Beam Bold : The colorful story of a travel inspired fashion brand
A few weeks into one of my many trips to Ghana, I met another traveler wearing a beautiful yellow dress. I complimented her and we bonded on our shared love of bright colored clothing. “I own nothing black”, she declared. That revelation made me think of my own wardrobe. Although I loved vibrant colors, most of my business attire was adapted to what I deemed acceptable in the corporate world; blacks, navies, and all shades of gray. Outside of the office, however, you can recognize me from a mile away. :-) I expressed myself through daring colors which were often captured in my travel photos. There must be other women like us who feel magical in vibrant colors, I thought; women who use clothing as a form of self-expression. At that moment, the idea of merging my passion for travel and fashion to create a colorful resort wear brand was born.
My love of fashion began as a child. My grandmother was a seamstress, so I grew up in the Caribbean seeing her make clothing for the entire community. I saw colorful fabrics draped across the sewing machine and witnessed their transformation into lovely pieces of art. I was fascinated by the process, the textures, and the patterns so I began making clothing from an early age. With my mom and many of my family members working in the textile industry, it was only natural that my early career would begin in retail fashion. I started out in retail sales then held various roles with several fashion brands in New York. I later transitioned to the exciting world of banking after being misguided by those who believed that fashion was not a real career.
My imagination and my exposure to art and culture around the world, has influenced my creativity. I have embraced every opportunity to create by buying local fabric during my travels and hiring skilled tailors while on the road or in every city where I have lived. This has allowed me to redesign thrift and travel finds and make custom pieces for myself. My 6-month trip across Africa was unplanned so I supplemented my travel wardrobe by making colourful pieces as I crossed each border. I began receiving inquiries about my dresses so thought I would leverage my network of fabric suppliers and skilled manufacturers upon my return to Hong Kong to get started on my clothing line. Around that time, I came across an article about late career changers with successful careers and that was the motivation I needed to move forward with my crazy dream. I specifically noted that Vera Wang had transitioned to being a fashion designer at the age of 40 and felt inspired. I enrolled in an online fashion course and later secured an apprenticeship at a textile factory in China to learn all the intricacies of garment production.
While traveling throughout Africa, I became more aware of the impact of textile waste on our planet and specifically the effects on the African continent. This has led to many African countries banning the import of second-hand clothing. My knowledge of this issue has profoundly influenced my brand direction. I am committed to reducing textile waste by working with factories whose values are in line with my mission and by increasing the seam allowance in my pieces to enable clients to adjust their dress sizes as their body sizes fluctuate. My printed fabrics are digitally printed which reduces water and energy waste. To reduce excess inventory, I have also implemented robust pre-production sales strategies. The fabrics used in my collection consist of 100% natural fibers and my reusable packaging and tags are made with natural or recycled materials.
Each dress in the Beam Bold collection is referred to as the little bold dress ™. These flowy, lightweight pieces are created in bright colors and lively prints for color lovers of all size. Clients would have the flexibility to customize many of the pieces to suit their personal style. This effort is to encourage more women to embrace their individuality and be expressive through color and design. This versatility component also aims to encourage clients to buy less since one dress allows them to achieve a few different looks.
It is a privilege to follow in my grandmother’s footstep and apply everything she has taught me. Consequently, my first collection is named, The Aurora Collection, in honor of my late grandmother, Joycelyn Aurora. Although printed fabrics are limited editions, we offer an unlimited supply of the little bold dress. Brighten up your travel wardrobe and chase the sun all year round in bold looks made from the perfect blend of silk and cotton. Color looks great on you too so get out there and Beam Bold.
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Beam Bold – in sundresses made for your height
There are many perks of being an expat in Asia but there are also many pain points (mostly first world problems!) :-) Regarding fashion, many expats here experience difficulty finding shoes and clothing in larger sizes. For tall women, accessing clothing in longer lengths locally can also be problematic so many of us shop online or while traveling. Once I had decided to launch my colorful fashion brand, Beam Bold, I was eager to solve some of these fashion pain points. Consequently, I have designed my dresses to be inclusive of the height and size ranges of women in this cosmopolitan city (Hong Kong) and those around the globe. For us at Beam Bold, maxi means maximum length for your height. All of our maxi dresses are available for pre-order in petite, short, regular, and tall lengths as we cater to women up to 6 feet tall. Our sizes range from XXXS to 3XL and custom orders are welcomed for larger sizes and longer lengths beyond those that are readily available.
As an avid traveler, I’m constantly considering clothing weight while shopping. With each purchase, I deliberate on how much of my 23kg luggage allowance must be forfeited during my journey to each destination (I’m never on team carry-on) :-) . I began product development with the goal of providing lightweight, breathable clothing that is exceptional for warm, humid weather and for traveling. After months of research, I settled on 100% natural fibers for my collection. Our colorful pieces flow effortlessly in the wind and are made with a perfect blend of silk and cotton.
My long-term travels have allowed me to use my creativity to revamp many of my outfits to create different looks. Inherently, this experience has influenced my designs so I have strong desires to encourage women to embrace their individualities through design. I have added elements to most of my pieces to allow you to create different looks from the same dress. Our Labadi Breeze dress, featured here, has been styled with optional ties to create the illusion of open shoulders straps. You will also have the choice to belt your waist with our removable waist ties. Alternatively, you can remove all of the ties for an effortless look. Our separates give you the freedom to mix and match our vibrant colors and prints or wear as matching sets to suit your personal preference.
Having difficulties finding sundresses for your off-season getaway? Our printed fabrics are limited edition but we provide an unlimited supply of the little bold dress all year round. Did we mention that you'll always have pockets? Join our mailing list to be first to pre-order our new collection and be a part of the expressive revolution.
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Beam Bold – giving you bold choices while reducing textile waste
We have officially launched our colorful resort wear brand, Beam Bold, with a pop-up shop and launch party in Soho, Hong Kong. There is no better feeling than having a crazy idea, taking the time to learn and develop it, then having your first sale. Launching this brand could not have been possible without my wonderful friends and family who have invested their time to assist me in making this idea a reality. I will forever be grateful for all of the kind gestures and for your encouragement.
Our first item sold was our Assinie Sway Maxi skirt in our watercolor print. This skirt gets its name from Assinie Beach in Ivory Coast. Each piece in our Aurora Collection gets its name from a beach in Africa since the brand idea was born while I was traveling across the African Continent. Our best seller was our Labadi Breeze Maxi Dress, named after Labadi Beach in Ghana. This signature dress is our most easy, flowing piece of luxury that looks great on everyone. Lightweight and breezy, this silk cotton dress features pockets, adjustable straps, and optional shoulder & waist ties, so you can style it your own way. You can dress it up with heels or down with flats, this is the must-have dress for your travels.
Beam Bold embodies freedom, comfort, and individuality. The collection has an island vibe due to my Caribbean roots and our 5 bright colors & 2 limited edition prints compliment every skin tone. Our Gazi Glory Crop Top is fun and flirty and was designed to be remembered with options to wear it on and off your shoulders. It featuring fabulous bell sleeves and will always get you a second look! Let your fun side come out to play with our Gazi Glory Crop Top. Pair it with jeans, shorts or our Assinie Sway Flared Skirt. We encourage you to mix and match our prints and colors to suit your mood and your lifestyle.
As promised, those who have joined our mailing list will be first to shop our new collection. If you have subscribed, you would have received an email with our website password and our discount code. Add to Cart will be visible if your selection is in stock or you will see Pre-order Now if your choice is not readily available. Once your pre-order request has been processed, production time will be 2 to 3 weeks. There is also a custom order option available for all featured styles.
We don’t just create beautiful pieces, we care about the planet and you should too. Did you know that the textile industry is the world’s 2nd most polluting industry? My journey through Africa has made me more conscious of this issue so I have implemented our pre-order strategy to support our mission of reducing textile waste. Thank you for joining us in supporting this cause and for following us on this colorful journey. Please share Beam Bold with your friends who are conscious color lovers. We are truly grateful for those who have already purchased. To all of our subscribers, we greatly appreciate your support. Beam Bold shop is now open for you. Shop Responsibly!
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