Drama Desk Awards

We at Hemma admire and support all forms of creativity including drama & theater. We were lucky enough to attend the 54th Annual Drama Desk awards! The awards gala was established in 1949 where critics and journalists writing on theater, give annual awards honoring outstanding work in theater. These awards are unique in that Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway compete in the same categories. The Drama Desk continues to be dedicated to furthering excellence in the theater.

Billy Elliot The Musical Wins 10 Drama Desk Awards to head the list of 2008/ 2009 Drama Desk winners!

If you know any actors, you probably are already well aware that they are a special group of people in their own right. Having so many stars under one roof was incredibly entertaining, whether it was the impromptu breaks into song and dance or the heartfelt insight into the ups and the downs in the life of an actor.

We had the opportunity of meeting some of the celebs including Geoffrey Rush, a prolific actor on and off the big screen in such pieces such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Munich, Elizabeth and much more. Present were such stars as Andre De Sheilds, Jane Fonda, Condola Rashad (a wonderful actress in her own right, daughter of Phylicia Rashad), John Lithgow, Liza Minnelli, and the always fabulous Carson Kressley, to name a few!

Backstage Pass - Hemma

Tips for a Successful Photo Shoot:

• Rehearsal, Rehearsal, Rehearsal: Have a full run through a few days before the shoot so that you can physically see what needs to be done, changed or added.
• Try to build a positive relationship with your photographer, models, and studio staff before the shoot, things will go much more smoothly with everyone's cooperation. Definitely meet with everyone before the shoot.
• Have the photographer check out the studio before hand, since they are the experts many times they may have objections or suggestions to a studio and its equipment.
• Make sure the studio has the right lighting for your purposes.
• When it comes to props, clothing rentals, shoe rentals, backgrounds etc, remember KISS
• Choose accessories for each of the looks before hand and separate each into distinct packages so they are ready to be put on when needed.
• On the day of, the designers and staff should get make-up and anything else done first and as early as possible, before the models come in. After that there will be very little time for anything but running around.
• Stay in constant communication with your photographer so that he/she maintains your vision.
• Give your models supportive feedback through out the shoot, it's no surprise that they performe better after this positive reinforcement.
• Have interns, friends or family help. There is always so much to do.
• Have photos for your make-up artists and hairstylists of the look you are going for so that you ensure that they maintain your vision.
• Have quiet music in the background to set a relaxing atmosphere.
• Have Food Finally be sure to maintain positivity and smile...Its going to be a long day but will I assure you fly by.

Thanks for Your Support!

Thanks to everyone that supported us and made it to the fashion show! We really appreciated the response we received from everyone. Check back for all of the photos and videos from the show. For everyone that could not make it, check back for details on upcoming shows and events. We are now planning a photoshoot for the line. If you model or know someone that models, send their information our way!

Shoot us an email at kouture@hemmafashions.com

Hemma's Runway Debut!

The show is one day away!! Between me and the December LSATs and Edna's finals it has been a challenge balancing everything. But we are doing it!

We had the last fitting yesterday and the models looked great. We are so excited to show everyone what we have been working on. Click here for more information on the show. Stop by, bring a friend or three! Check back soon for pictures and video coverage on the show.

Every Company Needs Investment

I think that money or the lack there of makes most people apprehensive about starting their own business. However, there are dozens of ways to get around this problem. Though its not so easy to get someone to give you large sums of money, it's more possible than people think, myself included. Cindy and I were lucky enough to find a couple who believed in our idea and in Hemma's potential and chose to invest in our company! Best of all, they not only invested monetarily but are investing time, resources, ideas etc. This brings me to a very important point, Once you do have investors or know potential investors, you should ask your self :

• Do I get along with them as people? (You will most likely be spending large amounts of time sharing and communicating with them)

• Do they share my motivation and drive to make the business a success?

• What are you looking for in an investor?

• What do they want out of the deal?

• Do you trust them?

Its very important to find a good fit between you and your investor because hopefully they will be someone who shares more than just money with you (ie: information, knowledge, experience). Cindy and I thought about these questions and what was important to us, before we even found investors so that when we did, we were prepared! Prepare for opportunities, so that when they appear, your ready! Its more than just being at the right place at the right time. What we did when searching for investors:

1. INTERNET RESEARCH: We searched for grants in all fields we thought would apply. Who would give you money? Be very inclusive and search broadly at first not only specific to your industry but specific to who you are (ie: student, woman, person of color; were just a few of the criteria we looked into).
2. YOUR FAMILY: The closest people to you, who would probably be very supportive of you doing such a courageous thing like starting your own business. Ask them for money: parents, granny's, aunts, uncles.
3. USE YOUR NETWORK: Whether you are a student, employee, parent etc, use yoru network of people. They may be potential investors themselves or more likely than that is that they will know someone who would be interested in investing. Tell as many people you can about your business! You have to basically become your company, its biggest fan and cheerleader. The more people you tell, the more people will hear about your company and possibly want to contribute. That is pretty much how we met our investors.
4. READ as much as you can about business related issues, including tips on effective ways to get investment for your specific industry. One publication I would recommend is Inc. Magazine, read the magazine or articles online, its great for the new business owner! I also recommend SBA another organization that helps small businesses with a wide range of services from loans to counseling.
5. YOURSELF: Cindy and I invested our own capital at Hemma's inception and we did so willingly because we both really believed that we would see a return. We had both just graduated college when we decided to start Hemma, so we were not at all financially established, but that goes to show that you do not necessarily need large sums at the inception of your company.
6. HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN:

• Learn how to write a business plan by internet/book research and by looking at templates online or from friends
• Be very detailed when writing
• It's OK to not have all the answers about your business at the very beginning of writing your plan, the more you research, the clearer they may become
• Make the cover and writing style within very professional and concise
• A business plan is your way to convince someone that you have a great product, service or idea so treat it as such!

So now your ready to move your business to the next level. Good luck!!

The Origins

The idea for hemma came about when we studied abroad in Ghana. We were there during the our junior year in the Spring of 07. This was a major turning point in both of our lives because we were able to become so detached from our lives in New York and fully immerse ourselves in the Ghanaian lifestyle. We were both worried when we first got there and weren't sure if we could last an entire semester. But by the time we left, we cried our eyes out because we didn't want to leave Ghana behind. Through hemma we've found a way to bring some of Ghana back with us and share it with New York. We fell into the idea of creating a clothing line, it started off unintentionally. While in Ghana we loved the wide array of West African fabrics and garment designs, so we started designing clothes for ourselves. Between Cindy and I we made dozens of pieces, including garments made out of Kente fabric. Everyone in Ghana and the NYU program loved it. When we came back to NY we got the same reception. A lightbulb clicked for us. We decided that we wanted to share the clothing that we loved so much by starting hemma.