A CLOSER LOOK AT THE TIE DYE COMPANY

THE TIE 

DYE

COMPANY

Who ever thought we would see tie-dyed clothing on the runway? Phoenix Fashion Week has found a young and vibrant spirit in The Tie Dye Company. This brand has put a nice spin on the tie dyed look. It is fun, sexy and fabulously stylish! 

Guys and girls alike should be rockin' the tie dyed look. And that's the beauty of living in the land of the sun. You can wear this look any time, year round. The founder of The Tie Dyed Company, Dalton England graciously granted us this interview while getting ready for the big event October 3rd at the Talking Stick Resort. 

Let's get to know Dalton and his brand...

How did The Tie Dye Company come to light?

"The Tie Dye Company was an idea that I stumbled on while searching for products to sell online after stepping away from my previous job. If you’ve ever been jobless, had to search for a new job, or just needed money to pay your bills but didn’t have an income, then you probably know how I was feeling. I still feel that way now, I just decided to put all that energy into working on myself and chasing my own dream instead of somebody else’s. 

So I started by selling everything I owned on eBay, did a few online courses for e-commerce, social media and internet marketing, read a bunch of books, and eventually came across this app that tells you how much people are searching for a specific term on the internet and the amount of results that show up from sellers. 

When I searched “tie dye”, I thought maybe it was broken, because no way 350,000 people are searching for tie dye per month and only 32 results are showing up. But after some more research, I felt like I was really on to something and about to be the next plug for tie dye merch." 

I love tie dye clothing so thank you for bringing it to the head of the class. What is it about this particular style that inspires you to create tie dye clothing?

"At first, literally just the fact that it was considered a “profitable” item, since nobody else was really selling it online. I still don’t think I’m even scratching the surface of what I can do with it in terms of sales, but I really would like to be the next major distributor for tie dye. I never made or owned a single tie dye shirt before this idea, so it has been a big learning experience with trial and error, but it has taught me many things and I am enjoying the creative aspects of it as well as the opportunities and connections that have come from it." 

I love your ambition and drive! Your right... who knew that many people would be searching for tie dyed clothing. Great job on finding a winner lol. 

Tie dye clothing is fun and brings an air of happiness to it. I simply love it! One of the best aspects of your brand is that its for the entire family. All ages can relate to the style. 

How does your brand standout from other tie dye brands?

"The Tie Dye Company brand is still a newborn baby, but it’s a growing community of dream chasers, artists, and black sheep rebels. We don’t believe in being the same as everybody else, we challenge the status quo, and we believe in the power of positivity at an individual level all the way to a global level. We are unique in so many ways, but I personally think we stand out because of our “Company”. We have surrounded our brand with some amazing people."

I loved the tie-dye tank dress. What other pieces do you create beyond the stylish t-shirts?
"I’ve been messing around with so many different products. I recently made some denim jogger pants to match a shirt, and in the past I have made colorful overalls, sweats, leggings, kids dresses and shirts, hoodies, baby onesies, socks, bucket hats, bandanas, bed sheets, pillow covers, and more. If I don’t get a tie dye car sponsor from Tesla, I’ll be pretty bummed." 

Dream big, dream big!!! Gotta love your enthusiasm. I'm sure one way or another Tesla will learn about The Tie Dye Company. Now...

Tell us a little something about Dalton England? 

"I’m always doing something different and never took too many things seriously in life unless I really had to. I spent most of my life playing baseball, but always had side hobbies I’d practice for fun. 

Art has always been a passion of mine, I just haven’t figured out which type to stick with yet. So, I’m just going to keep doing whatever I enjoy at the moment as much as I can." 

Where does the inspiration come from going from a baseball player turned fashion designer?

"I think it comes from who I am as a person. I grew up only knowing baseball. All I wanted to do was play baseball, all I wanted to be was a baseball player, and all I saw myself doing in the future was baseball. Now that I am back home and that dream has come to an alarming wake up call from the real world, I’ve been searching everywhere for my new passion. 

I tried comedy, snowboarding and longboarding down dangerous hills, I learned how to play guitar in 30 days and documented the progress, I even tried going out by myself to see what that was like. I basically just tried doing anything I felt uncomfortable with or was scared of because I wanted to conquer all my fears and figure out who I really 

was. 

But what I learned was that you really can’t go looking for what you are passionate about, you just have to be passionate about everything you do, and the rest will fall into place. When I stopped pressuring myself to do things and only did the things I wanted to do because my gut told me to, that’s when I felt in tune with my goals and inspirations."

How did you enjoy your runway show at the The Moxy?

"It was awesome! The models really made that night happen for me, so all the credit to them and the people who made them look good and to Kristin and Betsy, who helped run my pop-up shop. I enjoyed it because of the people who helped make it possible." 

Hey like I always say, "team work makes the dream work". A good team is vital. That night was so busy and electrifying because it's like the prequel to the October event. Your pop-up shop was jumping too.

Any struggles you've encountered on this journey you care to share with us?

"Honestly, every day feels like a new challenge at this point. This week I made over 200 tie dye shirts, including screen printing graphics on them, so it felt like a big week for me. But first, my car broke down in the middle of an intersection on Monday, when a cop helped push it to the side of the road, the only set of keys to the car got locked inside. I was up all night trying to figure out how to get my car back, knowing I had all these shirts to make, plus the shirts I had to make and ship from the website orders. I am used to making frequent midnight trips to the post office, though. 

The hardest part, was actually keeping The Tie Dye Company brand and business running at the same time that I was trying to get my car running. My car still isn’t fixed today, but I am used to not using it anyway and have found the bright side of the situation. I haven’t driven to the post office once since I started this brand and my favorite part of the day is always the trip to the post office for some fresh air. Other than that, nothing has really been easy. 

The only thing that has gotten easier is sleeping at night. I’m grateful for all the challenges, because they make me better at the end of the day and that’s made a huge difference in my life as far as motivation and long-term goals."

Although you are knee deep in it, what is your most valuable take away from Phoenix Fashion Week’s bootcamp?

"Proactive anticipation, because you have to be prepared for anything. But most importantly, that nobody is going to do anything for you. No matter what, the only thing that matters is doing. 

Manifestation, “The Secret”, and all those things are cool, but I feel they are only fuel to the fire. If you really want something, you have to go get it yourself and the hardest part is starting. You just gotta start, execute and experience, fail fast, learn, and give more than you take in every situation." 

Do you have other passions besides a clothing designer?

"Like I mentioned before, I am passionate about too many things to put into one basket. I just want to make a positive impact on the people around me and hopefully build a community from the ground up so we can actually say we left the planet a better place than when we entered it."

What advice would you give to the next aspiring fashion designer?

"My advice to anyone is just chase your dreams. At the end of the day, that’s what you really want, and if you don’t go for it, I think you’re missing out on what life is really suppose to be about."

Where do you envision The Tie Dye Company to be in 5 years? 

"Driving a special edition one-of-kind Tie Dye Tesla Mobile Work Station Semi-Truck traveling the nation doing pop-up shops and sponsoring events for performing and visual artists."

OMG I absolutely love this dude! Dalton England, you and your larger than life personality are going to light up the runway with your tie dye collection. Get your Phoenix Fashion Week tickets here to see The Tie Dye Company show out on the runway. There are 3 great nights of fashion that you don't want to miss out on. Besides, it is fun to get dressed up and get submerged in a night of fashion. It's always a party!

IG - @tie_dye_company

See you on the runway!
Toy



Photos provided by The Tie Dye Company

Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com/   @chronicbehavior

www.facebook.com/FilmFashionFutures.com

Thanks to the Chronic Behavior team 
 for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support and promote the brand. We appreciate you for your continued support.

A CLOSER LOOK AT KEITH ENGLISH

KEITH

ENGLISH

This Phoenix Fashion Week designer brought a fresh and unique style of men's fashion the the runway. Keith English gives us stylish fun with an old school flare. I love seeing what designers can do with a constant revolving menswear line. 

Founder Karina English took time out her busy schedule to chat with us for a bit. Here's what we learned about Keith English:

Lady CEO Karina English

How does your husband feel about his name being a fashion brand?

"It wouldn't make sense any other way because the reason why I started this venture in the first place was because of him...he represents everything the brand is."

What is the inspiration behind the Keith English brand?

"My husband is my inspiration. Despite the all the adversity he has experienced in his life, despite the trials he continuously faces, he has always stood up for what is right and never backed down from his beliefs. The high collar represents his courage and strength to stand up, the contrasting prints- his spirit full of color, love and compassion." 

The big old school collar IS a fantastic touch to your shirts. Was that an error in design or purposeful?

"The design was purposefully and everything started with just the high collar, which was the first pattern I ever created. Then I played with different prints and colors, created my own shirt pattern and then the Keith English shirt was born."

What types of fabric do you prefer to work with? "I prefer to work with fabric that has a little stretch to allow men that are muscular to not feel so constricted."  

Any material you prefer NOT to work with?

"I prefer to stay away from synthetic fibers and fabrics that wrinkle easy."

What has been most challenging for you being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week’s bootcamp?

"The most challenging thing for me are the tasks that are required of us to complete. As a mom, wife, full time grad student and building a business it gets tough finding extra time to focus on Bootcamp tasks."

What is your greatest take away thus far being a part of Phoenix Fashion Week? "Not every good opportunity is the right opportunity."

Wow, that is some straight talk right there! That is so true yet sad. We get so excited by wonderful opportunities placed before us,however we fail to realize whether it is the right opportunity or not. This is really great insight.

Give me one piece of solid advice for the next ambitious fashion designer?

"Don't let others steer you away from your vision and dreams with negative opinions about what you're designing and your ideas...God gave YOU this dream not them."

Amen to that!

How has this entire experience changed your world? "This entire experience has really build up my faith because I had this idea on the closet shelf, literally, for years. I never thought anyone would like the shirts. I have always felt this undone work inside of me, as if God was reminding me of the dream he gave me...so I took the leap of faith and here I am today, blessed beyond measure and keeping focus on what's ahead."

Is Keith English a full on family business? Any children involved? "Well, with 10 kids we hope that at least 1 of them will have a desire to take on the business one day but

currently no...they just help when we need it like being fit models, hanging tags or helping during photo shoots."

What is your vision for Keith English in 5 years?

"In 5 years I see the brand working with sports teams, corporations, licensing deals, to make custom shirts for their people. My vision is to be making a huge impact on men's fashion in the United States and be close to making $100k in revenue."

So I always like to ask designers if they have any other passions or a hobby they like to do when not creating fashion pieces. I am impressed with Karina English's and her big goals. You are definitely an inspiration to us all.

Do you have other passions besides designing fashion? "Yes, my first love has always been food. I went to culinary school after high school and even cooked in the military. Owning my own restaurant is a future goal of mine."

What do you like to do in your down time? "In my downtime I love watching movies with my husband and making memories doing things we've never done like exploring the outdoors or trying a new restaurant."

Thanks to Karina English for giving us a more in depth look at her brand. Get ticktets here for the biggest fashion event in the Southwest. Phoenix Fashion Week will keep you wanting more. See Keith English on the runway October 3-5, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort.

Follow Keith English on Instagram at @keithenglishapparel

See you on the runway!

Toy

Images provided by Keith English

Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com/   @chronicbehavior

www.facebook.com/FilmFashionFutures.com

Thanks to the Chronic Behavior team for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support and promote the brand. We appreciate you for your continued support.

A CLOSER LOOK AT

ACTIV INTIMATES (Scottsdale, Az) 
   

Who likes lingerie? We like lingerie!! I call this all day wearable lingerie. Activ Intimates has given us the most versatile line of womens lingerie I have seen to date. As one of Phoenix Fashion Week's emerging designers, Activ Intimates is sure to heat up this years runway. 

Wanna know more about this sisterly duo and their free-spirited brand? Good. Welcome to the world of Activ Intimates.

Give me one word that best describes your style.
"Passion"

Why intimate apparel? 

"Neither of our plans included a hard left into fashion, much less intimate apparel.  

We were both busy with careers and family and may have never entered fashion had we not discovered a gap in the market.  So, in a way, fashion found us – specifically, intimates found us." 

What types of intimates do you create?  "I am in love with the bodysuits.
Let’s start with our Spring 2019 Erotic Energy Lingerie Collection.  We’re excited to reveal this new collection at Phoenix Fashion Week!  

The Playlette is our signature lingerie style, created for a woman to feel confident and good about herself from the moment she puts it on.  The Playlette is a complement to her beauty and sensuality and is uniquely designed to wear before, during and after intimate moments.  It’s about a woman being in control of her feelings, her desires, her pleasures.

We’ve also designed a line of limited edition Peignoirs.  Our Lace Poncho Peignoirs are classic, versatile cover-ups from bedroom to date night -- or our favorite way, over nothing at all.  


Our Mini Peignoir is a fun, fresh pop of color and great over our panty and bralette sets.  






Maxi Peignoirs round out this collection with sheer elegance.


On the loungewear side, we have the Playful Collection – every-day pieces in dreamy soft micro modal fabric and effortlessly sexy style.  

We love the Perfect Bodysuit too and it’s a customer favorite with two layers of modal and high cut sides.  The collection also includes our Easy-Going Cami, Free Spirit Bralette and Favorite Micro-

Suede Thong.  And finally, our raw-edge styles -- Twist & Turn Lounge Top and High-Waist Boy Shorts & Lounge Pants."

How did Activ Intimates come to be? 
"Laurie -- Activ Intimates started in the dressing room of a lingerie store where one would expect to find something for everyone.   When I went to this store to find special lingerie for a special date, everything I tried on was UNFLATTERING. There was no consideration in the designs or fabrics for coverage over my thighs or tummy.  I wasn’t going in with my 20 or 30-something body.  This was post-childbirth, I was nearing menopause and my body and shape were naturally changing.  I was frustrated and upset but also curious.  

I wondered, do other women feel inhibited by insecurities about their bodies?  And how do they feel about lingerie options?  This experience was the start of something that would change my life’s direction.  I became obsessed with the realization that there needed to be better lingerie options.  Age shouldn’t exclude women from feeling confident and experiencing pleasure.  I got to work – researching, sketching and calling my sister, CJ, to partner with me in this business venture.  She said yes and here we are today ready to show our lingerie to the world."

How did you two decide to do this business? 
"Starting the business was the natural progression of the journey we started when we set out to make our signature lingerie, the Playlette.  As sisters, we had always dreamed of working together in our own company.  In fact, we started working together when we were 4 and 5 years old in Seattle, Washington.  

It was the 60s and we thought nothing of going door to door asking housewives for odd jobs.  We were paid mostly in candy, but back then a profit margin measured in sugar was fine with us. As adults, our careers took us in different directions, but Activ Intimates brought us together

professionally.  

Now we’re learning new things every day while using our business backgrounds as the infrastructure for our brand.  However, this time around, our profits are measured in dollars!"

Has it been a struggle for sisters working together?
"No, the opposite is true for us.  We have always been close, and we work well together.  One of the keys is that we are not the same.  In fact, we probably have more differences than similarities.  Our strengths, skills and perspectives are different – and when combined it’s powerful.  We balance each other.  We don’t always agree but that generally makes for better business decisions.  One characteristic we share -- and this is critical, is our work ethic.  Our parents raised us to be independent and to work hard to achieve our dreams and goals.  So that’s what we do – put our minds to it, no matter the challenge."  
What is most important when it comes to designing a new piece? 
"Never lose sight of who it is you’re designing for."

What does fashion mean to you? 
"It’s more than fabric and trims, patterns, prints, colors and textures.  Fashion is what happens when the components

come together to become something more than the sum of its parts.  

Fashion has the power to take a special moment and to elevate it beyond the day to day.  


It evokes an emotional response and makes a loud statement about who you are."  






What is your favorite part in creating that special intimate piece? 
"When it’s all said and done and we see our vision come to life.  Seeing it on a model at a photo shoot or on the runway is truly exciting.  But even better and more meaningful is when we hear from a customer – seeing her, listening to what she likes or doesn’t like is the reason we do what we do.  At that point, the blood, sweat and tears of it all falls away and we’re ready to create the next piece."

What type of material do you work with? 
"For our loungewear line we use siro micro modal with Spandex for its softness, stretch and recovery.  It wasn’t easy to find because we insisted on a fabric that would endure washings and wearing without pilling.  We found a source in LA that knits their own micro modal.  

Our lingerie is made from performance fabrics.  We use power mesh and stretch lace.  We also incorporate moisture-wicking anti-microbial tricot into our lingerie designs.  We use and save our production scraps as part of our re-activate program, rather than sending fabric to a landfill." 

What was your first piece ever created?  Do you still have it? 
"We created the first rendition of our signature lingerie before we officially started our company.  It was literally the first thing we did -- in Laurie’s basement sewing studio.  She lived in Denver and I lived in Scottsdale, so I got on a plane and we spent two weeks together making our first prototype – the HugMe.  

We used white stretch performance fabric and a crisscross design, so there were multiple layers of fabric involved.  This prototype traveled from Denver to Seattle to Scottsdale on its journey to become a sample and then on to Los Angeles for pattern and production.  That leg was a road trip, our first time to LA for business and first time to the LA Garment District.  Thinking we were in the final stretch, we lined up meetings at four production houses.  

At our first appointment of the day, in awe of this factory, our fate in the hands of this man – he held up our lingerie and looked it over for about 5 seconds and said, “It’s much too complicated.”  Back to the drawing board . . .  And yes, we still have that original HugMe today."  


What is the best part of the designer bootcamp?
"The timing of designer bootcamp could not have been better for our brand.  Coming into summer we were weeks away from completing our first lingerie production run.  We were working on our launch campaign and gearing up for sales.  

As we were contemplating bootcamp, a recurring concern was that it would move us in a different direction, pausing our momentum.  But what we found out quickly is that the structure and content of bootcamp would guide us through a successful launch – not only of our lingerie but our brand.  We are leaps ahead of where we would have been without bootcamp.  

The connections we’ve made with our fellow emerging designers, industry professionals, influencers, buyers, etc. are invaluable and the forward momentum is much more than we expected.  We are on board the train now and it’s moving fast."

What is the hardest part of the designer bootcamp? 
"Bootcamp challenges everything you think you know about your brand.  Here’s an example from day one of bootcamp.  We were reviewing brand logos and statements and we felt good going in, we had worked hard on our brand image and message – it was solid . . . until it wasn’t.  

No one in the room connected with our brand message and we didn’t nail our logo.  It was all off.  This was a tough message to hear but when you’re in bootcamp, you have to open your mind and be willing to change your mindset.  This is what bootcamp is about – but it’s not easy.  Every day you have to wake up and challenge yourself, your beliefs, your goals.  You have to live outside your comfort zone."

Are there any particular influencers in your world who inspires you? 
"Laurie --Sarah Shotton is the creative director for Agent Provocateur.  She is my lingerie designing hero.  And like a hero, she’s fearless - in her design and her campaigns.  Sarah is absolutely true to her aesthetic and to her customer.  She’s a fashion superstar.

CJ -- Cora Harrington, founder and editor-in-chief of The Lingerie Addict and recent author of “In Intimate Detail:  How to Choose, Wear and Love Lingerie.”  I’m inspired by Cora’s honest approach to writing and talking about lingerie.  The title of her book is perfectly suited to what she does so well – educating and engaging us in a conversation that’s all about lingerie.  The content and imagery she shares is refreshing and I have to say, I’m addicted."


What do you girls do in your down time? 
"Laurie -- I enjoy working out on the elliptical, dancing, hiking, learning Spanish, sewing, reading, writing and debating politics.  More than anything, I love my long talks and FaceTime with my three boys and my grandchildren and keeping up with my nieces and nephews.

CJ -- To clear my mind and energize, I like a good physical challenge – road and trail biking, running, hiking, pumping a little iron and Orange Theory (sometimes its good to be told exactly what to do!).  I love spending time with my husband and three boys – totally out numbered but we have a great time hanging out, trying new restaurants and traveling together."  


Follow Activ Intimates on IG @activintimates. If you want to catch their entire collection, you do not want to miss the big runway show. Phoenix Fashion Week at The Talking Stick Resort is October 18-20, 2018. You can happily get your tickets here. It's going to be one heck of a party!!


See you on the runway!
Toy

Presented by www.chronicbehavior.com/   @chronicbehavior

www.facebook.com/FilmFashionFutures.com

Thanks to the Chronic Behavior team for their excellent coverage of the event. They are the team helping to support and promote the brand. We appreciate you for your continued support.