Excerpted here because she said she might delete it:

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
venting
#$%@#!*#$%@#!!!!

I have to vent about how incredibly frustrated I am right now. I will likely be removing this post once I calm down, and I realize it’s never smart to do a blog post when angry. I’m doing it anyway now as a means of therapy.

Edited: because I’m afraid of the consequences of talking about this whole mess. I will shed full light on this later. For now:

To any young designer, or any person running their own business, make ABSOLUTE certain of one thing: At the end, know EXACTLY how much you will be paid in the deal. Never assume. Never estimate. And don’t be afraid to say NO early in the beginning. Don’t be afraid of making others unhappy. When it gets too late, you will lose either way, even if you decide to pull the plug on the deal.

People probably think that fashion designers make a ton of money. But in reality, for the majority of us, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. (even if we’re one of the lucky ones that “makes it” so to speak.) We spend more than we bring in. We’re lucky when we break even. And we’re one of the select few if and when we turn a profit. I’m still not there yet.

Buy directly from the designer. You’ll not only save from the retail mark-up, you’ll ensure the designer actually gets compensated for their work. Long live Etsy. Or at least, long live the non-evil retailers. I still realize I have so much to learn about this industry. And I’m learning, one mistake at a time.