Today we’d like to introduce you to Dahlia Popovits.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dahlia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started as a Fine Arts painter at The School of Visual Arts in NYC…painting very large abstract forms, sometimes using a broom as my paintbrush. One summer I was working as a nanny while getting my fine arts degree, and stumbled across a weaving class, where I learned what happens when fibers and yarns intertwine in order to create patterns. I was hooked. That was over 4 decades ago, and am still totally head over heels with the process of loom weaving. Meanwhile I had found an instructor in NYC, and proceeded to develop my own interpretation of a very ancient technique in finger weaving. To my surprise, the world was ready for it, and I had a huge amount of wholesale orders for those wonderful accessories. I built up the business by finding a sales rep with a showroom in NY and also found that marketing at retail shows throughout the country was a great way of connecting with my customers. My customers are very happy with the handwoven pieces they own, and are always seeking to expand their collection, which inspires my own motivation to design new styles and fabrics.
My handwoven fabrics are an endless route towards scrutinizing design. When developing a new idea, I can spend endless days moving from one idea to another, sometimes putting it aside for another time, and sometimes finding exactly what is needed to move a collection forward towards production.
Some of my assistants have been with me for decades, and have been incredibly instrumental in the production which includes the hand weaving of the fabrics and the construction of the garments. They are a joy to work with, and an integral part of the fabric of my business.
After the birth of my first child I opened a little retail outlet in CT, followed by a small gallery in Newton, MA, which became a little jewel in which to showcase the newest and most cutting edge textile trends in the US. After 12 years in Newton I felt that it was the right time to once again reinvent myself, and open a new, larger textile gallery in Boston.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Definitely not a smooth road. I did not have enough business or marketing experience, and I felt that I was constantly having to learn necessities, sometimes too late. The market place is an ever changing horizon. One has to be aware of so much. However, I am grateful for my husband and partner, Marc Levine, who helped me understand how to manage being a creative person and develop and run a business. He is a designer of both his own amazing handmade bags, as well as both of our gallery spaces in the Boston area.
Trying to anticipate the needs of my customer has been challenging, and has created new directions for my designs. My clients are my dearest assets. They help in the refining process of my garments and accessories. I have developed at least a hundred collections through the years, and still continue some of the most popular designs.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I wear many hats: I am the designer of our clothing and accessory collection. That means designing the hand woven fabrics and developing and designing the garments and accessories, as well as the owner/manager of our South End gallery.
Pricing:
- $60 – $1200
Contact Info:
- Address: 524 Harrison Ave. Boston, MA. 02118
- Website: dahliahandmade.com
- Phone: 6175274456
- Email: dahlia-handwoven@earthlink.net
Image Credit:
Daniel Rechel and Gordon Bernstein
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