Well here I am at the end of the proverbial rope. Nappi has come a long way on nothing and can't go any further. I am in the negative in both my business and personal accounts. I have been dancing with negative balances for a while now paying fees for overdraft on a weekly basis. A roommate moved in a payed me $300 in rent which went to fund my trip to California to approve the denim samples, however it wasn't enough to get home in fact it barely got me there. I finished up the approval of the new jeans with Jianna and Gilberto at the factory and had no way of getting home. I went to my grand parents house with half a tank of gas and not even enough money to get something to eat. My Grand Parents were out of town and had nothing to eat so I went hungry. The next morning I went to the beach still not knowing how I was going to get home. I had to leave that day because I had a house closing and I had to sign the paper work. A friend wanted to invest in Nappi and we had agreed that he would deposit money in my account on Thursday, it was Thursday and he wasn't answering his phone. Out of desperation I called home and borrowed $150 form my mom, but because I was in the negative when she deposited it into my account the total came to $120, but regardless I was on my way. I drove through the night and when I got to beaver Utah I had half a tank and was falling asleep so I pulled into a gas station and got a redbull but my card was declined insufficient funds. I didn't have any money for gas and half a tank was going to be close. I got to Provo 40 miles away and the gas light went on. I barley made it home and 4 days later my car still sits in the garage empty. It is a strange feeling being completely out of money, things I used to do like eat became a luxury. I went to Sunday dinner at my parents house and was laughing at my dire financial situation and no sooner had we finished dinner that my dad discreetly handed me $20 dollars I was grateful then I turned around and my mom handed me $100 we and I laughed at the timing and and their attempts to be sneaky. The Lord has always given me what I needed, but he does make me wait will the last possible minute.
I was asked by stacy with Elite to provide swim suits for a fashion show they were doing. I agreed having never made a swim suit, but I was confident that I could pull it off. So he told his assistant to cancel Roxy and Quicksilver, wow the pressure was on. I had two week till the show and no idea how to make a swim suit. Not only did I not know how to make a bikini but I had no money for material and only two weeks to make 15 bikinis and 5 suits for guys. Again I called my friend who committed money and again he didn't come through. The following day I got a call from a friend I did some work for and he gave me $180 I was expecting $90 anyway the material cost came to $160 just enough.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Jan 19, 2008
The single greatest moment of nappi history happened today. As I stood in line for the bathroom at Mary Jane's a girl standing in the same line notices that I was wearing a pair of nappi jeans. She commented that she just bought a pair of nappi's in salt lake and absolutely loved them and said that they were her favorite jeans. It was nice to see someone wearing my jeans who I didn't know.
Dec 14, 2007
I am sitting in a restaurant in little Tokyo, where the atmosphere is nice, very clean with a hint of the old country. The bathroom is located down the hall where they store all the food boxes and where an old sink protrudes from the wall making the journey to the bathroom a bit more interesting. Little Tokyo is located in LA just east of the fashion district which is what brings me to LA in the first place. I am working on the mens jean. I came to approve the sample but am leaving without seeing the finished sample, I hope they get it right. I have had the woman's jeans done and in a few stores in Salt Lake for about 2 months now and they are selling good the response has been great. I am trying to get the mens jeans done because I am having a trunk show at Mary Jane's during the Sundance Film Festival.
the story
I had just returned from a 2 year mission to the Philippines and one of the first things I did was get introduced to my new room, at my parents house. As I walked in I noticed a duvet on my bed made from my old denim jeans, it was a patch work design of 6 inch squares all sewn together. I loved this duvet and used it every night. A few years went by and I decided it was time to move out, and my mother who made the duvet for me said it was mine while I lived here, but that I was not to take it with me when I moved out. I loved this duvet so I was a little mad and I said "fine I will make my own." This is the single act that started my life in fashion design. I went to the local thrift store and bought a 10 dollar sewing machine and made my own duvet, which I still use today. I quickly moved onto clothing after the duvet, altering all my clothing into something unique. I was always interested in being different from everyone else. I was still new to sewing and didn't really know what I was doing, I had only altered a few coats and jeans never did I make anything from scratch I was very intimidated in the beginning and never really thought I could do it. It was at this time that I faked my way into lovesac.
My roommates were doing the photography for Lovesac and had been asked if they knew anyone who could sew some things for them. They told them they had a roommate that could sew. I walked into the Lovesac headquarters and talked with their product designer, they showed me a few drawings and asked if I could sew them up for them and of course I said I could. I took the drawings home and freaked out not having a clue how to sew them together. I screwed up a lot but managed to sew them together and I took them back in and showed them to Heidi and Shawn and they loved them. They asked me if I wanted to come aboard and help Heidi with the product design, I said yes. I worked at lovesac for two years as the product designer and loved it I learned to sew and design while I was there. When I felt it was time to move on I quit and finished up my political science degree at the University of Utah and began doing Nappi full time. I started by making clothes anything form dresses, to shirts, and bags. I had yet to make a pair of jeans, but felt it was time. I was a little nervous to say the least I had attempted a pair about a year ago while at lovesac and it was a total disaster. I was determined this time to get it right, so I took my favorite pair of jeans and took them a part and made a pattern. The first two pair were utter failures, but the third was beautiful. I wore that pair everyday for a month taking notice of what I liked and didn't like. I them made pair after pair until they were perfect. Having a perfect pair for men I took to the womens. I spent about two year perfecting the fits, making dresses, bags and doing runway shows. It was during this time that I was also looking to find a factory in LA California to make the jeans, this proved to be very difficult. I would call factories and get hung up on, I got so frustrated and desperate that I drove to LA and walked around downtown trying to find someone to talk to, I found no one. I went back to my uncles house defeated I told him of the struggles I was having and his girlfriend told me of some friends they had who were getting jeans made in LA. I called them and hesitantly they gave me the number to a factory. I called them and set up a meeting for the following day. The meeting went very well and they agreed to make my jeans.
My roommates were doing the photography for Lovesac and had been asked if they knew anyone who could sew some things for them. They told them they had a roommate that could sew. I walked into the Lovesac headquarters and talked with their product designer, they showed me a few drawings and asked if I could sew them up for them and of course I said I could. I took the drawings home and freaked out not having a clue how to sew them together. I screwed up a lot but managed to sew them together and I took them back in and showed them to Heidi and Shawn and they loved them. They asked me if I wanted to come aboard and help Heidi with the product design, I said yes. I worked at lovesac for two years as the product designer and loved it I learned to sew and design while I was there. When I felt it was time to move on I quit and finished up my political science degree at the University of Utah and began doing Nappi full time. I started by making clothes anything form dresses, to shirts, and bags. I had yet to make a pair of jeans, but felt it was time. I was a little nervous to say the least I had attempted a pair about a year ago while at lovesac and it was a total disaster. I was determined this time to get it right, so I took my favorite pair of jeans and took them a part and made a pattern. The first two pair were utter failures, but the third was beautiful. I wore that pair everyday for a month taking notice of what I liked and didn't like. I them made pair after pair until they were perfect. Having a perfect pair for men I took to the womens. I spent about two year perfecting the fits, making dresses, bags and doing runway shows. It was during this time that I was also looking to find a factory in LA California to make the jeans, this proved to be very difficult. I would call factories and get hung up on, I got so frustrated and desperate that I drove to LA and walked around downtown trying to find someone to talk to, I found no one. I went back to my uncles house defeated I told him of the struggles I was having and his girlfriend told me of some friends they had who were getting jeans made in LA. I called them and hesitantly they gave me the number to a factory. I called them and set up a meeting for the following day. The meeting went very well and they agreed to make my jeans.
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