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its been a long time and in loving memory to Mary Howard
Dear All
My extreme apologies for the length of time since I last put my fingers on the keyboard. It a sign of the times, production, sales training, events and designing.
Not to put a dampner on your evening, but I feel compelled to just talk and talk about the Late Mary Howard who died so unexpectably yesterday, a great beauitful light, another stunning being god gave to this world, i am actaully totally saddened by her passing. And for all of you who have no idea who she is, let me explain, Mary Howard runs these exclusive shopping events and invites the greatest desginers to show their wares in special locations and she chose me and RUBY for her fair this week in HULLAVINGTON. She came and visited me in my studio in Chelsea Harbour, she walked in and I was meet by this polished, beautiful, exquisite woman, full of energy and nothing but praise for RUBY. She was special very special.On her way to Queens to watch the tennis she popped by to see me, just one example of how she puts herself out for others, her day of fun with her husband she came to see me xxx Well in her usual 100% polished way, she was apparently putting the finishing touches to the event yesterday and when leaving was involved in a tragic car accident. So where do you go from here kate? Well my heart goes out to her Husband Paddy, a geourgeous well spoken man who worked with her as well as loved her , and to her family. So my event girls who are at the show have decided to keep the show on the road and sell sell RUBY in her memory. So quite simply MARY we love you, you just glow.
And for all you lovely RUBY friends please go to our event pages and you can get the addresses of the events over the next month.
So in MARY true spirit, what has been happening in the world of RUBY.
Well another 1000 miles on the car in terms of staff training no joke by the way, we drove to Leeds and Bristol all in one day. Thats me and my assistant Joanna, as i said before the 3rd leg of the brand. I have also started on AW 09 and i want to give you all soemthing that will lift you through this heavy money focused negative energy era. I find that do you? that negative energy breeds negative energy, so i beg of you all to put joy in your life and I cant help feel a sense of hope with the new president soon to come into the USA. Its got be a time of peace now has it not? I wish we could all love each other, i dont mean let people do unacceptalbe things and not feel the consequences but i mean not kill innocent people and then worst still ignore the ones who were not lucky enough to die but now suffer with the mental anguish of what they have seen, well thats my political rant. Me, I love my son so much i could literally hug him all day. Is that wrong, i think he may feel so as now he is 12. Anyway unless i was Britney or Pink, he would not be that enthralled.
I have to say in RUBY sales i am seeing growth! yes that is what i said growth, that is my grandmother helping me along, go steady Kate , focus and it will come to light. I bleive all the best things in life take time to materialise, i mean even GOD took 7 days to build the world and thats with a day off, so I have a few years to build this brand into the household name it deserves to be.
I have seen new interst in the Brand from France and the USA, so things are looking up. So for anyone feeling down out there, smile, drink some orange juice (orange is the colour of joy, no joke, I am over mid way through my training for colour theropy, not colour me beautiful, but how to get yourself through those challenging times in life, by changing your diet, clothing and environment and not forgetting colour breathing, god i have digressed again, apologies).
Well have you been to Westfield in Shepherds Bush yet? Its an amazing lift to the depressing mood on the high street, so go and have some fun with your friends, why not, enjoy your life, be sensible and be happy, you only have 1 life.
To be honest i cannot concentrate today as i am shocked by Mary's passing and then a lovely lady i meet since my house move, called Vicki also passed on last week, and me well i am passing on through an eposide in my life and although it is the right thing and god i hope i am going to the place i believe i am, it still hurts, i am learning to leave in love and not in drama, thats painful but kinder to all involved, well i feel thats the way forward, grown up way. Transgression is hard for anyone, trusting is the hardest thing i find. anyway i am going on a bit today, lots of emotional stuff today!
Well also let me tell you I am now 36!!! A scorpio yes, on the cusp actually, 36 and beautiful, thats good, thats what i tell myself, so here is to my 36th year on the planet, and to end it all i will let you all know i am nearly ready for my part of AMY in AMY's VIEW, learning lines, thats a focus for me, so the play opens in 3 weeks!!!
Finally I leave a tribute to my cousin JAYNE, you know who you are and without the hours we spent sticking clothes on cut out magazine women, me at around 4, i would not be where i am today, so to you my great cousin who i love, big kisses xxxxx
So to all my freinds out there, god bless and god keep you well and above all SMILE - it is your life and make the most of it
lots of love and prayers ,
kate xxx
ps if you want to come back to me for the meantime you can at enquiries@rubylondon.com
Posted on 11/10/2008 at 6:48 PM by kate
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New store opening and London Fashion Week big weekend
Dear All
This has literally been 1 of those weeks where I have done hundreds of miles on the road, crazy miles.
I kindly got asked to be the Denim Expert for House Of Fraser, Bristol new store opening. The store was incredible, cabott circus was so ridiculously good i do not know words to describe, what I will say is there was a Cirque De Solieu type show going on from the ceiling , tres amazing.
Credit crunch, what credit crunch? Not in Bristol anyway. The store opening had Yasmin Le Bon, who is soo beautiful and youthful looking I did not recgonise her in the flesh, petite in frame really, like a doll, just knock out. How does she do that and 3 children? Yasmin I need your secret, mind you a wealthy pop star husband must help, it has to; does it not? And lets add a cute pop star husband.
Then I meet, oh lord i am so bad at the whole celebrity thing, not for any other reason then I admire their work rather than their celeb listing, now i cant remeber her name, needless to say when she asked where the toilet was i thought she was the lady to meet me, apologies. Pop star celeb, also DJ, it will come to me.
(Sophie Elis Baxter, there it came to me, sorry Sophie, very pretty i will let you know, again porcelain doll like)
Well I sold RUBY jeans at House of Fraser and it was good to see the actaul clients in them, fabulous.
After this mad 2 days I made a dash back down south to London Fashion Week, big weekend at The Natural History site. I cant tell you how crazy this was and if you have never been then you are really missing out, it is fabulous, great girly fun and the clothes and designers there are to die for, well not quite die for hey? I mean we dont want to die for clothes do we. I have to say RUBY stand was rammed and we are classed as one of the designers now, miracles can happen, keep on working at it. I was shattered come de-rig time on sunday, so for the not so glamourous bit, heels come off, hair goes up and converse on and boxes loaded. Me and Lucindia who is one of the event girls for RUBY, laughed with the pain of de - rigging, my freind called me mid flow and i said to him not now, call you back. How rude of me, why answer the call, still working out why i do that? manicly busy, phones rings and I answer it, i did it to my dad as well, I answer it only to say have to call you back? Why not leave it to the answer phone thats why you have 1? Sorry digressed again, trial and tribulations of growing up!
We sold hundreds of RUBY jeans, I mean it, how good was that. We where opposite a lovely handbag desinger Sophie Williams and if you ahve never seen her work than John Lewis are taking it next season so go see for yourself, a hidden london secret and Sophie is just such good fun and a georgeous human being. Please support her, thanks xxx
Anyway Monday after that week was a wash out, best bit was seeing my son, who I am missing soo much at the moment due to the heavy workload! Got to cuddle him last night a real treat, and then my dog, my gracie , ahh i could eat her. You really appreciate these home comforts when you have been working so hard, thank you god xxx PS my son is into girls now, how sad is that, i mean i have to let him go, actaully looking forward to meeting the girlfriends.
I must mention as I think I have forgotton too in past blogs, I got invited to 11 Downing Street, week before last! So bizarre and how lucky was that, I stodd in teh PM's driveway! I work and have designed a jean for the charity Children On The Edge and they where conducting a talk on the children in Burma, which is an absolute tragedy. The cyclone was a blessing for them compared to the suffering being carried out via ethnic cleansing, no joke. The credit crucnh a man made suffering on one side and man made eradication of human beings on the other side!!! Please prayer for the children in Burma, even if you dont pray, have never prayed, prayer now for them, prayer at the bus stop wherever; these kids are suffering, watching families wiped out befire them, women raped and viallages masacered, its not good at all. Children on the edge provide some peace for these children, school and shelter, if they are lucky enough to get away and into the camps. So much suffering, I am now compelled to fit in a masters degree on peace and conflict studies so i can help out in this area, who knows we may be able to make a difference. Mind you, you can all help next SS09 as the Rennie pale pink is for this charity and minimum of 30% NP will go to this charity on these jeans sales, maybe more if the facotory are kind on pricing, note to the universe pleasexxx
So what a week, what a life, today I love life. I spent the day in chichester, slower pace, more easy and thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Well thats it, all newsed out, wish me luck Selfridges come in tomorrow to view the RUBY range!
Love to you all and happy RUBY shopping (check out the on line promotions with Elle and RUBY this month)
God Bless and thank you kate xxx
final ps: have a good week, keep positive and spread some joy.
Posted on 9/30/2008 at 6:56 PM by kate
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getting there - miracles can happen
Dear All
well we are in to the 2nd week of September and forward sales have been going really well, it looks like we are set to get a lot of new sotcksits for this season, how fab is that. More RUBY on the UK highstreet and some great stores to, thank you godxxx
i am now settled into my permanent place of work and really enjoying the routine, I am such a child, I love routine. I am one of those people who hates deadlines and structure but who deadlines and structure really work for. So after years of pretneding to be a grown up, I feel I have become grown up.
I have started to see the key shapes for SS09 and its great to see so many buyers going with forward growth, i was worried they would not step out and buy, due to the bad financial climate, it takes a lot of courage to buy in the current market of today, so well done to the courageous buyers.
I love the new RUBY show room, it makes the collection look great. It is such a large collection that it needs it own room, to get the true feeling of the brand,- i am so impressed with it.
I have started AW 09 in my head and i have some great ideas, i am really starting to see the strong identity that lies within the RUBY brand. Also i know alot about denim in fact having done it for so many years, literally years before this for other brands, i know what denim fabrics and shapes work and this seems to be finally picked up by buyers and customers, you see experience and time pays , it pays well in the end if you can be patient. I am learning that faith and patience go hand in hand, patience is a feminine quality i am sure, its so gentle in nature.
Well on the ab fab end of fashion, i shot the first series of the TV show on friday, it was absolutly fabulous, in all terms of the word. It came natural to speak about the subject that i know so well, fashion and women. It was such hard work though, no really it was, i had literally worked my bottom off all week then had to film from 7.30 start all day on Friday, 3 film crew, and lots of mad london drivers, put all that into the mix and 2 presenters and apparently you get one great show. once everything is wrapped up , i will tell you all.
On a personal note i am taking my own fashion advice and wearing closed toes wedges, super sexy with RINSE RENNIES, very va va va va voom, even if i do say so myself. yes Thierry Henri would like women in Rennies, I am sure.
The house where i live is nearly there, thank you god! literally thank you god, its too much to have a house in diseray as well. I think i have coped quite outstandingly these past few months, there has been a lot of personal sadness and grief but somehow i have still managed to look good, keep it together, sell the RUBY range, love my son, walk my dog, turn up for photo shots, film a tv series, learn lines for the part in a play i have and cook family meals. God has to be involved in all this; otherwise where is the energy coming from?
The sadest thing is when you have to leave people behind, now why do you have to do this in life? I am hoping to meet them on the way again soon, i really miss them, growing up is painful as i said at hte beginning, but i suppose thats what i am here to do evolve.
Sorry back to the real stuff, a fashion tip i am loving dark navy and two shades of the same colour together, i cant get enough of 70's blue vera, they literally shrink my thighs. the best way to keep smiling is without a shadow of a doubt great fitting jeans - RUBY and looking good, i say if you look good you will feel good. there really is no excuse to not be a woman , i was born a woman and i want to die a very sexy woman.
So to all RUBY women and girls out there, get sexy; go rennie, go vera, go connie, go great fitting jeans and leave the rest more painful stuff up to GOD, or whatever it is you believe in.
thats it for this installment, still waiting for a way for you to send me comments will chase again today!!
lots of love and keep supporting RUBY they work they really do.
god bless and bye for now
kate xxx
Posted on 9/15/2008 at 2:35 PM by kate
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the start of something good
Dear All
I cant tell what a great week I have had, not quite sure why i suddenly feel all this gratitude but i do.
This week I did store visits to 2 House Of Fraser Stores and to see the product looking great in store makes all those months of negoiating very heatedly with the factories worth while. Then to hear how the organic plum jean is the quickest turning jean in House Of Fraser RUBY range, was even more rewarding. My right hand was with me this week, Joe, literally without her there would be no RUBY. You do not have to even ask and its done, yipee! I need more of these types of people around me - note to universe please, thank you.
On top of this my house that is literally being renevated is starting to come to light, thanks to the great help of one mama and cousin, i cant tell you how good this is to come home to the start of something good. Thank you to hte love and support of my mum always and my cousin, thank you bothxxx
I have started thinking lots re my next collection and next week pencil will go to paper, well mood board first, this is exciting, very excting. I am so lucky that where i live the colours just inspire me all the time. I literally live a stones throw from the beach , santa maria!
I also got myself an agent this week, so hopefully some freelance work will come my way, belive me as a designer even with a brand you are skint as, this will change though, i know, i asked the universe and if i keep on doing the right thing and be patient, it will manifest. Its something I have always known , now i believe it and walk it.
So outside of the world of fashion, my son came 4th in a tennis tournament so proud, he was upset as he wanted to be first, i was just impressed he stuck at something, more than i did at this age, i was boys mad (which by the way i am not now and growing out of, thank you godxxx) My son also played drums and had a jamming session with a friend down the road, in their garage soo cool, who says the country is not great fun, i really am a lucky girl. of courese there is some real bad stuff in my life but I try not to focus on that, the agent who still has not paid me since february!, yes i am not joking! Also some personal stuff which i cant go into on screen , trust in god though, thank you god xxx
Sales this week have been slow again, are any of you buying sale product on line?- pelase do. House of Fraser where up this week, not surprising there re-fit is just fab and their staff so friendly. I really rate this company, their directors are focused and brave, go see for yourself.
Another great store RUBY is in is Hoopers, i had never been before, i am so impressed truly i am, great prodcut, great stores, great staff. what more can you want, i know times are tight for everyone thanks to the crazy fuel prices, which by the way no-one is capping, where are the government, i would be fired if i did not respod to this type of madness,that aside you have to treat yourself; so buy RUBY and go to the stores and check the great product out.
Right I must dash now as, if you can believe it, I have to get ready for a photo shoot for Daily Mail, YOU magazine, check me out!!! thank you god. The best is yet to come.
love and best wishes as always and thanks for supporting RUBY, god bless Kate xxx
Posted on 8/30/2008 at 9:18 AM by kate
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a strange week
Hi All
I feel a little strange writing this, it is showing me how emotional i can be, week after week. The stress and apprehension seems to get to me, I take life to seriously i really do but than again who would not at this time of the fashion calender?
So i am back from a week away, holdiay you call it, I had the most fun hanging out with my son, there really is nothing quite like that. But after a few days with no sun and in the french countryside, i must admit i started going slightly bonkers and getting a bit bored, the company was great mind you, my lovely mate and her family. It is not surprising i got slightly mad as when you work all season at the pace we do and then stop, its a bit odd.
So back to fashion, i must say the internet is starting to grow and grow, how exciting is that, it would be so great to get enough sales that we could open the first RUBY store, it all takes time and with the current economic climate there is no quick growth. We are looking at adding music onto the site to keep you all entertained, whilst shopping!
The sale seems to be a massive success, please do visit it, as at RUBY we tend to be ahead of current denim trends, so even though its ss08 stock you will still be way ahead in the world of current denim.
(A note to myself i must ask my assistant or right arm if you like how we can set up a comments bit on this blog as it would be great to get your feedback on the brand. noted and consider it looked into.)
So here I am again in Chelsea, selling SS09, so far soo good, we had good sales yesterday, trying to get new buyers is tough but the ones coming to us direct are snapping up styles. The organic range i hope will pick up.
Its a funny time of year this as it is all sales and extending oneself to try and reach the right markets and at the same time working on press and marketing , so quite tough actually.
I must say yesterday I had on my rennie rinse and even if I say so myself the quality is superb, I have had these jeans for 2 years, yes 2 years and they still look brand new. The fit makes you look very trim in deed and believe me that is proved and tested as I have not been to the gym for a while, (2nd mental note after this update on designers blog, i am off for a swim and cross trainer, i cant run at the moment too manic for that and need to come down some more so yoga is more needed!)
The highlight still to come for the week is friday, as we shoot our TV series! Yes TV, thats crazy hey; life can throw the maddest things your way if you wait long enough. i just said yes when asked, i am finding this helps in life, yes to good stuff, no to bad stuff. Once I can, i will tell you all about the series I am doing.
well thats it for this week, so please keep your faith in RUBY and please do not forget to let me know what more you would like to see from us, after all you and us are the RUBY family.
enquries@rubylondon.com always works for feedback at the moment if you are interested xxx
God bless and bye, bye for now kate xxx
Posted on 8/20/2008 at 6:43 PM by kate
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