Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Ahem...

We have a little announcement to make. I've been holding off on going public with this until I knew that it was going to happen, for sure. Based on recent conversations, all signs point to YES.

For those that talk to us regularly in real life, this isn't really new news. But for our virtual friends and followers...

Mark and I are embarking on a business venture.

Yep, we're going to attempt to open a business and be our own bosses. (Which is scary, because rumor is that I can be quite the perfectionist task-master. Do this at your own risk, Mark. Just kidding... kind of.)

As most everyone knows, my birth family is heavily involved in the clothing/fashion industry. My Birth Father has a clothing factory in China and SangKwun runs a wholesale children's clothing line, Dino Bebe. And it is awesome.

logo

Here are a couple of shots of their wholesale clothing store in Guangzhou, China.

Store9

Store7

Store2

Mark and I were looking through their catalogs and said to ourselves, "Wouldn't American kids look SO CUTE in these outfits?" (Maybe those were my words more than Mark's...) So we started talking to Birth Father and SangKwun about the possibility of opening an American branch. But up until recently, it was just that... talk.

Once our Korean classes finished, Mark and I decided if we want to make a run at this, we need to show we're serious. So we've spent the last couple months creating a business plan in both English and Korean ~ with a lot of help from Mark's amazing language exchange partners, researching every angle of of the wholesale clothing industry ~ something we honestly started out knowing very little about, contacting potential sales reps, creating an LLC and trademark, and more.

Oh yeah, and we've finally got a website up and running. The pictures aren't the best as we didn't have the originals to work with, updates will be coming soon. Promise.

A few biz details... we plan enter the market with a focus on girls clothes only (in the 2~8 age-range). Baby and boys clothes will follow. The clothing will be sold wholesale... which means we will sell directly to retail stores and boutiques. So, at least initially, we won't have a storefront open to the general public. (On a side, sales-y note... if you have a favorite boutique that you'd like to see Dino Bebe clothing in, please let us know. We'll love to contact the owner about making the brand available to you.)

So that's the real reason we've been sticking around Korea. We had a great discussion with Birth Father the other day about factory sourcing and import/export fees and SangKwun will be coming to Korea in two weeks so we can finalize our final Spring & Summer 2012 line, create our very own U.S. catalog, and nail down logistics and final details. If all goes well, we should be on a plane soon very after, bringing Dino Bebe to the States!

I can't believe this is actually happening!

14 comments:

Julia Goolia said...

so exciting for it to be official!!
And we have a cute kids/baby boutique here, but I'm not sure how 'old' the clothes go. I know for sure up to one year but anyway, it's called Goo Goo Gaa Gaa and it's in Brookfield, WI. Just a thought! :)

The Munchkins Mama said...

Ahhh. I love it. So cute. Madison, once she gets a little older will certainly have to have some! You'll have to keep me posted on where you are selling.

Paige said...

That's so cool!

Beth said...

Kim, that is SO cool!! I'm not really in the kids' boutique circuit, but I've heard people talk about a store called City Sprouts in the Loop and My Petunia in Clayton.
I can't wait to hear more about it!

David said...

there is bebe clothing company in the usa. hope your name dino bebe do not infringe here in the usa. if i were you, you should check it out.

Elle said...

Hi Kim... nice to hear about your plans, I wish you the best of luck.

Also I'm truely sorry if I might have offended you in any way in the past (by my blogging)...

Sue said...

Very exciting news, Kim! My son just turned nine so I'm said to say he's moved beyond your target age, but I can't wait to see the clothing in the states -- there are always friends and family membesr with kids who will love this line. Sue

Jean said...

That is awesome! Though my boy needs some cute clothes too, so don't wait too long on the boy side :)

Mom said...

Kim & Mark, the clothes are so cute! Good luck with all your planning and work to get this idea up and running. Guess you already know that Bebe is French for baby! Dad was glad to see a word he recognized since Korean was sooo foreign for him. Is there a store in the US by the name of DinoBebe? You have probably checked that out. Right??

Jen said...

M&K, you just made my morning! OMG, how exciting...and it makes me so proud (that's kinda wierd, isn't it?!)

JLR said...

What a great idea! I would love to buy some of your clothes for my friend's daughter (and as soon as possible!), so please keep updating your blog about sources.

Anonymous said...

Kim! This is so AWESOME! I'm so excited for you guys to start this new chapter. I'd like to order some clothes ASAP:)

An said...

This is awesome! Working for yourself has its challenges but is very rewarding. Good luck!

Lisa Ryan said...

hi kim! this is so exciting for you... there is a store in STL on Tesson Ferry called Cotton Babies. You might want to check them out too. also City Sprouts would be PERFECT!