Badur Ramji is an internet friend and his vegan skincare company, PunkMedics, is a sponsor of the site.  Though we hang out online on Twitter and exchange emails, I still felt like I didn’t know very much about him, and wanted to learn more about Badur and what he does.  I asked him a few questions about entrepreneurship and developing vegan skincare, and he generously answered in candid detail.  He also mentions some other gutsy entrepreneurs worth checking out.

What inspired you to create PunkMedics?

I’ve always been a frustrated artist. I can’t draw and I can’t paint. Even after my years at Ryerson in Fashion Communication I still never properly learnt how to communicate my design ideas onto paper. What I did learn from Ryerson, and what I believe was more powerful to me then learning how to draw, was learning how to look. I learnt how to see a niche audience, learn how to solve their problem and how to grow a business around them. I knew upon graduation I was an entrepreneur and didn’t want to work for someone else. So I took the leap and started my first business in web design and online marketing. We were developing proprietary systems for the then burgeoning online analytics industry and I found that I was good at  being a creative liaise between marketers and developers. All of this is old hat now-a-days but in the early dot-com era these skill sets were innovative and valuable.

I learnt a lot from those days. The most important thing I learnt was I hated the corporate environment, and though I could be successful in it that wasn’t the role I wanted to play. I got tired of selling hope. I wanted to  get back to my design roots and develop products and things that were tangible. I wanted to develop a self sustaining business that took ideas and made them into tangible products.

PunkMedics started as an accident. In its first iteration we were a supply company for the body modification industry. We grew quickly and developed a decent market share but that market is now saturated and conscious more about price points then quality. We then moved into the new and growing niche of after care products for that industry. We researched about the skin and it’s needs and wants, what happens when you tattoo or pierce that skin and how it affects the natural equilibrium. We developed a few care products that are the basis of what PunkMedics eventually grew into.

Because I’m a minimalist at heart and always look for simple solutions to complex problems I continued researching ingredients to improve our initial formulations and learnt what actually made them effective and how I could make them simpler and more natural. I’ve always believed the less you put into the body the better. The advantages to this concept of simplicity is that the formulations themselves are more stable and easier to produce in-house on a large scale basis.

From years of researching ingredients and dissecting formulations I eventually realized that people love simple, clean, and effective products and that adding the same principles to package design could be a powerful combination. I was already developing products for an audience that looks at our after care line as a quality product so I decided that doing a full line of skincare products for the same audience would be a natural progression. PunkMedics was born from those early principles of natural ingredients, quality manufacturing, and a product brand that speaks to it’s audience.

My market is my friends and their friends. My products are solutions to skincare problems that my friends have had for years. Everything from irritated piercings and dry tattoos to facial cleansers and lip balms that
don’t irritate or dry the skin.

Now things are growing again. The parents of my target audience have taken notice and are loving the product line and asking for something that speaks to them. We’ve recently launched a more adult contemporary brand called Fuchsia Natural Skincare.

From your pictures it looks like you are creating your own factory – why is it important for you to manufacture in-house?

I’m a control freak. To understand my audience and my products I need to be a part of the entire product cycle. My friends wanted products with no scent, with quality ingredients, and little to no chemicals. Something made with value in an age that sees the youth as a commodity and deems them as a throw away and faddish society.

My issues with control and my audiences need for quality made in-house production the only solution to making a product with value. What started off as an in-house lab to test ideas, turned into a small production facility to make a small run of products, and now we make all our core products in-house. Having the equipment to make 1000s of bottles a day has also allowed us to expand our services to other companies looking for small contract manufacturing for their niche markets without any large outlay in
production costs and essentially no minimum orders.

I like working on formulations, love designing packaging, and get glee out of solving production issues or finding ways not to buy expensive production equipment. It’s taking the DIY craft paradigm and turning it into a small scale production business that can be done locally. We know everything going into our products. We’ve touched every label on each bottle, we even produce some of our labels in-house for small production contracts. In the end you have a line of products that are made locally and made with love, enthusiasm and care.

What are the challenges when it comes to creating skincare products for vegans – is it like baking where you have to find substitutions for certain ingredients?

As I mentioned before I’m a minimalist. I like simplistic formulations, I like making products that are effective with the least number of ingredients. I want to make products that are as natural as they can be
while still being safe. Making products vegan is actually very easy once you realize that most commercial skincare products are filler with a touch of active ingredients. They develop products that meet a certain claim at a specific price point. To keep price points down they add in animal derived ingredients to help things feel softer or lather faster or give you the sense of cleanliness.

We develop products to actually solve a skincare problem and challenge ourselves to meet that problem with the least number of ingredients. The simpler a formula is the easier it is to price it fairly and still be
competitive. What we’ve learnt from this minimalist approach to production is that most natural ingredients are vegetable derived and are just as effective as any chemical based or animal based equivalent. Why make something that’s not vegan if you don’t have to.

How do you test your products?

Every product we’ve developed to date has started as a solution to a skincare problem that a friend has faced. I develop a few formulations for that problem then give out test samples to a small close knit group of
friends and of course test everything on myself before handing out test samples. My friends believe in what I do but are honest about what they like or don’t like. From there we narrow down and tweak the formulations to the pre production version and then do broader testing with a larger audience of friends and current clients. Based on their feedback we finalize the product and develop a large batch which then goes out for safety testing to ensure stability.

What other entrepreneurs do you admire and get inspired by?

Because I have my hand in a multitude of areas of the business my interests are very broad. I read about marketing, about fashion and colour trends, about packaging design, about new skincare ingredients, about SEO and online marketing and of course about other small businesses. Because of that I have broad range of influences and companies that inspire me.

In Toronto I love that Sarah Campbell has managed to create a haven for new Ontario Based designers with The Rage in Kensington. I love Erika Shuhendler’s Cruelty free lingerie line Purrfect Pineapples. It’s fun and she’s a true local entrepreneur. I love what you blog about and how you’ve become a “connector” to like minded people in toronto. I love my friend Jana. She’s a no no-nonsense women who has shown the world you can be intelligent, successful and still have a unique identity and view on the world. I also love that she knits me presents all the time.

In Montreal I love Akumu Ink’s T-shirt designs and attention to detail. I also love that Joey recently took the leap and quit his job to 100% pursue his passion.

In Cambridge I love my friends at Thrive Studios. They’ve leaped of the cliff and have made one of the best Tattoo and Piercing shops I’ve seen in a long time and have managed to make the art of body modification safe, comfortable and approachable for all ages of people. I only wish they were in Toronto!

I met Coko Galore as a fashion blogger when she was contributing to TorontoStreetFashion.com.  In addition to being a fashion lover and writer, Coko is a singer and lyricist with a bright, bubbly and honest style just like her fashion sense. Have a listen – check out her single, “Those Girls”.

She asked me to help design her album art for her big debut (January 2010) and commissioned a fashion figure too – I adore repeat clients – and she is also a proud owner of my Dr. Martens earning her a VIP pass to my heart forever.  I asked her a few questions about music and style.

You’re launching your debut album. What can a new listener expect to hear?

Listeners can definitely expect a mix of sweet, funky, electronic, smart-pop! It’s just fun music for your ears with words for you to think about!

You write all of your own lyrics – what comes first, the lyrics or the song? What makes a good lyric?

The idea and theme for a song always comes first, so I would say the lyrics. This album’s lyrical content is based on what I’ve seen and/or experienced. I love writing about the truth so I’m going to say good lyrics are based on honesty. If it’s how you see it and/or feel it, it’s true and it’s good!

What fashion items define your sense of style? Do you have any favourite fashion designers?

My staples are the purse, the dress and the jacket (because I’m always cold:P). For me, these items can be be relaxed and fun, yet serious and elegant. I love that fashion has extremes and therefore can reflect my mood. It can be very simple, clean and elegant, and yet be complicated, extravagant and outrageous. My definite favourites are Marc Jacob, Michael Kors, Betsey Johnson, and Vivienne Westwood.

Who are your mentors or heroes? How have they contributed to your development as an artist?

The most important thing for me is to stay motivated and work hard towards achieving my goals in art through truth while staying grounded. I’m definitely very inspired by popular media figures that have done the same. In terms of style and art, I’m more influenced by Alanis Morissette, Faye Wong and Bjork, because I identify with the way they really explore themselves through their work. For personality, I’m inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Nelson Mandela, just because their actions have shown me that I do not need to take anything for granted nor be snotty in order to achieve success. With all this being said, my main mentor and hero is my mother, not to be cliche, but she has always allowed me to be who I am without judgement and given me the opportunity to achieve my goals.

Somehow I discovered The Grumpy Owl before I knew that the writer, Ryan Oakley, was only one degree of social separation from me.  Now I count him among my friends and he is also a client – I did an illustration for his calling cards.

Ryan can be very agreeable if you disagree with him.  I sent him a few daffy questions in an email and he generously answered them.  Enjoy, and if you would like to be provoked further go read his blog.

Sometimes when I describe you I’m right (misanthropic) and sometimes, I’m wrong (contrarian). So, for those who don’t know you or The Grumpy Owl yet, how would you prefer to be described?

I prefer to be indescribable. Every description is always a mixture of accuracy and inaccuracy and it’s hard to say what’s worse. Whether right or wrong, a description of a human being too quickly becomes a subscription to a set of values.

It’s just a way of neatly packaging someone, usually for marketing purposes, and it denies the basic complexity of the human mind. Being too clearly defined is like being dead. Having said that: “Ryan Oakley what happens when Beau Brummel and Genghis Khan mix sperm to have Quasimoto’s love child via Ronnie Gardocki’s brain- womb.” Change the present tense to the past and it’s an epitaph.

You have a lot of fashion blogger friends and you are one of the only bloggers in Toronto with a strong view on menswear, though the range of your writing is far beyond the scope of fashion. What do you like about fashion blogging and fashion bloggers?

Some of my best friends are fashion bloggers. I just rode their coattails into it.

For some reason, a lot of my friends became involved in fashion at roughly the same time. Going out with them meant going out to fashion-related events. Going out to fashion events meant meeting more people who were involved with fashion. Some of these people I get along with, some I don’t. To me, most are just trees. They might look nice but I don’t want them in my living room.

As a subject, fashion goes to the heart of a lot of issues that interest me. It’s social, economic, artistic and poltical. And it’s hilarious when fashion tries to address these issues. Like watching a dog chase its tail.

Global warming, sweatshops, a solid bulk of the wars on this planet, directly relate to the spending habits of The Western World . Fashion forms those habits. Fashion *is* those habits. The only thing more shallow than a fashionable cause is to be uninterested in the causes of fashion.

Like cancer, we need to understand it if we’re ever going to cure it.

Can you recommend any favourite fashion blogs or websites, especially specific to men’s clothing?

My two favourite sites look done. Dandyism.net has declared itself in exile but might be dead. The London Lounge looks like it’s dead but might just be in exile. Hopefully both will be back. The London Lounge, in particular, was a great site. It counted the world’s best tailors, dressers and menswear writers amongst its ranks. There were always great illustrations, a lot of insight and a variety of opinion.

Most of what you read about menswear online was taken from there.

A Suitable Wardrobe is a regular read but I dislike how Will dresses. I say that with no malice and a great deal of respect. We just have wildly divergent philosophies. Even if he lacks the poetry, Will knows the grammar. If you want to know where a comma goes, he’s your fellow. He’s the Strunk and White of suits.

Simon Crompton’s blog, Permanent Style, is quite good and based around affordable options. Thomas Mahon offers a Saville Row tailor’s take on things at English Cut and I like Barima of Style Time. That fellow is genuinely innovative.

You share your opinions on The Grumpy Owl, your reviews on other websites (Mooney on Theatre, blogTO), and you also write fiction. For those who want to read Ryan Oakley’s fiction, where should they start? What kind of readers like your fiction?

My first love is fiction and I still have a few old irons in the publishing fire but I no longer submit.

I stopped submitting when I wrote a story with nothing but contempt for the intelligence of the reader, no original ideas and told the whole thing with a cynical formula. It sold to the first place I sent it to. I repeated the experiment a couple of months later and the same thing happened. Meanwhile, a book that I cared about and knew was good, was getting personal notes from publishers claiming it was good but too violent.

So fuck it. I gave up. If something falls in my lap then fine. Otherwise, I’ve already spent too much of my life chasing that dragon. If that dragon wants me, it can chase me. I’ve been staring at its asshole for too long and only have a suntan to show for it. I can’t be bothered with the heartache of coming close again. That shit hurts and life is too short.

Besides, it was never about the money or the recognition. So even the goals are dubious. It’s like courting a woman who’ll probably reject you and who you don’t even really want to sleep with. I just write the sort of books that I want to read but can’t find. Turns out that I’m a small audience. But a happy one.

I also write an irregular etiquette column for The Worldwide Culture Gonzo Squad Inc. I was promised no profit and complete freedom. I like that.

It seems like you do exactly what you want to do most of the time. Do you have any further ambitions or have you already perfected the art of being Ryan Oakley?

There’s only been one perfect man and his name was Burt. He lived in my friend’s basement. Raised monkeys and sold them at a loss to local Gaugins. Went out of business when the pox hit.

I’m not even sure what that means – to perfect the art of being Ryan Oakley. I have an idea of the man I’d like to be but I often fall short of that ideal. The one time I reached it, I was kicked in the mouth and knocked unconscious in the street. One day, I’ll get a gold tooth to commerate that.

As far as ambition goes, I have no need of grand schemes. It’s hard enough to deal correctly with what nature puts in your lap without adding an imagination to your problems. My only real ambition is to do what’s in front of me welll. It’s hard enough and I fail too often. But what the fuck? That’s life.

Put on one sock at a time and try again.

I first met Ainsley Kerr at Susie Love’s jewelry making party and was instantly enchanted by her vivacity.  Suddenly it seemed like I saw her everywhere – Cartier, [FAT], always dressed in pretty dresses by Canadian designers.  I was thrilled when she asked me to draw her for her calling cards.  She asked for a glamourous look and we chose a gorgeous deep-purple Nada gown for the illustration.

I asked Ainsley a few questions about her life and her style and she answered in a characteristically generous fashion.

You were recently described in NOW Magazine as a “bonafide socialite”. How does that make you feel? Do you identify as a socialite?

The one thing that bothers me about the word, socialite, is that most people think that socialites are wealthy men and women who have nothing better to do then than sit around and attend events. This is quite the contrary! Most socialites I know (Toronto or elsewhere) are some of the busiest people I know! Like many of my girlfriends, my adult life has always been filled with work, fundraising and volunteering, and I expect it always will be. We need to learn that rather than to dispose of the word we need adjust to the fact that it’s growing and changing and there is not just one definition for it. I identify with my definition of a socialite; however, I am aware that I may not fit in within everyone’s definition of one. While I have been blessed by coming from a fortunate background during the day I plan luxury destination weddings, sit on two boards and help plan and promote several fundraisers that I’m passionate about in the city.

Who are your heroes and role models?

My biggest role models would have to be my family. I definitely lucked out to be surrounded by such smart, empowering, creative, passionate and loving people.

My parents have always been there for my sister and myself and have provided us with the best that life could offer and instilled strong family traditions. We travelled extensively as a family from an early age, and were exposed to many different cultures and traditions – this probably has been the best education. When I was quite young we were transferred to Tokyo, Japan for several years. Even though I was extremely young, I could not wait to visit Harajaku – which was filled with avante garde stores and where people were very fashionably dressed.

As for my adoration towards fashion, this came to my sister and me at a very early age from my mother who has always enjoyed a great sense of style. In fact, some of my favorite outfits are vintage pieces that have belonged to my mother. Two in particular that stand out are a vintage skinny Hermes belt from the 1970’s in a style that has been discontinued and a bright blue polka dot Guy Laroche dress from the 1980’s.

My father has installed in both my sister and myself the importance of hard work, creating your own identity and being proud of where you come from. We are lucky to be a multi-national family (my mother is from South Africa) and still have strong roots in Toronto (my paternal grandmother grew up across the street from where my parents live now and my paternal grandfather only grew up a couple blocks away).

Congratulations on being included in the Toronto Star’s best dressed list! You are often seen at fashionable events wearing stunning dresses by Canadian designers. Who are some of your favourite designers?

Thank you! It was a huge honour to be asked and I was thrilled to be included in the article alongside such uniquely fashionable Torontonians. I embrace my femininity and enjoy taking my time to get dressed for any event.

My first loves in Canadian fashion are the designers of Mercy. For my graduation from high school we had to wear a white dress. I fell in love with a dress at Holt Renfrew that they had on display and unfortunately it had already been sold. I was thrilled when they agreed to make the dress from scratch for me. I wore it recently to a Wear White for Windfall fundraiser, and nearly a decade later it is still just as stunning and unique. My close second love would have to be Joeffer Caoc. I own a draped taffeta ballskirt that Joeffer debuted in his first collection (when he was still Misura) in L’Oreal Fashion Week, which skyrocketed him to the Canadian fame that he has now. So as you can see my love for Canadian designers has been something that I have been nurturing for a while.

Other favourite designers that frequent my wardrobe right now are: Nada, Magpie and Carlie Wong.

For designers who would like to dress you, can you describe what you look for in a dress or gown?

I have always felt more comfortable in a dress than I do in jeans and a tee shirt; this probably explains why I have more of a classic look. I love statement pieces and enjoy changing my look and formalizing or deformalizing my outfit by using jewellery and accessories. I am a visual person so I need to see a dress on a mannequin or model before I can visualize how it might fall on my body. I definitely have a curvaceous figure so a designer who has made room for a hips and a bum is in my good books!

I am certainly open to suggestions as to what a designer thinks would look good on me as understand that every designer is an artist and that most view the body as a canvas to display their work.

I met Adrienne Butikofer way back in 2003, when she was a fashion student at Fanshawe and I was in second year at Ryerson.  We were both interning very briefly at Pat McDonagh, and she hired me to do some sketches for her.  She still keeps those sketches around and occasionally threatens to put them on the internet.  By my current standards, they aren’t very good at all.  But at the time Adrienne was happy with them and I was just thrilled to be able to make a few bucks drawing.

Concept drawing of Butikofer Fall 2009 – click image for big.

Adrienne contacted me again in summer 2007 as she was preparing her entry into the TFI New Labels competition.  I helped her with the illustrative part of the entry, and once she was a finalist in the competition she hired me as a studio assistant on an as-needed basis to help meet the deadlines.  Since then I’ve had the chance to work with her off and on for various projects.  Its a lot of fun to work with Adrienne in the studio, often doing cutting and patternmaking, and working on samples.  For me, its a counterpoint to the more solitary, less physical work I do in my own studio.  Our collaboration reached its apex (and the end, at least for the time being) when we went to Las Vegas with her Fall 2009 line.  She’s about to have a baby and take a well-deserved haitus.

Even on maternity leave, she still has a lot going on.  She’s currently delivering her snappy Spring 2009 line, and she’s having a sample sale on her website with a ton of terrific deals on favourites like her reworked menswear and skinny sweats.  I am very excited to be reading her brand new blog – I love her writing.  She has a great sense of humour and a compelling candour about her life and her business.

I’ve learned a lot of things from Adrienne about being a fashion designer, and also I think I better understand my other fashion designer clients because of her.  They are a hard-working, ambitious breed of individual who ride the seasons like waves.  From a world of possibilities at the beginning of the season to the rock solid delivery deadlines at the end, its a cyclical path that requires incredible determination, resources and support.

Above everything, designers are driven to do what they do.  Just as it seems that the demands of the current season are overwhelming, Adrienne is always finding fabrics and inspiration and enthusiastically making plans for the next one.  Amazing.  Having had the great luck to work with her in person many times, I am filled with admiration her as a designer and a human being, and feel great affection for her both as a client and as a friend.

I asked her a few questions about her career and her plans.

Why did you become a fashion designer?

I think I originally went to fashion school because I love to sew, and I expressed myself creatively through clothing and how I dressed. It wasn’t until I was at the University of Western Ontario studying science that I realized it however. I think starting my own label kind of just happened. I have always been driven to make clothing, pretty much since high school. I started selling one offs and small runs through little boutiques here and there in Toronto after graduating college. Eventually, I used the New Labels competition as a way to finally catch up with the fashion calendar, and turn my passion into a career. (Hopefully)

What do you love about fashion?

I am really inspired by technique and I love that fashion is a learned trade- skill level and design ability often go hand in hand. I love being blown away by something, when it takes longer than 5 seconds to figure out how someone achieved something with fabric. I find it really intriguing that it’s a necessity of life, and how that may or may not affect someone’s fashion choice. I myself am drawn to functionality, and when pieces have more than one personality. I get really excited by something making sense, with a complex idea but a simple execution, or the other way around. On the other hand- sometimes it’s just about making something cool, or interesting, or comfortable, or necessary. Like skinny sweats- all of the above.

When was the proudest moment of your career?

I don’t think there is one singular moment, but collectively the past couple of years have been great. I’ve worked really hard, pushed forward, and learned a ton. My trip to Las Vegas didn’t turn out that well, and I’ve been on a bit of a downer since- but I am still proud that I did it. The whole experience made me learn how to package myself and my brand professionally, and I really love my collection. There is a lesson in everything, and all these little experiences are making me a better, smarter designer. Unless I fall and hit my head and get amnesia, it’s almost a guarantee that I will never regress into a worse, stupider designer. Everything happens when it’s supposed to.

What are your plans for the future?

Well, I’m eight months pregnant right now. . . so who knows? I can’t possibly pretend to know what my life is going to be like in a month. I’ve pretty much made the decision to skip Spring 2010. I want to spend the summer doing all the things that I’ve put off over the years because I’ve been working 7 days a week- day trips to the country to look for farmers markets; going to the beach on a whim. I’d love to try my hand at canning, I’d love to succeed at gardening. I want to make frivolous things for the baby- like rhinestone encrusted silk dresses. I am hoping for a simple, non stressful life filled with pioneer-like activities that I can do with a baby on the hip. And I shall blog all about it.

But, back to reality, I’ve got my eye on Fall 2010-11. So, I am also going to spend the summer studying technique, researching inspiration and sourcing for it. It’s beginning to brew already.

I met Flavio Olivera the second time I came to New York City.  He was looking for someone to help him create a presentation of his designs and as luck would have it, I was in town!  It was a pleasure to meet him.

Flavio has been creating handbag designs for almost a decade now and sells his line at some very famous and prestigious stores.

Part of the reason for his success is his experience and connection to the fashion industry both in New York and Brazil.  But mostly I think it is that type of charm unique to creative entrepreneurs.  He is down-to-earth and very collaborative in how he works, and he is very curious and always asking questions and taking classes.  This openness reflects a kind character and a quest for new inspirations.

The project I did for him was some of the most detailed vector technical illustrations I have ever done.  It was a challenge on a tight deadline but it came together beautifully and I am very proud of it.

I asked Flavio a few questions about his career.

Why did you become a handbag designer?

I was in Brazil for vacation and my sister who used to be a shoe designer, out of nowhere came to me and said “Why don’t you design a handbag line?” After too much thinking and being tired of working for other people, I decided to follow her advice and made few samples. I showed them to some friends in the fashion industry and they all liked what I did. I came back to LA found a sales rep and got an order from Fred Segal right away, so I thought to myself that was a sign, that I was meant to do this.

What are the most valuable lessons you have learned over the years?

Stay true to yourself and never give up, even in hard times.

What has been the proudest moment in your career?

When I was nominated for Fresh Faces of Fashion in the accessory category by GenArt after only being in business for 2 seasons.

What is the greatest misconception about your work? The greatest challenge? The greatest reward?

I thing the greatest misconception about this business is that most of people think that you can become rich overnight after having a line and certainly it does not work that way.

The greatest challenge is to constantly be creative and make sure that your ideas can be translated into not only beautiful products but also products that will sell.

The greatest reward is getting compliments for your work and see the excitement of people when they look at your line.

Sculptees is a client that I have created several projects for, both technical and promotional.  The owner of the company is Stephanie Thibeaux, and though I have worked with her multiple times, I really did not know very much about her and her business.

Sometimes that happens with clients who live farther away – she’s located in Texas.  We work through a project on email, and we rarely need to speak on the phone.  Stephanie is a busy person and very conscientious to work with, so we just get things done without a lot of chat.

I did not even know what Stephanie looked like until the most recent project we worked on, where she also commissioned a portrait figure that you see here.  So I thought I would take this  post as an opportunity to ask Stephanie a few questions, and she very graciously took a bit of time from her busy day to answer me.

Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur?  How do you describe yourself when people ask what you do?

I decided to become an entrepreneur while working in the corporate world and attending school for my MBA. On a daily basis, I sat in my cubicle completely dissatisfied with where my career was going. My MBA courses showed me other options to working for someone else. I read tons of stories of how people started their own business and took control of their life. I figured if they could do it, then I could.

It might sound crazy, but I really don’t tell anyone what I do for a living. Even before I became an entrepreneur, I tried not to talk about my profession. People tend to equate who you are with what you do. I’ve always wanted people to get to know me based on me, not my job. Most of the time I just say I work for myself or I work in design.

What are your daily responsibilities as a clothing designer and entrepreneur?

As a designer and entrepreneur you are responsible for everything. Even with help from employees, contractors, etc., you have to manage the operations, production, sales, marketing, contractors, people. You have to be able to tackle anything at anytime. At the end of the day, it’s your company so you are ultimately responsible for everything.

What is the greatest misconception about your work?  The greatest challenge?  The greatest reward?

The biggest misconception is everyday is a big, glamorous party. So, not true. It’s a regular business and everyday is hard work.

The greatest challenge is there are not enough hours in the day. There’s just so much that needs to be done in so little time.

The greatest reward is knowing I created a product that has made a difference in someone’s life. I love hearing from our customers on how Sculptees has changed their lives. It’s so worth it.

It was late summer 2007, right around when I had been laid off of my part time sales help job in Yorkville.  I had had just enough small side projects to tide me over on top of my 20 hours a week, but not enough to give me the confidence to take on full-time freelancing.

Then I got my first big project for Nixxi, an eco-conscious line out of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.  Jada-lee, the designer, had seen my illustrations for my grad collection on Flickr and wanted something similar for her line sheets.  It was a big project and I wasn’t experienced enough to quote a flat rate so we did it by the hour.  Jada-lee was organized and enthusiastic and it remains one of my most favourite projects to date. It gave me the confidence to stop looking for a job and start building my own business in earnest.

I was able to see some of Nixxi’s garments when I visited Karma Wear in Ottawa, where the salesgirls raved about the butter-soft bamboo wrap dresses – apparently one customer had selected the dress as a wedding dress.  The designs are simple, the fabrics feel lovely, and the vibe is active, artistic and aware.  Since then Nixxi has added a number of new stockists, including Green is Black and Heart On Your Sleeve in Toronto.

I asked Jada-lee a few questions about her life as a designer and entrepreneur.

Why did you choose to become a fashion designer?

I’ve always loved lines, textures and color.  Any spare moment I had in highschool was spent in the art room. I also loved cruising the thrift stores to find the gems.. and would alter pieces to make them my own. I began sewing clothing for fun and selling at our local artisan market.. and my entry in to the fashion industry has grown from there.

What do you like about being a fashion designer?

Fabrics! I am excited and inspired by the hand of a new fabric sample. Sometimes you might find me jumping up and down in my kitchen (..my office) when opening the envelope of a suppliers sample package. It might be that electric shade of blue in a lightweight organic cotton/bamboo jersey that shouts out the first inspirations of a new design. I love fabrics, I love design, I love clothes.. and I love that I get to do this for a living!

How do you balance your family life with your role as an entrepreneur?

Balance, what is that? :) Family and fashion is my life… and I make it work. My husband is super supportive… I couldn’t do what I do without him. Working from home allows me to always be here for my kids.. and when we take Nixxi on the road to the various shows and festivals, we go as a family. My girls have even inspired me to do a kids line that will be launched this summer… just in time for some more festival fun.

What would you say is the the greatest misconception about your work?

That it is glamorous and easy. Working in fashion is more than a full time job.. and if you have your own line, the majority of your time is spent running a business.

The greatest challenge?

Finding enough hours in the day to do everything.

The greatest reward?

I love seeing clothes that I created from the first initial design inspiration go through the process to becoming a finished garment that is loved by it’s wearer. When a girl tries on one of my garments and she looks hot and looks at herself and loves it, it gives me so much pride. Making clothes that make people feel good is a huge reward.