Imagine growing up in a rural area removed from and oblivious to “Fashion”… Antoinette Karma ‘s story of how she came to create HouseOfAntoinette is just one more demonstration that Fashion is a Passion.
Being a native NYer, I was surprised when Antoinette told me she had never seen a “Fashion” magazine until she was eighteen. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania she had only seen what she described as contemporary clothes in catalogs like Spiegel, Eddie Bauer, Sears and Lands End, but she says she was always stirred by fashion.
“I always enjoyed fashion from a young age. As a child I created jewelry and experimented with design techniques.”
Antoinette worked her way up in retail to buy for a local boutique and that’s where her interest for fashion amplified. As she reminisced I could still hear the excitement in her voice
“I was able to see all the markets and develop a great appreciation for brands and designers.”
She explained it was that experience that showed her the value and potential of her passion and that’s when her evolution started. She enrolled in school and studied design and merchandising.
“I knew that I wanted to design and I took my time to get a formal fashion education.”
Even though Antoinette’s strategy for success was education, it was still really brave of her to start a new business in the economic climate of 2010, but confidently Antoinette combined her experience, education and creativity to bring her dream to life.
“I always knew I wanted to have my own brand. I took my time in developing it and launched in early 2010.”
This is a new day and age in fashion… fashion and technology are merging and she embraces it. She creates a modern brand for the modern woman. The secret to her success?
“The process has been organic. I add new elements in every collection.”
“HouseofAntoinette1950 is a lifestyle fashion brand.”
Antoinette describes her line as a “lifestyle brand”. She told me she handcrafts all styles to preserve authenticity. HouseofAntoinette1950 carries a range of styles from traditional minimalist pieces to bold statement accessories.
My collections are inspired by nature, pop culture, architecture and fantasy. Each collection has its own flare and personality.
Antoinette designs HouseofAntoinette1950 pieces to be versatile, ideal for day or evening. She holds a strong belief that women connect through fashion so she makes an effort to ensure her pieces have a unique appeal for the modern woman.
Antoinette is creative, smart and pragmatic so I asked her… what’s next?
Pleased with the growth of her brand awareness she confidently confided “An apparel collection is under construction.” So JO7A fans, you can say you heard it hear 1st … look for Part II of JO7A’s HouseofAntoinette1950 interview coming soon!!
You can see more of Antoinette’s collection on her website HouseOfAntoinette1950.
She also has a coulple of fun blogs HOA1950 Tumbler & HOA1950 BlogSpot
and be sure to LIKE her on Facebook and follow her on twitter @Enigmaticforce
