Our latest STICK OF THE WEEK! is Kaia Canales. Kaia is in the NOW as CEO and founder of Tales In Apparel, a tiny children's wear design house that advises start-ups, boutique labels and mass-market brands on styling, growth and value to excel in their market.
Tales In Apparel
Kaia Canales is a designer, a mentor, a lover of entrepreneurship, an owner of six sewing machines and six dress forms and a mom of two boys. Her greatest strength is multitasking, so brainstorming on her latest noodle while folding laundry or crafting, is a regular thing for Kaia. Kaia comes alive when faced with a challenge and loves to make task lists.
"I love crossing tasks off when done. I do this with a pen and scribble in the margins."
Tell us about your NOW (Noodle On the Wall)
Often people have great children’s product ideas but are intimidated by the notion of business plans, sales strategies, public relations, resources for manufacturing and everything involved with launching a brand. What do you really need and which do you do first? This is where I step in…Tales In Apparel is a full service design studio specialized in helping you create baby, children and tween product collections. I advise start-ups, boutique labels and mass market brands on everything related to children's wear to excel in their markets. I can help businesses go to the next level. I have been working in the children's wear industry for 12+ years and I am well experienced in building new clothing brands and tweaking old ones. This industry is completely riddled with regulations and guidelines that are not easily known and constantly changing. I help my clients build brands and make smart business decisions for their ‘happily ever after’.
Often people have great children’s product ideas but are intimidated by the notion of business plans, sales strategies, public relations, resources for manufacturing and everything involved with launching a brand. What do you really need and which do you do first? This is where I step in…Tales In Apparel is a full service design studio specialized in helping you create baby, children and tween product collections. I advise start-ups, boutique labels and mass market brands on everything related to children's wear to excel in their markets. I can help businesses go to the next level. I have been working in the children's wear industry for 12+ years and I am well experienced in building new clothing brands and tweaking old ones. This industry is completely riddled with regulations and guidelines that are not easily known and constantly changing. I help my clients build brands and make smart business decisions for their ‘happily ever after’.
Is your NOW simmering, al dente or fully cooked and why?
Tales In Apparel is that nice set of enameled cookware with just the right pot for YOUR recipe. I have steady and fantastic clients with their own sauce and I would like to add more to my stovetop this year. In order to attract more business, I am currently working on launching my blog and making mindful posts at least two times a week. I tell everyone that brand building is the key to longevity and now I plan to walk the walk. Through blogging I am learning my own voice by telling tales and sharing all that is aspirational and inspirational to me and potential clients. I plan to inspire, educate and most of all preach all things related to children's wear design and business. I have been professing my love for kid's fashion and entrepreneurship for too long without putting my ideas into cyberspace.
What recipes can you give other Creative Moms Taking On The Creative?
I believe every great brand has a story. If yours is not spicy enough, don’t be afraid to add some fiction to make it memorable. When your audience connects with you/your brand, they turn into advocates. Give them that opportunity.
Separate your mom self from your business self. When left together, they may boil over. Your maternal instinct will naturally add flavor to all you do. For example: never ever bring your kids to a business meeting. I have worked with mothers with one eye on their children. It is never productive. Just don’t….
When starting, align yourself with an army of mentors, friends, bloggers, etc. that you have accumulated. Share information on your trials and successes. This concept has helped me build many relationships that I truly treasure and I welcome more!
I believe every great brand has a story. If yours is not spicy enough, don’t be afraid to add some fiction to make it memorable. When your audience connects with you/your brand, they turn into advocates. Give them that opportunity.
Separate your mom self from your business self. When left together, they may boil over. Your maternal instinct will naturally add flavor to all you do. For example: never ever bring your kids to a business meeting. I have worked with mothers with one eye on their children. It is never productive. Just don’t….
When starting, align yourself with an army of mentors, friends, bloggers, etc. that you have accumulated. Share information on your trials and successes. This concept has helped me build many relationships that I truly treasure and I welcome more!
What motivated you to throw your noodle?
Tales In Apparel is a natural evolution from all the freelancing, consulting and brand collaborating I have been doing since becoming a designer in the industry in 1999 and starting my children's wear collections Fable and Lore in 2006.
Tales In Apparel is a natural evolution from all the freelancing, consulting and brand collaborating I have been doing since becoming a designer in the industry in 1999 and starting my children's wear collections Fable and Lore in 2006.
Fable and Lore
Friends and ‘friends of friends’ started to ask me all kinds of business advice based on my professional experience. Where does Calypso manufacture? What were the bestselling items at Old Navy? Where do you get your hangtags printed? I realized I loved being part teacher, part entrepreneur. And then questions got deeper. Do you like my new logo? How do I create a linesheet? How do I set up a booth at a tradeshow? Help me design this dress? Soon my daily focus started to shift toward helping others and I loved every second of it! Unfortunately for Fable and Lore, in 2009 CSPIA added requirements which caused my testing costs to skyrocket and the profit margins were no longer…well, profitable. Soon after I closed that chapter of my life and focused on Tales In Apparel. But I never looked back. Without each experience, good or bad, I wouldn’t be able to help others with the same passion for survival and unique perspective of the industry.
What inspires you as a Mom and as a creative person?
A good book. A beautiful day. My kid's laughs. Undisturbed sleep. I thrive on passion and creativity. I am inspired every time I take on a new client and help them write their own story. I look to them as my muses. My forthcoming post, "don’t sweat the small stuff," is lightly based on a client who needed to commit to her collection but was having doubts.
She came through brilliantly, but not without
nightmares and sweat stains.
A good book. A beautiful day. My kid's laughs. Undisturbed sleep. I thrive on passion and creativity. I am inspired every time I take on a new client and help them write their own story. I look to them as my muses. My forthcoming post, "don’t sweat the small stuff," is lightly based on a client who needed to commit to her collection but was having doubts.
She came through brilliantly, but not without
nightmares and sweat stains.
How do you juggle Mamahood and your NOW?
With my husband's help. He and I share the same work, balance, life goals and desires for our children. He is the smartest man I know and I need him for every aspect of my life. He takes on many family responsibilities other men would not and makes this life a living fairytale. In fact he is not only my prince charming, he is my editor for all things written (hi Peter). I am a horrible writer. I could not survive without spellcheck…or Peter!
What technology issues have you run into with your NOW?
I use technology only as needed. I 100% depend on it to work with my clients and gain new ones. If I had more time, I would explore more avenues of social media. For now I take baby steps in my free time and currently I'm playing with ideas/categories on Pinterest. What a great way to collect your own thoughts!
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
Multi-faceted, balanced and fun wagon wheels! One day I would love to have an abundance of clients and expand Tales In Apparel into a hired team of people working together on customer goals. I hope to reach out to more start-ups and become the it girl for all things children's wear. I hope to inspire and educate with my blog on even bigger ideas and concepts for the industry. I would love to one day guest blog for some of my mentors: WGSN, Kid's Fashion Reports, Earnshaws, Fastcompany (anyone reading?) and one day I want to explore with my own products again.
With my husband's help. He and I share the same work, balance, life goals and desires for our children. He is the smartest man I know and I need him for every aspect of my life. He takes on many family responsibilities other men would not and makes this life a living fairytale. In fact he is not only my prince charming, he is my editor for all things written (hi Peter). I am a horrible writer. I could not survive without spellcheck…or Peter!
What technology issues have you run into with your NOW?
I use technology only as needed. I 100% depend on it to work with my clients and gain new ones. If I had more time, I would explore more avenues of social media. For now I take baby steps in my free time and currently I'm playing with ideas/categories on Pinterest. What a great way to collect your own thoughts!
What is your ultimate pasta dish?
Multi-faceted, balanced and fun wagon wheels! One day I would love to have an abundance of clients and expand Tales In Apparel into a hired team of people working together on customer goals. I hope to reach out to more start-ups and become the it girl for all things children's wear. I hope to inspire and educate with my blog on even bigger ideas and concepts for the industry. I would love to one day guest blog for some of my mentors: WGSN, Kid's Fashion Reports, Earnshaws, Fastcompany (anyone reading?) and one day I want to explore with my own products again.
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