05/20/07
Caity Did
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Hello all! I recently got the opportunity to have a little chat with the lovely owner and designer of Kitten Zombie Originals. What is Kitten Zombie Originals? If you don’t know you've come to right place! Kitten Zombie Originals is owned by a lovely lady named Shelly. Shelly designs and makes (with the help of her oh so gracious husband) well made skirts with psychobilly and punk flair. Thanks for visiting and please enjoy. Make sure to check out her website and add her MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/zombie_kitten.
So Shelly, what inspires your skirt designs?
I draw my inspiration from many things. I am definitely a "B-movie" lover. Giant bugs that are a result of radioactive testing, floating brains from outer space... very very inspiring. Then of course there are the 50's/60’s juvenile delinquent movies and hot rod movies. I love those. It is all like a fashion crash course.
I also have a fascination with subcultures. I love youth uprisings that have there own politics, fashion and music. Their opposition to the values of the larger culture. So much passion with subcultures and that is very inspiring.
In addition to all of that... My trained background is in sculpture; I am deep down an artist. Sometimes I am just "struck" with a vision. Other times I just think: well what is not out there and would be really neat to have!? And 2 times customers have said..."hey would it be neat if..." and my response was why YES that would be neat.
Do you think you are going to stick to just skirts or possibly branch out?
I would love to branch out. However the skirts have kept me so busy, I just have not had the time to make *new* items other than skirts. I just might have to close the site for a couple of months, so I can branch out.
How are you getting by being an independent business owner especially since your skirts are in such high demand?
I love the freedom. However, it is a huge amount of hard work and dedication to make happen. I work 6 days a week about to 10 to 13 hours a day. The hours are almost obsessive. My husband helps out a bunch, he manages the website & shipping. Last year was a bit hard on the bank account, I spent WAY more than I made. I am hoping this year will be a bit better. I am still doing it all myself. I enjoy being able to put in the extra details that mass production items leave out or don't do because it is not cost efficient. I think the extra mile with the extra details is important to Zombie Kitten skirts.
Did you ever expect your line to take off the way it has? I saw you are advertised in some pretty great magazines.
I never imagined it would take off the way it has! I started Zombie Kitten off on eBay sometime in 2004, just to get a little extra cash to help ease the pain of pay off student loans and restore my thunderbird. Auctions began getting better and better and more and more e-mails were flooding in with praise about the skirts...I realized it was time to look into opening a website, I might have something here.
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I also see you do a bit of modeling yourself. How did you get interested in that?
Oh...art school. I used to do a little "modeling" here and there for fellow peers photographic artistic endeavors. Never much thought too much about being a model. Then I took a long break. Last year Mitzi, (http://mitziandco.com) contacted me for a photo shoot. After that, I had a bit of the model fever, again. It is a great break from sewing! Get all dolled up for a day & interact with other artist.
Were you modeling before you started your line?
Oh yes, nothing major, just art school "modeling" for my peers.
I read you have a little of a sign fetish, do you have a favorite?
Signs.... oh drool. It is the design of text and the neon that really get me. I do have a favorite! it would be Lollipop Motel in Wildwood NJ. (http://www.lollipopmotel.com) I love WILDWOOD, NJ. (http://www.doowopusa.org/) I am like a kid in a candy shop! It is so Americana. The east coast by far has the best old signs.
Is there anything you may want to say or add?
I have met some wonderful, generous models, photographers and make up artist that have all put in some super time, I am very thankful. I am also very grateful to all my customers. If it were not for them...Zombie Kitten would not be.
Lastly, where can our readers find your amazingly cute skirts?
www.zombie-kitten.com (my site) or some of my retailers:
Inked Flamingo (http://www.inkedflamingo.com), Angry Young and Poor (http://www.angryyoungandpoor.com) and Lucky Kat (http://www.luckykat.net)