I’ve seen Jane BonBon’s Etsy shop recommended over and over on a livejournal community I frequent,
and, my curiosity piqued, I asked her to let us get to know here better. Thus, she graciously consented to this interview:
What was your first ever sewing project?
When I was a kid, my gramma and I would make stuffed animals out of her sewing scraps.
What made you decide to go into business serving all sizes?
I was a smaller person up until my mid 20′s, then when I gained weight, I found out how hard it was to find clothes that I liked and that fit well. I taught myself to sew some basic things and the I enrolled in fashion design school.
Please tell me a little bit about your design aesthetic. If you had a style niche (punk, classic/conservative, trendy) which would it be and why?
I guess I’d say that my style is more classic with a bit of rockabilly thrown in here and there. I find that vintage styles look great on bigger girls because they’re more tailored looking and fitted.
For people sized beyond 20, what can they do to help you construct better clothing for them?
Let me know what problems they’ve had with clothing in the past, and if they are concerned about the fit, get measured by a professional tailor.
What is your “dream customer” for a custom order?
I love when customers pick their style and fabric, but let me pick out the accent colors. I can really make theirs special and really one of a kind!
Has Etsy been the best venue for you? Has it helped with networking business owners or is it better for one to one sales?
Etsy has been the best thing I have ever done for my business! Vancouver isn’t the easiest place in the world to sell larger sizes and a couple of months after I opened my Etsy shop, I had orders coming in from all over the world! I’ve also had lots of sale and inquiries for wholesale orders from new stores.
What are you doing to let Canadian customers in other provinces know of your availability? Have you opened up wholesale with stores outside your province? Where does most of your business come from?
At the moment, word of mouth is the way Canadians find out about my label, I get mentioned a lot in blogs by my customers, who seem to be really loyal and like to spread the word. I’ve sold my clothes wholesale to an online boutique in Ontario (Gutsy Dame) but most of my orders go to the USA.
Any new designs or experiments on the horizon?
I’m always trying to come up with new designs , but lately I’ve been so busy just keeping up with my orders! I’ve now hired an assistant to help me so I will have more time to come up with some new styles and patterns! This winter I’d like to have a couple of coats and some different dresses.
Integration or separation: should plus size women wear clothing that is on-trend even if not really designed for them, or should they wear exclusively clothing that is designed and designated for plus sizes?
I don’t think big women can’t follow trends, they can take take certain elements of it, but redesign it in a way that suits us.
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