Today, I am featuring my friend, Beth on The Master and Her Piece.
It’s an interview I do with women who inspire me and others to live and create better. I ask questions about their masterpieces or their works, their inspiration and ideas, their motivation, their challenges and their advice; to hopefully encourage my readers, too.
Elizabeth Limchu is one of the most stylish women I know. That’s why it seems only natural that she runs a garments business. Did you know that she made my wedding gown and those of my entourage’s?
Beth has a passion and talent for merging the design and functionality of her creations. She is knowledgable about fabrics and the latest trends. I love that she caters to her clients’ preferences while applying her own expertise in the overall fitting look.
Look at her stunning masterpiece and learn about it in the interview below.
1. Please tell me something about this masterpiece. A brief background.
This is one of the apron dresses that we made in collaboration with a friend’s brand. We wanted dresses that are apron style, which can be worn over casual clothes so they can be “dressed up” but not too formal, best for attending parties or playdates. This particular dress is our take on a Flamingo.
2. What inspires you to create your masterpiece? Where do you get your amazing ideas?
My daughters love dressing up. We can never find what we like off the rack, so we started making our own clothes and costumes. We are primarily in the textile business so the know-how about textile came easy. I think it’s what makes the difference, because other people don’t know what kind of fabric is best used for what design. Our clients always had a hard time finding sewers that can cater to their needs, so we put up Jude Jade Apparel – a garments business that can cater to made-to-order needs. We started making simple stuff like jackets, bags, pillows and the like. Then, when I became a mom, I became interested in making clothes for my kids. We branded them Pink Lemon. Other kids and parents who saw my kids’ clothes became interested in them. Orders started coming in via referral, each one different from the last.
I wanted it to keep my garments business small, something I can handle, because I love making beautiful clothes. But I always want it to have my personal touch, I didn’t mass produce. All the clothes we made, I was involved in the process; the finalizing of the design, the choice of fabric and the execution. I also request for input from my clients, so I ask them to send me pegs of what they want. Based from the designs they sent, I choose the fabrics for recommendation, then we go into production. Most of my clients contact me when they need something for school programs, competitions and special occasions.
3. What motivates you to keep creating? Even if the little details seem so mundane, what pushes you to go on?
As my kids grow up, I realize that my designs evolve with them, so I get excited about creating something new every season they need to dress up. Just seeing a little girl twirl in a dress that I made makes me happy.
4. What was the biggest challenge you have encountered while creating your masterpiece? How did you overcome it?
As a working mom, it’s really hard to make time. Traffic is horrible, so making client calls are almost impossible. Luckily, my clients are also busy moms like me, so we have created a system on how they can send me their orders without having them or me sit in traffic for 3 hours. They send me a peg, I discuss how I plan to execute, send pics via Viber of the fabric options, we finalize the details then they just pick up the clothes/gowns. I have a very good team with me, so this is a plus factor. Most of my clients already have an idea of what they want, it’s just up to me to make it happen. They trust my suggestions and capabilities and this makes my job a lot of fun.
Also, editing is really my waterloo. I sometimes go overboard; so I need to step back, and really think if that piece of detail would be an addition on to the overall effect of the dress, or would it just be a distraction.
5. What advice would you give to anyone who is toying with ideas, or in the process of putting her passion into action?
Just follow your heart, create what makes you happy. I can’t say I’m super famous, or highly paid for what I do, but I make it a point that my clients get a piece of my heart in every creation that I make.
It’s awesome to do something you are passionate about and that people appreciate the effort you put into it. Can you tell me about a time that you felt like your heart-work paid off?
