It all began years ago, when I was straight out of college looking for that first job as a reporter in San Diego and then this “prop” for a fashion show opportunity came up. The theme was Southwest.
For the collection, the fashion show director explained, the models would be wearing neon-colored swimsuits under black lights. She wanted funky, fun, cactus headpieces (one would never wear in real life but look cool on the runway), desert flowers, fossil-y looking fish or … and there it was: fish skeletons! The idea for what would become my fish magnets was born, but not quite yet.
For the show I created large colorful fish skeletons cut out of poster board painted with neon tempura paints, which I then strung from a white string I painted neon orange, of course. These waist chains were hung on the swimsuit-clad models and unfortunately the only photo I have of this is in my mind, as this was before cell phones.
When the show was over, people inquired about the fish waist chains. My sister and I brainstormed and this is when—what would turn out to be fish magnets—came to be: the fish skeleton designs, shrunk down in size, cut from thicker board, and then turned into something practical. Like a refrigerator magnet.
After some basic product design and design and manufacturing engineering (in my kitchen) I had a fish prototype! Ready to produce. By hand.
My first customer? Nordstrom, upstairs in the housewares department. My second customer? Pottery Barn catalog.
The adventure had begun.
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