Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mary Ward. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Here I was, retired at the age of 60 and looking for a creative outlet to fill up my time. I had always loved beautiful fabrics and fashion embellishments, so I decided to focus my artistic endeavors on using pieces from my collection to create distinctive evening bags. Why evening bags? I really had no idea other than it was always the “sparkle and sass” of textiles that spoke to me, and I felt evening bags screamed sparkle and sass.

The fun part was in creating what I thought were stunning bags and scheduling myself into a variety of arts and crafts events. The downside was that I had not done due diligence in researching the market for demand. My bags, while well-constructed, unique and beautiful (at least to me), met face-to-face with a very limited market. While New York or Chicago (or even LA) may have worked, I was located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At the time, my long-time friend (Virginia Rapp) was helping me with art events and began creating her own line of products. An accomplished seamstress herself, Virginia steered our collaborative venture toward the millinery industry. I was thrilled, as elegant hats also met my need for sparkle and sass. Virginia focuses her talents on classy wearable styles; so, our partnership works well as we each have a penchant for what we personally like best. Together, we offer a well-rounded portfolio of one-of-a-kind (OOAK) hats for the stylish individual. We work independently in our personal studios and sell our hats under the name of Two Stitches Millinery through several local and regional boutiques and art collectives.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Both Virginia and I spent 30+ years in the corporate world. While I held several positions over my career, my primary focus was on product marketing. That background has proven useful as I work to promote Two Stitches Millinery through event planning and on-going use of various marketing platforms. Throughout my corporate career, my hobbies always included fiber art. In my earlier years, I made clothing for myself. Then when family entered my world, I created clothing for my children and took on tailoring a suit jacket for my husband. I also worked as a personal seamstress for several local women. Virginia, with three daughters, also spent time at the sewing machine creating items for them as well as heirloom-quality gifts for her family.

Over time, the pressures of raising a family and handling a full time career took its toll on both of us, and we both put our artistic endeavors on hold. Then the golden age of retirement arrived. Time…we both seemed to have lots of available time! Our close friendship also became a business partnership, as we ventured into the world of creating wearable art.

While Virginia and I both had classic sewing knowledge and experience, I’m proud to say that most of our millinery techniques are self-taught. We both regularly research fashion trends and styles; participate in various on-line classes/tutorials; collect reference books and patterns from a variety of sources; and, use our personal artistic ideas to create fashionable hats.

There are a number of things that set us apart from the general landscape of hats available in any big-box store, or even in department or specialty stores. We focus on creating unique styles with fun and fashionable details, and we use high-quality materials (whether new or upcycled/vintage elements) in our products. We view fashion as a kind of communication. It’s a language without words. A great accessory, especially a hat, speaks for itself. “Few people have ever been able to resist the temptation to try on a hat and discover in the mirror a person they never suspected was there. For a short time, a hat can bring out a different dimension in our personality, much as a costume aids an actress in her role.” ~anonymous

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Two Stitches Millinery was enjoying slow, but steady, growth in sales while also gathering a solid customer base that sought us out at local and regional art events. Believe me, making and selling hats in greater Cincinnati with its super-conservative style demographic is no easy feat. But, we were cultivating a reputation among those who enjoyed a great looking head topper. We were accepted at a number of upcoming art shows when COVID hit and took everyone hostage. I realize that COVID took its toll in many ways across various industries, and it definitely changed the approach with our millinery endeavors. Shows were cancelled. Hats remained on studio shelves. Inspiration spiraled downward. Along with many other artists, we found ourselves at a stand-still.

It was time to switch gears. With the cancellation of events across the country, Cincinnati was no exception. On the one hand, it was devastating to our business. On another, brighter note, Virginia and I decided that we would seek out brick-and-mortar boutiques and art collectives. While not as lucrative as shows had been, we found the venue-oriented approach works for us. We no longer have to schlepp around our merchandise and fight with outdoor tents and displays at art shows. Weather has become a non-factor in our ability to present our hat collection. Did I tell you that Virginia and I both are of retirement-plus age, so we’re definitely not a couple of spring chickens? The exhausting efforts to continue a show schedule (after COVID restrictions relaxed) were no longer appealing. Today, we sell our hats through The Collective (Columbia-Tusculum/Cincinnati), Villa Sanctuary (Milford, Ohio), and Zig Zag Gallery (Centerville, Ohio). These venues have greeted us with open arms, and we’ve settled nicely into a new normal. And, we’re looking for an additional venue to expand our regional reach in the market. Contact us if you know of any opportunities.

We also do two in-studio VIP shows a year to introduce our new spring/summer and then fall/winter lines; and, we take sales on our Facebook page.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

As we’ve noted, Cincinnati is not necessarily a fashion mecca. Most women (our primary audience) in our area have a tendency toward conservative, non-flashy, apparel and accessories. Hats can be somewhat of an anomaly. Strike one!

The outlook for the fashion industry varies across different economic segments. Folks appear to be trending toward a dollar-store mentality, searching out more for less options. Strike two!

Hats have continued to fall out of fashion over the past five decades. The relaxed styles and fashion etiquette of today don’t require hats. Strike three!

With these, and other, marketing challenges, we know we’re in a critically small, niche market.

Our best strategy seems to be multi-faceted: 1) focus on unique hats that are also easy to wear and essential for protection (from harmful sun rays to harsh winter elements); 2) stay within price points that allow customers (the few and far between HAT PEOPLE out there) to own a collection of artistic hats; and 3) create a network of clients adept at spreading the news. Word of mouth and social media postings from customers featuring our products have been extremely helpful.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://facebook.com/twostitches

Image Credits
Sharon Kinder-Geiger Photography