As a new company with a limited budget, it’s understandable that you’re tempted to pinch pennies at the expense of your brand image. Maybe you’ve been putting off certain branding and marketing expenditures. And it’s no wonder—the recent down-ward economic trend has even established luxury brands feeling the pain. In the meantime, retailers are thinking harder about which lines they’re going to carry, as they only have so much money in their buying budget and want nothing but the most value for their dollar. Some are feeling risk averse and may focus strictly on tried and true brands—ones they know they can sell because of a strong emotional connection with their customer and a strong track record. Where does that leave you? As a new brand, you’ll be scrutinized on a microscopic level. Image is everything in this business. If your branding and packaging efforts so far look relatively unprofessional compared to established brands, buyers at market will doubt the quality of your product. Will the product last? Will people be returning it? Buyers may even doubt your ability to deliver the product. And that makes them less likely to take a risk on you and fax in that order.

As a new label just going to market for the first time, how do you convince retail buyers that you are a strong investment? Aside from having a killer line, you need certain sales and marketing tools that are expected when doing business in the fashion world, and your branding, packaging, marketing, and sales efforts have to look as professional, pulled-together, and as crave-worthy as the big boys. And, yes, you can even get it done on a budget. Find consultants who are as passionate about launching your brand as you are. Extra credit? Show retailers that you are committed to helping them sell their line by providing them with sales tools to help them get their customers passionate about your brand. Many fabulous brands have been launched in a down-turn. With a little creativity and a lot of hard work, you’ll be unstoppable. I wish you the best of luck and smashing success!

Giannina Granata Silverman is a branding expert focusing on consumer products in the fashion, health and beauty, food, and entertainment markets. For more brand image advice geared toward start-up fashion businesses, please check out her blog.

Want to hear more? Join us this Sunday for our monthly Coffee Chat our speakers will be Giannina Granata Silverman and Juliet Sander, the topic is: Make it Happen: Strategies for Launching and Growing a Fabulous Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle or Retail Business. Click here to learn more.

Head down to Yaletown, Vancouver BC, for a day of fabulous shopping! Gather your besties and join us for six hours of summer fashions, wicked discounts and specials from over 40 stores, awesome prizes, cool cocktails and drinks, and of course, free swag, just like the celebs.

Where: Yaletown, Vancouver BC
When: Friday, July 17th, 3pm-9pm
Admission: Free, please rsvp yaletown@thestylespy.com

If you can e-mail you can blog. If you can blog you can tweet. When and how to communicate.

Alexandra Samuel from Social Signal posted a great article that offers some solutions to the daily issues that most of us are facing when it comes to communicating online or as dubbed by Alexandra “smierarchy” (social media hierarchy) . Check out the highlights for the full article click here.

Don’t e-mail what you can blog. Don’t blog what you can tweet. Don’t tweet what you can DM. Don’t DM what you wouldn’t publish.

Don’t e-mail what you can blog.
E-mail is a closed medium. When you send an e-mail, you’re only sending it to a handful of people (we’ll leave the discussion of accidental mass-e-mails for another day). If you’re e-mailing something that’s useful or amusing, and not confidential or sensitive, then why not blog it? Several of my favourite blog posts began life as e-mails. When I find that I’m e-mailing multiple people with the same tips (for example, on getting into grad school, setting up personal information management on the Mac, or dining out in Vancouver), I turn it into a blog post. If someone asks me for thoughts on a particular topic or issue, that can turn into a blog post, too — for example, on the thoughtful use of Twitter.

Don’t blog what you can tweet.
Twitter is a fantastic outlet for information, insights and reflections that are small enough—or better, yet, concise enough—to fit in 140 characters. So if you can fit into a tweet (or two), skip the long, meandering blog post and just tweet it.

Don’t tweet what you can DM.
There’s a reason Twitter changed “replies” to “mentions”. If you want to convey info that has no interest, or even amusement value, to anyone other than the recipient, then send it as a private IM or direct message on Twitter.

Don’t DM what you wouldn’t publish.
This isn’t part of the smierarchy; it’s just good sense. If you’re not—on some level—prepared to see something disseminated publicly, don’t put it in any electronic form. When you send a message to someone, it’s not in your control. You can’t preclude the possibility of misunderstanding, accidental forwarding, or deliberate recirculation. So while there are lots of circumstances in which it’s useful to conduct private business electronically—via chat or e-mail—you should distinguish between what’s private and what’s confidential. Anything that would be really compromising or disastrous to see disclosed shouldn’t travel electronically.

That explains the don’ts—but I’m sick of don’ts. So let me also take this opportunity to offer a couple of positive alternatives, inspired by the Zimbabwean proverb: “If you can talk you can sing. If you can walk you can dance”.

On the smierarchy:
If you can e-mail you can blog. If you can blog you can tweet.

On public versus private communications:
If it’s personal, say it personally. If it’s private, say it privately.

Urban beauties, we all know that many are pinching pennies this summer to save money in this economy. That doesn’t mean that you can’t treat yourself to a summer vacation! How about a staycation right here in your home of Washington State?

Ladies, we are blessed with a beach right next door. Let’s use this gift of the ocean to our benefit and try something new this summer. Westport, Washington is a small town on the Washington Coast that is known for its surfing scene. CRAVE urges you to activate your inner urges to stand up on a surf board and ride those waves!

It is necessary for the urban girl to look fabulous while ripping those Washington swells. Outfit yourself stylishly at West Seattle’s Coastal Surf Boutique. Specializing in sportswear, accessories, and swimwear, Coastal carries fun styles to make you look your best on the beach. Brands such as Reef, Ezekiel, Von Zipper, RVCA, O’Neil, & Raisins Swim Wear are sure to give your beautiful bod a boost.

Sarah & Christy, owners of Coastal are two surfers that were motivated to bring the coast to the city. “We wanted to create a place where people could find the cute clothes and lifestyle of the boardsports industry without an intimidating environment.”

Check out Westport, Washington for details on the surf town to-do’s and visit Coastal Surf Boutique for fantastic beach finds. Be sure to ask owners Sarah & Christy about their favorite surfing gear. They may even give you a few tips on how to stand up on that board.

After a cosmetic counter employee tried to sell me no less than 14 face products in one sitting, I wondered, “what exactly is necessary for healthy skin?” I was relieved to find this article from Whole Living. With help from the experts, they came up with the five simple, key items and tips for glowing skin.

1. Start with a gentle exfoliant, rather than a harsh soap, to cleanse
Why you need it: It As skin regenerates, dead cells compromise luster and clog pores. Derived from plant and milk sugars, alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) slough skin without harsh scrubbing. Of the AHAs used in skin-care products, “citric, lactic, and malic acids are the most gentle,” says Torok. “Their larger molecules allow them to penetrate the dermis slowly, causing less irritation.” Small-molecule glycolic acid seeps in faster with more dramatic results, but can irritate sensitive skin.
Try: Juice Beauty Green Apple Cleansing Gel, Be Fine Cooling Peel Off Mask

2. Apply an anti-inflammatory serum to nourish skin deep down
Why you need it: Stress and fatigue can lead to puffy skin and a blotchy complexion. Calm redness and blemishes with serums and gels that contain extracts of anti-inflammatory herbs like chamomile, calendula, and lavender. Skin needs proximity to these thin concentrates—and their nutrients—so apply them before moisturizing to reap the most benefits. Seek out serums with a wealth of organic botanicals, not just a dusting. (Ingredients appear in descending order based on amount present.)
Try: Avalon Organics Lavender Revitalizing Eye Gel, Luzern Laboratories Serum Control Absolut

3. Hydrate with moisturizer
Why you need it: Our daily habits (long days, sleep debts, frequent washing) deplete sebum, skin’s natural moisture lock. That protective layer of oil holds in moisture and prevents irritation, says Fine. Without it, skin becomes vulnerable to damage. For dry skin, plant lipids such as jojoba and sunflower oil replenish lost moisture and provide long-lasting hydration. Oily types need water- or gel-based moisturizers containing noncomedogenic ingredients, like aloe, that won’t lead to breakouts.
Try: Grassroots Soak It In Super Rich Moisture Cream, Zia Skin Basics Herbal Moisture Gel

4. Protect with sunblock
Why you need it: Nobody wants the side effects of too much sun—wrinkles, moles, age spots, not to mention skin cancer. Protecting skin against UVA and UVB rays is the foundation of great skin care, says Torok. She suggests a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher that contains Mexoryl SX or stabilized avobenzone because they defend against both wrinkle-accelerating UVA rays and sunburn-causing UVBs. Fine prefers mineral sunblocks with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which deflect the sun’s rays.
Try: Desert Essence Organics Age Reversal Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30, Dr. Hauschka SPF 30 Sunscreen Cream for Children and Sensitive Skin

5. Before bed, use a cream rich in antioxidants, such as green tea, soy, or grapeseed extract
Why you need it: While the body sleeps, the skin restores itself, says Fine. Thicker than moisturizer, a night cream rich in antioxidants will help skin defend against smoke, sun, smog, and age. These stressors cause skin to produce free radicals (oxidants) that attack collagen, its main connective tissue, she explains. And when collagen breaks down, wrinkles and sagging result. Antioxidants such as jojoba leaf and vitamins A, C, and E battle those free radicals before they can do damage.
Try: Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Mineral-Enriched Moisture Cream, Boscia Antioxidant Recovery Treatment C

Check out this great post from Seth Godin about the reward of taking risks in your business.

It’s easy to to adopt the policy of avoiding risk at all costs, that whenever possible, the products you launch or the engagements you have should be flawless and without downside.

Here’s the problem: in most endeavors, a small increase in risk can double the reward. It’s the second doubling of reward that brings serious risk with it. But the first leap is relatively painless.

In the chart above, notice that going from point A to point B brings almost no incremental risk. It might feel scary, but rationally, it’s not. Doubling reward again from B to C, though, brings significant incremental risk. It’s this second doubling that gets you through the Dip, that leads to a breakthrough, that makes you remarkable.

But I’m not even talking about that. I’m just hoping you’ll warm up by making the tiny leap of avoiding all risk. Riskless is hardly worth your effort.

No time to mine the internet? Check out these fab, under the radar fashion blogs.

In My Bag provides incredibly extensive information on our favorite accessory.
inmybag.blogspot.com

Fat Chic is plus-size fashion and cultural criticism. Expect sass, confidence, and self-respect for style at any size.
fatchic.net

Dream Sequins covers emerging fashion designers and independent boutiques. Thorough interviews with shop owners make this site a must read.
dreamsequins.blogspot.com

Alixrose is written by a Seattle-based “girl next door” with a healthy, life-consuming obsession with Fashion. Never pretentious.
alixrose.com

Knickers is a fashion weblog dedicated to all things lingerie featuring new collections, coupons and designers.
knickersblog.com

Shaping eyebrows on your own can be a daunting task. This excellent vid from 5Min Life Viapedia helps demystify the process.

Still not convinced? Go visit these CRAVE city pros:
Austin: Angie at Blush Skincare
Chicago: Ignacia at Rogue Salon
San Fran: Kimberly at Evebrows to Die For
Seattle: Kim at Browlick Wax Studio
Vancouver: Natalie at Little Spa