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

Hi Renee , thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

During the pandemic, I started questioning my career path and was looking for more personal satisfaction. I knew I wanted to launch a company that would be focused on hand-crafted goods. but didn’t know exactly what. I have always been a maker – when I was very young, I would cut up my mom’s tablecloths to make doll clothes. I taught myself how to use the sewing machine when I was about six. My mom found out because I had an accident where the needle went through my finger and had to go to my mom to help get it removed. I was the fourth of five children, and my mom believed in a “free range” childhood which really gave me so many opportunities to explore creativity. As I’ve gotten older, I understand that craft is valued for many reasons and could be considered the foundation for civilization. I also knew that I wanted to be a part of something bigger than just myself and wanted to honor women through millennia who worked together to make functional and beautiful items using various fiber art methods. The long-term goal for The Stitch Alliance is to be a company that values hand-crafted functional art in many different genres. I started with jewelry because it’s a way we present our values to the world. Wearing hand-crafted jewelry tells the world you are unique and value creativity over mass production.

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

As I mentioned previously, I’ve always been a maker. In the nineties, I created one-of-a-kind accessories and sweaters made with upcycled cashmere and wool under the label Trixie & Tasha. At the time I lived in Chicago and was able to gather raw materials pretty easily. This was before the time of being able to buy used clothing by the pound so you could find me, and many of my friends, scouring thrift stores all over Chicago and beyond to buy sweaters. The line did pretty well, I was able to sell my designs in many boutiques nationwide, as well as a few Nordstroms, and was picked up by a big mail-order catalog (pre-e-commerce!) I had a storefront on Chicago Avenue in the Ukranian Village neighborhood of Chicago that included a work studio in the back. Due to some logistical and supply issues, I closed that business after a few years and moved to California, my adopted home state.

My latest venture focuses on jewelry with macrame designs that are inspired by our beautiful California landscapes. The jewelry tends to appeal to nature lovers and creative types. I launched my own website in February of 2022 and do many pop-up markets in the San Diego area. My designs can be purchased at Sea Hive Station in San Diego and at Sea Hive Marketplace in Oceanside along with a few small boutiques in other areas of the country. Being featured in small boutiques is a focus of mine for 2023, so I hope to have many more retail locations in 2023.

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

There’s a saying that goes something like this, for every 10 no’s you’ll get 1 yes. I’ve found that to succeed in business, you’ve got to learn to not take things personally and to keep asking. Eventually, you’ll get to the yes you need or what was intended to happen. An example of this was there was a pop-up market that I really, really wanted to do. I thought it would be a huge boost to my brand since the show is pretty big and gets lots of press. I applied and was not accepted. I was heartbroken. How could they not see what I saw? Well, I took a day to be sad. The next day, I looked for other opportunities on that day, found one that I thought would be a good fit, applied, and was accepted. That market day turned out to be just OK, but that was the market where I met one of my most loyal customers who has made multiple purchases from me and provided much-appreciated insights.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

My best source of retail clients has been in-person events. I love the instant feedback you get from someone coming up to your booth and perusing the jewelry. It’s always interesting to hear, from a client’s perspective, what works and what doesn’t work. You’ll also get a lot of “I could do that” feedback, but you just need to ignore that. The more people creating functional art the better, in my opinion.

For wholesale clients, my best source has been Faire. I’ve only been on the platform a short time but have already met some boutique owners outside of my Southern California home range. I think it’s a great place for small brands to get noticed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thestitchalliance.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestitchalliance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestitchalliance

Image Credits
Renee Haas Steve Lack