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Founder and President, Kim Seybert
When Kim Seybert used her fashion design experience to start a home accessories company, no one was sure it would succeed. After all, Kim introduced hand-beaded, embroidered table items to an industry that offered only white tablecloths and rectangle placemats. Kim’s fresh perspective infused rich color and texture into the traditional home objects arena. She introduced the concept of “style for the home” and shifted the perspective that tabletop accessories had to be conventional or only used for the most special occasions. Kim’s designs have been featured in Elle Décor, Coastal Living, Southern Lady, Canada’s Style at Home, Modern Bride, InStyle Weddings, Gifts and Decorative Accessories, Brides, Gotham and Everyday with Rachel Ray, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Kim spent the majority of her career as a fashion designer, specializing in beaded and embellished evening gowns and cocktail dresses. When her travels took her to India and China, Kim learned unusual techniques such as beading, rouching, hand dying and rattail design. In 1996, the company Kim worked for went out of business, so she began freelancing and interviewing for new jobs. At the same time, she felt it was time for a change and wondered, “What would I like to do?”
During her career limbo, Kim was also redoing her apartment. She applied her niche design experience to objects in her home and adorned pillows, placements and throws with beading. Kim also needed Christmas gifts, so she gave hand-beaded coasters. Soon, people wanted coasters for themselves, so Kim made samples and had a party for friends and family at her home. According to Kim, “When they placed orders, it helped with my confidence.”
Kim wanted to apply her design sensibility to an under-expressed medium – home objects. Her idea was to create items that brought life, femininity and color into the home every day and weren’t just used for special occasions. In the beginning, Kim sought advice from a women’s economic group who advised her to get funding from friends and family. For Kim, this wasn’t an option, so she used her personal credit cards and started small.
Soon, Kim’s company gained momentum. When Henri Bendel held an open viewing day, Kim showed her samples to a buyer who gave the entrepreneur her first order. Once Kim got her manufacturing in place, she sold to Neiman Marcus whose buyer bought her line for all their stores. “Neiman Marcus was an early supporter and is still offering my items in their stores today,” Kim says.
Neiman Marcus initially placed a few styles to see if Kim’s items would sell. At the time, Kim’s beaded home objects were very novel because until she entered the market, all that stores sold were traditional table accessories. Adding to the salability concern was that each of Kim’s placemats retailed for $70. “We didn’t know if people would buy because my idea was so new,” Kim explains.
People did buy, positioning Kim as the pioneer of fashion for the table. “It was fun and satisfying because no one had ever used ornate decorative items every day before,” Kim explains. “Now the emphasis is on setting a beautiful table whether it’s Tuesday or a holiday.” By combining her personal philosophy and extensive design experience, Kim created a supremely stylish collection for modern living.
Every company experiences its own ups and downs, but being in a luxury market creates distinct challenges. “Of course, after 9/11, we saw a dip in business, but last year’s economy problems were unexpected,” Kim explains. “People cut back and only bought necessities. I got a reality check and knew I had to make it work. I look at my business like my checkbook and don’t spend money I don’t have.”
Kim Seybert – Designer Lifestyle Accessories incorporated in 1998. The founder describes her business as innovative, design-driven and willing to try new things and runs her company with the philosophy that her products should speak for themselves. “I love where we are as a company,” she says. “By loving the products and staying true to who we are, people will also love our products and the company will grow.”
The company is committed to giving back to the community, donating products for charitable events as well as supporting DIFFA and God’s Love We Deliver. The Kim Seybert line is available in the US and internationally at Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.
What we learned from Kim: “Focus on success! Don’t waste time and energy worrying about aspects of your business that you can’t control.”
Small Packages
“I like my story. I didn’t have money to fund my launch, so I started small. That’s not such a bad thing.”
Believe and Achieve
“Going back and working for someone else wasn’t even in my realm of thinking. For me, failure was not an option.”
This Featured Lady was profiled by Megan L. Reese, WORDrobe™ Stylist for Her Write Image in West Grove, PA.
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