We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alison Masson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alison below.
Alison, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea of Metal Babe Mayhem by combining my two biggest passions: music and fashion. The idea behind Metal Babe Mayhem is that anyone can be a Metal Babe, regardless of age, race, sex, size, or even musical preference. You don’t even have to like Metal to be a Metal Babe!
I truly believe that music is t he universal language. No matter where we come from, what language we speak, or what our backgrounds are, music brings people together. Through Metal Babe Mayhem, I’m sharing my passions with the world by creating a community of people who connect through music and fashion.
My first design was a pair of lips with crossbones underneath. This is still one of my staple designs and it has been incorporated into numerous products over the years. I officially started in September of 2006 with a guitar pick necklace and t-shirt. Now I have expanded to hundreds of products, including licensed band merch (AC/DC, Metallica, Motley Crue, Motörhead, Slayer, etc.) and third party vendors.
It is very important to me to pride myself on Metal Babe Mayhem’s customer service and making every customer feel valued and appreciated. Every order is packaged with love, and often includes a free gift or handwritten note.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Growing up in St. Charles, Missouri, I worked in music and fashion right out of high school. I interned at a music marketing company called Hi Frequency while managing Glad Rags rock ‘n’ roll clothing store. I got my start as a vendor with Glad Rags, starting locally and then touring on Ozzfest four summers, in addition to various concerts and festivals throughout the United States.
I knew I wanted to live in Hollywood when I first heard 80s rock bands like Mötley Crüe and Poison singing about the Sunset Strip as a kid, and I was inspired when Poison put their album Hollyweird out, which included a song about the girl who moved to Hollywood and made it. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree in marketing/communication, I was determined to become a “Shooting Star,” not a “Fallen Angel” (like Poison’s hit from Open Up and Say Ahh) and moved to Hollywood in 2004. Twenty-two years later, I am still in Los Angeles, following my dream, and celebrating nearly 20 years of Metal Babe Mayhem this September.
For those not familiar, Metal Babe Mayhem is a rock ‘n’ roll clothing line located in Los Angeles, California. We provide a wide variety of products including women’s and men’s clothing, swimwear, custom painted shoes, shorts, leggings, licensed band merch, accessories including beanies, bandanas, necklaces, bracelets, tote bags, and more. Although we are based online, I use my vending knowledge I learned early on to set up a Metal Babe Mayhem merch booth at select events throughout the year, including Rock for Ronnie each May.
Our products are geared toward fans of rock and horror, and feature designs including lips, bones, skulls, bats, pin-up girls, stars, cassette tapes, vinyl records, hearts, vampires, and other music and horror-related themes.
We also offer custom products. If you see a design you like on our website but would like it on another item — different color or style — use our Contact Form (https://www.metalbabemayhem.com/contact) to let us know what you are looking for, and we will do our best to get you what you need.
Our website, MetalBabeMayhem.com, is a One Stop Rock Shop, where in addition to shopping, you can enjoy interviews and reviews on our main blog site, or from Boris Lee’s column Symptom of the Metal research, and watch music videos and interviews related Metal Babe Mayhem.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
While vending recently at Rock for Ronnie, a customer asked me, “Do you make all of these products yourself?” My reply was, “I make it happen!”
Currently I work with about a dozen manufacturers, some of which I found through Glad Rags in the late 90’s/early 2000’s and have maintained working relationships with, in addition to connections I have personally made throughout the United States.
We pride ourselves on having good quality products that customers will be satisfied with for years to come. When working with a new manufacturer, I order sample products to personally ensure the quality meets our Metal Babe standards. There are certain things that I do by hand, for instance… When I order necklaces, I assemble the chains to the guitar picks or dog tags. At times we will offer a limited-edition product, such as hand-made shirts created with paint and stencils, which I do myself. For the most part, I work with reputable manufacturers based in the United States that I have created longstanding working relationships with.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way is the importance of building strong, trusted relationships with manufacturers. Having reliable partnerships makes all the difference, especially when quality and customer satisfaction are top priorities.
Recently, I worked with a local manufacturer on a major project. Unfortunately, they missed the deadline and delivered a product that was completely unusable. It turned into an untimely and costly setback, resulting in over 30 hours of unnecessary work and lost money. While it was a frustrating experience, it also reinforced an important lesson: who you choose to work with matters.
I’m someone who learns lessons the hard way, and this was certainly one of them. Moving forward, it reminded me to trust the longstanding relationships I’ve built with reputable manufacturers who consistently deliver quality work, and stand behind their products.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Word of mouth and satisfied customers have been the biggest factors in helping build Metal Babe Mayhem’s reputation within the rock ‘n’ roll community. We are proud of our supporters worldwide who wear our clothing, jewelry, and accessories. I am truly grateful for every single person who supports Metal Babe Mayhem.
I always do my best to be nice to everyone I meet, whether it’s online or in person. I believe in making eye contact, having a firm handshake, and smiling when I meet someone new. When someone places an order, stops by our vendor booth, reads a review or interview, or supports us online in any way, I want them to know they are appreciated and a welcome part of the Metal Babe Mayhem family.
I’m also incredibly honored when musicians wear Metal Babe Mayhem merch onstage, including Jeff Duncan (Armored Saint), Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns), Stevie Rachelle (TUFF) and more. I think when fans see musicians they admire wearing Metal Babe Mayhem, it helps build trust, credibility, and excitement around the brand. It has helped strengthen our reputation within the rock community and introduced Metal Babe Mayhem to new audiences over the years.
Seeing people both onstage and off representing Metal Babe Mayhem is always a full circle experience and greatly appreciated. I am truly thankful for the support I’ve been given the past 20 years. As a special thank you to Canvas Rebel readers, I’d like to offer 15% off your next purchase at MetalBabeMayhem.com with coupon code: CANVASREBELMB15.
Thank you again for your continued support!
Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.metalbabemayhem.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/metalbabemayhem/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetalBabeMayhem
- Other: Google Reviews: https://tinyurl.com/y9urdjut
FaceBook Review: https://www.facebook.com/MetalBabeMayhem/reviews
BioSite for Alison “MetalBabe” Cohen: https://bio.site/MetalBabeMayhem
Image Credits
Personal Photo at Merch Booth – Enrique Sanchez Photography
Sewn Shut Racerback Tank Top – Silent 13 Studios