On Imperfection

And getting this dang thing out there already.

Okay, okay, let’s get the elephant out of the room. It’s been a minute, I know. Thanks all for your patience, and thanks to all of my not-so-subtle friends who gently and not-so-gently encouraged me to get out of my head and just get something out here.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking the past few months. And a lot of re-thinking. And then a lot more after that. I’ve been stuck behind this idea of what I want The Ribbit Factory to be: a brand that makes repair and re-manufacturing aspirational, not just sustainable. And to do that, I’ve been focusing so much time and energy into thinking about the type of content I want to create, the type of (recycled, compostable, but luxe) packaging I need to have, the materials I want to source (grown locally, made locally, dyed sustainably….and locally). And all that thinking has brought me here: to being stuck. Because it’s impossible to think of all those things, and then do them, successfully, on my own. Especially when, honestly, it doesn’t seem like American grown, 100% cotton, mid-weight, plain weave fabric exists. At least not in quantities small enough for me to purchase and store at this stage.

All that to say, I’m going to stop with all the thinking, and try to start more doing. I’m going to tell you all right now: I’m launching this brand imperfectly. The website experience is probably going to be clunky. I’m probably not going to figure out mail-in orders right away. I’m going to have to make concessions with materials, prioritizing quality and minimum order quantities and price over local manufacturing. All of these compromises really do hurt my soul, but they’re the reason things aren’t up and running yet, and I don’t want to wait anymore for more time, more money or the “right” content. My ultimate vision won’t be realized immediately, but it will be eventually, and that’s okay!

It’s a tough thing for me to accept. Nearly every boss or manager I’ve ever had has given me the feedback “done is better than perfect.” I’m notorious for being that person who calls out tiny inconsistencies, details that don’t look right, small mistakes for mistake’s sake. I’m annoying! It makes me good at my job, but it makes me pretty bad at starting a business. Especially when I don’t have the time to devote to making the best, most perfect decision for every issue. Some of you know that this is not my full time gig. Most of my days are spent doing other things I really, really like doing over at Refiberd. That means The Ribbit Factory is relegated to early mornings, evenings, and weekends. That’s not an excuse not to do it, but it is an excuse to allow things to be a little messy for a little while. As long as it’s done.

So, that’s it for now! Check out some stills from the lookbook and let me know what you think. Here’s hoping to be mending for you all super soon.

Vintage cashmere gloves with small and large seed darning, (1) Dual tone with Sky and Navy, and (2) Dual tone with Electrum and Burnt Orange

My dad’s denim jacket - older than I am! Vintage Levi’s denim jacket with small hidden patch and Compass Sashiko pattern.

Thrifted denim jeans with large hidden patch in Navy, and Wayfare Sashiko pattern in Ochre and Terracotta.