These old school Liz Claiborne trousers are so Miss Denecke (my second grade teacher), whose life goals must have included looking like an extra from the set of “Knots Landing” and teaching us to properly write cursive. I’m wearing teacher pants and a blazer. It’s (almost) like I’m a grown up!

Speaking of growing up*, have you ever thought about what it would be like to spend your childhood as an unpaid laborer or sex slave? Neither had I until I had the opportunity to sit down with Emily Hill of Stop Traffick Fashion, an online shop dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking through the sale of merchandise created by survivors, who are often sold/kidnapped as children.

Emily with Stop Traffick Fashion merchandise

My heart sank into my toes when she pointed out that much of the world’s supply of cacao–you know, used to make chocolate–was harvested by slave children. I almost cried when I went to ChainStoreReaction.com and saw that Haagen-Dazs…mmm, dulce de leche ice cream…wait, what was I saying again? Oh yeah, so the tears flowed when I noticed that Haagen-Dazs hadn’t yet responded to the Producer Pledge, and I promptly added my name to the letters to several companies on the site.

No one’s saying you have to be perfect, and it’s pretty much impossible to know the entire supply chain of every single item you use, but I figure the least I can do is try. Even if that means scaling back on the desserts and Forever21 binges.

Check out the full article on my Examiner page and try to think of ways you can make a difference.  If nothing else, you can get some holiday shopping done!

*Need to work on my segways, huh?

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Interview with: M641

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“In January 2007 during a visit together while our little ones were playing she shared her dream to have her own clothing label one day. Since both of us were at home full-time now with our little ones, we realized had so much in common and yet such diversity to share” says Ina, the company’s marketing director.

Subu, who grew up in the garment industry, serves as the creative design mastermind of the brand. The name Madras641 pays homage to Subu’s roots in India–Madras is where she hails from, and 641 is actually the zip code.

Fashion in…Ohio?
Both women are currently based in the Cincinnati area, which, let’s face it, is not the usual choice for fashion designers. So why did they choose to base their business in Ohio of all places? “Well, with children and husbands who have ‘real jobs’, we have stayed situated with our families.”

Ina, who lived in Manhattan and “misses it on a daily basis”, admits that location–especially in the world of fashion–can be vital to businesses like theirs. Fortunately, they’ve had success showing the line at industry events and working with sales agents all over the US.  And of course, the fashion-focused internet community and built-in social media network has helped them develop a cult-like following.

“So actually, we’re really kinda everywhere.”

The line
M641′s Fall 2009 Collection is entitled ‘Independence Rising’–based on Subu and Ina’s vision of the future, where hope rises proudly from the current economic wreckage. They’ve already begun creating samples for next spring, which will be M641′s largest collection to date. The concept and design work for next spring and summer actually began in March, and the collection includes wonderful party-ready dresses and tops, plus ten amazing tunics, camis, dresses, and a first for the line–shorts!

Who’s that girl?
Ina describes the M641 customer as a gal who recognizes her own uniqueness from the standpoint of her many accomplishments. “She doesn’t have to be a celebrity but if she were, we envision the likes of Kate Hudson in M641.”
What really makes them proud, though, is the feedback from satisfied and stylish customers.

“There are days when a customer can email us after a purchase, sending along pics from an event where she wore an M641 design, and we are just giddy and humbled by those.”

Marketing the brand
Though they participate in the social media sphere (follow @M641 on twitter), they claim to be pretty traditional in terms of marketing methods. Ina strongly believes in growing slowly and steadily, so they focus on good old fashioned word-of-mouth, especially since the conventional route of paid advertising and campaigns can be costly.
“As an emerging brand we’re careful to not spend money unnecessarily. In that respect, we saw that things were moving a little slower than we would like, so we went direct for our PR outreach.”

Though the brand was initially sold via online marketplace etsy, that experience was valuable but short lived.
“We were getting orders from both our boutique buyers and end customers and we couldn’t keep up with doing things by hand.” (etsy is a marketplace specifically for handmade goods).

As a result,  manufacturing came into play almost immediately, and they moved from small, handmade quantities to bulk production. As far as the etsy experience, “What changed was the way we produce goods; what didn’t change was our independent artisan style mindset.”

Up next
So what’s next for the line? Ina says they’ll dabble in fabrications other than 100% woven cotton, and they’ve already begun adding in a few new subcategories–including bottoms.  They’re also working out the details of a partnership with a showroom in LA in order to further grow the brand. Their hard work and creative outreach seems to be working:

“We just recently had the CEO of a major online retailer ask to see our samples in NY.  Her interest speaks volumes about our reach and how far we’ve come.”

Connect with M641 online at Madras641.com, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.

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*Sigh*. Why is life so haaaaard? </unnecessary drama>

On the plus side, I had a small picture in an ad for Lucky Style Spotter in the September issue of Lucky:

My mom immediately went and bought a copy LOL. Thanks, Mom!

And I did a fun Monthly Feature interview at Afroniquely You. Check it out!

In the meantime, I’m think I’ll watch reruns of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. You know, for inspiration: “Who gon’ check me, boo?!”

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Who’s a Nati?
So who’s buying Nati Evolvement gear (and getting the possibly naughty notes)? People all across the country and around the world who wear Nati on their sleeve as an outward display of their pride for their hometown.

“It’s amazing to see our online orders come in from San Fransisco, Philadelphia, New York and other places around the country as people still want a way to connect with home and show their pride in our city.”

They get a lot of emails, texts, and MySpace messages with stories about people connecting away from home because they recognize the Nati line and realize they have something in common–something they never would have known about otherwise.

Part of the Community
It’s those types of stories that feed their interest in community outreach.

“…In many ways we still pride ourselves on our involvement in community events and partnerships. That’s really what we’re about, promoting the positive things taking place in our city and helping to spread the gospel.”

They’re also passionate about providing small businesses with the tools they need to succeed.

“We also get really excited about those companies who help to change the landscape of things in the community, from a neighborhood restaurant to a community festival and anything in between.”

They do other stuff, too
The guys do more than t-shirts, you know. From logo design and business cards to uniforms and menus, they offer full branding services, and say they especially enjoy working with people who are passionate and focused on their business objectives.

“Building off of their passion for what they do and their vision we get almost as excited about the project as them and take that energy into the design process.”

Much of their design business has come from word-of-mouth referrals and people who have seen their t-shirts. I speculate that each time someone walks down the street in a Nati Evolvement tee, it’s almost like a walking advertisement for their work!

“We’ve had the great fortune to work with some great new restaurants including Lavomatic and The Rookwood Bar & Restaurant and a new place called Senate that you should see this fall.”

They’ve also created designs for the Midpoint Music Festival, the local Unicef chapter’s TAP Project, the Eco Go Go fashion show–anything that helps them connect with people dedicated to improving the community.

What’s next
So what’s next for Nati? In addition to web design, Adam is also a videographer and they plan on expanding that side of the business, which will be increasingly important as more mobile devices support video. There’s a new website in the works with two sidAdd New Post ‹ The Style Sample — WordPresses–one for design, one for clothing–which should launch by the end of the month, and they’ve been working on launch splashes with Tyler from MTV’s Taking the Stage. They also want to expand the children’s clothing line.

“Cincinnati’s a great place for young families and we want to ensure that even the little ones have some sweet Nati gear.”

You can get your Nati Evolvement at Denim and Park + Vine in Cincinnati, or online at www.GetNati.com. Stop by and say hello on MySpace or on their blog at getnati.blogspot.com.

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The door chimes, and Michael Palmer walks in wearing a gray “Made in the Nati” t-shirt. We exchange pleasantries and sit down to chat about Nati Evolvement, the t-shirt company he owns with partners Colin and Adam. He seems kinda familiar… I look at him curiously.

“I’m almost positive we’ve met before.”

No, it’s not a pick up line. I met Palmer (he goes by his last name) a few years ago when Nati Evolvement participated in a fashion event I produced for Second Sunday on Main (then known as Sunday Markets on Main). I remember being impressed by their professionalism and ambition, and it seems time has only served to amplify both. Colin comes through the door, sporting the same gray t-shirt Palmer is wearing, almost like a uniform. Cute. “I swear we didn’t plan this” they promise. Mm-hmm. Sure, guys.

Background
Nati Evolvement is a Cincinnati-based t-shirt and design company that started in 2005 as a creative outlet for a few friends in the graphic design industry.

“We wanted to create a new way for people in Cincinnati to show their pride in a unique and [hopefully] stylish way. As the company evolved we…really wanted to emphasize our desire to help local small businesses to grow and shine.”

Running the Nati
All three partners actively participate in running the business. Palmer does the majority of the graphic design, especially on the clothing side. Adam really focuses on web design and interactive media. Colin’s focus is more on business development, client relations and community partnerships.

“While we all tend to focus more or less on one area we all chip in on the business side of things and are pretty versatile in being able to cover for each other as the situation may present itself.”

They all maintain “regular” full-time jobs in addition to their responsibilities at Nati Evolvement, which can be difficult when they participate in all-day events, like the upcoming T-Shirt Festival on Fountain Square. “We count on good friends to volunteer at times like that!”

Design Inspiration
My own personal interest in design leads me to ask about the design process. According to Palmer, ideas and inspiration can come from anywhere, anytime. He shows me a few pages in his sketchbook.

“I really just try to keep my eyes open and always have a sketch book around to make sure I can capture a thought. We draw a lot from the unique history and characteristics of the city and the pride that we have for it.”

Since what they do is fashion based, international trends are influential as well. “I love to pick up on something I see from traveling and bring a little bit of that back to the Nati.”

So apparently, Palmer gets an idea from the heavens, and as “The Force” flows through him and onto the paper, his hand moves on its own accord (Colin swears he’s seen it happen!). Well… maybe not exactly.

Production
In reality, Palmer draws a rough sketch, then moves to the computer to create a digital representation. The final design is separated into screens and sent off to the screenprinter, where the ink colors are matched as closely as possible using Pantone® color matching. They work with the printer to determine the heaviness and depth of the color.

All of their shirts are printed on American Apparel tees–the guys like that they’re made in the US and I agree that they have a nicer feel/drape than other options. Of course, they also source other items from various manufacturers. The full line includes tees, hats, hoodies, jackets–even stuff for the kids.

Products
The finished product is sold at two main locations: Denim and Park+Vine. Once those orders are fulfilled, the rest go up for sale online.

Online orders are fulfilled by Palmer by hand–sometimes he’ll even include a personal note. “If I know you it’ll be really personal.”

He spends a lot of time at the post office as orders are shipped via good ol’ USPS. No automation here, folks! Every item is shipped from Cincy with love. Awww…

Look for Part 2 next week, when we’ll talk about the other stuff they do and what’s next for Nati.

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