs up to see the Tian Tian Buddha Statue at the Big Buddha Temple. In the above right photo, there’s me about to keel over from exhaustion, and in that pic, I was only halfway up!

Admittedly the sight was pretty magnificent once we got to the top…

I wanted to love the Big Buddha Temple, but I didn’t. There was a commercial twang to every aspect of the temple, nothing sacred, nothing spiritual. We saw monks in Oakley sunglasses playing with their iPhones, a VIP room at the nearby vegetarian restaurant (guilty: that’s where we ate), and you had to pay to do or see anything at the temple.

Perhaps the coolest place we visited this trip was the Window of the World theme park in Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China. The theme park replicates the major tourist attractions around the world, such as the Taj Mahal, Mount Fuji, Buckingham Palace, the pyramids in Egypt, Stonehenge, etc.

Hubby, who has a passion for archery, also kicked butt at the mini archery range in the — guess where! — North America region of the theme park, I guess to represent the U.S. Native Americans. I found it an odd choice for a cultural representation, borderline stereotyping. Guess non-indigenous Americans aren’t the only ones guilty of it (E.g., “Redskins” as a name for a football team…).

Cool Asia Observation #1:

Bar none the most fascinating sight at the theme park were the sheer number of high heels we saw.

Keep in mind that all of these photos of high heels were taken at a theme park comparable to Disney World or Six Flags — you know, where even most of us prissy girls are in T-shirts, shorts, and sandals? At one point I sat down and started counting. I got an estimate of 3 out of every 5 girls that walked by to be in high heels. At a theme park!!

When we were at the Peak in Hong Kong and Lantau Island, where we had to climb those flights of stairs to see the Big Buddha, I also saw tons of high heels. Climbing up the temple! Hiking around the island! It’s insanity.

Later friends told me it’s the same throughout East Asia. If you walk the Great Wall of China or visit the Forbidden City, both locations walk-intensive, you’ll again see tons of Chinese women in high heels, often stilettos. Like I said earlier, I was half dead after climbing up those stairs to the Buddha statue, in sneakers. I can’t imagine having trekked the same in pumps.

More photos of high heels, again all taken at the theme park. I planted myself on a bench at one point and just started snapping photos of heels I saw that walked within range over a twenty minute stretch of time.

Now I would like some commentary on this one…

Cool Asia Observation #2:

Boyfriends carrying purses for their girlfriends. Yay or Nay?

All across Asia, it’s trendy for a guy to carry his girlfriend’s purse. I don’t mean she needs to put on her coat so will he please hold her bag for a moment while she buttons up, no. I mean he simply carries it for her. I wish I had taken more photo samples of the phenomenon because from a Westerner’s cultural perspective, it was quite the sight to see grown men carrying these pink designer bags (e.g., in the above-pictured case, Balenciaga, though that one in the photo looks like a fake…thoughts?) with cutesie shmutesie bibelots dangling off it.

Is carrying a woman’s handbag for her some postmodernist form of chivalry? Or are you with me on this one and it’s just plain silly?

Anyway it’s farewell, Hong Kong and hello again, work. Sigh. Vacation is certainly no pause button on work. Rather, it accumulates while you’re away and on the first day back, you have 386 messages in your inbox flagged as “URGENT” or “TIME SENSITIVE.” I also returned from vacay with the worst of souvenirs: the flu. =(

Posted in Friends in the Trade, Musings, Personal, Unrelated, Vacation Pics | 17 Comments

For Business & Leisure: Part I, Business

Posted on March 8, 2011 by tarynzhang

I’m in Hong Kong at the moment and will be traveling through parts of China. The above photo depicts the start of our factory touring, which turned out to be a memorable adventure.

The factory we’re going with produces handbags for some very prominent, very high-end fashion designers across Europe, big names you and I have heard of, brands that are probably stocked in our closets right now. That’s exciting and assuring to know that Taryn  Zhang bags are in good hands. See below photo: some of the TZ samples are displayed on the table.

I was in handbag heaven! Look at all the gorgeous bags. Most of the bags depicted are from labels that go a little under the radar, labels only the diehard fashionista has heard of, but ones they absolutely swear by. This was handbag heaven! :-)

The guy below is a samples maker. When a new design spec comes in, he makes the first sample of it. I’m excited about the samples he’s making in the pic. (Not mine, btw. Some other designer’s work, but impressive stuff.)

The above are the parts that make up the Catalyst briefcase in bold red. We got the chance to proof the patterns. I had so much fun watching how bags get manufactured in a factory.

Now below are some exclusive peeks into a handbag factory. Most factories do not let designers or any third parties leave with photographs, FYI, so I felt very blessed and fortunate to get the owner’s consent.

I also had an opportunity to really talk to the owner about his business. Given China’s population, I would never have guessed that finding labor would be a problem, but it is. The number of workers willing to enter this industry is dwindling. Rather, labor has been filling into the electronics manufacturing and service markets (i.e., restaurants, salons, retail, etc.).

China’s rapid industrialization is following in the footsteps of American history. Labor unions are forming, workers are striking, there’s collective bargaining going on, and so the costs of manufacturing are on the rise. For the workers, this all comes as great news, of course. For the factory owners, not so much.

The workers were friendly and patiently entertained all questions. Most of them are around my age, which was interesting and meant there was instant rapport.

They walked me through the whole process, from the rolls of materials that get sourced in to producing molds out of the patterns for each bag style to how the process gets divided up into an assembly line of sorts. Each craftsman oversees one specific part of the process, completes it, then hands the work on to the next craftsman in line. Each one also double-checks the work of the other, creating quite an efficient process if I may say so.

I had to take precaution to not photograph any labels. However, I got to see in person some of my favorite designer bags get made from scratch. That was definitely memorable!

I am so excited about this new collaboration. We were having so many production issues with our previous factory. Finally I had no choice but to make an in-person appearance in Hong Kong, meet with prospective manufacturers, and find a new factory to work with. And I have. This new company is just fantastic.

What’s best of all is that the owner of the factory is a rags to riches story.  He started out as an assembly line worker at a handbags factory where he proactively learned every aspect of the trade. He developed his industry skill set and, with a natural knack for entrepreneurship, launched his own business at the age of 30. 25 years later, he’s the owner of one of the most successful handbags manufacturers in East Asia, with an impressive clientele comprising mostly of higher-end designers and labels.

Since the owner is a rags to riches story, he is a lot more patient about working with emerging designers. The previous factory I dealt with was all about the bottom line: dollar signs. If you were a big client, they treated you well. If you were a small client, they treated you like the dirt that crusts up between the rubber grooves of your boots. And guess what. I was one of their small clients. :*-(

There’s nothing more important to a business than finding the right synergies and partnerships. I established a great rapport with this factory owner, the sales associates and all the workers at the company. The synergies we’re developing are super. Everybody is happy right now and I am pleased to report that the trip to Asia was a success.

Right up to the last minute I was still working. Above are modifications to the Precisionist satchel and the Peripatetic weekender tote made on hotel stationary, sketched and scribbled late the night before a factory meeting. The life of a designer is a ton of fun and this has all been a dream, but make no mistake, it’s tough and it’s how much hard work you’d imagine it would be…times ten.

Part II on leisure and touristing across Hong Kong and Guangdong, China forthcoming!

Posted in Business Development, Design Conception, Friends in the Trade, Learning Curve, Musings, One Step Closer, Personal, Progress, Vacation Pics | 13 Comments

Tripping to Hong Kong: Departure

Posted on February 24, 2011 by tarynzhang

I wanted to get in an update before departing for Hong Kong. Internet access is going to be a maybe. However I will be documenting my factory visits, family reunions, and touristing, so please stay tuned.

Hubby is already in Hong Kong on business, so it’s been the kitty and me these last few weeks. Now it’s going to be just kitty holding down the fort. (Don’t worry; he’ll have human company.)

My carry-on bag will be the Peripatetic tote in lilac. I don’t particularly like this color scheme. It won’t appear in final production. The above was just a sample, though I am very much appreciating just how much junk the Peripatetic tote fits. (Try saying that as fast as you can ten times: Peripatetic tote. Yeah, I don’t know why I came up with these names.)

So what’s in my carry-on bag? Sunglasses, cosmetic bag (the green Mario Badescu one I got complimentary with an order), writing instruments, wallet, passport, cookies, my planner (I still jot things down in a paper planner; I haven’t gone electronic yet, probably never will), and reading/writing material. To read, there’s the Kindle I’ve grown quite fond of, but I’ve also brought books: a collection of poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson and The Essentials of Securities Regulation (work related, obviously; no I love reading about securities law for fun).

The kiddy cartoon notebook (Lisa Frank, a graphic designer I was obsessed with as a 10 year old girl) is the sketchpad I bring around when I carry a smaller purse. The bottom right more grown-up looking pad is the one I normally use for thumbnail sketches and documenting my inspirations. Actually, I made and bound that sketchpad myself! Beneath it (hard to see), a yellow legal pad because I would feel bare without one, and a trademark case file I need to work on even though I’ll be on vacay.

Look how neatly everything fits inside the Peripatetic! I really, really love this bag. And the shoulder strap is going to come in handy at the airport because both my hands need to be wheeling my luggage. (I’m a packrat.)

One last thing I forgot to show earlier: my wristband. Hubby has a matching one. Inside our names are inscribed, plus a sappy little message. We got this in Taiwan. Other people have wedding rings. We have these uber-sentimental wristbands we got at a street stand, inscribed by this scruffy guy with tattoos up and down his thick arms.

Again, I’m not loving the colors of this tote. And the chains look like a mess. I’ll have to figure out a way to deal with that as well. Overall, though, this is such a staple.

I cannot wait to report back on my adventures (and maybe even some misadventures) in Hong Kong. This is my first time there, so I don’t know what to expect. We’ll be visiting factories, watching how the bags get made, meeting the actual makers of these bags, meeting with designer friends, reuniting with family I haven’t seen in years, and eating…lots and lots of eating.

Bon voyage!

Posted in Learning Curve, Musings, One Step Closer, Personal, Vacation Pics | 10 Comments

Learning Curve: Loose Pins and Doodie Happens

Posted on February 21, 2011 by tarynzhang

Please note that the following handbags represent first prototypes and serious blunders. This blog documents our trials and errors and tracks our progress from inexperienced start-up to launching the Taryn Zhang brand. Please bear that in mind as you look through these photos and illustrations.

I wonder whether other businesses get as in-depth about their boo-boos as this blog does. We’ve graphically shown all sorts of design nightmares in the past (such as here, here and here, here, and many more; see archives), and now we learn just how much attention we must pay to quality control.

The above is a photo sent in by one of our beloved customers. I almost fainted when I saw that. Lucky for us we’ve got some of the best customers ever and she was out-of-this-world patient and understanding. Alas, that doesn’t change the fact that something went wrong during production for the above to happen. Here is a close-up:

The bottom rung of the square purse ring came loose and fell off. That rung, I’ve learned from my factory, is called a pin. This sort of thing shouldn’t happen, which is why I’m a little ticked off.

Short term and specific to this case, we’re getting a replacement pin for the customer. Long term, we need some warranties from the factory. And we need to implement some sort of feasible system for testing the quality of each bag before we ship to customers. And then we’ve got to figure out what our own company’s warranties will be.

To test the durability of our bags, we’ve been filling them up with law school casebooks (very heavy stuff) and suspending them by both handles, by one handle, and then by the detachable shoulder strap to see if they’ll hold. We leave it like that for a week and then scrutinize for any wear and tear. At some point we will also quality test by using the bags as piñatas, but not right now because doing so would break my heart. These bags are my babies! I can’t imagine taking a bat to beat the daylights out of my babies!

Taryn Zhang will be a company grounded in uncompromising standards and good faith business practices because if that’s not how I can run a company, then I don’t want to run a company at all. With that said, how do I balance my personal paradigms with economically sound and prudent business practices, especially when prudence has never been one of my character fortes? These are the questions I’ve been pondering lately. How can I do what I love, what I am passionate about, and still yield profit?

Feeling overwhelmed. =/

Posted in Learning Curve, Musings, Progress | 10 Comments