Posts filed under: ‘bejeweled by susan fixel‘
Bejeweled, by Susan Fixel available at SpoiledBrat
Entirely self-taught, Susan Fixel mastered her trade in the field. Working her way through every facet of design and production, from oversees knitting mills in Asia to selling in retail showrooms in the States. In between, she scoured European fabric markets and design trade shows, always searching for her next flash of inspiration. In 1979, long before Reebok and Nike had tapped into the massive potential of the active-wear market, Fixel and her husband partnered in establishing “Softouch”, one of the leading workout clothing companies of the 1980’s, with Susan in charge of design. “I had just had a child, and I was looking for clothes to work out in and there was nothing,” Fixel says. “No one else was making such things. That’s always how I am. If someone else is doing it already, I don’t want to do it.”“I was coming back on an airplane from New York, flipping through a magazine, Fixel recalls. “I was seeing all these unbelievable Chopard watches, with these magnificent crystals and diamonds, and I thought, ‘There has got to be a way I can reinterpret these onto clothing’.”She wasted no time: “I came home and hit the computer, looking for graphics to embellish.” Fixel was especially drawn to the emblematic flourishes of biker jackets and the Gothic ornament of concert tees.
Thus was born Bejeweled. Money-cautious friends advised Fixel to keep her budding clothing line as a hobby.. However, her early customers were clamoring for samples faster than Fixel could create them. As a result, Fixel took her inspiration to the next level. Since then, Bejeweled has blossomed into a multi-million dollar label with 30 employees, operating out of Weston, FL near Ft. Lauderdale.A truly creative spirit, the tireless Fixel travels throughout Europe and the United States 40 weeks out of the year, taking off whenever the muse calls, always on the lookout for the future of style. “I don’t stay put for too long,” Fixel says, “I spend my extra time always looking for the next trend. It’s quite unpredictable – influenced by people, places, perceptions, and events that are random and unforeseen.”
Add a comment May 18, 2008