Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Guanipa.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Christine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
The story behind “Little Man” began at Mass College of Art where I met my husband, Miguel. I was a printmaking major at the time, and he was a cartoonist. One of my favorite cartoons of his was that of a little man who had no name. In time we began to call this cartoon the “Little Man.” I knew that someday this Little Man would make a great logo, but for what, I didn’t know.
In our early years of marriage, while teaching art and raising our three daughters, I started making handbags. I started giving away and selling many of these handbags, each bag with that Little Man cartoon as a logo. During this time, I also took a class in Boston that taught women artists how to be entrepreneurs. It was after this class that I took the risk to transition from teaching to full time designer. Shortly after making that decision, we moved from Belmont to an old mill town near Worcester called Whitinsville, it was here that I began to grow the business. We grew at a slow but manageable pace, working out of our studio at home, making every piece by hand and taking every opportunity to showcase Little Man throughout the area. This consistent growth has resulted in Little Man being sold in over 100 shops and galleries through the US including the White House. We continue to design and manufacture each piece in our collection by hand, but now we have transitioned to a lovely little studio in downtown Whitinsville. All three of our daughters lend a hand with the family business and we also have a small staff of dedicated artisans to help with production. It is our desire for Little Man to be a product that is our tactile expression of the joy and creativity that goes into each moment of the hand-made process, from the birth of the design to the final piece. We take pride not only in creating a quality product, but in nurturing meaningful relationships along the way. It is our hope that you will take pleasure in every Little Man as much as we do!
Has it been a smooth road?
Like most things in life there are always challenges and obstacles to overcome. We’ve never worked harder since having our own business, but we are very happy being self-employed. For us here at Little Man most of our challenges have been growing pains, such as learning how to operate new computer programs, researching and sourcing materials or finding studio help, we try to surround ourselves with other creatives and business people as they can often be a great help in walking through some of the business challenges we have had along the way.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Little Man creates a collection of handbags, accessories, and baby goods in happy colorful prints. Our color choices and patterns help bring to life the often too familiar handbag. Our Little Man products have become the daily companion of many of our customers, combining both form and function with delightful fabric prints. It is our desire for every woman to have a Little Man at her side. Twice a year we design a seasonal collection for both the wholesale and retail market. Our collections consist of a limited production of new prints and stylish designs created made by hand. This limited availability truly makes every Little Man as unique as its owner.Recently we have partnered with our oldest daughter Faye from oliveandcopaper.com, to design exclusive custom fabrics for use in Little Man products. This collaboration not only brings us much personal joy but has also opened the doors to some very special accounts. One such account is selling our products in the White House. We were asked to design wristlets and baby bibs that depicted Americana images like donkeys and elephants. With the design help of Faye, we created a special line that continues to be available only through the U.S. Senate Shop.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Over ten years ago we moved from the Boston suburbs to Whitinsville Ma. in Worcester county, which is part of the Metro West region. The transition to a small town was difficult at first but in time we have grown to love this community. We treasure the fact that each Little Man is created in a town steeped in a history of creating textiles. Beautiful brick mills surround the town and create a wonderful backdrop to create in. We’ve been welcomed by the community and treasure the relationships that have grown from our years doing business here. Our community both supports us and happily lets others know where they can find us.
In the last couple of years we have seen the revitalization of small businesses throughout the downtown area. It’s been our pleasure to work with these businesses to share with others the beauty of this community, making it a wonderful day trip destination.
Pricing:
- Item sold by Little Man range in price from $10 to $100
Contact Info:
- Address: Studio location: Little Man
110 Church St
Whitinsville /Ma/01588 - Website: www.littlemanoriginals.com
- Phone: 508-341-6211
- Email: littlemanoriginals@yahoo.com
- Instagram: @littlemanoriginals
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlemanhandbags
Image Credit:
Christine Guanipa
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