About Me
In 2003 Alexandra Renwick, Lizelle Villapando, and Talena Rasmussen agreed that the DIY movement hit Austin like a virus and was here to stay. Renwick always felt Austin needed a safe place for all of its creative locals to showcase and sell their goods. Villapando and Rasmussen, whom had just recently launched their own clothing label, Booyo , also had a long time appreciation for cleverly handmade goods and original designs. With Renwick's 11 years (and counting) of experience successfully running New Bohemia, one of Austin's best resale vintage and resale goldmines, and Villapando and Rasmussen's familiarity with handmade goods, and their shared appreciation for fellow indie entrepreneurs, the three teamed up to create a space that would satisfy all of their needs. After months of dinner meetings and trips to the hardware store, P&L was born.
P&L confidently maintains over 100 labels, representing 200+ creative Texans. Their work ranges from silk screened t-shirts to elaborate jewelry, reconstructed vintage clothes to handmade soaps, children's wear, and more. Not only is P&L intended to showcase Texas talent, but also to illustrate the many benefits of handmade goods.
Whose things do we carry? Well, there is a forever rotating group of people, but here is a list of people we support (websites links are coming!):
*AnneMarie*,
akberonio,
Mei Creative Studio,
Kitsch Clothing,
Maneki Collection,
All Dressed Up and Shy,
Lawless Revolution Wear,
Dally Devita Designs,
SparkleCraft,
Machine Ballerina,
Naughty Secretary Club,
Diane Petkoff Designs,
PopArt,
M(squared) designs,
Crafty Monkey,
Lotus Designs,
Kailo Chic,
Handmade Julz,
Headgear,
Give Up,
Feto Soap,
Q,
Dark Days,
Kelly D. Tees,
bignoselittledog,
Mi hija,
Belle South,
Tea Body's,
LRJ Designs,
Merchant Ship Collective,
Kristin Laing Designs,
Dark Eyes Clothing,
Made With Sweet Love,
Decent,
i like applejuice,
Simple Southern Scents,
Hot Pink Pistol,
Amet and Sasha,
Futureman Graphics,
Adaptive Reuse,
Ornamental Things,
Fat Cat Creations,
Rural Rooster Designs,
(Maybe someday I will organize all of that. Not today.)
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Can just ANYONE sell their stuff at Parts & Labour?
No. Designers at Parts & Labour MUST live in Texas.
Sorry, but you students who are away at college ten months out of the year don’t count either. Nothing personal, concentrate on getting smarter, then come back.
Why Texas designers only?
We’re proud of the fact that Texas has better things to offer than “Wâ€. Really, we’re trying to keep the money in the community and support the local economy.
We also have very limited space in the shop. Maybe if we had a bigger store….
How do you decide what to take?
There are a few criteria one must meet:
Quality of workmanship – you don’t want to put your name on something that has loose threads, or a stain, or mismatched seams, gobs of glue showing, or snaps that are too tight – or too loose etc. all over it, do you? You know you have good ideas, now you have to figure out how to execute them well, too. There’s lots of competition so show us your best.
Originality – there is a ton of great work coming from Texas designers, and Parts & Labour is only so big, so whoever gets here first wins. No, that’s not entirely it, but if your work looks like something we already have, there won’t be much reason for us to accept it.
Functionality – the item must be wearable, or usable in some form or fashion. No sculptures or wall art, please. Be creative, incorporate your talent into a piece that can be used in the home or incorporated into a clothing design.
Lastly, space in the store. What?! This has nothing to do with you, but if you show up with the world’s coolest, perfectly crafted handbags, but we’re up to our eyeballs in handbags, then we simply have no room at that time – but don’t be afraid to come back in a few weeks and try again.
When can I show samples of what I make?
Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12:00 - 5:00. First come first serve. No appointment necessary those days.
“What if I can’t make those times?†Call for an appointment. Ask for Lizelle. OR Myspace us photos of samples.
Once we see what you make and love it….
You will need “hang tags†to attach to each item. This tag should tell the customer anything you would want to tell them about your product from care of goods, to materials used, website, to your contact info for custom ordering.
You will also need to aquire a SALES AND USE TAX PERMIT. Don’t be scared. Its FREE from the Texas State Comptroller on 17th St. and San Jacinto. This number will allow you to set up wholesale accounts and purchase your supplies tax exempt thus keeping your retail prices reasonable.
Finally, we take your work under CONSIGNMENT for a 8 week trial period. The split it 60% to the designer, 40% to the house. The details are outlined in the consignment contract that is read and signed by the designer.
Good luck and we hope to continue to see great things come into Parts & Labour.
