Elaine Unzicker, artist and designer, of Unzicker Design sat down to talk with me at the Standing In Boots art exhibition. This Ojai California resident makes jewelry and clothing from chain mail piece goods, the bases and uniqueness of her brand. Elaine and her husband, Keith, travel globally to show and sell her collections. She understands the challenges that EDGE designers face. This awarded artist is finding ways to get her work out there by both wholesaling and selling custom pieces direct to the consumer. Personal and face to face connections is her method of “selling in” and where she gets the most return on her investment in time. She says online website directories do not drive any business for her. Unzicker Design has been in fashion shows, attended trade shows, and more recently is placing product in museum retail shops.
Elaine sees value in the E D G E concept of a centralized designer open studio facility or showrooms that are specifically open to the fashion industry. Exhibiting her work in an art gallery and/or museum to industry professionals is a favored idea because of its uniqueness. We both believe that having a unique platform for exposure and representation could carve out a niche for this emerging designer market.
All photos courtesy of ©Desiree Hernandez, http://www.dezirephotography.com
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