I am safely back to my normal routines now, Alhamdulillah, although I have not yet started baking. I plan to resume JulesFudgyliciousness some time middle of March 2012. In spite of the escalating prices of baking ingredients and materials, I still very much wish to maintain the current pricing of all JulesFudgyliciousness items. So I'm trying to find some more creative yet practical presentations of Jules Brownies, Fudge and Chewies; perhaps a simple one for the everyday cravings, while those special celebration/festivity or/and special occasions will be treated with fancy platters/presentations. However it turns out, JulesFudgyliciousness will always come with lots and lots of love and joy :)
Okay, now we talk handbags. During my hiatus, I've had the time to design and create my own range of handbags, something that I've always loved to do. If you read my previous post, I'd already started making my own bags since I was in school. So upon turning 42, I decided that I would approach this passion of mine with more focus and seriousness.
The main reason I make handbags is coz I LOVE them! And I know that many women out there share my sentiment. As with everything else that's Jules, I just want to share and spread this love and joy with as many people who appreciate the same things I do.
First and foremost, the creation of my handbags are based on my own design and my own style. I believe that design and styling are essential in making a handbag and her wearer "wonderful", and they (design and styling) are unique to each different designer/creator, which place the product in a class or brand of its own.
I would like to brand my handbags as JMD, under my JulesAddiction Handbags product listing.
[Thank you Tangerine, ie. Hafiz, En. Rezal :)]Paying homage to my favourite handbags, namely Lulu Guinness, Longchamp, Betsey Johnson and Vivienne Westwood, and incorporating elements which are truly Jules, these are what I've created for this Winter/Spring2012 made to order collection :
JMD Lulu Bag, in contemporary "Houndstooth"
JMD LC Bag, in Classic ~ "Rose Garden on Blue"
JMD Betsey Bag, in Contemporary ~ "Houndstooth"
JMD Vivienne Bag, in Contemporary ~ "All Jazzed Up"
You can view more pictures and details of each handbag on my JulesMD Facebook page.
Apart from the Classic "Rose Garden on Blue" and the Contemporary "Houndstooth" and "All Jazzed Up", JMD handbags this season will also be available in the following motifs/colours :
Classic, suitable for LC and Vivienne :
~ Rose Garden on Lavendar
~ Rose Garden on Pink
Contemporary, suitable for Lulu, LC, Betsey and Vivienne :
~ Siberian Tiger
~ White Cheetah
These are the fabrics that I've selected for this season. I don't normally fancy roses, roses and more roses, but for some reason, these bunch of beautiful red roses really stole my heart. I love all three background colours, blue, lavendar and pink, and the truth is, when I first laid eyes on the "Rose Garden" fabric, I immediately thought of my darling mum; she loves red roses and red roses are just the flowers my father would present to her on her special days, ie. birthdays, anniversaries. And she too loves these "Rose Garden" fabrics.
As for the black&white "Houndstooth", it's always been an integral part of me, so it's only natural that I would have it featured in my handbags debut. The "All Jazzed Up" fabric caught my attention when I was at Anna's Patchwork, I instantly grabbed it thinking very well that I would one day make a handbag out of it; I love all good music, more so jazz, and coincidentally this imported American cotton was designed by Juleez, so fate it was indeed. And lastly, the animal prints. I just love them, they were hot last 2 seasons and they are still hot now, and Victoria Beckham thinks so too :)
Since the first time I posted pictures of my handbag prototypes on JulesMD Facebook, they have created quite an overwhelming interest, Alhamdulillah. And the main question after that is, "How much?". So after much calculation, consideration and longterm outlook, I've finally been able to formulate the pricing.
Mainly, my pricing is based on design and styling, how happy, loved and significant my handbag makes her wearer feel. I want to make women happy, I want them to feel excited about dressing up to go out and choosing which handbag to wear today to complement her needs, be it to match her mood, her outfit or her purpose.
Materials used are also critical, as they enhance the look and feel; while I pay close attention to the quality of the fabrics, ie. natural fibers/synthetics, I must also balance them with their costs and quite importantly also with the print motifs and colours of the fashion trend, which directly determine the overall attractiveness and desirability of my handbags. And then I consider the level of difficulty involved in designing and making the handbag. I want people to be able to enjoy JMD handbags without having to feel burdened, but at the same time I have to be true to my brand and keep my quality intact.
So, based on the above and the details stated in the pictures on JulesMD Facebook, here are the list of JMD handbag introductory prices, specially for this season :
JMD Lulu Bag : RM130.00
JMD LC Bag : RM95.00
JMD Betsey Bag : RM85.00
JMD Vivienne Bag : RM85.00
All JMD handbags will come in a pretty little dustbag plus a JMD paper bag of course. Did I consider not including all this fancy shmancy packaging to keep the price down? Yes, I did. But, I just couldn't do it, I couldn't give away my handbags in a simple plain polythene bag, coz it wouldn't do justice to the joy that my Lulu or LC or Betsey or Vivienne will bring to her wearer.
Made to order means that I only make my bags based on a confirmed order, and a safe lead time would be 2 to 4 weeks for LC and Vivienne, and 3 to 6 weeks for Lulu and Betsey. As for fabrics and materials, I will use those that are being offered for the season, as long as the stock is available; so you may quote the name of the fabric, ie. "Houndstooth", "All Jazzed Up", etc.. Should the material no longer be available, I may replace them with other materials of the same quality, style and feel, or I may suggest to look forward to the next season's offering.
I will also provide custom personalised service, which means that, based on my basic designs, ie. Lulu, LC, Betsey and Vivienne, you may have your handbag specially tailored to your specific desire like fabric, colours, motifs, additional embellishment, but the end result will surely have that signature JMD style and flavour. JMD custom made handbags will carry a different pricing and may require a longer lead time. I will be more than pleased to customise a bag for a true Jules/JMD enthusiast :)
So, here's introducing JMD Lulu, LC, Betsey and Vivienne for this Winter/Spring2012 season. I hope they will reach a broad range of wearers, from the sweet young "Gossip Girls" to the "Hot In Cleveland" golden divas. I'm timing this also in view of the upcoming International Women's Day Celebration, on 8 March 2012, where the global theme that's been chosen by UN is "Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures". I hope JMD handbags will bridge the gap between the generations, and go on to create more fabulosity around the world.
My heart goes to everyone who has stayed with Jules all this time and who truly love everything Jules, Alhamdulillah. Thank you for your very kind support. I look forward to bringing more joy and warmth to your precious lives, InsyaAllah.
And, next season I hope to introduce 2 more fab ladies. Stay tuned... :)
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