Today we watched a documentary in class called "How To Make A Book With Steidl," about German Steidl and his publishing house. In it, the viewer is given all access to the management of his business, following him as he meets with clients all over the world and helps tailor each of their desired books to perfection. What I think was the most interesting about the documentary though, was how he ran his business, being fairly exclusive about who he chose to work with and represent, and taking on projects based on what he genuinely believed in opposed to only aiming to work with big names.
I think it brings about the question, when is it enough, and when do you say stop? When you start a business, is it really necessary to make it into a large international corporation? Or, as the expert and mastermind behind it, is it more important to tailor your craft to perfection by never taking on more than you can handle so that you can always personally guarantee that everything is done to perfection?
While potentially beginning my own shoe brand is still fairly unattainable for a couple of years, it brings about the question of what comes next after I've gained brand awareness, a fan base, and some decent revenue. At what point do I expand the design team, and how many people will I really allow to be part of it? Will increasing the design team only lessen the aesthetics I take so seriously, or will it actually aid the success of the final product? When the opportunity arises to expand into accessories like bags and scarves, do I personally take charge of those elements as well even though I know very little about the design of other accessories, or do I hire someone else to be in charge of that, which again, could cause a disconnect between the vision I have for my brand and its' aesthetic? They're all questions that I do not think need to be considered yet for the final project for the class, but it's definitely something I'll have to start considering if I were to actually implement my brand.
