Everyone deserves a KIS®, a Job and American made products!
Wabasha, MN (PRWEB) June 02, 2014
Create a job today.....Go to http://www.kisfashions.com, pre-order your new KIS®handbag - WIN WIN!
Kelly McDonald is the founder and designer of KIS® Fashions, LLC. Kelly, an accomplished business woman, who uses her vision and artistic sense to create handbag designs that are innovative and functional while setting the trends for the women who want this AND that, not this OR that. Her "luxury only" approach, selecting only the best quality for every detail, suiting the needs of all women, especially appealing to those with higher ambitions and tastes.
Kelly lost her sight in 1990 and remained visually impaired until she recovered from Corneal Transplant surgery, later the following year. Kelly expressed that during her time without sight, touch became very important. Not only to find things, but also for comfort. Softness and luxury feel gave a sense of something more than just nice.
When asked, Kelly tells how she handled this as a single female in her early 20's, her reply was; 'Well, I would walk into plants, tip over beverages, run right into people, mismatch my socks and struggle with my makeup. I had to simplify my life and strengthen my sense of humor. Ya know, keep it simple, silly, sexy, sophisticated, special, stylish, sporty, sassy, smart, scrumptious, spectacular and sleek and..."
It was realized then, KIS® is more than the name of the Handbags, "KIS® it is a way of Life."
Within the 1st year of KIS®, the handbags received outstanding recognition. The KIS® customer’s love their soft, luxurious, KIS® designer, handbags and knowing the KIS® approach; soft, supple and solution minded, the KIS® customers asked for KIS® apparel.
The KIS® apparel is all made from Bamboo; soft, supple, luxurious, all natural, organic. Loungewear and sleepwear started the apparel line. The reorders and positive customer reviews has KIS® expanding and adding; shorts, shirts, and dresses.
Kelly and KIS® Fashions has collaborated with the Minneapolis Art Institute, and their Fashion Students. The students were asked to design with the KIS® customer in mind. “Working with the talent and free-spirit of the students was so rewarding”, Kelly said. “I am so impressed, they really thought of the KIS® customer while bringing the cutting edge, trend setting, designs that are also solution minded – AND, not or!”
It was at this time that Kelly was working with a designer and the designer commented, “I wish I would’ve had an opportunity like that when I was in Fashion school.” This is how the Design4America project started. Every 3 months, KIS® has a contest open to Fashion Design students and recent (within 5 years) graduates. The winning designs are put into production under the KIS® brand and the students have an opportunity to show their talents, create income and launch their careers. As consumers, we get to know the “actual” designer and help to enhance their career growth.
In May of 2013, KIS® received a request that they design a handbag, which would be an exclusive for a special group of ladies. The group loved the design and asked that KIS® make exactly 76 bags. KIS® took this opportunity to look at manufacturing in the USA. Numerous factories from California, Georgia, Texas, New York, Illinois and more were contacted. Kelly remembers how excited she was to be part of the solution; manufacturing in the USA and enhancing employment opportunities. The conversations with each factory were that KIS® should be prepared to triple or quadruple their price points and if that was not an option, they would introduce KIS® to their factories overseas. Kelly just felt that there had to be a better way, a smarter way, while getting the “feel good” element that she was so excited about.
This is how AMUSA, LLC, America USA, has begun. With the order for 76 handbags; Kelly assembled a team of skilled and local talent, sourced all materials from US companies and produced 76 stunning luxury KIS® designer handbags, at a price that competes with the quotes received from overseas factories.
American, quality made product, job and community enhancement while maintaining affordable price points. Kelly was asked, “why is AMUSA able to compete the way they can?” Kelly’s response tied everything together. She replied, “I own a company named KIS®, meaning, keep it simple, which reminds me to step back and look at things quite simply. Money is not “made” by KIS® when manufacturing overseas or at any of the factories I phoned within the USA – in fact, there is a cost and someone else is making profit. US factories may find themselves in larger cities, where rents and payrolls are typically much higher than smaller towns, like Wabasha, MN. AMUSA is able to keep rents low, provide a quality of life for employees in Wabasha, MN, while keeping payroll reasonable and profit isn’t getting in the way of providing a competitive price. That’s keeping it simple, smart and a little silly.”
AMUSA, the new textile factory, is the house for KIS® manufacturing of all KIS® products. AMUSA is also the home for a couple of other US companies. They will be manufacturing pet products for a MN company, motorcycle apparel and safety items for another MN company and yet another MN textiles product company with a very unique twist with their special product line. Kelly says, “with all these different companies, AMUSA is like a “co-operative” in that these great companies are all coming together to make this happen. Quality, American made products, jobs and community enhancement – I just can’t say it enough.”
What a great story, but there’s more… AMUSA in Wabasha, MN may just be the start. This new venture, the how, what, why and where of it all is being shared with other rural areas throughout the USA. Imagine a factory in your favorite small town, creating jobs, enhancing the community and manufacturing quality products, AMUSA here and now is helping to make that happen.