We were lucky to catch up with Dena Lyons recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dena, thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
A passerby on the street of Monaco where I was painting asked me if I would be interested in printing my paintings onto pillows and porcelain. The start of this project was sourcing a manufacturer. Being the holiday gifting season we focused on finding a scarf manufacturer instead of pillows and porcelain.. Christmas Eve 2014, my first shipment of silk scarves arrived!
Having product to sell is the first step. The next step was finding distribution channels. I started out doing a trunk show on Worth Avenue and then doing local fashion shows. Word of mouth from clients helped get the word out. I also started consigning scarves to stores, but quickly realized that was a bad idea; getting paid on consigned items is a rare miracle. I loaded up a car with scarves and proceeded to sell to stores in Florida and then proceeded to travel around the country to locate boutiques. It is imperative to only approach the stores that are a good fit for luxury resort wear took some time researching. I spent a couple of years researching and driving to boutiques around the country and in Europe while expanding the collection to includes men’s wear, pillows and apparel.
I needed an office to ship from at this point and an assistant to help ship. With a Florida base in order, I started focusing on social media, email blasts and partnered with many charities around the country. This was kind of an exciting point in the brand’s growth- when the brand grew outside of just me and I needed to learn to delegate responsibilities. Learning to manage people took a while, it is not a skill inherent to an artist who paints by herself in a studio. This process required a lot of patience and understanding.
Every day is a new adventure. I am in charge of creating new designs and sourcing new products as well as selling the products. I now work on private label work for clients, keep creating for the Dena Lyons brand, and have launched a second brand DRl with everyday affordable items like dog leashes. There are always new projects to develop so I am excited about what the future will bring.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am an artist living in France, with a brand of luxury resort wear headquartered in Boca Raton, FL. I design each and every piece with scintillating colors and source the finest fabrics in Italy. Dena Lyons sells to stores across the United States and online at denalyons.com
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
It’s interesting, I originally though the scarves would subsidize my painting career. for a few years though, my paintings were subsidizing my scarves! Now it is a constant flow between the two.
Have you ever had to pivot?
After five years establishing distribution channels and travels to and from France, everything shifted with COVID. Many boutiques closed, many shows stopped, and I had to figure out how to promote my work and keep things going in a different environment. My brand is luxury resort wear, but no one was traveling and therefore people were not purchasing clothing for going out on the town. This was the impetus to launch my second brand, Del with every day affordable collections. It’s been a learning experience that has taught me many wonderful lessons.
Contact Info:
- Website: denalyons.com
- Instagram: dena lyons couture
- Facebook: dena lyons couture
- Linkedin: dena lyons
- Twitter: dena lyons art
- Youtube: dena lyons