Stolen Ideas, Closed Doors & Still Creating | My Journey as a Designer
Have you ever shared an idea, only to watch someone else receive the resources and support to bring your vision to life? Well, that happened to me. But they may have taken the idea...
9/18/20263 min read
But they did not take the gift God gave me.
Today, I want to show you something I created for myself. I made this custom handbag and then repurposed a white button-down shirt with the same fabric to match it. I added the statement pockets and coordinating details to turn an ordinary shirt into a piece of wearable art.
Sales have been slow lately. Instead of sitting around feeling discouraged, I decided to start creating my own wardrobe. I’m going to make handbags, clothing, and accessories that I want to wear. If somebody sees something they like, they can reach out to me through AngieBStyle.com or AngeliqueCollections.com.
I’m not going to stop creating simply because the sales aren’t coming in the way I want them to right now. Sometimes you have to put on your own work, step outside, and show people what you can do.
I have been creating handbags and accessories for about a decade. There was a time when I pushed my brand hard. I had a warehouse, and I wanted to build a manufacturing company. I didn’t just talk about it; I developed the idea and wrote out the concept.
I shared that concept through an organization that was supposed to support people like me. Later, someone who worked for that organization told me that my idea had been passed along. Someone else ended up moving forward with the type of manufacturing company I had envisioned.
They didn’t look like me. They had access to resources, connections, financial support, and people willing to back them; things that were not offered to me.
And yes, it hurt. It was wrong, especially because it went through an organization where something like that should never have happened.
But you know what? I’m not going to become bitter over it.
People steal ideas when they don’t have enough ideas of their own. You may be able to take one of my concepts, but you cannot take the mind that created it. You cannot take my creativity, my experience, or the gift God placed inside of me.
God knows, and God sees everything. So, baby, we’re going to keep it moving. Moving right along!
My journey as a designer did not end with that warehouse or that stolen idea. My work has already taken me places.
I showcased my brand in SoHo. I participated in New York Fashion Week during the pandemic, and I am grateful that I still had the opportunity to be there. My handbags were displayed inside an art gallery, and they were also showcased on an exhibition wall inside a New York library.
I’ve also sold my handbags at markets throughout New York. People from different places and different parts of the world saw my work and understood what I was creating.
They understood that these were not just handbags. My handbags are wearable art.
People were buying my work because it was different. They appreciated the creativity, craftsmanship, and individuality behind each piece. They did not want something that looked like what everybody else was carrying.
Now, I need to make a few phone calls and reconnect with some of those New York markets. I haven’t been able to get into many of the markets where I live, but that’s okay.
Sometimes the people in your hometown are the last ones to recognize what you carry. Even Jesus said that a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown.
I didn’t fully understand that before, but baby, I understand it now.
Sometimes you have to leave familiar surroundings and take your gift where people can see it without placing limits on you. Many successful artists, designers, musicians, and business owners had to leave home before their talents were recognized. Then, once the rest of the world accepted them, everybody back home acted like they had supported them all along.
Let the gatekeepers keep gatekeeping, okay? A closed door in one place does not mean there isn’t an open door somewhere else.
I know what I have created. I know where my work has been, and I know what I’m capable of doing.
That is what this handbag and matching shirt represent. This is more than an outfit. It represents me getting back to creating freely. It represents me refusing to let slow sales, stolen ideas, or closed doors stop me from using my gift.
So, I’m going to continue building my own wardrobe, wearing my art, and showing people what Angie B can do.
If you see something you like or would like to talk with me about a custom creation, visit AngieBStyle.com or AngeliqueCollections.com.
In the meantime, I’m going to keep designing, keep sewing, and keep moving forward.
They may have taken an idea, but they could never take the gift.
Anyway, moving right along, baby; this is what I created. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Until Next Time!
XOXOX!
Angie B
