lala moon update

It is incredible how ideas evolve..when I started this blog I was very much thinking to produce a range of baby clothes (see below).

Yet over the weeks, as I tweek and think about the business plan/model more I am realizing that perhaps initially the way forward is to source and sell products already made and that the production of my own range of house hold goods etc is more long term..Realistically, I think this is how I am going to move forward. Manufacturing a quality product takes time and money.. but I am determined to get there. .. it is exciting but also very, very daunting.

But backtracking just a little... back in late Jan I started the process of designing the baby clothes collection and well finally, the long awaited samples have arrived.

Ok, so perhaps 'collection' is taking it a little too far, as at the moment there are only 4 items in the 'collection' but you have to start somewhere!

My initial thoughts...umm, positive but there is room for improvement! 1 x dress is a no go - the style just doesn't work in silk. You should have seem the expression on my face when I saw it - urghhhhh!

Of course, I am disappointed but again I have to remember that this is all about experimentation. Some things will work, others will not.

Yesterday, I shared the items with a group of friends with babies and their feedback was good and positive Soooo...it is onwards and upwards!! When in India I will do the adjustments and hopefully come the end of May they will be READY!

My photos are terrible - but any feedback would be great - do you like the bombachas?? and the dress?? The idea is to make them from silk and for sure the bombacha will be suitable for boys too..

wish list...

I wait in anticipation for news from my man on the ground in Jaipur, ref. the block prints I have designed.. will they work? can my ideas translate from the drawing board to reality ok??

There is a limit to what I can do via the internet and telephone and sadly, it wont be until I am in India in May that I will really know and can get to work...

I have spent hours researching block print textiles and in the process have come across some amazing designers. One of my current favorites in Mary Mulcahy and her company Les Indiennes .

Les Indiennes range of textiles, soft furnishings and wallpapers are created using the ancient art of Kalamakari. Sun bleached naturally dyed cottons are hand-blocked with carved wood dyed in ayurvedic dyes derived from plants, roots, earth and rock.

One of things that I applaud is that Les Indiennes has never set out to industrialise or change the ways things are done in India. Les Indiennes provide fair trade employment for 50 families, raising the standard of living for the entire community.

Be inspired by the images.

Her website is thorough with a great on-line shop. For now I can only refer you but with time I hope to be able to source everything for you!

My dream is that one day Lala Moon will be able to give Les Indiennes and the like a run for their money... Yet I will remain indebted to them for giving me the inspiration and vision for moving forward with my ideas... Thank YOU!

www.lesindiennes.com (USA with shipping)

the story so far....

Jaipur, India has been my first port of call, thanks to nothing more than a stroke of luck really - I have found a great guy who has been able to help turn an idea of mine into reality and so La La Moon was born.

In Dec 09, I decided (literally just like that!) that I would like to source and sell boho hareem pants, skirts, scarves, bags, the list goes on in Punta del Este, Uruguay...

Why Uruguay you ask? Well, having seen similar things being sold on the beaches of Sardina last summer I thought that Punta del Este, with it's current status as a 'hip destination' would be an ideal place to sell such things.

My first experience was too good to be true...I sold everything in the space of 5 mins of trying, to a wholesaler on a beach in Jose Ignacio.

My initial idea of living out the whole of Jan sitting on a beach in Uruguay selling a couple of skirts each day never materialised... and well, I am now onto stage 2 of the plan, and eagerly awaiting my next shipment from Jaipur.. At the same time, I am working on the website and strategy for going forward. Exciting times!

Initially, La La Moon will be web based and it will be a platform through which I sell the beautiful things I am busy designing and will produce in India. There will be the baby range, the accessories range, household interior goodies and lots more.. and then to complement this, I envisage selling other beautiful and unique things I have found and will find on my travels. I would like to bring Fiona's world to you, to share with you and to inspire....

and so it started....

I have been deliberating how to start this blog for far too long... in the end I have chosen just to START.

With each entry the blog will begin to take shape - here is hoping!

My aim - to share with you my passion for beautiful things, sourced and found all over the world. This blog will complement La La Moon, my online store which is in it's infancy (ABSOLUTE!) but my dream is to be able to source and bring to you an eclectic mix of my favourite things...clothing, accessories, interiors... This is is where the story begins. First stop Jaipur .....