ch-ch-ch-changes.

You mentioned how Punkster Acoustic is coming out in March and bedding in the winter, how do you feel about Punkster's evolution as a business and how have you changed since Punkster first started and you were dying shirts by hands?

how have i changed? uh. . .im more stressed out now, i'd say thats about all. oh, and i know a lot more about running a business and clothing. i feel more apathetic towards small companies and i understand why clothes cost so much.

its funny when i see where we are as a company today and think about where i started and i think, the nieve thing was key, i knew i wanted to push it, i knew i wanted to turn it into something, but if i would have known the time, pain, stress that i was about to jump into i might have skipped it entirely. i think there is something to be said about being able to be young and poor and create something you love before you need to be "responsible" and that was a great time to do it. punkster was really kind of my answer to not wanting to work too much or for anyone. it turns out i work a ton more, but i enjoy it because im working on something special.

but punkster is a company i want to evolve into a brand, as opposed to a t-shirt line. i always knew that the t-shirts were just the jumping point and that trend would dye down and/or get saturated someday, and that is kind of here now, so i push punkster further.

the thing is, if i would have started a baby line with clothes and t's and bedding, etc. . .it would have bombed, been overwhelming, i needed to get my niche, when i started i had 10 designs, they came in one size, one color, one cut. that was it, 10 styles. and gradually the t line grew, first we added sizes, then bodies, then colors, and now always more slogans and i think we have 400 or something like that variations. i could have never handled that in the beginning. can hardly handle it now. but the key is to start small and let it grow naturally.

Comments

[Sandi]

Hey Leanne!

In case the above name thing doesn't do it for you, perhaps Jonathan-from-Pittsburgh who-lives-in-brooklyn's girlfriend might? Regardless, I've had your Punkster postcard in my purse since Christmas-Eve-eve, and found it tonight and so here I am. I have been reading this blog for about two hours I think. I didn't mean to, but I've become engrossed and I'm feeling all motivated and inspired and I'm ready to kick ass, man. I love that your entire business evolves over the course of this loooong page and even reading about all the stress and overwhelming moments, I can't help but be so anxious to get my own thing going too. So thanks!!

And by the way, the Acoustic line looks awesome from what I have seen. I would wear it all if it was my size, or if I were waaaay shorter. Especially the outfit that the kid on the skateboard is wearing. And whoever does your photography is perfect for the aesthetic... I'm obsessed with washed out vintage photo thing.

Anyway I am done gushing, but congrats on all the success and everything to come! And keep writing because I will be reading, and I can use the motivation/advice...