Turning Atelier Dormir into a real little shop!

This is an exciting time for me at the moment,
After eight months of having my commissions open for Atelier Dormir, I've finally saved up enough money to make it into a real business. I quit my job so I could give it a proper shot while I was still young. This has caused a bit of a lifestyle change in itself! You see, it would be a pretty blatant lie if I said I didn't buy things for my closet regularly. New releases are coming out all the time from brand and indie brand and now for the first time in a very long time, I've made the choice to have no stable income. 

I tried to run my business while working for six months and boy did I get a rude awakening! I had to do the one thing that killed me the most, kept my customers waiting. I lost a lot of sleep thinking about how many days since payment had passed and felt like a complete failure each passing hour.

My customers are the most important people to me, I want nothing more then to give them my all.
Making your customer happy should be your first and final priority.

There was the first step, Closing my commissions. I only way I would be happy with the service I provide is if I could ship people's orders the next day or even the same day as payment! I decided I had to make stock to make it as speedy as possible. Stock meant one thing, Wholesalers. I've spent weeks on the phone to England, China and India trying to keep the quality I maintained during the past eight months. This is a difficult ask when buying in bulk but a couple days ago I finally closed the deal on my last lace order. 100% Cotton Crotchet! The only thing my customers deserve.
This also meant new tools. Steamers, rotary blades, grid cutting mats, tailor hams. It all added up pretty quickly, with the money I've spent I could of revamped my closet 3 times over! But with each small thing I bought, right down to a specific nozzle for the steamer, meant a better quality product and that's exactly what I want. 

Now it's almost all here and I'm terrified. Stock storage has been built, garment rail a ready with fresh hangers, the books have all been balanced and my website is ready for stock.

...now all that's left to do...is start.

I feel like I've been grinding, in an in depth RPG. I've collected all the herbs and have a sick new weapon but I'm still just stood here staring at the Boss battle's door.

I've got words of encouragement from my friends pinned above my sewing machine, "Stay Strong" - Betty.
I'm just scared I wont do well, you know? That I've had delusions of grandeur all these years.
Well. I can't just sit here. "To live" is a verb after all, it is a doing word.
and that's just what I'll do, I'll set my fears aside. Perhaps delusion is good for us all sometimes. 

 Atelier Dormir, I'll sew my best and I'll design until each piece is perfect. I really hope I'll look back at this one day, while packing for a stall at a convention or maybe even before opening a real shop!

I know, far fetched but that's just what a dream is. A far away place that you go to, that makes the journey of your life.
Well I guess I better get back to sketching, production starts in a couple of days!

A Lifestyle Lolita Diary: Entry one

So here goes an introduction!

(how many of these have you read? haha!)

My Name is Laelette and I've got a little indie brand called Atelier Dormir!

It's a brand dedicated to lolita lounge wear, casual wear and bloomers! of all things.

You see, for the longest of time I have been obsessed with the notion of being a lifestyle lolita.
What's not to like about the idea? Look great everyday, go out for tea regularly, have an adorable room and indulge in crafting hobbies. What about that doesn't sound fun?

It's something I've always wanted to do! To throw away the jeans once and for all and live only to be Frilly and Fabulous. I've seen many lolita do it and I've been working on it for years, I really feel like I've got it down!

How to live your life as a Lolita in a practical world of washing machines and grocery shopping!

It's literately an act of surrounding yourself with all things lolita. Decor, food, drinks, books, websites, art and even your home appliances! Now... to some this isn't an attractive idea and they feel that you can be a Lolita without it engulfing your life. This is true but if you like the idea of living like an elegant maiden straight out of story book then please take a seat, brew yourself a tea and let's chit chat about what really divines a lifestyle as "lolita".

I started Atelier Dormir for the reason it was simply a product I wanted!
I wanted Lolita I could wear around the house without any make up on, without my hair done, without a huge hair accessory and still look adorable!

I didn't want it to be some rare item Victorian Maiden released years ago that I'd be arrived to get dirty! Cause let's face it, Pajamas and what you relax in GET DIRTY! From cooking, cleaning, pets, chores, it all adds up. Not mention sweat and the fact clothes just straight up need washing. So it had to disposable in a sense and available to replace. No such thing existed.

Sure there were Hello kitty tops and bow prints bottoms but it was all the same hat!
I made myself a set of pajamas just to see if what I wanted actually looked good.

Not only did it turn out I wanted to make more a.s.a.p but my friend's all wanted a piece of the action too, so with this an ambition was born to bring something to the lolita world that simply wasn't offered to us.

Lolita lounge wear.
That had all the intention of you relaxing in it!