We stepped up our game and got through it. From one perspective, we just barely survived it and from another it was a huge success for June Plum. I'll explain. On May 14, Kate and I packed up our June Plum essentials and headed into Manhattan for the event. We pulled up to unload and were a little taken aback by the length of the line that had already formed. We got in it only to discover that the freight elevator was broken and that no one was going to be allowed in until some of the preliminary set up was complete via the smaller main elevator. Well we thought we were super smart and decided to hike up the stairs with all of our stuff but that decision backfired and we still weren't allowed in. We had to sit in the stairwell and wait some more. It was kind of like being put in time-out except for the fact that we had each other and our lattes of course.
We finally get into the space and began to set up. It was a very typical NYC loft space, not quite as spacious as it could have been but would just have to do. There were approximately 65 vendors, so this means at least 130 people in the space. We felt like sardines and the laundry list of media and celebrities hadn't even arrived yet.
Monkey wrench #3 was that our display was too big for the table we were initially assigned and
we were moved to another location, not as central, not as noticeable as our original space but a space where June Plum could let down her hair and not be reprimanded simply for being herself.
After being relocated, twice, Kate and I took a deep breath and got ready for the first round of guests. As they slowly made their way back to our table, we slowly forget about all of the troubles of the morning and remembered why we were there in the first place. We were so pleased with the response. Many of the guests said things like, "I was eyeballing your shirts from across the room and couldn't wait to get a closer look." As they analyzed our gear they would often comment on the simplicity, style, symbolism, and most of all, the lack of frills that, to this day, remain hard to avoid in infant and toddler clothes.
Unfortunately, neither Kate nor myself are very aware when it comes to popular culture and, if I may be totally honest, I didnt recognize one celebrity and Kate only recognized one or two. We had to hit up the others around us to figure out who was coming up the path before they got to us. This handicap may have inhibited us in some ways but Id rather see it as a bonus since you cant get star struck and stumble over your words if you dont know who you are talking too. Anyway, here is a shot of Kate with Constance Zimmer from the hit TV series Boston Legal.
By the end of the day we had given away approximately 75 June Plum shirts to celebrity children who will hopefully proudly sport them in front of the camera and paparazzi. A few friends of June Plum have already begun to see children sporting our goods in the streets. Hopefully, it won't be too much longer before our friends are clipping photos from magazines.
Actually, as an aside but in related news, we recently learned that Ashley Harper (Dave Matthew's wife) bought a couple of Shirts for her kids. June Plum is movin' on up! Check in soon for more JP news. We have lots of new designs and plans to announce. Stay tuned! TT
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