Can you believe the holiday season is here and Small Business Saturday is just around the corner on November 30th? SBS is a great opportunity for us all to join the Shop Small Movement and support local businesses. You'll be helping the designers, artists, makers, and dreamers in your own community who are working hard every day for you.
The SBS movement was started by American Express back in 2010 to encourage people to support the businesses in their neighborhoods during the holiday season. I know that my neighborhood would feel much different without the little French cafe down the block. It's the center of our little community.
When was the last time you stopped to ask who made your clothes? Well, if you are ordering something from Ellemichelle the answer is ME! Yes, it is true, I both design and make each individual piece of clothing that you see in the online boutique. From the design concept to sticking the shipping labels to the package, it is all done right here in my Seattle based design studio.
One of the benefits of shopping from a small business is that often you get to know where and how your products are made. Plus for many small businesses like mine, it is truly a labor of love and joy to get to work on each piece before it ships out to you. When I go to the Post Office it feels like I am sending out a little package of sunshine and happiness. And who doesn’t want or receive a little package of sunshine in the mail?
When you order from Ellemichelle you are not only supporting my dream, you are also supporting the dreams of a whole network of small artists and makers. One of my favorite tasks during the design process is when I get to pick out the fabric print for the line. This year the theme is Hot In Miami! And the prints I chose come from 5 different small independent print designers.
One of the most exciting changes in how I design today, compared to how I designed in the past, is that shopping the new online fabric marketplaces directly connects me with thousands of small independent print designers. Plus, after I select the print designs the fabric is printed using eco-friendly water-based pigment inks and dyes right here in the United States. That means less energy and water is used in the printing process when compared to traditional printing methods done in big factories. It really gives me a lot of feel-good pride to be able to support small artists like myself.
I hope you get out there and help support small businesses this November 30th.
Lana Michelle Block. Founder Ellemichelle Style