Behind the Brand "An inside look at building a fashion brand.": March 2014

The past two weeks have been amazing. Cristina Bijou bags finally hit sales floors and Belk.com. This was the moment of truth and I'd literally been waiting on it for years! There were so many things running through my head. How is my collection merchandised(presented) in stores?; where are they placed on the sales floor?; how will they resonate with the customer?

Everything I'd worked so hard on for years is very dependent on what happens in the next couple of months. I know I have a quality product, but I have to make sure that I get the

exposure I need to get my brand name out. I've done interviews with magazines, newspapers, bloggers, and a television show.

After just one week of my collection being in stores, I received a phone call from my merchandise team congratulating me on how well my line was selling. I was so happy and excited, this is exactly what I wanted to hear!

Two days later, Belk sent me to Charleston Fashion Week (CFW) for a personal appearance and the experience was mind-blowing. My spring collection sold extremely well at CFW and

I ended up selling six bags from the collection in just one night! The Belk executives were floored, the regional manager in the area told me that my collection was the hit of the night. Words couldn't even express the way that I felt in that moment. It's one thing to work really hard at something and have personal satisfaction, but to see people make purchases without hesitation is phenomenal.

I've worked really hard at making my dreams a reality for years, and taken huge risks in the process. My first week of sales in a major retail store was the confirmation I needed to know that none of the sacrifices I've made were in vain.

Here is some of the press I've done to promote my brand & Spring collection: