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SPOTLIGHT on MtCoffinz!

CreepyQueen: So First off, What is MtCoffinz?

MtCoffinz:We are trying to be a ?One Stop Shopping? Experience for alternative clothing.  We still make absolutely every single item by hand.  We have diversified enough over the years to have lots of dark gothic and Steam Punk skirts.  We also have tons of Neon Raver Bright Party TuTus. If you are heading to a special event party, like Burning Man or a 3-Day Rave, then you should start shopping here first.

CQ: Who is MtCoffinz?

MtC:Technically, MTCoffinz is just Jinx.  That?s me, a coffee Fueled Sewing Robot.  I design all of the patterns, choose the colors, sew the clothing, take the photos, and answer emails.  However, it would be unrealistic to say that I can keep up with all of those demands.  Riven, my wonderful assistant, now answers most of the email questions (about 350 per day!)  I also get lots of help from my husband who does almost all of the screen-printing and he writes the online item listings.

CQ: How did MtCoffinz get Started?

MtC: I started making clothes with my mom when I was still very young.  In my teens, I had a dance studio where I taught kids dance routines.  When we had competitions, I used to make all of my dancer?s costumes.

That led to making clothes for my friends, then for their friends, and so on.  I started selling online with eBay many years ago, which led to my own online store, and then I had some requests for consignment shops.  I currently sell in a few consignment shops in several countries.  Then Etsy was born.  I love it!  Almost all of my newest stuff goes straight to Etsy.  We have 2 Etsy shops that are doing very well.

CQ: Do you have a favourite piece for sale right now?    

MtC: I have 1 item that holds a special place.  I made a Giant Red and Black Prom skirt last year. It was the first one and I was kinda testing the waters to see if anyone would like it.  I was also a little cautious about pricing it at $150.00.

Well it turns out that it was the start of something great. That skirt was an immediate success and we sold more than 40 the first year during Prom Season.  I started getting requests for the same skirt in alternate colors.  That skirt is now available in about a dozen colors with more coming. The summer Wedding season was also very good and I expect it to get better when we roll out new styles for formal events.

CQ: What do you think makes the perfect tutu?

MtC: There are several things that a skirt has to have before it can even be called a tutu. It has to be sewn not tied. It has to have a real waistband, not a piece of string or ribbon. It has to be machine washable so you can enjoy it over and over again.

To make it perfect it has to have bold or vibrant colors that are eye-catching.  It needs to be really full and pouffy.  All of our skirts are ruffled by hand.  Even the smaller skirts can have 20 yards of tulle in them.  All of those hand folded ruffles are the key to making it durable and full.

CQ: What do you find was one of the hardest things you had to overcome so far with the start up of your shop?

MtC: The first few challenges were based around finding fabric and materials in large quantities.  Even from the beginning, I wanted to make clothing that could be reproduced so we could have a full store of regular items.  It?s great to have loads of One-of-a-kind items, but they sell out so fast that it was hard to keep the inventory stocked up.

CQ: What are your future plans for MtCoffinz? Any new pieces in the works?

MtC: I am always adding new colors and styles to our inventory.  That?s the fun part.  We do all of our own screen-printing on site, so if I can?t find the right fabric?I?ll just make it!  Halloween is right around the corner, so I?ll be releasing lots of new styles. 

The future is looking pretty bright, I am planning an adding at least two full time employees to help with fabrication and production of the regular inventory items.  That will give me a lot more time to create unique items.  By Homecoming dance season, I hope to have lots of full length skirts for alternative girls.  It?s going to be really exciting!

Plus we will have lots more pictures with Miss Mischief.  She is a stunning model who works with SMP photography.  They are working with us exclusively in New England. [See above graveyard photo and right below this].

CQ: Where can readers of CreepyQueen buy and find more about you and your shop?

MtC: Google!  MTCoffinz is almost everywhere (eBay, Etsy, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LiveJournal, YouTube?)  Just type in MTCoffinz and you can find us all over.  Every account has the same name so it?s really easy to find us!