© Aunt Bucky
Aunt Bucky | Santa Cruz & West Hollywood (CA)| USA
« How Two Sisters Made Their Passion for Making Things Their Business »
The sisters Rebecca and Whitney Wyatt decided to establish their kids lifestyle and fashion brand Aunt Bucky as a small family business in 2007 due to the apparent popularity of their handmade creations for Whitney’s daughter.
Currently, they do pillows, crib bedding and beautiful smocked dresses for little girls. Their colorful and unique designs are inspired by vintage fabrics and make them true feel good products. If you are interested to learn more about the inspiring story behind Aunt Bucky, please read our interview with Rebecca hereafter. Enjoy!
What were you and Whitney doing before?
Whitney – currently works as an Architect in California and has both a bachelor’s a master’s degree in Architectural design and theory.
Rebecca – currently working as a Flash Designer/Developer (Computer Programming), previously worked as an Art Therapist in the field of Pediatrics, and has a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art and a master’s degree in Art Psychotherapy.
To which extent did and does your professional experience influence your entrepreneurial career?
Very much so – everything is all intertwined and connected. We use computer aided design software to generate the patterns, to produce the pillow silhouettes & graphic software to produce logo designs, including our signature ribbon tape. Some of our fabric sourcing contacts have also been found through previous architectural relationships.
Our company philosophy on sustainable design is also born out of architectural practices and thinking and our concerns for stimulating infant/child physiological development and well-being through their environment and design is a direct result of our work in art therapy and architectural theory.
Was there a triggering event for you to establish your label Aunt Bucky?
Actually the upcoming birth of Whitney’s daughter spurred things along and planted the seeds for Aunt Bucky. At Whitney’s baby shower I (Rebecca) made the very first Aunt Bucky Crib Bumper Set, which was to become the prototype for our signature Crib Bumper Set design. Later that year for Christmas I (Rebecca) made Whitney’s daughter two smock dresses very similar to what we produce now and after much praise from families, friends and even strangers we decided to ‘just do it’.
Is it an advantage to have your sister as a business partner?
Definitely – I know she has always got my back and vice versa. We also can fight like cats and dogs and then let it go and hug and make up without much hassle. There is also a little bit of a sort of short hand going on – we can just show each other images and get the idea without much more elaboration being required. I think we can also anticipate how certain tasks or issues might be better suited to one or the other, which makes for a little more efficiency and better time management, which is always an issue.
How do you split the work among the two of you?
80/20 split on the day-to-day stuff with each of us involved in all aspects, however Rebecca handles all graphics since she has worked as a graphic designer previously and Whitney produces all design patterns using skills gained as an Architect.
How big is your company, how many employees do you have if any?
Just two sisters for now, with the occasional help from a family member here and there. All of our photo shoots are shot with family members participating as crew.
In your view: what makes Aunt Bucky unique?
Our interest in and belief that design can stimulate a child’s development and growth without compromising style or functionality.
What's your objective and five year vision for Aunt Bucky?
We would love to be able to quit our day jobs eventually and devote all our working time to Aunt Bucky. We would love to be able to produce our own fabrics as well even though we love sourcing prints from all over the globe and working with constraints.
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Everywhere – from old family photos, vintage magazines and catalogs, mid-century modernist furniture design, old movies, art, architecture, etc.
What has been the most challenging moment so far?
Starting a business just when the economy was taking a nosedive and getting ourselves out there and in people’s faces. The children’s fashion/bedding industry is surprisingly disorganized, uninformed and fragmented. It also seems like buyers at trade shows have tunnel and aren’t willing to look outside the box. We would like our customers to think outside the box and remember that their home/life is who they are and they should trust their love of what makes them happy not others. Our line touches hearts and one becomes very happy when celebrating their love of color/ patterns/and what makes them feel good all over.
What has been the most exciting moment so far?
Seeing our stuff in stores, shipping out orders & getting phone calls or emails from very happy customers after they have received their purchases. It’s so nice to know that there are others out there who appreciate what we make and want it to be a part of their lives. Creating photos that we really love to orchestrate and show the spirit of Aunt Bucky.
In hindsight would you do things differently?
Everything and nothing.
Any lessons learned?
Imitation is not a form of flattery!– there are always people out there who want to promote your ideas as their own and it’s a real buzz kill after you have put in so much time and energy in trying to create something truly unique.
Where do you currently sell your products?
We sell in stores in the US (small boutiques) and to anyone anywhere online.
Any plans to expand beyond your current line?
Yes, but the specifics are Aunt Bucky’s secret….let’s just say we want to expand on our clothing line and offer more stuff for little boys too.
What does it take to become/be an entrepreneur - in your view?
Passion/focus, integrity, a strong work ethic & flexibility – it takes a lot of time and energy to make your business grow – particularly the way you want it to.
Any advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs?
Focus on doing something you absolutely love and don’t be afraid to take the plunge – if you don’t someone else will.
Anything else you want to share?
‘made with love Aunt Bucky’
You might also like our articles on some more truly inspiring small business success stories:
share this: