THAT'S MY GIRL: International Women's Day

                                                       Pictured: Gloria Steinem, Malala Yousafazi, and Rosa P…

                                                       Pictured: Gloria Steinem, Malala Yousafazi, and Rosa Parks.

As the irreplaceable Oprah Winfrey once said, "Think like a queen. A queen is unafraid of failure. Failure is another steppingstone to greatness." Today, on International Women's Day, we honor those that have come before us, who have fought for equality and achieved greatness.  We recognize their accomplishments, but most of all we recognize how they have overcome impossible odds to make their mark upon the world.  We respect their causes and give thanks for their fight that has led the way for the current generations to enjoy the freedoms that would have been unimaginable even a hundred years ago.

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At SPILT MILK we say, "Don't cry." That's not to diminish anyone's experiences or feelings; rather, it's to remind ourselves during difficult times to take a step back from the situation and persevere, just as women have been doing since the beginning. Gloria Steinem saw a gross discrepancy in the rights bestowed upon minorities and used her gift with words to give these groups a voice.  Malala Yousafazi's country tried to silence her, but she continued to fight for women and children's education.  Rosa Parks stood firm when everyone else told her to sit somewhere else.

Today we celebrate not only these women, but countless others as the fight for equality moves forward.  We are surrounded by strong females who have lifted us up on their shoulders and sacrificed for us.  Whether it's your mom, sister, daughter, friend, or mentor, take time today to thank someone in your life for all they've done and continue to do.  In doing so, we come together as a world, better together and successful through peace, no matter what challenges comes our way.  At SPILT MILK, we are advocates and allies, and we love our girls.

 

By Kathy Lau, Content Creator at SPILT MILK

The Business of Integrity: Building Character

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In an industry built upon free competition, it's easy to get caught up in the game - too often comparing ourselves to others, cutting corners, and becoming obsessed with perfection.  The question remains: how do you differentiate yourself and achieve success in an increasingly competitive environment?

The fact of the matter is, cultivating integrity-based business practices will naturally generate desirable results, especially once one stops equating success simply with a monetary value.  On an individual level, integrity is often preached but rarely found, as it encompasses so much more than just maintaining a set of principles.  Integrity is the iron that sharpens the sword of character, a millennial's distinguishing factor in the modern workplace.  At SPILT MILK, integrity is our top priority and we hope this is reflected in our interactions with customers, manufacturing partners, and the people we surround ourselves with.  As our company expands and matures, we hope to grow alongside it and rise to meet the challenges that we will inevitably face.

Having integrity is more than just honesty.  It's asking, "What else can I do?", in order to go the extra mile and creatively finish a task.  It's doing the right thing without expecting recognition and speaking up for yourself and others in order to stand up for morality.  It's staying true to yourself and being unafraid of hard work in the face of adversity.  Therefore, by practicing integrity, one builds their character alongside an empire.

But take integrity out of the office, too.  Let your commitment to it become what drives and defines you.  Seek the high road and enjoy the journey.  Don't settle for anything less.  We all have the opportunity to become change agents; let's be the generation that redefines quality and sets a new expectation for success.  We believe that if you better yourself, you will better your business and, in turn, better the world.  At SPILT MILK, we believe in you.

 

By Kathy Lau, Content Creator at SPILT MILK

WINTER 17/18 Lookbook: Behind the Scenes

The lookbook has become a tremendously effective vessel of communication for the modern clothing company. A cross between a magazine and a photo-essay, it serves as a medium for both creativity and brand identity. It showcases the true potential of its featured apparel; an intrinsic value beneath the surface level. The feel. The mood. The style. At SPILT MILK, we believe clothing is more than a commodity. Clothing is an extension of a brand. The clothing you wear is telling of who you are and what you believe in. Because of this, we strive to ensure our lookbooks effectively portray a culture of youthfulness, resilience, and determination in alignment with the bigger message we serve to promote. However, doing so is no simple task. We thought we should share some key elements that went into making our most recent lookbook the best it could be.

Location is everything. WINTER 17/18 is set in the historic Old Towne at the heart of Orange, CA. The area is populated with a diverse mix of antique shops, trendy restaurants, and craftsman-style houses. The scene makes for an unusual crossroads between the historic and the modern, the young and the old, the past and the present. The setting this provided was oddly fitting for the centerpiece of the season’s release: the OUTLINE long-sleeve t-shirt. Available in black and white, the simplicity and integrity of the design amidst the backdrop of Old Towne Orange serves as a testimony to youth culture and its omnipresence despite changing times. Trends may change, but the underlying themes of rebellion, creativity, and persistence never die. A combination of monochromatic and vintage, film-style photographs obscure the timeframe in which the lookbook is set. Viewers are invited to focus on the ‘what’ and ‘why’ rather than the ‘when’ and ‘how.’ In doing so, we are able to see past the superficial and gain insight into the motivations that make us do the things we do and the reasons why we are the way we are. We live in the moment. We make mistakes. But above all, we have fun and never look back.

Another integral element of our lookbook is collaboration. Although we finalized the design in-house and were responsible for all preparation and planning, we partnered with a unique startup company called NativeFour to handle the photoshoot itself. NativeFour is a company made for millennials, by millennials which seeks to disrupt traditional advertising and branding practices through creative media. Apprehensive of failure? Not a chance. Risk takers? Absolutely. And that’s just the way we like it. With philosophies aligned, it came as no surprise that working with their team was a blast. Aside from photography, we enlisted the help of Los Angeles based makeup artist Arielle Ross to set the tone and ensure the models were looking their best. It was a great time chatting with her as she effortlessly applied makeup to five of our models in no time flat. Adept. Creative. Driven. Arielle’s immense talent and focused mindset certainly played a role in making our lookbook the best it could possibly be. Surrounding yourself with creative and motivated people is the best way to make good ideas great, and great ideas outstanding. For this reason, we hold collaboration with high regards and seek to continue this trend in our future endeavors.

Finally, the lookbook would be nothing without models to wear the apparel. What better place to look for models than amongst your own friends? Friends of old. Friends of new. Lucky for us, our friends embody everything SPILT MILK stands for. We couldn’t have asked for a better group of charismatic and stylish individuals. We pride ourselves on fostering and maintaining relationships with everyone we work with. Furthermore, work never feels like work when you’re around people you enjoy spending time with. At times it felt like less of a photoshoot and more like a casual get-together. Hanging out, sharing laughs, and taking photos. I believe this very atmosphere helped the lookbook appear more natural and inviting overall.

All said and done, creating the WINTER 17/18 lookbook was a fantastic experience, and one that we will not soon forget. We look forward to whatever the future holds and more memories to come.

 

By Noah Jacobs, Creator of SPILT MILK

 

 

 

I Love Failing. Here's Why You Should, Too.

Failure. It’s a natural and inevitable part of our lives, yet for some reason we associate the experiences involving failure rather negatively. As a matter of fact, society seems to frown upon failure and mistake-making as a whole. Shame. Regret. Anger. All things we have been conditioned to feel whenever we fail at something. But why? In most cases, when we try something new and fail, the only real damage done is to our own ego and even then it’s completely temporary. I would even venture to say that this isn’t damaging at all and, instead, is actually beneficial.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the story of Thomas Edison, the inventor of the modern light bulb. Trite? Yes. Cliché? Certainly. As many times as you’ve probably heard or read about his story, the lessons we can learn from it are invaluable and still applicable today. Edison failed upwards of 10,000 times in his attempt to create a viable light-source contained within a single apparatus. During this time, he remained unwavering in his efforts despite the many frustrations he likely faced. It is very possible that most people would have given up after only a few attempts, deeming the task impossible. Fortunately, he wasn’t like most people. He took each failure as a learning opportunity by means of a simple shift in perspective. Only then was he able to eventually find success.

 

“I HAVE NOT FAILED. I’VE JUST FOUND 10,000 WAYS THAT WON’T WORK”

 

Success without failure is an overrated and unrealistic idea. What have we to gain from an experience that results in nothing other than satisfaction? That’s the beauty of making mistakes. We learn from them, then we succeed. Ultimately, we are left not only with the gratification of success (when we finally do succeed), but also with the knowledge we need to better ourselves moving forward. But failure doesn’t provide your everyday, average learning experience. It’s unique, powerful, and impactful. Failure provides a shock to our system. A wake-up call of sorts. It lets us know that what we’ve been doing doesn’t work, and that we should try something different altogether. Much like Edison, we discover what not to do. And, sometimes, that can make all the difference.

This is why it’s so unfortunate that society shuns failure to the extent that it does. Everyone wants to succeed. Everyone wants to be better than someone else. Everyone wants to be a perfectionist. Nobody wants to fail. It’s almost as if we’ve been peer-pressured into becoming failure-adverse robots. If we continue down this path as a collective society, nothing good will result. Mind you, the only reason SPILT MILK exists is because of failure. Many mistakes were made before we even had an inkling that we would find success. Without failure, there wouldn’t be innovation. Without failure, there wouldn’t be improvement. Without failure, there wouldn’t be success. Let’s put the ideal of success on hold and embrace failure for what it’s really worth. With that said, I encourage you to get out there and fail harder than you ever have before; you’ll be surprised to find what you’re capable of.

 

By Noah Jacobs, Creator of SPILT MILK

 

 

MLK: The Impossible Becomes Possible in the Face of Adversity

A minister by trade, a civil-rights activist by necessity. Martin Luther King, Jr. has become one of the most recognizable faces of social activism in modern times. Most people are familiar with his life story and his impact on American society, but just as a brief refresher, here are some of his credentials:

King entered Morehouse College in 1944 and graduated with a sociology degree four years later at the age of 19. He attended the Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania and became the valedictorian and student body president in 1951. In the waning weeks of 1955, he met with the NAACP and partnered with many like-minded civil rights activists to initiate the famed Montgomery Bus Boycott. The boycott lasted a remarkable 382 days and subjected local transportation to great financial losses, ultimately leading to the lifting of mandated segregation laws city-wide. Shortly after, he partnered with Ralph D. Abernathy, a fellow minister and close adviser, and roughly 60 other influential ministers to form the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. From its conception in 1957 to the early 1960s, the SCLC organized and sponsored mass meetings at various churches and “sit-ins” at segregated restaurants across more than 27 major, Southern cities. King organized a controversial (yet peaceful), mass demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama in the spring of 1963 and used its momentum to lead the March on Washington, the most famous of his demonstrations, in August of the same year. His efforts inspired many of his cohorts to lead similar demonstrations, the most notable being the “Bloody Sunday” march from Selma to Alabama in early 1965. The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and later the 1965 Voting Rights Act proved King’s efforts to be successful.

To accomplish everything King did in a single lifetime is quite impressive to say the least. But to do it all in the face of adversity is something truly remarkable. While he was alive, living as a black man in the American South was a struggle at the bare minimum. Segregation. Harassment. Intimidation. Violence. Not a day went by in which black citizens lived without nagging fears in the back of their minds. Although looking back we are able to recognize how successful King’s efforts really were, opposition at the time was strong and these very successes would lead to his assassination in 1968. As terrible as his assassination was, his message was made all the more important and impactful because of it. He knew the risks involved. He knew the danger he put himself in, his family in, and his friends in. He stood tall despite this.

Martin Luther King Jr. embodied everything SPILT MILK serves to promote. His persistence despite the many trials and tribulations he faced led to previously unrealized dreams becoming a reality. His sacrifice led to the empowerment of an oppressed population for generations to come. Unfortunately, even half a century after King’s murder, we still have a long way to go in the fight for true equality in American society. But there is still hope. We can learn from our societal failures of the past, from the atrocities endured by King and his followers, and from the mistakes we make every day. On this 32nd observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I encourage you to move forward taking every mistake as an opportunity for learning and improvement.

There are many things wrong with our society. Don’t cry, do something about it; it’s what Mr. King would have wanted most.

 

By Noah Jacobs, Creator of SPILT MILK

 

BIRTH OF A BRAND

It has been just under four months since SPILT MILK was brought into the world. However, its roots stretch much farther than its date of conception. The company is something I had been wanting to share with the world for a very long time now; always in the back of my mind, but never more than an idea. In grade school and then again in middle school I had ideas for t-shirt brands, and even went so far as to have a couple mock-up shirts printed. With school as my priority and limited resources, the brands unsurprisingly never came to fruition. The point is, however, that the passion and drive to create has been ever-present.

Some six months prior to its release, SPILT MILK as it’s known today didn’t exist. Instead, it was an idea for a clothing brand by another name with a simple goal of providing clothes to friends by means of a creative outlet. Unfortunately, I made the fatal mistake of putting off legal research on trademarks and copyrights until just before I was ready to release the brand. Lo and behold, the mark was taken and fully operational. Months of design, brand development, and sourcing went down the drain in a matter of minutes. I was distraught to say the least; so much so, that I didn’t want to take the time and effort to reinvent the brand at all. My father took note of how upset I was with my own mistake. As an entrepreneur himself, who previously owned and operated a graphic design agency, he is all too familiar with the many failures involved in starting a company. But he didn’t lecture me. Besides sending me a list of clever sayings and funny words he thought I could build a brand around, he didn’t say much at all. What he did say was this:

 

“DON’T CRY OVER SPILT MILK.”

 

As much as I hated to admit it at the time, he was right. Just because something didn’t go my way or because I had made a mistake, no matter how serious, was no reason to quit. The passion was still there. I continued to play around with different names for my potential brand, albeit this time systematically checking the database on the website of the US Patent and Trademark Office for registered marks. But everything I tried was either already taken or sounded childish or corny. I became frustrated once again and thought back to what my dad had said. I played the old idiom on repeat in my head until… WAIT! I scrambled to open the trademark database on my browser and typed “spilt milk” into the search bar. After inspecting the list of dead marks and those held by unrelated businesses, I sat back and smiled. I had done it.

With that, SPILT MILK was born. This was to be no ordinary clothing brand; after all the trouble I had gone through and the important lesson I learned from it all, how could an ordinary brand suffice? This was destined to be something extraordinary and, because of that, I couldn't just make a brand for the sake of having a "creative outlet." The brand needed to be guided by a philosophy, and I had discovered just that.

Everyone faces adversity of some kind, no matter how small. Everyone fails. Everyone makes mistakes. When you recognize this as reality and learn from these failures, the seemingly impossible becomes possible. From this I envisioned a brand for those who dream big, for those who make things happen, for those who create and share and inspire, and for those who do it all in the face of adversity. At SPILT MILK, we pride ourselves on the mistakes we made to get here. We are better because of them. SPILT MILK is not a commodity, it’s a mindset. We have a long way to go and we’ve only just begun, so join us!

Live in the moment. Have fun. Make mistakes. Don’t cry over SPILT MILK.

 

By Noah Jacobs, Creator of SPILT MILK