Dianne Berkun Menaker is the Founder of IndiBag, a new fashion brand committed to working with vegan, recycled and sustainable materials. She has a background as an experienced musician residing in Brooklyn, NYC. Her inspiration in creating this new line was to create something that women could use on the go. Being a musician and living in the city, she understood the needs of being able to quickly access your things without it being clumsy. Her designs are hands free and hassle free. Her goal in creating this line was to create something where it’s well-sized and proportionate without compromising on each persons individual style. Launching her new brand has given Dianne the ability to creatively express herself, experiment and come up with new ways of using sustainable materials which is a plus for the environment.
Tell Us About Your Background:
I grew up playing piano and singing in choruses and always knew that music would be my path. I majored in music in college, piano and music education, first at Hartt School of Music and then at NYU, and then went on to teach in both public and private schools. I developed a real passion for teaching and worked over the course of 30 years to develop and refine a unique teaching method that encompassed both voice and music literacy training. I now hold a trademark for my methodology, Cross-Choral Training(R). As I continued to study and grow as a musician and educator, I knew I needed greater freedom and independence to fulfill my vision of a professional-level training and performance program for young people, regardless of their background or economic circumstances. Living in Brooklyn, NY, an extremely diverse urban environment, it was my mission to build an inclusive and representative chorus without barriers to participation. In 1992 I founded an independent non-profit organization, Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Now, 30 years later, Brooklyn Youth Chorus is one of the most highly respected and sought after youth choruses in the country with a music school that serves up to 600 students across the city each year. We won a Grammy-Award in 2005 and have toured with world class international orchestras and recording artists and superstars across a range of styles and genres.
When Did You Decide To Create INDiBAG?
During the pandemic, I had the time to work on my own designs and created INDiBAG.nyc. So far, I have done everything myself— designing and sewing the bags, taking the photos, art directing and styling the photo shoots, editing photos/videos, building Facebook and instagram pages, and building my website.
What Have You Learned During This Experience?
In many ways, starting INDiBAG has been an all-encompassing business venture much like founding BYC. I design the bags, make the prototypes, research and select materials, take promotional photography and videos, build and maintain a website, and manage all the business and financial aspects of the organization.
Turning a hobby into a business is no easy undertaking, particularly while it remains your side hustle. Hours and energy are not infinite, and maintain a healthy life balance is important. That said, if you ant o start a business, you have to be prepared to give all of yourself, your time and energy, which means you have to really love what you do and feel passionate about the place and purpose of your products int he marketplace.
Not everyone is your customer, and that is OK. While I heard amazing positive and enthusiastic praise from friends and family, they were not the first in line to make purchases.
Set pricing that reflects the value you place on your products and keep searching for customers that see and appreciate that value. As a handcrafted product, made one-at-a-time, the cost per item cannot compete with factory produced imports. Handmade products are time intensive and are not for the bargain hunter. The ideal INDiBAG customer appreciate the quality of the materials, the care and attention to details in the construction, and the uniqueness of having a bespoke item made just for them. The INDiBAG customer does not need to hide behind name brand logos and enjoys standing out with something rare and special in its uniqueness. Going into business requires a lot more than a great idea. Investment is needed in ongoing product development and improvements, but that gets you nowhere if you can’t get your product in front of an audience. In addition to the promoting the product, you have to be smart about pricing and your financial business model. Without a clear idea of how much you need to sell at any given price point to make a profit, you likely won’t be financially viable.
Where I hope to be in the next few years…
I would like to see INDiBAG grow as a future-forward company competitive in the vegan/non-leather handbag and accessories market. My goal is to continue growing and expanding a line of items that are unique, fun and functional ,that are ethically produced without harm to animals or the planet. I want people to reach for these bags because they are just right for their needs and a pleasure to look at and hold.
With the proper investment of funds, I would move into a dedicated workshop (currently working out of my home) that can be fully stocked with all the tools and equipment of the trade. In addition to the online business, I hope to have a showroom in my area so people can see and feel the products for themselves before they buy.
At this time, I am interested in smaller production runs—limited quantities of each item—so the bags retain their rare and special quality. Customization through design consultation is also key to the business model. Customers can certainly buy the bags as the see them in the samples, but I want them to feel that this is their bag, to their specifications and with their needs in mind — be it customizing the lining fabric, pockets or straps, or requesting special hardware of size adjustments. When someone says, “I have several bags but none of them work for me because…,” I want to solve that problem and deliver something beautiful.