>Tell us a bit about yourself (name, location, affiliations, personal stuff). My name is Rachel, I'm 24 years old and I live in Okemos, MI (near Lansing). I work full-time in property management to support my Etsy addiction, but I love everything I do! I am passionate about vintage clothing and I always have been ever since I was very young. I often feel that I was born into the wrong time period as I am obsessed with the 60's and 70's. Everything about it makes me smile...from the culture, the fashion and the innocence of the time.
> What is your favorite color combination? My favorite color combinations are deep greens with navy blues. I sometimes feel that it's equivalent to pairing blacks and browns, but it looks so good together and just works. It's fresh and funky and great for most seasons. I had a great vintage emerald green shift dress and I paired it with a wide navy blue belt and it was stunning!
Vintage Miss Antonette Franz Haushofer Floral Dress
> What is the first thing you can remember making by hand? The first thing I made by hand was a square knot friendship bracelet with embroidery floss. When I was in 2nd grade I got into making friendship bracelets and would bring them to school with me to hand out. It turned into a bigger project then I could handle because everyone wanted them!
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What inspires you? My inspiration comes from anything and everything around me. I can walk through an antique shop, a thrift store or even a garage sale and see an item that sparks a certain look in my head. I then start experimenting with different textures and colors to turn it into a great outfit! I don't like to look at old pictures of people actually wearing vintage because that's not what I'm going for. I don't want it to look like you walked right out of the 60's or 70's. Just because a dress or outfit is from a certain time period doesn't mean it has to walk that line. Pairing vintage pieces with modern shoes and accessories is what makes it so fresh and unique! You can wear vintage without looking old-fashioned.
> What are your favorite materials? My favorite materials are crocheted fabrics and pointelle knits. The complexity and texture these styles can give to clothing is simply amazing. They're hard to find in modern day production, but were commonly used between the 50's and 70's. The have a very special feel to them and are usually very unique from one garment to another.
> Why should people buy handmade? Any tips of wisdom on selling handmade items? You should buy handmade because it's special. Photographing your items properly is key. If you have clothing and it's dingy, WASH IT! Using all five photo slots Etsy provides is important. Let your customers see various angles and views of your items. You'll only benefit! You can also use interesting backgrounds and invest in a quality camera. Take the extra time and put the energy into representing what you have to it's maximum potential. With the prepping, washing, picture taking/posing (and yes, I model all my own clothing which is the most commonly asked question I get!), description writing, and uploading of photos, one dress takes me almost an hour to list. It's a lot of work, but the end result is so worth it and I wouldn't want to do it any other way.
> What have been the most valuable lessons learned from other artists? The most valuable lesson I've learned from fellow sellers is how I want to do things and how I don't want to do things. I've bought from numerous, numerous people on Etsy and everything from photographing, to communication and item packaging really can make or break your shop.
> Apart from creating things, what do you do? I work a lot, but when I have a spare moment I spend most of my time with my super-supportive boyfriend, Dave and our dog Winston. We started a co-ed softball team through my office for a league this summer, so he's been teaching me how to play. It's going to be a lot of fun! Besides that, we golf together and are excited for it to warm up here in Michigan so we can hit the links!
> What’s your favorite movie or book or both? Why? My favorite movie is Monster with Charlize Theron. Her portrayal of Aileen Wournos is UNBELIEVABLE! The story is very real world (it's based on a true story) and knitty-gritty. When you get into the back story of Aileen, the real person, you see the pain and strife other people go through, and have gone through, and makes you realize how blessed you are.
> What are the Web addresses for your work? Facebook-
www.facebook.com/desantisvintage Blog-
www.desantisvintage.blogspot.com Twitter-
www.twitter.com/desantisvintage Etsy-
www.rdesant86.etsy.com > Are you offering my readers any specials? Right now I'm giving away $30.00 in store credit to DeSantis Vintage. To be eligible all you have to do is go to
www.facebook.com/DeSantisVintage and like the page. RSVP to the event via the event tab on the left. Then favorite my shop on Etsy to be entered, and that's it! All the names are pulled from those who have added the shop as a favorite. The deadline is March 30th, 2011.
THEN THE FUN STARTS! I will create a video of me putting everyone's name into a bowl, old school style, and I will announce the winner via the video on Facebook and my blog!
Thanks, Linda.
Rachel DeSantis
