How to tell your unique maker story
Co-written by Mishaal Khurshid
An untold story is the biggest injustice that there can be, especially in today’s global world where technology has made it possible for everyone to showcase their skills and talent to the world. Everyone is special in their own way; we all have our own unique ideas and all of our stories are worth telling. TAILORU is built on an unshakeable foundation that every difference is worth celebrating. We want to shine a spotlight on your story and help you tell it to the world!
Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Are you hesitant to tell your story?
Each of us makers has what it takes to inspire and stand out from the crowd. We might not recognize it, but our story is what makes us special. Technology has turned the world into a global village where we are bombarded with generic and uninspiring products all the time. It is evident in the tons and tons of fast fashion that hits the landfill every year?.
To succeed and stand out in such an environment, it is crucial to stay true to yourself and your story and to use it as a weapon that cuts through the inauthenticity, the bullsh*tz. Yes we said it, because your story is all we really need, it’s often all we have. So, step into a new world full of limitless potential and show everyone your passion.
In your stories, there is a certain quality about being original and authentic that just cannot be matched. Just like our DNA and our thumbprint, our stories and community inspire each other. What is cooler than different cultures supporting each other’s diversity and creativity? Just come forward and leave that hesitation behind, start telling your unique story to the entire world.
Almos Bechtold on Unsplash
The essence of your story
How to generate your authentic story to attract buyers and build trust
Dig deep — What is your inspiration? What is your ideology when it comes to work? The hurdles, the details, the struggle, and the triumph. Everything matters when you are telling your story. Why is this story so important to share? And how to create one that is authentic and unique?
Powerful words have the ability to build trust, which in turn increases the popularity and growth of an individual’s business — whether you’re just starting out or have been hustling for a while. Stories create a dynamic interaction between you and the customer with better understanding, receptivity, and comprehension, in turn generating a strong trust between the two. They can relate.
Knowing the importance of a story you must now understand how essential it is to tell a story that is unique and authentic. We know you must now be thinking about how actually to do that. Do not worry here are some guidelines for your creative minds and a few examples of how different makers and independent brands use comprehensive stories for the transformation of their identity and presence:
A simple story
Maki Oh by Amakao Sakwe is a great example of a brand story that is simple, beautiful, yet so true to her own roots. On the site, it states:
“Founded in 2010 by Amaka Osakwe, Maki Oh is a womenswear brand that fuses traditional African techniques with detailed contemporary construction.”
A story with unapologetic personality
Your stories should to be communicated with a persona rather than the sales pitch or the usual advertisement. It should reflects your values and what is important to you. You can get some inspiration from Kenneth Ize who uses her brand to create awareness about social issues. The environment around you should inspire your story, the people who create, participate, connect, are there in the growth & success journey. Your personality makes you stand out, from the imageries to the written words.
A story about the existence of your work
What makes you start this business and what keeps you going? If your brand has some core values that are making a positive impact on the world or if you started this journey for your own happiness — tell that story! It is the most important part of your personal brand’s identity. A great example for this is 3womenco, which offers custom clothing made from recycled materials. Not only is their style unique but their story and message also contribute to the appeal of their brand (and therefore the conscious sustainable customers!)
Where to tell your story?
Now that you have a start of a story, where should you distribute it? How can you reach as many people and potential customers as possible?
Create your own personal site — using a tool such as Squarespace or Wix
Create a blog where people already congregate — check out Medium
Share your story and answer questions — Quora
Join Facebook groups to connect with other makers. Go ahead, try to ask the google overlord ‘sewing Facebook communities’ or ‘makers Facebook communities’ and you will see tons. The only watch out is most of these groups only want sharing and not selling, but they’re a great way to talk with other makers and learn how they tell their own stories!
Hoa Pham - Embroidery Artisan
The story of TAILORU
Crafts matter to us. You, the makers, matter to us.
We want to build a sustainable ecosystem where creators, customers, and distributors form a community for supporting each other. We are here with our own story to share so you can gain confidence in sharing your own.
You see, TAILORU’s goal is to utilize technology to advance human craftsmanship. In an increasingly automated world, we often ask ourselves: What would be left of us? Well, we believe that with technology, not only will makers be able to do what we love, better, but fashion lovers will also be able to get custom made clothing that is help them express their own unique stories.
TAILORU’s story starts with our founder Thu on her visit to an embroidery village in Vietnam. Vietnam is rich in culture and tradition and many villages still maintain their artisanal crafts.
In this particular instance, Thu remembered the beauty of this village but what made an impression on her was not just the art, it was the masses of people leaving their craft to work in factories.
Globalization had found its way to even the most remote parts of the country. These factories produced fast fashion pieces that consumers all over the United States wear once, twice and maybe three times before returning or discarding them.
This was wasteful. It is wasteful still.
Now this waste problem has turned a $194 billion-dollar industry into its own kind of wasteland for independent makers and retailers struggling. Thu wanted to support these independent makers and retailers and clean up this wasteland.
It’s 2020 and with TAILORU, artisans will no longer have to abandon their craft to grow in our economy. Consumers will no longer have to discard or return their clothes because now, they can purchase quality, tailored, sustainable and wearable pieces of art.
We would love to hear of your own stories and unique experiences, please consider sharing and reaching out to see how we can help.
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TAILORU Technology is part of the TAILORU Group, along with TAILORU Education, and TAILORU Collective. Our mission is to advance humanity through design, technology, and education.