Colorado Burning

It's almost unbelievable - the number of fires currently burning in this state are larger than the entirety of Singapore.  With the wind direction, we've watched the smoke but mostly not been affected by it, save a few days where the wind shifted and we actually got up in the middle of the night in a near panic as the smoke smell was so strong in our house that we wondered if we were on fire.  87,000 plus acres and many homes burned just to the north of us.  The fire south of us has consumed 350 homes so far and is still burning strong.  The closest fire, just near Boulder is a scant 6 miles from us.  We watched it quickly spread.  My son commented that it looked like a volcano as we would see billowing smoke and then jets of orange fire shooting up to the sky, so thick and bright that it really did look like lava escaping the crust of the earth.

It's so sad to think of the destruction, of the people who have lost everything.  It makes you consider what would you take if you only had a short time to evacuate.  I've spent a lot of time pondering this over the past weeks and you know what?  I've come to the conclusion that my list is really very short.  Family and pets, wedding pictures, baby pictures, passports, my laptop, cell phone, my children's favorite toy that they sleep with every night.  That's about it.  Sure there are some things I would miss if they were gone, but it's all really just stuff when you get down to it, and not terribly important.

We live in such a beautiful place.  I am thankful for so much - the beauty and majesty of Colorado, the bravery and self sacrifice of all of the people fighting the fires - there are stories of firefighters losing their own homes as they battled the blaze to save the homes of others.  Thankful for the prayers of everyone for all of us here in Colorado, thankful that even  though we are seeing unbelievable destruction, that we are seeing very little loss of life, and yes, thankful that we have not had to evacuate ourselves.  But it is early in the fire season.....

We have added a charity to our website, Colorado Fire Support.  This is not a specific charity, as there are several reputable organizations taking donations for fire victims, including the Red Cross.  Supporting charitable causes is part of LamanBlu's mission in protecting the world for our children.  There have been many children affected by this fire and I can only imagine how frightening it must be for them.  When you purchase something from our website, also "purchase" the Giving Back item and you can select Colorado Fire Support as your charity of choice.  We will make a cash donation for every item you purchase - this is not added to your bill, nor to the price of the garment you are buying, it comes out of our profits and we are honored to be able to give it.  http://www.lamanblu.com/#!shop/productsstackergalleryv21=0  And please continue your prayers, they make a difference!

Salu,

Holli

Can you help our Kickstarter Campaign?

Here we are - 20 days left on our Kickstarter campaign to take us to the New York Fashion Week in August!  And we need your help!  We so appreciate all who have supported our campaign - both financially and through spreading the word.  But we're not at our goal yet!  Kickstarter is an all or nothing crowd funding platform.  If we reach our goal of $4,000 (or more) in pledges - we'll have a successful campaign when it closes and we will be able to have an amazing booth to work with the wholesale buyers from all across the country (and across the pond).  If we don't reach our goal, our project will not be funded.

LamanBlu's Kickstarter Campaign

Even $1 helps.  And if you have a little more to spare, you can get really amazing thank you gifts ranging from a LamanBlu paper doll book to a really cute sun hat with uv color changing thread embroidery (it's all white inside but changes colors when you go out in the sun).

To matching custom seahorse printed T-shirts for you and your child or both of your children.

(This is made from a photo I actually took of a seahorse and then photoshopped to make it more painterly and had screen printed on shirts)

And if you're really up for something special - you have pledge more and get prizes including an outfit inspired by your child in our next collection and/or a private trunk show at your home for all of your friends!

To make it more enticing, we're also running a Facebook promotion:

Want to get discount for our online store...well all you have to do is back our Kickstarter project and email us about it (info@lamanblu.com) and receive a 5% discount to our online store. Get your friends to back our project and email us their names and receive an additional 1% discount per friend (up to 55 friends - a 60% discount). Your friends can also get their friends to back our project to receive 1% discount per friend. This giveaway runs through July 10.

So - what do you think? Have we enticed you to support our campaing?  I hope so!  Thanks in advance.

Salu,
Holli

Back To School Time! Key Trends for F/W 12/13

Back to School Time!  Have you ordered all the key trends for Fall/Winter 12/13?

Color Me Bright:  Brights add pop to fall/winter clothing.  Bold pink stands out as a color surprise for the season.  Raspberry is a popular color choice, even in shoes.

Oh Boy!:  There’s a lot to get excited about in boys’ fashion this season as designers continue to raise the bar.

Going Soft:  Designers are going soft for fall/winter with a strong focus on cozy fur.

Vintage Charm:  Vintage clothing has worked its charm this season, inspiring collections for girls featuring retro silhouettes, wallpaper prints and vintage details.

Horse Play:  with movies like warhorse, the equestrian world is making its mark on international design with denim inspired pieces and horse graphics for kids apparel and home.

Dip Dye:  Ombre dyeing takes on renewed importance this season

LamanBlu™ is eco-friendly contemporary apparel for every little princess and prince charming.  The collection debuted to rave reviews in 2009 and is made entirely in the USA.  The company’s mission is to Celebrate Childhood. We do this by crafting beautiful apparel with exquisite detailing to take a child through their entire day, from holding court in the morning to fighting dragons in the afternoon.  LamanBlu™ believes in using eco-friendly fabrics, which are gentle to our environment and to a child’s delicate skin – fabrics including modal, organic cottons, recycled polyesters and washable linens. 

We know children insist on being comfortable and have ease of movement no matter what they’re wearing, and all our styles go through extensive wear testing by real kids.  Whether they’re twirling around the room or hanging on the monkey bars, their clothing has to move with them, and even delicate looking clothing has to be durable enough to stand up to a child’s day.  We are also advocates for mom’s busy lives and everything in our collection is machine washable, ironing optional.  Many of our items have adjustment points at critical areas, so that a child can wear their clothing for longer, even after a growth spurt.

Another way LamanBlu™ carries out its mission to Celebrate Childhood is to support charities protecting children and protecting our world for them.  We are actively involved in several charities both through direct volunteerism and financial support, including JDRF, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Falling Whistles.  You can read more about our chosen charities on our website.

Holli Gibson, designer for LamanBlu™, is an industry veteran, who spent much of her career designing clothing for women out of Dallas and New York for high end retailers including Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. She is also the recipient of The Rising Star Award for Design from Fashion Group International.


Play, dance, live…because LamanBlu™ is made to Celebrate Childhood.

Website:  www.LamanBlu.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/LamanBlu

Twitter: @LamanBlu

Pinterest:  https://pinterest.com/lamanblu/

Blog:  http://lamanblu.blogspot.com/

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/holligibson03?feature=mhee

Issuu: http://issuu.com/holli.gibson/docs

See LamanBlu at the ENK/Children’s Club show in New York, August 5-7. 
Call 720-837-1452 to make your appointment.

Designers Statement:

"Laman Blou…it means “blue sea” in Papiamentu and a constant source of inspiration for me. I’ve been a fashion designer for years working out of New York and Dallas, but watching my children explore the world’s wonders with fresh eyes led me to create a brand to celebrate childhood, named LamanBlu™." LamanBlu™ is meant to be played in, danced in, lived in. We use eco-friendly fabrics including bamboo, pure linen and organic cottons, recycled polyester blends, all in fashion forward bright colors with exquisite detailing. Everything is made in the USA. LamanBlu™ is for children ages 6 months to 6 years. Children can be dressed beautifully and comfortably all at the same time - and the clothing can be beautifully made and easy to care for. Join with me and with LamanBlu™ to CELEBRATE CHILDHOOD.

Fall / Holiday 2012 Trend Report