My Kaftan Competition

Hi All!

I had the most wonderful experience last week when we ran a giveaway competition on our Facebook page where anyone who uploaded a picture of themselves in one of our kaftans would go into the draw to win one.

We had a great response, and received quite a few email entries as well.

The reason I ran this competition is because I wanted to meet my customers. Being an online business, I only ever get to see a name and an address when I make up a kaftan for someone and then I send it out, always wondering who will be wearing it and why.

I received a real insight into my customer base with this competition and it was fantastic.

We are really proud to be able to make kaftans for the young, the old, the thin, the petite, the curvy, the tall, the plus size, the short and all that's in between.
We don't have a specific age group or demographic that we go after, our only aim is to help you feel beautiful in what you wear.

Everyone brings their own style to our kaftans, we've sold the exact same kaftan to a very groovy grandma who was 86 and to a 16 year old girl for her formal, and it looked stunning on both ladies!

On the news last week I heard that the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch had said something along the lines of 'If you cant fit in our clothes (They go up to size 14) then you don't belong in them'.

I find that idea is the opposite of what we are about. If you are creating something beautiful, you should want everyone to be able to wear it, and that is what I want! I believe our garments have no barriers.

Now, back to the competition...
I was initially going to pick a winner based on my favourite photo, but every time a new photo was uploaded i wanted that one to win.... The list of my favourites got to about 20 before I realised this was not the way to choose!

So I have written down all of the names and I am about to draw one out of a bowl...


The winner of an Annalisa kaftan of their choice is:


TARA NORTON!

If this is not you, do not despair! I want to give anyone who entered 20% off any kaftan from our online store. (Just email me for your unique code! - Sorry I wasn't able to msg you all on Facebook)

Tara, please get in touch with me, and let me know which kaftan you would like!

Visit www.kaftansbyannalisa.com for the full kaftan range.

Thank you all so much for entering, and I look forward to running this competition again soon.



With Love,

Annalisa

I'm Back!

Wow ok, so its been a year since my last blog post.
I have to admit, that is very slack. I have had a baby since then and we had a crazy busy Summer period so I guess that is my excuse but still, it's a pretty poor effort!

So much has happened to us at Kaftans HQ in the last year. We have been featured by big name bloggers like Mrs Woog & Fat Mum Slim who are just amazing women, and you should all be following their blogs! I am really a complete amateur when it comes to blogging, but these women have inspired me to write, so here I am!

Another thing that has happened in the last year is that we have started designing our own fabrics! Since we first started in 2011, buying fabric in small amounts from retail stores, we have always dreamed about designing our own fabrics. As we slowly worked our way up the food chain, we always found it so difficult even at fabric wholesalers/importers to find what we really wanted. As you may know, our look is big, bold unique prints, which isn't easy to find!

So, late last year, we worked with a graphic designer, giving her examples of what we wanted and our ideas kept going back and forth with her until she had created something we wanted. Next step was to send it off to the fabric mills and a few weeks later, rolls and rolls of our newly designed fabric was on our doorstep! Here are a few that we designed:

Our 'Magic Garden' kaftan. A really feminine, floral design with watercolour artwork.
http://kaftansbyannalisa.com/magic-garden-kaftan-dress/

Our 'Rainbow' kaftan. A bold myriad of colour.
http://kaftansbyannalisa.com/rainbow-kaftan-dress/

We have a few more in the pipelines, so stay tuned!

The most recent event in our timeline is our new website!
http://kaftansbyannalisa.com
Same address but slightly new look.
I started our original website over a year ago, with no experience in web design, and a very small budget.
I did the best I could at the time, but it still wasn't great.
I finally decided it was time to take the next step and build a new website that was better looking and was easier to use.
I finished it last week, and it is now live. I would love some feedback if you have any!

So, we've achieved a fair bit in the last year. Annalisa and I both freaked out when we realised our business is still only 2 years old! All in all, we are really happy with our progress.

Over the coming months, we will be releasing a few new kaftans. Due to popular demand, we have started making long, silk kaftans, which we only used to make in tops and short dresses.

No.1 is called "Flower Shower". It is 100% satin silk.

No.2 is called "In Bloom". It is a silk/cotton blend.

No.3 is called "Birds of a Feather". It is a silky chiffon.

As we did last winter, we will soon have online a limited range of capes & vests made from soft faux fur and other warm fabrics, so stay tuned for those!

Ok, I am off to think up some more fabric designs. I will be back soon!



Chloe

Mum's the word!

Mum's the word this week her at Kaftans HQ. Not only are we working overtime to get our Mother's day orders out in time, we have just been featured in Cosmo Pregnancy magazine for one of our maternity kaftans! Check it out here.
Yes, that has also been keeping us on our toes! (Well its kept Annalisa chained to her sewing machine!)
If you've been down to see us at St Kilda market, you may have tried on one of our super warm capes. Well now that the weather has officially turned cold, its about time to get yourself one!

Standing out in the cold at the markets was always something I dreaded, but I am a proud owner of the Annalisa 'Huntress' Faux Fur cape (available here) . So now I can't wait for each Sunday to roll around! (Although I do wear it at the office during the week too!)

Annalisa has also just designed a new warm, neutral coloured cape with a faux fur collar, which looks sophisticated and elegant. I don't have photos just yet, as we sold out of them all on the weekend! 

Stay tuned for that one!

Now, back to Mothers! With Mother's day less than 2 weeks away, we have plenty of kaftans, capes and vests for you to buy mum this year. We also have a gift wrapping option on our website.

I have also just set up a Gift Certificate option online, which is perfect if you don't know what to get mum or as a cheaper option to buying something off the website. They are also great for Dads to buy as gifts from their children, as this week I had a few men step into our store with a puzzled look as they looked around for something to buy for their wife (too many choices!!).

So keep that in mind too!

I'm off to go buy more cape fabric as we are running very low after last week!

Keep warm!!

Chloe

Winter is coming!

What do you do when your entire 'going out' wardrobe becomes void due to the weather?
We all know that our winter outfits just don't cut it, and nobody wants to be stuck in the freezing cold in that little black dress!

Now I know its only March, but I am freezing right now, (you cant blame me, its 13 degrees outside!) and with my birthday coming up this week, I would have been dreading going out for drinks in any of the clothes that I would usually wear out.

But now, I'm actually very excited!! Kaftans By Annalisa (www.kaftansbyannalisa.com) have just launched their winter range (currently available exclusively at the markets, and soon to be released online- so stay tuned).

Included in the range are kaftan tops, to be worn over your leggings and boots, wool capes, faux fur vests and my favourite - which I'll be wearing out this weekend- the faux fur cape.

Yesterday was the first day that the public got a look at the faux fur capes (at the markets) and we sold out! They are warm, they look great, and the colours match almost everything! I don't have a photo just yet, we weren't expecting to sell out, so I will have pictures for you shortly.

Capes are definitely in this winter, with almost every celebrity being photographed in one in the US/Europe winter, we know the style is heading this way!

Our wool capes are also super warm, and with a range of different colours, there is something to suit everyone.

Well I wont tempt you any longer. I'm off to buy some more fabric so we can get the garments ready for a photo shoot and our online release.

Stay tuned!!

Our First Blog

So this is the first blog on our page! Yay for us!

You'd think that one week before Christmas, I may have better things to do than to attempt my first blog, but as I have finished my Christmas shopping early, I am trying to find something to occupy myself until the big day rolls around!

In the last few years, kaftans have been reinvented into more than just something you throw on over your bathers at the beach. After some highly publicised appearamces from the likes of Ophra and Tori Spelling, it seems the whole world wants to get their hands on a kaftan.

Well, if you've looked at our website www.kaftansbyannalisa.com you will find a full range of kaftans, including short, long, one shoulder, silk, chiffon, stretchy, evening wear, beach casual (and the extensive list goes on!)

(Our 2 Sleeve Blossom Kaftan)

Our kaftans have been endorsed by Tori Spelling the kaftan queen, and here at our little headquarters, we are flat out keeping up with the demand that has presented since the company started in January 2011.

Our kaftans include maternity and plus size ranges which helps us provide for any woman, no matter what shape you are, or what shape you like your kaftan.

Our talented designer Annalisa actually makes all of the kaftans herself... (I help with the designing of course, but I don't have the patience to learn how to sew!)  So once an order comes through, she whips the fabric off a roll, cuts it into a fancy shape and runs it through the sewing machine, which transforms it into one of her stunning creations!

I think I may have made that sound easier than it is... I have left out the bits about her tantrums with the sewing machine, and when she sends me off to do endless errands I feel like Ann Hathaway's character in The Devil Wears Prada.

All in all, it's been a very exciting year filled with blood, sweat and tears.... The mention of blood is no exaggeration, Annalisa sewed through her fingernail in August - 3 days before we were due to go to Thailand for a break (...Oh, I mean fabric shopping!)
After a trip to the hospital and an operation to remove needle fragments, she was left with many photos of her laying around in the amazing Thai Island beaches, with a huge bandage and plastic bag around her hand!

One of the things we love the most in our job,  is getting feedback from our customers. There is nothing better than receiving an email from a customer who has worn their kaftan to a party/wedding etc, and they have received dozens of compliments from friends and strangers. We've even started to get a few Spot The Kaftan comments, where women have spotted others wearing our kaftans.

I don't mean to brag or anything but we have some pretty awesome customers sending us great feedback, and I thought I would share with you one I received earlier this month...

Chloe

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! I am so excited I have received my kaftan and I am so pleased, the quality of the material, the pattern and the fit is absolutely perfect. 

I want to say the biggest thank you for your gorgeous product, speed of delivery and the dress being very affordable for the quality of the product. 

I will be wearing the dress next year in Bali to a wedding, although I can feel another purchase, so I have 2 dresses to wear in Bali. 

I am one very very happy customer. I will be referring your site onto many friends. 

Merry Christmas and have a safe new year. 

Kind regards

Narelle

Yep, we have some pretty awesome customers! I'd like to show you off to the world as well! So if you have a photo of yourself wearing one of our kaftan, send it to me and I'll put the photo on my blog!

Now, I'm off to think of things to write about in my next blog.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays, and I will be back next year to take an in depth look into kaftans and who's wearing what, and we'll also have a bit of a blast from the past, and look at kaftans from the 70's!

Chloe