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A beautiful RockLove feature in the latest issue of Gothic Beauty Magazine - Issue 31! I'm quite excited by this showcase; not only am I an avid reader of GB, but it's been somewhat of a teenage goal to find myself within its pages. As many of you know, I never planned to be a jewelry designer... but I DID decide at an early age that whatever it was that I ended up doing, I wanted it to be dark and creative enough to be found in this zine.

Thanks to:

Photo: Steve Prue of Team Rockstar Images

Model: Marlo Marquise

Hair/MUA: Kristin Jackson

O Inspiration - I am thankful for your visits but next time not at 6 in the morning after I stayed up late reading? The past few days, I have been attending the New York International Gift Show - here fashion/accessory/home good designers from around the world gather to wholesale their lines directly to attending store buyers (who also travel from afar). This convergence is something I have wanted to begin, but prior was just not quite ready. Not only does it require a good amount of financial capital, but established branding, quality product, the ability to produce large quantity, sales assistants, and the culprit of my morning meditation: a damn fine booth display.

Adopted by the generous kaRIN of the band Collide, who has been designing in the wholesale industry for over 15 years, I was able to do a bit of reconnaissance at the event. Spending most of my time in the "Handmade" section (and by that I mean it's own huge conference space of back to back ten foot booths), other artists opened up with a few tips of the trade and gift show vending insight. Mainly the little things that you would probably not think of your first year... like what your order form should look like, and how to keep a new sheet per clip board in a basket so that if things get crazy, store owners can just start writing down style numbers and quantity themselves. Tidbits a veteran would know, but I would be up shit creek without considering my first time in the pen.

Needless to say, it was a lot to take in, and I may not even be accepted for ANY of the many wholesale gift and accessory shows across the country. Most have wait lists, so that gives me plenty of time to prepare my own fabulous RockLove showroom square. Happy to report that no one had my style, and no one had a booth like I would want to decorate! The first step in a long time (and intimidating) career move!

Don't want to give away any ideas here - another very stressed topic of discussion from the mentoring designers... NOT sharing to avoid the plethora of copying in the industry... But rest assured that my NY Comic Con booth this October will be my foray into the high end display world!

Some new press in RockLove land! A beautiful beachy six page editorial including the Anthology Collection on MMA fighter Joseph Benavidez in the Aug/Sept 2010 UFC Magazine. Click the cover to see the feature:

And actress Taylor Cole spotted at the San Diego Comic Con wearing RockLove Industrial Bangles, Wrist Wraps, and a custom Dark Cameo Necklace!

In other news, somebunny may be wearing jewelry in an upcoming magazine feature... and at some point soon, Gothic Beauty Magazine should have a RockLove spread. Meanwhile I am finishing up my new Medallion collection, inspired by the turn-of-the-century fobs awarded by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria to their courtiers. Having some trouble with the very last design... want to incorporate color, gemstones since I feel so much of my jewelry is big silver thing on chain silver thing. Looking at the prototypes now, and just ONE variation is not quite right. But quite excited nonetheless - I wear two of them daily and get frequent compliments.


EDIT: I didn't realize I missed posting a magazine article - an extensive interview of RockLove about online marketing, specifically Facebook in Art Calendar Magazine. Only thing is, the interview was many months before this issue hit newsstands, so some of the stats are embarrassingly off. At one point they exclaim at a 10 different responses by the next day... when now I get 50 within a few hours. Ahhh progress! Thankful for the inclusion!

I am dying here, absolutely dying...

I need to either:
A) get an investor
B) get a loan
C) go at it by myself

So that I may either:
D) hire a new PR agent
E) hire a sales rep
F) hire a new branding designer FIRST so that when I hire either D) or E) I have better materials

In addition I need to:
G) make and sell new merchandise (Collide, Abney Park, Sailor Twain, Repo Z-guns)
H) make market sell (and make custom boxes for) a new line of steel belt buckles
I) new RockLove Logo - for the usage of F) the branding designer and J) totes H) buckles
J) RockLove tote bag thank you gifts
K) Civilian Press workings
L) new higher end gold and diamond Medallion line so that when it comes time...
M) hire a photographer for new product shots for the F) branding designer's new materials

SO THAT ULTIMATELY:
Z) all the fancy stores and press from the D) PR agent and E) sales rep are impressed and want to carry/promote RockLove. Once they see F) branding designer's fancy look books and line sheets.

.... and this doesn't include other projects, collaborations, SEO optimizing, revamping my blog, improving the website, making/shipping jewelry, customer service, current stores ....

I would ball up and cry except it's 100 degrees precisely outside and if any part of my body touches itself, my skin will melt together permanently with the heat.

Happy Summer Everyone! Great travel and excitement at the RockLove Studios...
a few shows coming up:

Nyack Street Faire (Nyack, NY) - May 16th
Ink-N-Iron (Long Beach, CA) - June 11-13th
Nyack Street Faire (Nyack, NY) - July 18th
Nyack Septemberfest (Nyack, NY) - Sept 12th
Pecan Street Festival (Austin, TX) - Sept 25-26th
New York Comic Con (NYC) - Oct 8-10th

a sneaky peak...