KOKOON Daily

As the Duke and Duchess are on the brink of parenthood, I couldn’t help but revisit Meghan’s wardrobe journey on the road to motherhood…it’s almost as exciting as the royal wedding!

This gauzy striped number raised some eyebrows with the thigh high slit, but I love the easy breezy silhouette by Reformation.

How cute are Meghan and Harry? And Meghan’s boyfriend blazer by Serena Wiliams worn over a simple untucked white shirt is a clasic wardrobe solution, preggers or not.

I just remember how hard it was to get dressed and go out after a certain point in my pregnancies. I definitely moved pased the ‘cute pregnant lady’ stage pretty early on so I have to give Meghan a lot of credit. Did you like being pregnant? Did you like your pregnancy wardrobe? Did you stop trying to look good (put together) at any point while being pregnant? What were your go-to wardrobe staples during pregnancy? Man, that was a long time ago for me, I would love to hear your experieneces and recommendations for moms-to-be!! XO, Laine

Mandy Moore’s wedding dress from last month still has me blush-ing! The sweet layers of tulle were a custom version of a Rodarte design and included a sheer rosy veil with embroidered flowers.

Not only having been married in white before and opting for something different this time around, Mandy embodies boho, vintage-inspired trends in her current fashion and designs. The wedding was held at her gorgeous mid-century modern home in LA…

…transformed with layers of rugs and flora in her backyard. The day was filled with pink and blush décor and floral arrangements. Everything looked fresh, personal, unpretentious, and spot on.

Here’s a closer look at the back of the dress and veil.

What a beautiful setting…perfection!

The days are getting darker, colder and we tend to lose motivation when all we want to do is cuddle inside. Exercise during the winter months is arguably more beneficial than in other seasons because it gives our “winter bodies” what they’re lacking.

1. Fight the Blues

Fighting the blues also means fighting the urge to curl up on the couch. One word: Endorphins! Workouts release endorphins that create feelings of positivity which, in turn, can help ease the feelings of depression some of us experience in the wintertime.

2. Avoid Winter Weight

Holiday eating (YUM!) is infamous for getting us off track. Don’t skip the pie, workout instead - our leggings have got you covered at Thanksgiving dinner and at the gym.

3. Warm Up!

Heat your body without turning up the thermostat ~ the extra body heat generated from your workout helps ease stiffness and aches. I love the feeling of being in a hot yoga room and my favorite is Corepower. I love their hot yoga Sculpt classes, although it’s more bootcamp than yoga, but they do say Namaste at the end…after yelling at you for an hour, LOL.

4. Treat Yourself

Vegging out feels so much better when you’ve earned it! Enjoy some self pampering with a steamy shower (try this in-shower mask ~ so reasonable and I love all the products in this line!) and a hot tea or Bailey’s and decaf ;-) and then enjoy curling up on the couch with this cozy wrap.

Happy Voting Day! In honor of this important Tuesday, we’re offering 30% off these patriotic pieces by using code VOTE30. Shop by clicking on the photos and remember - just like the polling stations - these deals won’t last long!

KOKOON has been Made in the USA since we were born in 1987. Ethical, small batch manufacturing is one of our core values.

Our Brookland Blouse is one of our classic bestsellers. This Navy Red Stripe is a super soft stretchy jersey with a brushed surface.

#girlboss #bosslady #momboss #boss...there's a reason these hashtags are popular, but they're more than just buzzwords. The thought of flexibility/control/work-life balance is very appealing, but the distance between the hashtag and reality can be long and daunting. Direct Sales offers so many affordable opportunities to dealve into entrepreneurship, and it doesn't mean you have to be the pesky person always trying to recruit or hound people. Direct Sales has come a long way and evolved into a very broad category with so many different options. And really, anyone can do it. If you've ever given a restaurant recommendation or shared your enthusiasm for a new book you're reading...you're basically already doing direct sales.

So, here are my 6 Steps To Becoming Your Own Boss.  1) Dream it. If you can dream it, you can do it. Your Dream is the root of motivation. Without it you cannot be passionate nor authentic about your endeavors. If your dream is to control your own destiny and work in fashion, you can do that. 2) Research. There are tons of choices out there...which company do you feel most confident putting your name behind? Look for a company that aligns with you ~ the product style and pricepoint for sure, but also the business model, investment, business practices, mission, and overall vibe. If you aren't loving and wearing the product you're representing, then you aren't representing at all, you're just trying to sell something.  3) Invest In Yourself. Whether creating a business from scratch, opening a franchise, or becoming a Direct Sale independent business owner, entrepreneurship requires an investment and I'm not just talking about money. When you decide to Invest In Yourself,  your energy, intention, dazzling personality, and unique bundle of talents and skills become powerful tools to benefit your dreams and your future...not someone else's.

4) Define your success. Success is not a one-size-fits-all concept. Maybe success is simply having a way to feed your clothing habit, or earning some income for your child's lessons, or a family vacation. Maybe it's a way to connect with other women and be part of something that feels like you. Maybe it's a way to earn part-time income around your family's schedule, or a path to replacing a full time job. Recognize what your success looks like. That will help you set attainable goals.  5) Plan it; Do it. Ok, you have the Dream, you've done the Research, you're ready to Invest In Yourself, and you know what your Success looks like...now it's time to make it happen. Set goals. Create a calendar of do-able steps to get your business launched. There will be guidance and hand holding along the way, but you are the supreme leader of your own universe. Nothing takes the place of DOING, and no one will work harder for your success than you. 6) Have Fun & Shine. When we say, "Do What You Love" we mean it! Work should be fun...life's too short for it not to be! The fun factor is the secret sauce and it's what attracts others to you, always. Shine being in your element, helping women look and feel wonderful, and being a part of our KOKOON community!  That's it. Those are my 6 Steps. They're simple but they work. And I truly believe that when you allow yourself to do what you love, everything else in your life becomes more fulfilling.  I hope you love KOKOON as much as we do! XO, 

That week between opening the box and having to present the results went pretty fast, and as I mentioned before, it was way more stressful than I anticipated.  So, on April 17th we had a special Facebook Live event that featured a bunch of "Few of A Kind" special order styles and then also pieces I designed using the fabrics from the 'mystery box' of fabric.  (Thank Goodness the video worked. The last two FB Live events we did were simply horrible video quality and we lost a lot of viewers because of it. I was really nervous and trying to be confident which you can see at the beginning of the video.) I really loved the results, and the 'audience went wild' (muffled cheering in the background), no seriously, the reaction was so fun and it's been even more super fun to get messages and emails the last few days from people who have since watched the video wanting to order the Few Of A Kinds from the show.  So, here it is, the FB Live Show with the Design Challenge Results plus other super limiteds and Few Of A Kinds.  

(Thank Goodness the video worked. The last two FB Live events we did were simply horrible video quality and we lost a lot of viewers because of it. I was really nervous and trying to be confident which you can see at the beginning of the video.) I really loved the results, and the 'audience went wild' (muffled cheering in the background), no seriously, the reaction was so fun and it's been even more super fun to get messages and emails the last few days from people who have since watched the video wanting to order the Few Of A Kinds from the show.  So, here it is, the FB Live Show with the Design Challenge Results plus other super limiteds and Few Of A Kinds.  

To help celebrate #smallbusinesssaturday, KOKOON is shining a spotlight on our community of clients and sales reps who walk the walk of being a small business owner!  As our very first feature, we're excited to introduce you to KOKOON client and Girl Boss: Tricia Utley LE and her business American Apothecary!

Not only is Tricia a fashion queen (what KOKOON customer isn't?) she is also a Certified Holistic Skin Care Specialist and Holistic Lifestyle Coach.

Her passion for skin care and holistic remedies rooted from her personal struggle with dry, sensitive skin, and hormonal acne issues. After almost 20 years of dealing with these issues, Tricia was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Instead of sitting back and accepting her condition, Tricia became committed to her health journey and soon found the correlation between diet, stress, toxic skincare, and environmental toxins. Tricia works in the treatment room and also is an esthetics instructor and trainer. Her knowledge includes everything from skin nutrition to medical modalities. Through Tricia's personal health struggles, she managed to find the silver lining by helping her clients achieve healthy, radiant, toned skin, as well as overall health and well-being. Her current area of study is women's hormone health and Tricia is passionate about teaching women how to live in harmony with their cycles.

Tricia says: "Skin health isn't just about beauty, it's about living a beautiful healthy life!"

Last week's unexpectedly perfect weather mix of warm plus overcast allowed us to not only finish shooting some fall merch, but some spring styles as well! We were able to get most of it done before the sun burned away our cloud cover, then we booked it back to Melissa's studio to finish up some upcoming sale and SOTW items.  Our new intern, Anne, joined us to do a little behind the scenes filming. Take a peek at this fun behind the scenes look at our KOKOON photo shoot! 

A few more snaps of the photo shoot ~ featuring one of our new favorites, the KOKOON Hitch a Ride Pullover in Lagoon (for future release). The Celery and Navy were just introduced and these feel so amazing...the washed rib knit is spongy and really has nice substance. From crunches to brunches, this top does it all in comfy style!

The idea of creating a capsule wardrobe may be rooted in good intentions, but the quest for freedom through wardrobe simplicity can get complicated and frustrating. My mantra regarding a capsule wardrobe is my mantra about most things in life ~ it will reveal itself. In this video of Bad Moms Unite ~ Back to Cool, I share my (truly) time saving trick to creating your capsule wardrobe with zero effort, answer pressing questions like, "What's the number one styling mistake that women make?", and dispense do-able tips to make the most of what you already own to help you fall in love with your wardrobe.  To participate in all our Live interactive video events, join our KOKOON VIP Group, we would love to see you there! 

What is your 'I AM'?

Most people I know respond like so:

I AM (their name) Laine Sou. I AM (their profession) a fashion designer. I AM (their identity) a wife and mother.  I AM (their hobbies and interests) a tennis player, a foodie, a rookie gardener. I AM (their qualities) creative, social, intuitive.  But when our list is exhausted, those I AM's can become less than kind.  Today, reinforce your inner spirit with some I AM boosters. We are what we tell ourselves, and we tell ourselves what we will accept from ourselves.

I attended a Fashion Group International trend event last week, and met an interesting (and very stylish) woman who asked me, given the current retail climate, what I felt the biggest challenges are and where was I spending my energy right now?   I replied it's really two separate and completely opposite areas...on one hand you have the demands of social media and increasing online sales, and on the other you have the extremely personal part of the business with clients who seek out the personal care of their our stylists helping each one of their clients individually or at a pop up. To think one or the other is a satisfying business model is a mistake.  Women (everyone) are not one dimensional, and neither are their shopping habits.  Social media enhances the hands-off online shopping model, but it equally enhances our clients' connection to their personal stylist and to our brand. You have to keep both plates spinning at the same time.

Which leads me to this...our first ever interactive Facebook Live shopping event, this Tuesday, June 6th at 7 to 8 pm CST.  Here we go...social media as driver of both hands-off online shopping and highly personal engagement between us, our clients, and our stylists.

After 29 years in business, we've adapted A LOT along the way, and we'll keep saying it...Change is Good!

When I first started designing I was part of a design cooperative called Local Motion in Minneapolis. It stopped be a co-op many years ago but I still sell there, pretty much the last remaining retail relationship we have, and it has been an amazing relationship. 

And now I'm please to announce KOKOON is going to join another local Minneapolis designer collective, Showroom, on April 1st! Starting Saturday, you can find a nice selection of current styles at their Uptown Minneapolis store. Kinda back to our roots! I'm also excited because Tess' jewelry line, Belle Isle Design Co, is also there, and it's fun to do something together. If you're in the Twin Cities, be sure to stop by and check out the local design scene!  Showroom | 615 West Lake Street | Minneapolis

The studio is super busy right now, designing to fill in for spring/summer. These florals are so fresh and I can't wait to work them up. 

One of our most frequent requests this season has been more options in our Santa Fe blouse...a simple top, I had no idea we would blow through them so quickly. But, sometimes the simplest wardrobe solutions are the best wardrobe solutions.  So, we sampled one in the top floral, we're calling this print the Garten of Ina ;-) 

We had a really fun photo shoot on Tuesday with a new-to-us model, Alesya, who was just a doll and so sweet!

Happy Monday, Lovelies!

Today I want to share with you a question I received in a Facebook message. Jackie wrote and said she sometimes has difficulty finding casual wear after having had a double mastectomy and choosing not to have reconstructive surgery, or as she called it, 'Living Flat'. 

I admittedly was (and am) ignorant about this particular wardrobe need. I did some research and found some support groups online and discovered that a growing number of women are opting out of reconstructive surgery (sometimes it is not an option) and some, as Jackie mentioned, are choosing to Live Flat...it's a thing. 

I thought I would be the perfect person to dole out advice on this topic, since I'm very flat chested, but this is different.  Some women in these groups professed to feel freer and are embracing their new flat chested shape. Others are dealing with scar tissue or concave issues and so it can be very challenging to dress confidently.

Overall, the impression I got was a desire to be able to dress cute and not deny their flatness nor draw attention to it. It is what it is. 

So, here's a short video with my fashion advice:

Some general elements to look for:

1) Always wear a cami or slip as your starting point. We like ours, but any will do as long as it has a more silky hand rather than cotton-y hand. Not only will it feel better on your skin, it will help your clothes glide over your body and lay better.

2) When shopping for knits, go for ones with some body, thickness, or texture, which will prevent clingy-ness. I gave examples of knit boucles, jacquard knits, stretch crepe, and french terry loop. 

3) Look for fabrics with surface texture, prints, or both, like our lace trimmed Bridget Tunic or 7th Inning Lace Tee. 

4) Gathering or shirring around the neck and shoulders help fabrics fall away easily from the body.  5) If you can do a ruffle, ruffles are a great camouflage.  6) Embrace the ability to go bra-less (if you can) and wear some flattering off-shoulder styles in fabrics with more structure, like a lightweight chambray or seersucker. I showed a sneak peek of some upcoming styles that are currently in development. I love helping women feel confident and beautiful and I hope my input is helpful.   If you have any fashion questions or would like some wardrobe advice, please feel free to message us on our Facebook Page or leave a comment below!

XO,

One of our former business partners (now passed away) once told me that fear was his biggest motivator. Not money, not success...Fear. He said it jokingly, but he meant it.  And this was from a highly successful person. Someone who started as a teacher, he left because he was afraid he couldn't earn enough money to support his wife and growing family. He took a sales job with a very large national company and rose through the ranks to eventually become CEO. 

That has always stayed with me, not just because of what he said, but because he said it out loud and the fact that a highly successful person would admit that they were scared was a revelation. I have to admit that fear has always been one of my biggest motivators...fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, fear of letting people down.  And I think that's true for many people, so you could say fear helps move you towards accomplishing your goals, and that's not a bad thing at all. 

Last week some of our (amazing) sales reps shared some of their own tips and best practices for social media, including utilizing videos. But video is scary to just about everyone.  And one key piece of advice that really resonated was, "Do It Scared." Waiting until your comfort zone catches up with you just isn't a winning strategy.  Last week I tried my own Live FB Video. It was just a product information slash training video for our sales reps who weren't able to join us at our New Orleans sales meeting, but the idea of doing it terrified me.  Who was it that said, "there's nothing to fear but fear itself"? I always thought that was a dumb saying...there's plenty of valid reasons to be scared. But, often the idea of doing something really is scarier than just doing it. So, I did it and it went fine.

And then it became the whole Give a Mouse a Cookie thing...now the reps want product info videos to share with clients.  So, guess what? Now we're doing product info videos.    Here's the first one. Talk about scary. And it would be ever so nice if I could figure out how to change the stop frame for the video.  Anyway, if you could give us a thumbs up on You Tube that would be nice.

XO,