Yana is definitely one of those people! I discovered her designs for the first time in one of my favourite Montreal thrift stores, La Gaillarde, and immediately went to look her up online. Her Etsy store is what dreams are made of; she mixes some vintage pieces with her own designs and the whole thing comes together perfectly. I was so intimidated at first to approach her about answering questions for my silly little blog, but she quickly put me at ease just being the sweet, friendly, positive person that she is! All of her answers were totally inspiring to me, she clearly loves what she does and seems to be having the greatest time doing something that started when she was a kid! I hope you'll all find her designs and answers and lifestyle as inspiring as I did!
If you haven't already, make sure to take the time and check out her Blog, Etsy shop and Flickr, I promise she is worth the visit!
How early on in life did you get into fashion and creating your own designs?
My mom taught me how to sew and at first I would just make clothing for my dolls and stuffed animals. In high school I started experimenting with human clothes, and let me tell you...that was not the highlight of my career. Weird plaid pants that ripped at the seams, hoodies with crazy cat ears, AHHH! It's so funny to look back though.
What do you think the advantages are to buying and selling online?
There are many advantages to both buying and selling online. For buyers, online shopping provides both convenience and a chance to buy something extremely unique. For sellers, it's a great way to expose your brand to the entire world and to get full retail price for your product.
When you made the decision to become a designer, what were the first steps you had to take to make it all happen?
I was actually studying speech pathology in University when I decided I wanted to go fashion full time. I started by selling my clothes on eBay (before Etsy was around) and my clothes became really popular. At the time, I was just doing it as a side project to help pay for school, but after I graduated my line was so popular that I could make a living off of what I love.
Got any tips for girls out there who are skeptical about taking the risk and turning their passions into a living?
Just remember that it takes time to build your company, so it won't happen over night. Start out by doing it part time, so you still have enough money to make ends meet. Then when you build up your clientele and start getting more sales, take the big leap! Quit your job and work for yourself. It's the best thing EVER!
What sorts of goals, both long term and short term do you have for your company?
Well, some of my short term goals include moving my work studio into a beautiful 2000 sq foot industrial space with my friends Angie of Norwegian Wood, Marc of Broundoor, and Michelle. It will be a great inspiration to share a space with so many creative people. My line is kind of getting too big for my apartment, and there's clothing everywhere, so I need to take it to the next level. As for long term goals....I know I want to be able to wholesale more, so I'm trying to figure out how to get more local production going so I can meet the demand.
I can't thank Yana enough for agreeing to the feature! She just came back from what sounds like the most wonderful trip to Paris (which you can read about on her blog) and I'm so excited to see what sorts of exciting things are up her sleeve for the future! Thanks Yana!
You can also follow Yana on Twitter and Facebook!
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