Vegas Bound

I'm Vegas bound! Jet setting to the desert just for the day tomorrow to check out my booth at ENKVegas. The three day show started today and is at the Wynn Hotel in the Latour Ballroom - booth 20010.

It's been a few years since I've personally gone to the Vegas show. My road warrior rep, Lori Halio, usually runs the show for me. But, every once in awhile it's fun to make an appearance and pop up in the booth to meet the buyers and media. I'm not a fan of trade shows of any kind (I can't stand the sterile A/C environment and long halls of crowded booths) and I like to leave it up to the 'professionals', my showrooms, to handle that aspect of the biz.

I'll also be going to NYC this September for Coterie, the first time since 2008. Every time I attend one of these shows and hang out in the booth for 8 hours a day, I tend to pick up a few tidbits and some ammunition to use in the next collection. Hearing first hand from the buyers what's checking and what they need for their stores really helps me at the drawing table. Also, in the beginning of a season I tend to throw all my ideas out there, so it's nice to see first hand the buyers' reaction so I can whittle down the collection to a tight group of styles and colors for production.

Wish me luck in Vegas, baby!

Stacia Turns 13!

I can't believe 13 years have gone by running my business, my baby, Stacia Inc. It seems just like yesterday when I was sprucing up an old dumpy building on Smith Street in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn to create my dream, my very own design label and boutique.

After 6 years of working my butt off building my retail business in New York City and designing/manufacturing the Stacia label in house, I had a sort of quarter-life crisis and needed to re-evaluate. Hence, the move out West with my hubbie and 4 month old baby.

Seven more years later, two more kids, and a growing wholesale business for Stacia, I have come full circle back to my retail roots. Opening a store in Santa Monica has made my design dream a reality. Now I have the "bread n' butter" wholesale business anchoring my 13 year old business, and a new boutique where I can showcase the full collection without the stresses of solely running a retail operation.

So here's to another 13 years and hoping I can keep doing what I love and bringing you colorful, super-soft knits made with love in Santa Monica, CA.

Check out our new promo at the Montana Ave boutique - enjoy 13% off the new Golden State bamboo/cotton collection for the month of August and score a free gift with purchase to celebrate our 13 year anniversary!

"Fresh Shops" in Los Angeles

Thanks to the cool editors and bloggers over at StyleSectionLA for the great mention. Stacia's new Santa Monica boutique is one of the "Fresh Shops" in Los Angeles!

Buy Local at Stacia on Montana Ave

In this economic climate, it's important to support your local businesses, including yours truly. Santa Monica, where I've chosen to set up shop, conveniently has a wonderful Buy Local campaign, encouraging it's stylish, "Green" consumers to buy local in Santa Monica. I've been involved with this program since I settled my wholesale business in Santa Monica on Pico Blvd., but now that I have a legit retail biz in the Montana Avenue shopping district, I'm all the more supportive of this Buy Local organization. Please support the local businesses on Montana, Main, and all retail in between, so to keep the city a buzz in cool shops and restaurants (who needs another big box retailer, right?)

Buy Local even has a cool blog that features newly opened eateries and shops in Santa Monica, sort of giving you the best of the best and lowdown of what's happening in the city. I was fortunate to be featured this week on their blog for my new boutique, Stacia, at 808 11th St. and Montana Ave. Check out the article by the uber cool blogger, Annie, who has a keen eye on what's hot in Santa Monica.

Enjoy more pictures of my new boutique at Flickr!

And for all you locals out there, stop in this week between Tuesday and Sunday and receive 10% off your purchase at our boutique if you mention "Buy Local."