添芬藍 Series 41 - Manufactured bags, finally!

After the recent launches of shoes & a dress, I have queries coming in to my Formspring & TFL's inbox,
asking if Tian Fen Lan will be launching bags before Chinese New year. 

Yes, of course!

That's what Tian Fen Lan is synonymous with. =)

The shipment took longer to reach, hence the later launch.

Here's what's coming up on Monday night!

Bags with mutiple pockets are such love!
This is like a more quaint version of TFL's bestseller, M07 Sammi Satchel 
 I have added in a shoulder pad, as I dislike thin straps cutting into my shoulders or my clothing.
If you prefer it without, you can just cut it off. =)

I am one of those gals who spent a lot of time frantically hunting for that lipgloss, tissue paper, mobile phone or keys in the deep abysses of my handbag. 

And as I dig in my bag with both hands, I will be like, "Gosh, where is it? Arrrrgh, quick come out! Did I leave it at home? No, I remember seeing it just now. Aaah, I see the tip of it! Urrrgh! At last!"

There was a time when I overturned this gigantic tote of mine, just to find my mobile phone. 

With the bits & pieces that tumbled out, it was not a pretty sight. =D

This pretty satchel has a little pocket at the back and a key chain strap internally. 

No more worries about being unable to find your keys!

The straps can be adjusted to be shoulder straps & crossbody straps.

All the frontal pockets has magnetic closure for easy opening!

On a side note, I love how the model pairs the red satchel with the red Mary Janes. 

So charming & adorable when the bag matches the shoes, in a striking & unusual shade of colour. 

In case you do not know, here's how the Mary Janes came about. =D

Photo credits: Ninewest.com

 When I first saw this bag, I was going all gaga over it.
Hobos are a great choice for a casual outing.
But what won me over was the use of a triple layer functional pockets + 3 internal compartments!
It is of a very ideal size, not too big nor too small.
This bag is so totally functional, without sacrifcing on the 'oomph' factor.
You will also have a choice of using the straps as a shoulder bag or with longer straps.

I love bronze metalware, as I don't have to worry about the shipment arriving with it being tarnished or horribly scratched. =D

The colours of the bags look duller in the studio photos.

Here's real life pictures of them!

You might not be able to see it from the photos, but the quality of both bags are superb!

It is like buying from a high street retail store! =D

I am very pleased with how the goods turn out and I can't wait for you girls to get your hands on the bags & see for yourself how great the bags look in real life!

Just for this pre-CNY period, Tian Fen Lan will be doing daily parcel posting from 24 Jan till 02 Feb.

If you need next day courier delivery, just email Tian Fen Lan for the quote.

It is available at an extra S$4-S$6, depending on how many items are in the parcel. 

Silly as it might sounds, it somehow feels good to be selling bags again after a short hiatus since the last bag launch in Dec.

The last time I manufactured bags was in June 2010.

Just for memory's sake, here's what have been made by TFL so far.

From left to right: R12 Herms Vintage, 2819 Alexa & 2901 Leah

 3 different models, 3 different styles.

I'm talking about the bags.

One thing in common: hundreds have been sold and they are all on TFL's bestsellers' list.
No single non-manufacured item on TFL matches the rate & quantity of these bags sold.
This is, honestly, a great consolation, given that there were so many obstacles faced in getting these bags out.

I stopped manufacturing for a long while because I could not cope with the workload then and there were no reliable suppliers.
But it was something I wished I did not. Keeping up with the momentum would have been wiser.
If there's one thing I can redo, it would be to start off having an e-commerce website earlier.
It is less prone to human error and frees up more time for other backend & conceptualising work.
Plus, it would look so much better than my un-flattering artwork.

It used to be such an uphill task to find a nice bag at a nice price. 

But blogshops have made it so much easier for everyone. I LOVE online shopping! =D
It is so Uniquely Singapore! Hahaha!

The government should be real happy with the omnipresence of blogshops, I hope.

We sprouted like nobody's business, not heeding to any government-led intitiative (which means no funding/subsidies) and have spawned a micro economy for all those involved.

Just imagine, all those who benefitted from this unplanned growth,
studios, camera companies, envelopes suppliers, wholesalers/suppliers, oppt tape manufacturers, logistics companies & our dear SingPost. =P

It is now really possible to work from home!

Okay, I sidetracked.

A customer once wrote to me saying it must have been a big gamble to hold so many bags instock & venture into manufacturing. 

Yes, it is indeed.
Sometimes when I look back, I wonder how I get myself here too and gosh, what have I done? Hahaha!

It was real fun to sell Taiwan bags, as they come in all sorts of candy colours & materials.

But it is more fulfilling to manufacture designs of even better quality that
I would really love to share with my customers, some of whom have been buying from me since 2008.

Selling something that really speaks of my personal style and hoping to have like-minded customers is such an amazing enrichment to this little business of mine. 

If my style does not appeal, then of course, it's still back to numbers in the end. 

But surely, with 3 previous designs hitting the bestsellers' list & the customer base much smaller then,
I hope that means my sense of style will not fail me 'numerically'.
Ever.

Hmm...think I sounded a tad incoherent in this post. Must be because I have been up since 430am to rush everything out in time.

See you, gals, on Monday night for the launch!
Timing will be announced when I get the photos from the photographer on Monday!