Miscellaneous

readers write: samantha hahn.

by erin |

Ok readers— I need your help. My good friend Samantha Hahn (you may have seen her lovely Brooklyn bedroom in the latest eZine issue) has been working her tail off with some fabulous textiles and the result is FANTASTIC.

My favorite patterns are here and here, but she’s got a great range and some really impressive application photos.

We’ve been in contact for a month now trying to get this biz off the ground, but I have ZERO experience in the textile industry. Is there a reader out there that can give Samantha the push she needs in the right direction?

Contact her right here, or leave a comment below with your advice for Samantha. OR email your Reader’s Write questions to [email protected] and I’ll help in any way I can!

  • I have no idea, but I just wanted to say I LOVE that sailor girl print!!!

  • Wow, I wish I could help because her style is exactly what I’m usually looking for in fabric.

  • I do love that Fade-away Girl print and the Sailor Girls are great! I don’t have any expertise in this area, either, but with talent like this she’ll be off and running before she knows it. ☺

  • I love Samatha’s work, her images and patterns are so wonderful.I really hope she finds someone to print/manufacture her patterns.

  • I’m not 100% sure if she can help but I’m about to interview someone for HH and she went to FIT for textile/surface design – so I’ll shoot her an email and ask! -Marichelle

  • i have to relative experience, but agree that her sailor girl prints rock! good luck!

  • I’m a surface and textile designer, have been for a long long time. I went in a different direction-freelancing, which usually means taking assignments and doing it the company’s way. She can show her work at the Surtex show in New York City, though it’s expensive, but she’ll have access to the entire industry, and it could be great for networking. Even the Gift Show and the Stationery Show feature designers willing to adapt their designs for many products. Sometimes it pays to get a licensing agent-they feature your patterns in ads and if they’re good they get around. But I’m thinking that the trade shows I mentioned are still the way to go-though there is a lot of competition there, it does get you seen, and you never know-sometimes it just takes one company to get it all started.

  • Karin, Marichelle and Amy— thank you so so much!!! This info will be QUITE helpful! :)

  • Ahhh, you ladies are so awesome! Keep the good resources coming, and thank you SO SO MUCH! :)

  • Your friend is immensely talented. Hope you get the advice you need. The sweet pattern with the birds is my favorite.

  • I’m afraid I don’t know how to help but her designs are just lovely. That cushion has my name written all over it!

  • wow, I’m overwhelmed. Thank you all soo very much. Isn’t Erin the absolute best?! I’ll follow up on all of your links and suggestions…plus keep my fingers crossed. I’ll go to surtex with portfolio and try to meet reps but I’m not ready to pay for a booth, what if no one bought a design? Abooth is like 4K!! EEK.

  • I can’t help out, but I did want to say those really are gorgeous!

  • I’m a newbie in the textile industry, but sounds like Amy has the right advice with Surtex. I’m not sure what direction she wants to go in – handmade production or textile factory banging out designs? For a large scale production I might try to work with a large scale company (Target?) since they already have the means to produce your product. Or check out small scale textile factories willing to run small batches. I wish I could offer more help, but good luck!

  • Hmm… I have an idea, Samantha.

    And Diana— thanks for the fantastic advice!!! :)

  • i LOVE Samantha’s work! although i know zero about textiles, i *know* she is going to be a big hit.
    *

  • Just one thing I want to add about the big retailers-just be careful-there have been occasions when “they” will hold on to your designs for “review”, return them with a “thank you, but no”, and then make a variation of it in-house, changed enough to be a different design but close in spirit. It may be better to start small…

  • OMG, Amy— I had no idea! Thanks for this advice!!! Gracious. That’s horrible!

  • Oh Amy, this is very good to point out!! Samantha´s designs are lovely, but that is indeed something to be avoided, for everyone I guess. Good luck Samantha!

  • eek…that’s terribly scary. So I guess I should just make submission packages to small companies. But what about Anthropologie, I really want to submit to them? Everyone’s advice is going to be used. I appreciate it so very much. Of course I have to thank Erin again.She’s just unbelievable and so motivating.

  • AWW, anytime dear Samantha. Here to help!

    Anyone know anything about Anthropologie?

  • wow.. a lot of help out there!!! it really is a scary world out there sometimes! my girlfriend.. andrea gray.. is just getting into that world now.. has done a couple of freelance jobs but not too muchuch more yet (thanks SCHOOL!)… i just did a little post about her and her work.. so anyone that reads this.. take a peek and leave a note.. we all know how great it is to get ANY feedback at all!! take care everyone.. and erin.. i really do love my daily stops (yes.. that is a plural) here! thanks!

  • I am not sure about Anthropologie, but its sister, Urban Outfitters, is notorious for stealing designs. I would be careful about that. It may be better to start in smaller boutiques, and online stores. What about something like bunnymaxwell.com? I’m sure they would love to show work like yours.

  • I hope I didn’t make it sound too scary out there-textiles is a business like any other-it can be terrific but you just have to be careful. Just try to make sure that your work stays in your possession until an agreement of some kind is written up and signed. The Graphic Arts Guild is a really helpful organization and they have a fab. guidebook with pricing and advice and guidelines and forms.

    http://www.gag.org/

  • Contacted Bunny and they said they only buy products. But they were really nice and approachable. I need to make samples anyhow. I’ll make that sailor girl into some canvas bags and tees and sell a small bunch. Who knows maybe I can submit them to Bunny, or even Poketo….
    I’ve gotta figure out the logistics of buying wholesale bags and shirts now….I’m on it though!! Erin will be the first person I tell when I have something to show. Thanks so much again everyone!!

  • Good Lord… these are fabulous!! I have no tips or pointers… but just had to say these are fantastic!! Way to go Samantha! (And to Design for Mankind for sharing with us…) :-)

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