Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Pich.
Hi Dana, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up a creative kid in Orange County and knew that regular undergrad life was not for me. My junior year of high school, I early committed to FIDM here in Los Angeles and was constantly counting down the days until I could live, work, study, and play in all the craziness of Downtown LA. I began schooling in the summer of 2015 and studied Visual Communications, I chose the most broad major because I wasn’t sure what I was interested in and really didn’t know what my career arc would look like beyond graduating. The program was focused on basic graphic design, prop and set building, visual merchandising and anything else that fell under the general design umbrella. I worked retail through college to pay the bills but had longed for something more creative and hands on. In 2017 I finally got sick of retail and had found myself jumping at a chance to accept a role as Social Media & Content Coordinator for a small clothing startup in San Francisco. My resume ended up tripling itself in size after my move.
The Social Media role didn’t last beyond two months, I contracted for various clothing companies, I was laid off twice and of course Covid made it difficult to find something new after the second lay off. Somewhere along that string of jobs, I was working as Merchandise Coordinator for a fast fashion company, I had gotten the idea to make a vinyl bag. I sketched up a design, purchased the materials and asked my roommate if she could construct the sample, to which she obliged. The bag came out less than structurally sound but it was my design and I loved it. I was enthralled with the idea of having an actual representation of something that I had dreamed up and my creativity wanted more. I purchased my own sewing machine, combined the knowledge I learned at FIDM, sewing skills from Middle School Home Ec and Gr8dane World was born! I worked tirelessly creating a brand identity, reworking designs, learning more about design and construction, and how to run a business. I started selling bags to friends by word of mouth and through a Depop page that I had been selling old clothes on. Depop loved my bags and began featuring me on their Instagram and in app explore page on a consistent basis, which began contributing to my growth. The bags started selling and I no longer felt like my life revolved around printing reports and sorting fast fashion samples.
Time went on and I started participating in local pop ups and marketplaces in the Bay Area and the business kept growing. Early 2018 my business began gaining notoriety across Instagram and I scored some features in articles for i-d, Who What Wear, and Nylon. I never thought that this tiny business that I ran out of half of my bedroom would be so well received. In 2019, I was granted a scholarship booth for West Coast Craft’s first show here in Los Angeles and was beyond thrilled to show my designs at such a large scale event. Although I was working a 9-5 job, everyday after my commute home I’d sew, pack orders, source local materials, work on social content and continue to grow this magical little brand. Coming off of a high from WCC at the end of 2019 and being featured as a “Designer to Watch in 2020” via Nylon, 2020 told me to calm down and stay humble. Covid-19 canceled all summer events and shows I had planned, people were spending less money on non-necessities, and I freshly laid off of my 9-5 for a second time. Slowly, things started to pick back up and while I was on the hunt for a new day job, I had eight months to solely dedicate myself to grow my business and only focus on that. My sales were the best they had ever been, I was busting out content on a regular basis, I was working on new designs and I knew that things were falling into place. Although I knew that I wanted to continue working for myself, my fear stepped in and told me to get a new full-time job.
In September of 2020, I finally landed a new day job and began to backburner Gr8dane World. Learning a new job and working from the same space that I created in began to burn me out. I focused less and less on my brand’s growth and didn’t know where to go from there. Being chewed up and spit out by the workforce in San Francisco, my photographer boyfriend and I decided to leave and continue pursuing our creative passions in LA. As a result of the move, he quit his 9-5 job and began freelancing while I continued my 9-5 and then sewing everyday from 5-9. I saw the happiness and freedom being the boss of his own time granted him and after one too many hang-ups with my day job, I quit. Which brings us to present day! I’m now working for myself and running my brand full-time. I’m hopeful that marketplaces and in person events will resume this summer and I can’t wait to see where my business goes now that I’m all in. I worry about finances constantly and am trying my best to trust the process. I just know that working for myself is more fulfilling and gratifying than selling my soul to the corporate world for a pretty penny and health insurance. Running my business has helped me realize that we don’t need to continue doing things the way people have always done them.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to running your own business is never smooth, right?! While I hate harping on Covid-19, it really did stall my growth. In the beginning of 2020, people weren’t really buying unnecessary items, my wholesale orders stopped rolling in, and all of my in person events last summer and this fall were canceled. Although these unfortunate events kept stacking up, I was able to make creative shifts and focus on things like online sample sales and limited edition product releases.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Gr8dane World is a small batch handbag and accessory line that focuses on minimizing waste while using deadstock and recyclable materials. While the majority of my products are made from PVC, i.e., not the most sustainable material, I’m most proud of how my latest designs that minimize waste by creating one off product runs using all scraps. Gr8dane World is known for its modernized utilitarian look and freakish feel. The combination of transparent vinyl and chunky plastic chains creates stop and stare pieces that are a style of their very own. I feel like my designs don’t necessarily fit into any of the microtrends that we see flooding Instagram and TikTok and I’m proud of how they live in their own little niche. Like yes, we do see basic vinyl bags a lot now that they’re required for large sporting events or festivals, but have you seen anything like Gr8dane World?! Probably not!
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m a self-taught designer and seamstress! While I studied basic principles of design at FIDM, I’ve taught myself how to draft patterns, create tech packs. and construct my designs using one of the trickiest materials.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://gr8daneworld.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gr8daneworld/
Image Credits:
Image Credits – Sean Doolan
