inviting you ...


CEO & Founder: Brigid Brady, LLC


bb wears...by Brigid Brady
(initial recap ... collecting my thoughts ...working on this as an overview -
want to remember everything and will clean this up eventually)

who is bb? ...starting my own business has always been a dream
but there really has been a method to my madness ...
with many years of experience in different roles within the specialty retail businesses, including prestige fragrances, jewelry, watches and home textiles, an online start-up and a short stint at an event planning company
but primarily sales and merchandising and sales management ...
I found my self drawn to the more creative side ...
product development, design concepts, web design and development and marketing after intuitively seeing some voids/opportunities in the market place ...
and also after the many years of the ups and downs in the fashion world
I instinctually wanted to create something with more staying power,
I knew I wanted a solid structure and have skewed the product offerings to provide a business that is driven more by core basics, reorderables, events and the fashion line
rather than a price point or a onetime fashion collection as they say technically wrapped in a lifestyle brand ...
the lifestyle brand really came about from a series of product development ideas ...
and was pleasantly surprised to see how they all would fit into a lifestyle brand which I did want it to become because I thought this would provide a cohesive presentation and give it the solid foundation that I was looking for ...
something to connect to

a lot of the marketing ideas come from the trends of our times:
fashion is casual, the concern for the health and vitality of the bees, global warming, the need to create more awareness around the importance of pollination and ensuring seed production, being socially conscious, interactivity, word games,
the void in specialty fund raising tools, along with the explosion of media and social media and thought the best place to launch these ideas is with
the media ... and social media
the first idea came to me while being stuck in an airport by myself on a layover,
at LAX 2008 wishing I was wearing something interactive ...
something to initiate a easy way to start a conversation
I was living in Sausalito at the time, I came home from the trip and went to a local t-shirt shop with my old bestie, Beth Falk Moore who was visiting and couldn't find anything ...
it was actually a few years later ... in 2012 my ah ha moment,
inspired by a drinkware with a text design that I purchased,
realized that I could create a guessing game,
word game with a text design, I really like different fonts so I put a mock up together
of a text design of different fonts, a word game for U clues and had mock ups for each design when submitting my production requests and worked with graphic artist Jake Runge who was with the manufacturer, to submit my unique production ready designs
the designs that became licensed products. as the licensee, which states ownership
intuitively I still thought I should have an NDA with wholesaler-blanks,
coordinates the project and consolidates billings
and manufacturer-graphic artist and production
have it on a t-shirt and create the interactive t-shirt really an ice breaker
ice breaker a type of t-shirt,
I think my graphic artist was calling it a words shirt as a descriptive but
U clues is the official name of the t-shirt
the t-shirt that I was once looking for ...
I first thought of cities, started putting words together, identifiable motifs for NYC ...
but ended up producing the college t-shirt U clues first ... and then later cities,
Cincinnati and have production ready artwork for Detroit,
Chicago and started working on SF too

*** BTW, my friend, BFM a corporate attorney and I were having a conversation about my new venture and she gave me some great advice ...
if you are going to start a business you should always protect yourself ...
in addition to a licensing agreement, a legal contract
LLC, NDA, trademarks ... she agreed a good idea
and while brainstorming for my college t-shirt name she actually came up with U clues
TBH I didn't realize until just a few years ago while I was scrolling down to the bottom of my website while gathering up information for this section that
I saw this tiny print that caught my attention and took a closer look,
I actually have copyright laws/protections
built into my web host provider, Volusion but I am so glad that I do!
and at about the same time in 2013 I thought it would be a fun idea for a game show,
I knew this concept had scalability, I thought I own it's up to me to promote it,
a way to launch a collegiate line, so I submitted my concept,
with WGAW for Documentation of Registration
I thought it was a good idea, not really knowing if a production company would want it and not being in the entertainment industry as a production company
but familiar with WGAW
and product placement
I thought I would put it out there ...
a fun new business for me to develop
from the POV of a business development consultant,
essentially selling WGAW established intellectual properties to production companies
hopefully will establish production company partnership soon
topics to incorporate to build storyline around
with concepts, fashion line and product extensions with the 5 labels,
product placement/props and wardrobe from/with bbwears.com
at that point I thought it had appeal and salability all on its own and if something would happen to come together great and could then share the update with accounts
A good friend from SF, Sonja's husband,
Kevin O'Brien who had been in the entertainment business
for many years told me about WGAW a few years prior when he suggested I submit this other concept I had, totally unrelated to this, in addition I ended up with several other submissions on WGAW too
really creative concepts presented as pitches for additional business development ideas to be incorporated into business projects in the media

and soon realized this was also a good way to protect my intellectual property
going forward as my ideas and concept further evolved I realized that this was a good
route to take that could best support the vision that was taking shape
submitting my creatives on WGAW for Documentation of Registration

a perfect way to kick start each individual design and product concept
what appears to be the marketing and the brand being positioned as a social club came to me as I was thinking of additional individual design concepts for t-shirt ice breakers
in addition to the text design t-shirt word games my imagination took me to a social club setting, another place to have similar interactions for ice breakers and thought of
game day, status update, case study, townie and city slicker and then I started to imagine different members wearing different ice breakers at a social club and then thought of more events that often take place at a social club and thought it was funny...
to have a novelty line built around
b social at a social club
getting a tour of a club, having the designs documented, brochures for membership, calendar of events, and then have membership come from the purchase of
t-shirts, the dress code to get in is casual, a place where you pick up your laundry, have a status update, stamps of approval, certificates, COA, founders day, banquets, a Grand Poohba and dances, different napkins for different courses, different rooms for different functions, club having a program, making reservations, card night,
but also having an annual service project, hosting a classic coffee fundraiser and a place for other organizations to host events etc ...
a cast of characters of different members and staff members started appearing in my mind with all the different components and activities often found at a social club ...
so I wanted to build the website to be like a social club ....
a playful take on b ing social with somewhat of an attitude of b ing accomplished
and layered in the underlying story and message

also knowing that there are a wide range of social clubs around the world I was thinking it would be an identifiable theme that people could connect with

it’s my personal like, an eclectic mix of updated classics
but think this is a good choice, some classic design concepts that
are updated with updated marketing

I think the bee found me when I developed my COA ... 2017
I originally liked the bee from a fashion perspective ...
going with the pollinator bee theme, which best represents my business model as opposed to just the honey bee or just the queen bee theme ...
... and then this all kind of crept up on me ...
I initially learned about the bees I think in in 7th grade science class at
McGuffey Laboratory School but it was about queen bee, so maybe there is something in the way back of my mind that triggered some sort of familiarity, and became more curious and intrigued and learned a lot more about the bees online, and this kind of confirmed how special a bee is, pollination, honey ... heart healthy, low glycemic, antimicrobial, medicinal, cleaning agents, health and beauty components, beeswax ... for candles over the centuries providing light, also used in cleaning and health and beauty products, really surprised when I learned that bees not only ensure pollination for flowers but also for the majority of crop plants -
foods we eat, coffee and plants that make natural fabric content like cotton and trees that produce paper and learned about their role as guardians over the eco system ...
I was wowed
And this is probably why bees have been revered by many cultures over the ages around the world, the bee has been a classic design concept over the centuries and thought an updated bee theme will have appeal ... it wasn't intentional on my part, to follow a fashion trend, my choices have just been about what I like and what is the best fit but I've seen a bit a resurgence in avant garde in fashion, and I've seen a bit of a resurgence of the bee and plaid design themes these last couple of years and have seen how some other companies are donating back to the bees and it's just something that I wanted to do as well,
sensing a need for additional global support,
hoping that this is a good time to launch
I am Google dependent and continued to research the bees and I saw how symbolically, spiritually the bee is known as representing community and I saw the fit for club
I think I just must understand the importance of the bee on another level
and as I am a bit Irish... and I think it's an ancient lore
I wanted to tell the story in our times
I also know that many people have been fascinated with bees over the centuries ..
they are prehistoric ....
and understand that there is a real need to support the health and vitality of the bees
right now, the brand is to be a real club with membership, as opposed to a designer monogram label brand, I like to think of it as a club hosting events, meetings and parties and eventually maybe a place to hangout ... I want to initially feature the novelty line as a club line and want to build on the concept of club with the online site ...
I have a degree in retail and I love design and think I have a good understanding of design and have put the design layouts and concepts together for the website as well as the product offerings and this concept suits the tone for the business I want to create and has become the perfect way to merchandise the different assortments I had in mind, featuring different product categories in different rooms ...
a strategy for a running start with events featuring t-shirts from the just b line up ... hopefully will grow to provide interest to add in additional product categories overtime and then there is still room within the lifestyle brand to further develop
additional fashion lines ... for a long term growth strategy
I ended up intertwining both themes because I saw the fit and really like both...
I first learned about COA and heraldry from my Dad as he showed us our family COA at a young age ...
and originally developed my COA to define my business as a specialty brand but also saw how a COA can also represent a social club and my initial products being novelty I thought it would be fun to present it and have it function as a social club with different levels of membership ...a leadership program,
with the purchase of specific t-shirts
that represent each level and designs to collect
I spent a lot of time tweaking the underlying foundation for staying power ...
and a club is a business in a sense ... maybe a new concept of an online club
I feel like club is in my heart and in my soul and hope that people will want to
visit and join the club because they like it, feel a connection and want to become a member and like what it stands for
b social b socially accomplished
I think of bb wears as a club with membership, club bb and what to wear to get in ...and a club that supports the bees and fund development
the b as in the place to b
b ing an online boutique

way back many years ago after I graduated from college I was dreaming of a company of casual wear, kind of a core basic casual line and I even had a name picked out ... B2 ware ... as in b square, bb my initials but has since been taken and many years later I finally start on my business and needed to think of a name quickly to fill out some paper work so I randomly picked
bb wears as these items would be something I bb would wear ...
but I didn't want it to be about me, for some reason I don't like wearing designer monograms, and I like a few, like Shinola, but typically don't really like having brands all over the front of clothes and products, I do like insignias or a mascot or a COA on clothes
I like clothes that reflect one's own personality,
I go for design and style, color and fabric content first ...
I've always liked dressing ... someone once asked me what my favorite sport was and I half jokingly replied ... dressing ... I've always thought of it as a fun way to express oneself and then he asked ... oh is it competitive ...
and I said yes ...very
one bee initiative built on the next

it's kind of a bit of a balance, I wanted a business that was fun but solid and also at this point in my life I wanted to do something with more of a purpose and this is why I want to incorporate a percentage of product sales towards fund development and also understand that there is a need for some updated innovative specialty fund development tools so I wanted to make them possible in a fun way,
casual fundraising
so with all this in mind I took a lot of time building the infrastructure for all the possibilities to support a long term growth strategy

this is the first business I've started on my own ...
maybe this is a typical journey ...
often hard to describe what I've been up to, going through a creative and development phase where things evolve, develop and change but wanted to take the time to maximize opportunities,
my concept has evolved as a result of seeing potential, the website has gone through several evolutions to get to where It has the look I am going for, a blend of a creative process with business concepts and tactics that have developed over time
with the intention that ones products will have appeal
and the marketplace will embrace

more of the detail ... I wanted to recap this as this was really a process unfolding,
the development of the club as a lifestyle brand
it's kind of hard to remember the exact sequence of each aspect as I have put together a lot of random experiences and ideas together ...
but somehow have all lined up for b ing social


inspiration: b ing stuck in an airport by myself on a layover
and wishing I was wearing something to help start a conversation ...
something interactive ...

the idea was in the way back of my mind for a long time ...
I used to travel quite a bit and was living in Sausalito at the time and while b ing stuck in an airport in LA by myself on a layover, I think it was 2008 ...
I wished I was wearing something to help start a conversation,
something interactive ... after I got back from the trip I went shopping with a friend in a Sausalito t-shirt shop and I couldn't find what I was looking for ....

initially I thought of starting with cities in 2012 ... actually NYC ...
I started thinking of several identifiable motifs ... I started a list ... Times Square, Ice Skating at Rockefeller, Ground Zero, Theatre District, Gustavo Dudamel, Grand Central Station etc

but for a lot of reasons didn't get around to making any city clues products until
2016, I thought of townie and then wanted to develop a COA... and then thought I had all these different ideas randoming coming and wanted to develop a foundation and website before I go into production

having worked for a previous company, SWATCH, that launched a product with product placement, a watch in a movie,
I saw how some of my concepts could work well too ...

as apart of my business model ...
hopefully a way to generate some revenue ...
I have a pitch, creative inspiration, for each design concept and different product assortments, each have Documentation of Registration with WGA which establishes intellectual property for media and online ...
I have several other submissions prior to this project ...
knowing that there are production companies that handle entertainment business development for writers as well as set design and props -
product placement and wardrobe selection,
in the entertainment industry a pitch is considered a business development opportunity that can contribute to an existing or new business project ...
bb wears is positioned as a social club, the business strategy is that end users can include an individual product, club membership being at club or an event can be incorporated into a storyline or program,
our products are meant to reflect ones own personality .
it can be featured as club bb and what to wear to get in,
but not required and not as a company brand logo
this is the plan to kick start the design on media and social media and a way for me to jump start my own inventory production...
I wasn't sure if a production company would ever incorporate my pitches of the different concepts ... but thought at the very least it was funny to have documented and registered t-shirts that are dress code for the social club concept that I had in mind, and a way to position my products that match up with the tone of the social club and marketing of the bb wears brand being developed
...

the brothers have helped in different ways ...
one gave me the seed money and the other more with some very helpful hints, including to check out
The Brandery for entrepreneur workshops and the Google translate...
my brother-in-law suggested Volusion as an e-commerce option, it was perfect so I could customize and design my online shop and also provides copyright protection for my body of work
and a very good friend's husband told me about WGA West
while living in Sausalito, actually before bb wears

it's evolved into a lifestyle brand that reflects one's own
(the wearer's identity)
bb wears is b ing social, with the brand positioned as a social club,
while reviewing some ad copy with me my sister came up with b social

I also wanted to incorporate a philanthropic product purchasing opportunity
wear it would fit ...

after developing the interactive social wear collection concept I wanted to design a coat of arms ...

to make it official that bb wears is a specialty brand ...
an overview of the coat of arms:
I picked a bee not only for the canting arms, but also as a pun on the business name,
knowing that a bee is industrious, it is also a fashion and foodie motif and
bees are considered to b social and to b socially accomplished ...interactive
the links, also a fashion motif are interactive ... chains represent obliging
the perfect way to tie all of the business elements together
then I started to think to myself ...
I think I have a beehive business model and I really like it,
after researching further, I was blown away to learn that bees not only make
honey and beeswax and royal jelly
but also ensure pollination, seed production for many more plants than flowers, including many plants used to create natural fabrics,
coffee plants, many crop plants and many trees
I wanted the crown to reflect this, actually inspired by a picture I saw online of a crown from The Royal Family
... honeycomb pattern with the diamonds, both fashion motifs...
the diamonds, made up of dots representing pollination, the diamond shape representing seeds ... sown like seeds ...it's interactive
made me realize how important pollination and the bee is

and understanding that there is still a global concern for the bees I decided...

for every product sold from the bb wears signature line a donation is made to support the health and vitality of the bees

much to my surprise, after researching more about heraldry, I learned that a dotted circular border represents pollination,

after designing the COA I realized what I really wanted was a novelty fashion line with additional specialty product categories ... this is the ultimate dream...
while expanding on the bee theme
which I really like and still incorporating the social aspect of interactive and storytelling and going through the
creative process ... one idea led to another, another and then another ...
I felt like I was going mad ...
but all these random ideas have become the pieces to the puzzle of the big picture
I soon recognized the uncanny similarities of what I wanted this to become
and the life of the bees ...
the idea of a social club and membership and expanding with the story of the bee started to appear to me in my mind simultaneously and the story of the bee became the foundation that I really liked and needed ...

knowing that one of the first things a prospective client or potential manufacturer partner would look at is the website ...
I wanted to further develop my site, I wanted my individual product proposals to have more of a foundation, so I took a pause to develop my website...
which I have loved doing, it's been fun creating this ... taking longer than expected because I had so many ideas popping up that needed to snuggly fit in ...
the website also provides a foundation for a rollout growth strategy
I wanted it to reflect the concept of the brand being positioned as a social club with membership
and proceeded to apply my ideas to the componentry of my dashboard and site,
so I designed and customize my website to reflect the brand I had in mind
to give a little structure to the social club concept I incorporated an updated take on heraldry, which are social symbols and in a playful way
I incorporated some subtle similarities of a country club which come from my roots of growing up on the edge of a golf course and belonging to the country club
and one of my proud moments is getting an A in golf in college
really a blend of social clubs with a background of being a foodie layered in

and all the possibilities I really felt like this needed a solid foundation and clarity ... which lead me to structure the label classifications

each design concept and product category is registered on WGAW, which provides a way to launch each different label classification and product category
a way to help with the fund development aspect
supporting casual fundraising, and a way to bring awareness to the health and vitality of the bee and or any other fund from the wears label
for all products sold under the bb wears umbrella a portion of sales is donated to the designated fund

I wanted to incorporate the fundraiser for Gold Star Families as an annual event,
I was really inspired by the WH tree decorating event a few years ago and it triggered a memory that my Great Grand Mother was a Gold Star Mother from WW1, and just sensed the need to create an event during the holidays to extend an offering to these families ... if I remember correctly part of the program mentioned
how difficult it is during the holidays for these families and the Gold Star ornament was a way for the family to remember their lost loved ones during the holidays
I have a vivid childhood memory of my Grandpa, from my Mother's side telling the story of how he as a very young boy lost his older brother during WW1 and getting all choked up even so many years later that really left an impression on me
as a little girl and still remember it today
so with my background and experience in the Junior League of San Francisco ... really a training organization ...
I was a Board Member as Treasurer and Treasurer Elect, Finance Committee Chair and member and Fund Development Committee member throughout my active years and see how this could grow into a national fundraiser similar to a St. Jude by establishing strategic fundraising partnerships and I believe that a lot of individuals would want to make a contribution and feel a gifting the fund would be appropriate
using a coordinating Gold Star theme,
having a touch point and a symbolic way to remember these families during the holidays and remember our lost loved ones ...
in remembrance

for casual fundraising and fund development

essentially ... bb wears ... aka the b
is a club that supports casual fundraising
for fund development ...
to b social ... b socially accomplished
b ing social is a lifestyle


and then I realized I have a big idea ... and I believe in it ...

and I thought if it works for the bees it will work for bb wears!

I think it found me ...
I saw the story and the lifestyle and ran with it

bb wears is about coming together in a casual way
I think my worlds collided from my family background, education, work experience, non-profit experience, and interests ...
there are a lot of I's in the description above, but I feel the need to explain where my path started, challenges, some twists and turns, and where the ideas and vision for the brand come from ...
along the way I've absorbed a lot and learned a lot from online and many people who have inspired, influenced and helped me along this way ...
somehow this has captured all of my different ideas that have accumulated over the years for having my own business ...
ideally I would like to establish some strategic launch, manufacturing and distribution partnerships to bring bb wears to fruition, while the focal point is still the website
I see the lifestyle brand similar to a start-up make-up artist brand
and new designer label ...
positioned in a new way, the brand positioned as a social club

I'm thankful for all of the support, good tips and helpful hints, there are so many from family and friends

bb wears is multi generational, it can b a way to reach out to the next generation
all have designs of a social approach and are created to match up with the media and social media...
share it while you wear it ...
with b social !

over 25+ years of experience in roles of different responsibilities:

highlights from my sales, merchandising and sales management roles in the specialty businesses, representing a variety of domestic and international brands and designer products~
Including products from ACA JOE, Anne Klein, Azzaro, Betsey Johnson, Calvin Klein, Gianfranco Ferre, Guess,
Hugo Boss, Jean Patou, Jessica Simpson, Lacoste, Nautica, Paris Hilton, Roberto Cavalli, Swatch, and Thierry Mugler.

experiences with brick and mortar & online businesses ~
Buying, Selling, Training, Merchandising, Product Launches, Author, Celebrity, Designer and Star Athlete Personal Appearance Events,
Marketing Promotions, Sales Management, Product and Business Development

with retail partners ~
Including Bloomingdales, Dillard's, Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, QVC, Saks, Sephora, Ulta.

philanthropy:
The Junior League of San Francisco
( Executive Board Member; Treasurer Elect/Treasurer 2009-2011,
Finance Chair and Fund Development committee member)
P.E.O. (Recording Secretary 2016),
Gamma Phi Beta Alumnae (President AHC Board 2015-2016).

fundraising for:
American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, Team In Training

Thank you for visiting bb wears!

for additional background information visit ... www.linkedin.com/in/brigidbrady