KaiT by Kaitlyn Thomas

The 2011 Denver Rising Star Gala and Fashion Show is fast approaching.  Many of you know that KaiT is a finalist in this year’s competition, so the Gala is especially important to us, as the winners will be announced during the fashion show.  Tickets to the show are going fast, so make sure you get yours ASAP if you’re interested in attending.  You can either contact me for tickets, or RSVP online @ http://www.risingstardenver.org/RSVP.html

The Facts:

WHO: Fashion Group International of Denver

WHAT: The Sixth Biennial Signature Event of FGI Denver saluting emerging new designers throughout Colorado in nine (9) categories. The gala evening will include exquisite appetizers, beverages, and an unparalleled runway show of the category finalists. The culmination of the evening will be the announcing and awarding of the 2011 RISING STAR.

WHEN: Saturday Evening, October 8th, 2011

WHERE: district475 – 10111 Inverness Main Street, Suite T, Englewood, CO 80112

WHY: To raise funds for fashion scholarships and educational outreach programs AND to benefit VOA’s Brandon Center and The Gathering Place, both centers to assist battered and/or homeless mothers and children in the Denver area.

TEMPLATE: RISING STAR gala evening with style show and Honored Guests at the elegantly contemporary Red Line Gallery downtown Denver.

DETAILS: Spectacular set designs, runway fashion show, fabulous fashions, VIP suite and seating, gourmet food and beverages and drawings for amazing gifts.

ABOUT FGI: FGI is a global nonprofit organization of fashion industry professionals with 6,000 members connecting worldwide experience. FGI was founded in New York in 1930. The Denver region celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in 2008.

CHAIRMEN: Nathalia Faribault, Tommy Collier & Carol Engel-Enright

This designer probably does not in any way, shape, or form need to tell you that we’re in a bit of an economic bind. A better discussion is how to continue to be relevant as a small business in the face of the worst market any of us have ever seen. One of the most obvious steps is to cut costs wherever possible; lookbooks become brochures, press packs become emails, and finding cost effective materials is more important than ever. But, what KaiT has learned over the past years about marketing and creating a better, more saleable product hasn’t been much help in the face of a larger difficulty: watching accounts, showrooms, and other people important to the success (or failure) of your season close their shops, drop lines, and struggle through their own set of financial setbacks, failures, and disappointments.

KaiT has spent the summer networking, brainstorming, and pounding the pavement and the internet for ideas on how to reach the consumers out there who are still able, and interested, to buy from a small, exclusive, and innovative brand (and they are out there). The result will be a series of pop-up stores, sample sales, online promotion and sale of products, and even a select few art shows and juried exhibits, in addition to presenting the Spring/Summer ’12 line at trade shows this Fall. It remains to be seen what this means for KaiT’s business, but its a tactic that has worked well for other companies in recent seasons. GoLite, a local Boulder manufacturer of outdoor gear and apparel, has not only held their own during a time when many companies are closing their doors, but they’ve experienced 40% growth for the past two years due primarily to their use of exactly this type of direct-to-consumer marketing.

Anyone interested in attending some of these events, or with more/better ideas on how KaiT can promote the line directly to consumers, stay tuned, or feel free to message me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/KaiT-Design/95552158189.

KaiT has gotten some new (and awesome) press this summer around Northern Colorado and Denver. So, just a plug to check out the KaiT press page on the website, as its updated frequently and there’s some fun articles and pictures featuring not only KaiT, but local events and charities KaiT associates with or has participated in. The link is below:

http://www.kaitdesign.com/html/?html=1&p=21

Those of you following KaiT locally or on Facebook may be familiar with Denver’s Rising Star Award, and KaiT’s nomination. KaiT is super excited to share that Kaitlyn has recently been selected as the category winner for Women’s Ready to Wear for Denver’s Rising Star Award!! We had the pleasure of meeting all 16 semifinalists at a private event held earlier this summer, and are truly honored to have been selected as category winner from this group of talented and successful designers.

KaiT will showcase a sample of the Spring 2012 collection in the runway show at the gala on Saturday, October 8th at Red Line Gallery in Denver. FGI Denver is also planning media events in September to highlight the finalists and their businesses and to promote the Rising Star gala. Check back for more details on these events.

If you’re not familiar with Rising Star, or just wanting more information, please click http://www.blacktie-colorado.com/calendar/event-detail.cfm?id=22206 or htttp://www.risingstardenver.org

I received an email recently from a client who purchased the dress pictured below:

“I wore the new dress I bought at your place out to dinner last week and got several comments – like stopped on the street compliments!!! the dress is gorgeous and so many women commented on it and how lovely it is. I really enjoyed wearing it and look forward to wearing it again.”

This email not only put a big smile on my face, but it reminded me to say “Thank you!” to those of you who support KaiT locally by wearing, talking about, or otherwise promoting us. Also, in case you don’t know or I don’t say it often enough, I’ve got hundreds of KaiT samples, one-of-a-kind pieces, and other fun stuff available for purchase out of the studio in Fort Collins. Give me a call for a private shopping experience, special occasion, or just a girl’s day out. Also, the KaiT website will soon have a shopping cart where you can purchase samples and order one-of-a-kind pieces…

Check out Fort Collins’ own Style Magazine for a truly exciting (and flattering) article on KaiT. Thanks, once again, to Style Magazine for their interest in local talent!

http://www.stylemedia.com/Lydias_Style_Magazine/28-LOCAL_DESIGNS.html

“Young Designer Launches Her Line

Kaitlyn Thomas’ design prowess and skill with a needle are what initially garnered this young designer local attention and helped jump-start her career.

Thomas obtained a degree in Apparel Design and Production from CSU in 2007, designing custom pieces in her free time. She designed her wedding gowns (all four of them – she and her husband were married four times in one month) and people took notice. Custom orders began coming in and she started a small bridal business.

As her reputation grew, Thomas sold some of her designs to local boutiques. She developed a relationship with Biyazzi boutique owner Avriel Agnello, who invited Thomas to accompany her to a trade show, and it was here that Thomas made a fortuitous connection.

“Avriel asked me to go to a trade show and she would introduce me to a few reps,” Thomas recalls. “It doesn’t happen that easily for most people, but I just happened to find a rep that was looking for a new clothing line at the time I was there.” The rep asked her to bring some samples, liked what he saw and “it has just snowballed from there.”

The hardest part for Thomas is cultivating her business sense while designing and producing clothing lines at breakneck speed. “I have had to learn the right ways to reach out to clients, find new reps and market myself.” Her husband is her business partner and helps her manage this end of her line, KaiT.

“I came into this through my sewing machine, instead of with any business training,” says Thomas. But Thomas has not let that stop her from moving forward. Her line is better womenswear that is comfortable, yet still tailored and dressy, with rich fabrics and design details. Her line is considered a bridge line, meaning it is a notch under designer lines. “It is a little bit contemporary and a little bit missy,” she says. The line sells well with women ages 30 and up.

Thomas’ designs first appeared in stores in fall 2009. Her line is currently sold in high-end boutiques in Colorado, California, Chicago and Michigan, with California being her top market. Her Fall 2011 line will be available in a variety of boutiques in Fort Collins, Denver and Aspen.

Thomas’ phenomenal success would be daunting to a lesser being, but she is a self-contained 26-year-old, taking success in stride. She tackles her KaiT line while still fitting in custom orders. This past holiday season, between the two, she produced 300 pieces in two months. “I wouldn’t recommend it,” she adds. “I worked 100 hour weeks.”

Thomas remains dedicated to the design process. “The most exciting part of the process is creating new samples. That is what keeps me motivated.” Her ability to understand the materials she works with and the process of stitching them together is ultimately what makes her line so successful. “If you do not have at least some of that skill set as a designer you aren’t designing clothes that work. Part of being a designer is breaking the rules of construction. But you have to have to know the rules very well before you can break them successfully.”

Contrary to the impression this trendy designer might portray, Thomas grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, “somewhat a tomboy, always outside playing with the horse.” But she has long loved clothes and learned to sew as a mere 4-year-old.

As KaiT has grown, Thomas has moved production of her line to Chicago. She travels frequently, keeping an eye on production in Chicago, attending fabric shows in New York and Los Angeles, and marketing her line at trade shows. Last year, she was gone an average of two weeks out of every month, but she is scaling back as her business begins to settle into a rhythm.

Her contemporaries class Thomas as designer-entrepreneur, and it is a segment of the industry that is seeing some growth in the new economy, says Thomas. Her challenge is to continue to be relevant in a difficult market. But Thomas will likely tackle this as she has all others – with determination and tenacity. “I would like to keep my line exclusive and smaller, and expand it nationwide. I can see adding bridal or menswear in the future.”

For more information about KaiT, or to view her Fall 2011 line, visit www.kaitdesign.com.”

There’s nothing that this designer feels sexier in than an over the top, girly corset! I’m happy to say there’ll be a few pieces featuring corset or corset-inspired details in the Spring ’12 line (don’t worry though, there won’t be any constricting, waist cinching, bust spilling silhouettes here…its supremely wearable corset-comfort all the way). Other girly details that may pop up in the line: romantic, retro-inspired florals, lace and beaded details, and a [surprise] bare shoulder or back here and there. And, of course, all the things KaiT clients love aren’t going anywhere…

Check back later this month for a sneak peak at the Spring ’12 photo shoot!

KaiT is headed to Chicago this week for the Chicago Fabric & Trim show, an excellent opportunity for all small design firms to get their hands on some amazing fabrics at reasonable prices with low minimums (just sayin…).  This inspires me to give you a bit of a sneak peak at what you can expect to see on the runways (and in KaiT’s Spring 2012 Collection) in the upcoming season.

KaiT is participating in a fashion show for an awesome cause on Sunday. Come!!

KaiT will be at WWDMAGIC in Las Vegas February 14-16th! This will be KaiT’s first time as an exhibitor at one of the biggest and most exciting shows in the country. Don’t miss it!!

You can find KaiT at Booth 74840.

Email us at info@kaitdesign.com for more information, show times, or to make an appointment to view the line.