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WHY Get Yourself In Debt - Behind The Scenes Of Building A Yoga Fashion Collection

Anna Kichenside

WHY Get Youself In Debt - Behind The Scenes Of Building A Yoga Fashion Collection

WHY create a yoga fashion clothing collection? If you are someone like me, who loves fashion and design, and equally loves yoga, then it comes with ease to bring these two loves and passions together. Read the rest of the blog post below to learn more about my WHY of creating this capsule collection of yoga clothing, and how the fashion industry works, with behind the scenes info. . .

DESIGN PROCESS:

What is my background in Design?


My father is a graphic designer and art director, and my mother a copywriter. I studied footwear design at London College of Fashion, after doodling shoes on a piece of paper and not really knowing which area of creativity to go into. I graduated with a First Class Hons and have successfully enjoyed a career in footwear design for more than 14 years now. . .


PS. I must have always loved flamingos if you look at my flamingo high heel design! :)


Why the name FLAMINGO YOGA MAYA?


Obviously because I love flamingos. . .(and sharks, but couldn't really visualise 'Shark Yoga'!) Becasue flamingos balance on one leg, we have to learn to balance on the mat, as well as off the mat. 'Yoga' means union, and 'Maya' means illusion. So the spiritual practice is to acknowledge yoga's power with regard to maya and transform it.

What is the design concept behind the clothing capsule collection?

I wanted to create a range of tops that concentrated on absorbing sweat during a yoga class, specifically a hot yoga class. Having to pack your bag for yoga, remembering to bring your mat, water bottle, change of clothes and a towel, I wanted to design some yoga tops that included built-in towelling. So when I'd reach to pat my face dry, or dry my hands from a health & safety point of view, I would reach for my towel. Or in the cases where I'd forget it, I'd lift my top to wipe dry my face. This was my eureka moment! I've specifically designed the towelling on the bottom of the tops to dry your hands during your downdog, keeping the shape and fit loose enough to lift the top to wipe dry your face. I've also included within the range a hoodie with towelling on the sleeve to wipe your forehead.

The importance of Towelling:

The brands unique clothing consists of Signature Stretch Towelling Technology with moisture wicking technology to absorb sweat, and 2-way stretch to allow movement in your yoga practice. During the sampling process lots of towelling material options were sampled, some so soft to the touch, but not at all practical where the towelling wouldn't actually absorb your sweat and instead sticking to your sweat-soaked skin. Extensive testing has been carried out to ensure the best possible stretch terry towelling for your yoga tops.

Signature Flamingo Pink:

Designing the range of yoga tops in black and white, reflecting my great desire for a well-balanced life of Mind | Body, Work | Play, Cake | Salad, Wine | Water, Yoga | No-Yga, Yin | Yang, the monochrome colour palette has accents of the brand's Signature Flamingo Pink with matching stitching and logos.

Having fun with the triangle! :)

PRODUCTION PROCESS:

Production in Portugal

What are MOQs?


MOQ stands for Minimum Order Quantity. Working the factories in Europe and Far East with my footwear design work, I learned a lot about factory capabilities and processes, strengths / weaknesses and MOQs. I originally outsourced sampling in China as the cost price is so low, and worked with 3 different suppliers. But after months and months of sampling, I decided to bring production back to the UK / Europe, where I'd have better control over manufacturing and production, confirming a higher quality garment for you and your yoga.


How do you design around MOQs?


Keeping factory and supplier MOQs in mind, you have to design knowing how and where you use your material and colour options, making sure you maximise the most of the material, so there is little wasteage. Ideally you want to utilise any chosen colour or materail across an entire range, to be cost-effective, pulling the collection together. I absolutly adore colour palettes, but not everyone loves the same colours, and colours in different countries carry different meanings. This you have to be mindful of when designing. Going back to my desire for a well-balanced life, I decided to create a simple yet effect monochrome palette with low MOQs.

The Range:

Bringing to all you yogis, a capsule range of yoga tops with Signature Stretch Towelling Technology, married with recycled mesh and jersey, all designed to reflect a well-balanced lifestyle and absorb sweat.

Enjoy 20% Discount on your First Purchase:


As part of my online course - MBS Intelligence - I'm giving away 20% discount to anyone who signs up for the course.


MBS INTELLIGENCE is an online 5-day yoga course, designed to give you a greater understanding of your unique mind, body and soul, and how all 3 components work together in harmony, learning yoga philosophy, yoga asana, goal mapping and more.
Click To Learn More About MBS Intelligence

Part of the unique 5-day online MBS Intelligence yoga course, is learning how to find balance, practicing yoga on the mat as well as off the mat and learning how to find a healthier, happier well-balanced life.


Opposite is a FREE snippet of some of the work we will explore together in the course - Balance Bible Step-By-Step Guide Workshop - where you can see how best to balance areas of your life: family, relationships, travel, time, happiness, personal development, financial freedom, work, and well-being.
Click To Download FREE Balance Bible Guide Workshop

Connecting to my WHY:

It has taken years to get the clothing sampled and produced. Originally sampled in the UK (too expensive), taken the sampling to China and tried 3 different suppliers (too high risk and can't project manage), coming back to sample and produce in the UK / Europe. Throughout the sampling and production process, I signed my mortgage and moved into my flat (am now a home-owner!),  been made redundant TWICE (after investing thousands and thousands of pounds), suddenly lost my mum to cancer, randomly lost half my yoga students,  now moved in with my dad and working out how to survive a global pandemic.

Through all of this, yoga has taught me to let go of attachment and results, and instead live in the now with awareness and be present. It's not easy. We are all having to figure our how to survive this pandemic, and certainly if I cancelled production on my yoga clothing, my credit card would have been much happier! :) BUT, I kept reminding myself to connect to my WHY (my WHY: to be strong and confident on and off the mat). I've been wanting to bring this yoga collection to you all for so many years, and with every up-hill battle we face, we have to figure out how to walk around it. It can be so easy to roll back down the hill. It can be easy to give up. Again, to remind myself of my WHY and quote 'if I want to give up, I'll find an excuse. If I want to succeed I'll find a way'.

I hope this blog post has shown you some of the insights into the behind-the-scenes of fashion and production. I hope it has shown you that you can create and achieve anything. And if you stay connected to your WHY and are on your right path, then everything will be aligned. . .not just your chakras! :)

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