wod madness:13
Posted In Blog,Entries
i think my feet are still recovering from this past saturday,
but, man, was vending at world of dance an experience!
(photo via melly lee)
being part of the hip hop dance circuit for a split second, i never actually competed (or attended) world of dance. i’ve always heard about it though… well, just about its craziness. it’s definitely a change of pace from the regular so cal circuit, whether that’s your cup of tea or not. regardless though, as a vendor, i couldn’t complain. the masses were there, and they were ready to update their closets.
i’m not even gonna front, when i rolled in through the pomona fairplex at 11am though, i immediately felt intimidated. if you’ve seen my stuff, it’s pretty obvious my style doesn’t exactly fit in the “urban/hiphop” mold… so rolling in my pandas and pastels in a sea of oversized graphics and hype galore, i felt slightly out of place. but once the doors opened at 3pm, and the dancers and spectators were flooding the floors, i was welcomed by open arms and worries no longer! no joke though, i’ve had my share of really bad and really good shows… but my 13-hour day at world of dance was, by far, the best show i’ve ever done. i wasn’t sure how the hip hop scene would receive my brand, but after this weekend, have no doubt that i’ll be around! pandas, ninjas, and cuteness about to penetrate the circuit – are you ready? hahaha.
ah, and then there’s my dream team. last week i put out an update on twitter and facebook that i was looking for a few helpers for saturday (thanks to all of you who offered, btw), and was blessed with three amazing individuals: nahgooyin, janice, and addie. i taught them the ropes of how i go about things, and within minutes, they were acting like they had been doing it forever. i really wouldn’t have survived that day without them. there were times when the booth was madness, and four transactions going on at the same time… and other times, i just needed them to get me through the long hours and blasting music coming from different sides of the arena.
janice, addie, nahgooyin
speaking of music, i nearly lost my voice (and sanity) because it was so loud. i’d be talking to customers 5 inches from me, and pretty much had to scream at the top of my lungs and repeat myself several times. thank you to all the new faces i met yesterday — i really wish the conditions allowed me to chitty-chat with you guys more, but your enthusiasm and amazingness made my day. seriously. if you’re reading this, don’t be a stranger! leave a comment and frequent my blog and fan page!
feng (quest crew) having a celebrity meet-and-greet in front my booth… LOL
(photo via melly lee)
(photo via melly lee)
EDIT: more photos now posted on the fan page!
by the end of the day, i was pretty much a mess. razzled and beat, but still coming off a high from how amazing the day was. again, thank you to my dream team for their amazing assistance, melly lee for snapping a couple shots, and all the new faces i got to meet! hope to see you at the next event!
and i’m out. \\//
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Yay I love your style and how fun to be a vendor at WOD! You’re way too cute! I went to UCI too. I wish I was still there :) but Etsy is fun too!
You are so cute! :D I really love your work! <3
I certainly know the feeling of, "Does my work fit in here?" and "How will people here receive it?" I'm glad you tried a new venue. It gives me courage to try new ones as well! There aren't as many shows it seems here that I have access to on the East coast, since places like New York, Maryland, and Florida are bit of a drive for me…but I did my first show last November and loved it! This summer I'm going to a really big show and I need all the encouragement I can get. It can be intimidating trying to "fit in" as an artist in this small world. Thank you for the inspiration! :)
Ah, I was reading this a few hours ago and forgot to leave a comment.
The last picture is cute x)
My friends went to WOD so I told them to stop by and check out your booth because one of them wanted a panda bum sweater for the longest (and she finally got it. Whenever she sees my panda bum button on my backpack, she keeps saying she wants the sweater). She wore it to school and gah, can’t believe how soft it is!
hahaha she mentioned you! :)
Hi Steppie,
I just wanted to congratulate you on your success. This sounds like a new stepping stone for your brand as well as a window into other communities.
This along with all the support you get doesn’t surprise me, though. From our conversations, I can tell that you definitely put the work and thought into it. I’m excited to see this brand grow even more from here.
Have a great week
(and remember to get some rest too)
Angela
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ah! I love your stuff! Love from another Stephanie here! :D
Alright you actually made it a gif :D
heck yeah i did!
My Mom, kids and I love your designs! Especially my Mom who wanted to pick up a sweater because she forgot hers at home. She browsed the aisles at WOD and everything was not her style until we saw the steppie booth and we finally stopped. My daughter picked up the glasses which she adores and made took a pic with and made a wallpaper and my Mom grabbed the purple sweater. My son has made me promise to grab him a ninja shirt or something from your shop. Which I intend on doing. Forever a steppie fan!
ahh – this is seriously the sweetest comment ever! thank you for your + your family’s support. it really means the world to me. bringing some steppie into the lives of everyone in your family – woot!
i’m glad you found me, and i hope to see you guys again soon at a future show. please don’t be a stranger!
No. But now i will. Thanks for that.
hahaha she mentioned you! :)