The Week Before Christmas At Lisa August

Historically I spend my last week at work before Christmas fighting a cold, setting up the line, working on last minute styles, laying it out for the shows, making sure the catalogs are being printed and shipped on the proper dates, and of course discussing food for our work Christmas party. 

So far that was all happening like always, but we've also had some glitches in our plans.  Last night I was supposed to help Lenore put her tree up after work like I always do, and instead we found ourselves at Lisa August until about 11:30 while National Grid tried to fix oh just a minor gas leak issue in the street right in front of the building, that's basically only effecting our building.  Of course!  Why not? So, they're still out there, it's over 36 hours now, and nothing really has been fixed.  Our gate and windows are open to air out the smell of gas, and of course it's been a cold and snowy two days weather wise.

As for our food, it was decided today that we aren't doing our usual pernil, oven roast chicken, rice and beans and maduros, which is upsetting, because I look forward to that meal all year.  For a new change we are doing it up Woodside style and getting burgers and wings from Donovan's.  We'll drink Micheladas and Sangria, and everything will be just fine.

If this year taught me anything it's that change is good, so I can deal because hey,  it's the most wonderful time of the year:)

Here's a little sneak peek at the Spring/Summer 2014 line, and my show prep...

The Bright Table: Chunky bangles, chains and hoops in marbelized brites.

Our peach, black and tokyo table-I LOVE it!!!

Our neutral table-torquoise and lite horn are back!!!

The Shows Will Go On

I love the holidays, well, most things about the holidays: the lights, cheesy movies, gift giving, Christmas songs, ALL the food-but it's all very tiring when you're trying to juggle the rest of your life, while not spending all your money, fighting off colds and holiday expectations.  It's also usually the most stressful time at work for me, designing the new Spring/Summer line, photographing it for the catalogs, etc.  No matter how long I've been doing this, this time of year always creeps up on me.  THEN there's New Year's: UGH.  By that time, I'm completely exhausted and can't wear clothes because I don't fit into any of them.  So, while I've been thinking I need to just get through the holidays, I realized recently what kind of January (and February) it's going to be.  

Without further adieu, I present to you the:

Lisa August Trade 2014 Show Schedule

ENK Accessory Circuit

January 6-8

Pier 94

Booth #: 3107

Atlanta Gift Show

January 9-13

America's Mart Building 3, 4th Floor Jewelry & Fashion Accessories

Booth #: 4-1918

NY NOW (NY Gift Show)

February 2-6

Javits Center : Personal Accessories

Booth#: 8622

You may have noticed that we are going to be in Atlanta this year.  We thought it was best considering Super Bowl Sunday being in New York on the same day NY NOW opens, we may not be as busy as one would want.  I do plan to tailgate in the booth that day if you plan on coming!

I know this sounds like a complainy post, and I'm really not upset, I just want to get through it all!  I'm very excited to show the new line off, and I think it will have a great reception.  First line designed at headquarters!

So, enjoy your holidays all, and come see us in 2014!!!

Vintage Button Necks

 

For the past few days I have been playing with the bags of old vintage parts (mostly buttons) from the 80s that I packed up and took with me in the move.  I've been wanting to find time to play with the pieces, so when I knew I had a trunk show at Lockwood Thursday, December 5th, I decided to take some time out to make necklaces.

The necklaces are fun and really funky.  Not everyone is going to wear one, but I feel like anyone can appreciate them, especially if you have a penchant for bold, over the top jewelry-very popular in the 80s.

 I look forward to creating more pieces, particularly cuff bracelets, but here are some examples of the necks, which I plan on selling on the retail site, most likely they will go live next week, when I have a little free time!

 I put the more black-toned necks on silver chain, and the browner, more tortoisy necks on gold chain.

I love this one, my friend Lydia described it as Long Islandy, and yes, although I'm not always super proud of it, I did grow up in Long Island, so I'm ok with that description!  I meant for it to be ironic, but I think it's still pretty.  I may just end up keeping it!

 I love the faux malachite in this necklace, and I think this may be the most 'wearable' of the necks, adding tortoise to any piece usually tones down the bold factor.

I like this red piece, it has a little 80s mod thing going on, and it's perfect for a black outfit.

This was the first neck I did the other day.  I think it's probably the most simple one, I love the button in the center.  That is one of my favorite 'old colors' that they don't make anymore that I wish I could use in the line, it's really stunning.

I also decided it was high time Lisa August Inc. joined instagram, so this was my first post:

 Pretty Cute!

Giving Thanks

I've been thinking a lot this Thanksgiving season for all that I'm thankful for, and it's a lot.  This has easily been one of the most challenging years of my life, and fortunately it has left me feeling grateful.  

I'm so grateful for my family and friends, who have been supportive, understanding and excited while we transitioned from Bellissima to Lisa August.  I'm especially grateful to my Grandfather, without him this never could have happened.  

I'm grateful to sketchy NYC real estate deals that fell through, because we never would have ended up in our building, and I can't see us in any other building at this point.  

I'm grateful for our co-workers for coming with us and adapting to our situation with such ease, even when things were so up in the air we didn't know if they would come back down. 

I'm grateful to have a jewelry line that people want (even in this economy), and customers who not only stood by us patiently for the past year while everything got sorted out, they cheered when we returned.  

I'm grateful to my manfriend who I began dating at the height of all the craziness, who calmly listened to and even seemed sincerely interested in my drama, and advised us with our building when we needed the advise.

I'm so grateful to my father who is the hardest worker I know, and probably the most generous person I know.  He has his own business, yet comes here on his day off and builds us shelves, tables and does whatever else we need for things to run smoothly.

Most of all, I'm grateful-ssimo to Lenore, my Mother, who I'll never be able to repay or emulate.  She's one of those people who should have been put on Oprah and showered with gifts and pampered for all that she does.  She has always been the perfect Mother and a best friend, but she has also always been a very hard worker and business owner.  Now I get to be partners with this business owning machine, who has some how gotten better with age.  Sometimes I feel like I'm the older one and she has more energy than me! Thanks, partner...

Oh, and I'm grateful I get to be Lisa August!

Open for Business!

Finally finally finally, we have our retail and wholesale stores up and running at Lisaaugust.com...

I was beginning to think it was never going to happen, but it has happened, and I know how to add products, woohoo!  So I have styles to sell as retail, to our beloved fans, and styles to sell as wholesale to our loyal boutique owners.  I also plan on adding eye glass chains and one of a kind pieces to the retail site, with an option for our wholesalers to buy both types of items. 

If you are interested in becoming a wholesaler, you need to set up an account, like anyone else, and then email us, and we will give you wholesale accessibility.  Email us at : sales@lisaaugust.com...

Some of my favorite featured items:

 I love our beveled bangles, I love keep it simple with just one or stack them up with the other bangles in my arsenal. 

 These are our biggest filigree earrings, a fun statement, especially in our emerald green color!

 I love our 'pagoda' earring.  It's long and kind of streamlined, it has a great swing, and they're still lightweight!  These look great both in neutral and bright colors.

 Our buckle cuff, a signature look, is perfect in Green Horn, a tres chic classic color!

 I love our filigree cuff, I love our lapis, no bracelet will ever go better with jeans than this one!  Sorry, but this is only available to our wholesale customers at the moment.

 Our cabochon stud earrings are really starting to take off.  Maybe they aren't as statement making as our other earrings, but sometimes you need a good stud earring, also available to our wholesale customers for the time being.

 Our multi-link chain our longest statement making chain, and I particularly love it mixed with tortoise, black and our safari finish.  Available to our wholesale customers only.

Finally there's our triangle bib chain, probably my favorite design from this season.  It's 'edgy' looking, but still very comfortable, I was so happy it laid right when I tried it on after I made it!  Available to our wholesale customers only!

Happy Shopping!

No Junk in These Trunks

I'm happy to announce that Lisa August has been asked to be in a few trunk shows all just in time for some holiday shopping!  

The first one is happening in November right around Thanksgiving at The Lake Forest Shop, so if you live in the Chicago area, you should check it out.  The shop itself looks beautiful and has a very rich history, the doors opened in 1922!

http://thelakeforestshop.com/

Next up is a Champagne and Shopping event at The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in Jacksonville, Florida.  It's for two days, Thursday and Friday, December 5th and 6th.  Wish I could fly down for this one, it looks like a fun event!

http://www.cummer.org/store

Last but certainly not least, because I'm particularly excited about this one: also happening on December 5th, right in my neighborhood in Astoria at Lockwood.  Lockwood is a gorgeous lifestyle shop that recently opened, and it is just an amazing place.  You want everything in the store, and I'm very proud to have Lisa August jewelry featured there, right in my favorite part of NYC!  So, come and see me Thursday December 5th at Lockwood, I definitely won't be missing this one!

Check out the facebook even here: https://www.facebook.com/events/254320331386535/

I will also be coming up with some one of kind designs for the Lockwood sale, and I'm sure I'll be posting about it in the future.

Something New

So I've been procrastinating just a tad about using the computer/engraving machine that we make our new samples (amongst other things) out of.  This engraving machine and the computer were my Uncle Mike's babies.  He's the one who used it, mastering it and all it's idiosyncrasies.  When we became Lisa August, I inherited the important job of using this machine and using it correctly.  Needless to say, I was a bit nervous and apprehensive about using it.  I try to stay away from things that rely on precision and cost a lot to fix. 

"Lucky" for me there have been boxes in the way, kind of keeping me from using the engraver.   Last week when my new shelves came in, and I cleared the boxes, and the new table top for the engraver was put it, it was time to get serious.  I've come up with two new filigree designs for next season, and I just had to scan them in, clean them up and make the samples.

The first one is complete, and I'm very happy with it,  I think it may be a winner!

The beginning stages of the designs.  The outer borders are existing dies we have in house.

The pencil drawing I was happy with on the left, the line drawing I created in adobe based on it.

My new area, very happy with it!

The finished product, again, very happy with it!

So now I just have to make up this sample in the colors I'm showing for spring, and wait for the semi-precious beads I ordered to see which one I want to use for the finished product.
Oh, and I need to go ahead and make the other style too, guess I should stop blogging and start sample making!
PS- I hope you've enjoyed this sneak peak, which won't be 'unveiled' until January!

Work in Progress

Lenore at the front door, me photographing her in the reflection

 Every morning I get to Lisa August Headquarters, turn the key, and I'm filled with a sense of pride that I'm opening a door that leads to something that's mine (ours, Lenore).  Each day is a little different, some days are very hectic, and you feel like you didn't get anything done, other days are quiet, and you feel good about what you got done.  I'm learning to try to take what's thrown at me.  The best thing that I do for myself is make a list at the end of each day so I know what I need to do when I get in in the morning.

The first floor, where the guys work, where a lot of the magic happens

 This is our downstairs, and we are very happy with the way it turned out, this picture does not do it justice.  We were really worried about the fit, but the tumblers, plastic, power presses, saws, beveling machines, sanders, polishers, you get the point, all found a home.  You wouldn't think the finished Lisa August product needed all this heavy machinery, but it does!

The stairs to get to the second floor

Now, we do have an elevator, that really is hardly ever used.  We all take the stairs.  I think it's great exercise,  I try to climb them as much as possible.  

Lenore at the top of the stairs

 The second floor is where the ladies work.  We have our offices and design areas, our assembly area, our stock, storage and our kitchen.

In the Kitchen

 Our kitchen is cute.  The table and chairs are from my grandparents.  As I type the table is being sanded, and then stained.  We replaced the seat cushions this morning.  The seat cushions prior to this were the ones I sat on as a child at dinner time at my grandparent's house-needless to say it was time for new ones!

Augie's Area

We brought Augie's old work table with us and a lot of his things that he didn't bring home.  I made this little area of his vintage tools and other miscellaneous odds and ends.  I'm a fan of this little nook, because of course we would never be here if it wasn't for him or his modest beginnings.

How it's Made: Our Filigree Cuff

So, my Uncle Mike helped me make the "master" and the "holder" for our very popular large filigree cuff last week, something I desperately need to understand how to make.  The master and the holder are what we use to engrave out the pattern on our filigree cuff (and really, any of our cutout pieces).  It's very important to get these pieces to come out precise, in order for the bracelet to look good.  The following pictures should help you to see all the work that goes into our filigree cuff, because if you don't know, it's actually quite interesting.

 First you have your box of bracelets that have been tumbled for a week, ready to be engraved.

 While you follow the pattern on the "master"...

You're also cutting the bracelet out in the "holder"...

 There's your finished cutout pattern.

And there's your finished bracelet after we take it downstairs, it gets heat up and hand bent into the cuff shape.

So there's your little look into how our filigree cuff gets made, by hand, all right here in Woodside!

What's Happening

Things have slowed down a bit, and I think we're getting into our groove finally.  I took a few pictures around the place, just to give a little glimpse into some of the things we do here in a day.  Way more to follow, because, there is a whole lot going on here for sure!

 These are the colors I'm feeling for Spring/Summer 2014.  I've been working on a chunky bright group, with the brights on the top of the photograph, and next I will be working on a ladylike pastel group and a neutral group this week.

 One of my favorite moments so far happened two Fridays ago when Lenore, Claudia and I stayed a little late to get some things done.  I had bought a bottle of white wine, and was bummed when I realized we didn't have a wine opener-big peeve of mine!  It's about a 7 minute walk to the stores in Woodside, and I couldn't really waste 15-20 minutes for a bottle opener.  This was back when things were still somewhat in disarray, and Claudia asked-don't we have a tortoise one that you guys made back in the day?  I walked right over to my roll top desk, opened the top drawer and there was our tortoise corkscrew.  Awesome.  It was a small victory, but at that time, victories were few and far between.  Team work: that's what Lisa August is all about. 

 These are the vintage parts I plan on making my one of a kind pieces with, they're out of the bag, and I'm going to begin playing very soon!

 These are our bestselling 2" cuffs in jade and gator drying after being dipped into acetone.  The acetone gives it it's shine, although they usually still get polished after this step.  One side gets dipped, dries, and then the other side gets dipped also.

This is what our chain looks like after getting dipped.  The chain is dipped after it has been assembled.  Dipping the chain seals the links, and then the chain gets tumbled for smoothness and shine.
So there's a little glimpse into what we do here, consider this a mini golden ticket...

Don't Forget Paris 2014!

I was a fan of the Paris shows.  There were lots of accessories and color palettes that I loved, and there was a lot of play with textures that I really liked and also noticed with the NY shows.  These are some of the looks that stood out to me:

I liked the color combinations that Andrew Gn used: bold and subtle at the same time, and I'm a fan of his Picasso inspired clothing.  I don't always like bold graphicy clothing and accessories, but his color palette softens the whole thing up enough that it works for me.

 Chanel is always good for accessory inspiration.  There's always some acetate involved, and there's always a nice color palette and oddly juxtaposed textures.  I've been watching a lot of Will & Grace lately, and is it wrong that Karl Lagerfeld kind of reminds me of Karen's maid Rosario??

 I'm a fan of the colors/prints/textures used by Dries Van Noten.  Also, I'm noticing lots of gold jewelry and hardware.

 Elie Saab had really beautiful and feminine dresses, I really loved them all and they came in gorgeous colors.

 The Isabel Marant show was nice, she uses the material beautifully, and those shoes are awesome!

 Alexander McQueen show was over the top, but fun to watch.  Sometimes over the top really bothers me.  There was lots of gold on the runway again.

I LOVED the Valentino show.  I think I loved almost every piece.  I love the hair and jewelry too.  Everything was so luxurious and grand, and meticulously put together, and had that whole Cersei Lannister vibe. 

And there you have it!  Need to go design now!!