19. Artist Kendra Dandy Proves Working at Your Craft Everyday Can Lead to Opportunities
Kendra Dandy is a well-known illustrator and artist whose poppy, modern-day vintage artwork has garnered her editorial features and merchandising opportunities with popular retails stores such as Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters. Her notoriety did not happen overnight, as she struggled to find her niche through her studies in fashion merchandising, explorations in graphic design, and work in the retail industry.
While seeking a more creative path that would marry her loves of retail and drawing, Kendra started sketching and posting her artwork on social media forums, where people began to take notice. After being contacted by major retail brands, Kendra’s entrepreneurial path began.
In this episode Kendra talks about the organic growth of her business and how the age of technology is the best time to utilize social media platforms to market your creativity, brand, or business.
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- Studied fashion merchandising, but sought a more creative path
- Worked in retail industry for five years before discovering her niche
- Spent nights and weekends (6-11 hustle) working on her craft and trying to devise a plan to leave her retail job
- Merged her love of drawing with previously acquire skills and begin pattern making
- Took three years to find and define her style
- Slowly became popular by posting work on Tumblr and other social media platforms
- Featured in Anthropologie’s “Meet the Maker,” series
- Has also worked with Urban Outfitters (The Style Club), Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, and Printed Village
- Working with major brands opened doors for other opportunities
- Has taken an organic approach to marketing by allowing people to find her online
- She wants to take a more active role in pitching clients she wants to work with
- We discuss the challenges of people not crediting the work of artist
- Inspiration comes from the freedom to do what she wants to do
- Enjoys vintage items, make-up, and beauty
- Aspires to do more beauty, fashion, and pop-up events
- Advises other creatives to “just do it.” She says “act like you want to do it, and go for it.”
- Yeah, you just have to do it! There’s no fairy godmother, you just have to do it. – Kendra
- Passion: Swing dancing to include Lindy Hop and Balboa & vernacular soul jazz; she even travels frequently for competitions. WOW!!
LINK LOVE
- Anthropologie (Meet the Maker Article)
- Urban Outfitters (watermelon and mint candle)
- Style Club (The Denim Babe Baseball Cap)
- Bobby Brown Cosmetics (promo design she created for Eye Opening Mascara)
- Printed Village (Where she did her design residency)
- Adobe Sketch App
NOT MENTIONED, BUT YOU SHOULD CHECK THESE OUT
- Vans (Her pattern on shoes!)
- Bouffants & Broken Hearts Coloring Book: 75 Designs Inspired by Pop Art and Fashion
- Chasing Paper (Her designs as wall paper)
- Paom (prints on cloths and bags)
- Robertkaufman.com (patterns on fabric)
- Case Station (phone cases)
KENDRA DANDY
Website: theebouffants.com
Tumblr: bouffantsandbrokenhearts.com
Instagram: @theebouffants
Facebook: bouffantsandbrokenhearts
Society 6: kendradandy
Pinterest: boufnbrknhrts
WHERE’S NACHE’
Website: nachesnow.com
Instagram: @nachesnow
Twitter: @nachesnow
LinkedIn: nachesnow
Podcast: Studio 78
Facebook: studio78podcast
Pinterest: Tallook
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- artist
- illustrator
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