marta locklear { boutique

mlb | couture launch has begun. More items will be added as the materials get in and as my newborn models get here to photograph the new items.

mlb | couture luxury at its best. Think style meets photography props. The items have a touch of flair to them, but not so much that they distract from the most important thing (the baby), but enough to add a bit of fashion and luxury to the items. Mix that up with some of the most wonderful and sensual fibers out there, merino wool, lambs wool, silk, hand carved wool, wool felt, organic cotton, pearls, and much more.

mlb | couture is not for everyone. These items are expensive, for several reasons and I will explain.

1- Supply and demand. The materials I use are not always readily available. Most are hand made by other artisans. All are handmade by me or my help, and we can only make so many.

2- Exclusivity. As a photographer myself I know as an artist how important it is to be unique. You don’t want to see 100 other photographers out there with the same item. You don’t want your clients clicking on your competitions sites seeing the same things over and over…you want to be unique and stand out. Just like any other couture line in the fashion world, exclusivity is expensive.

3- Originality. I am the original designer of the cocoons, my ribbon and star hats, the chunky wrap, and the many more things that are going to be listed in the next couple of weeks. From me you will always get unique, high end and creative.

4- Material. I use only high high materials. Nearly everything I have is hand made, hand spun, hand painted, made by artisans, pearls, merino, hand carved wood buttons….the list goes on. These materials are not cheap or plenty in availability. This not only adds to the value, but the quanitity I can offer (back to supply and demand).

5- Knowledge. I am an open book. People email me and ask me questions all the time and I love to answer them. With some of my items you will get codes for tips (the Baby Skins), and these are tips on how to use your item and how I would photograph it. From the beginning to the resulting image.  I am going to continue to do this and I will be doing it for other items. Some will be password protected, some for everyone to share. Videos will also be coming soon!

As you can see a lot goes into my products and will continue to do so. I have some completely new and ground breaking items coming out soon (just getting the prototypes made and arranging for some models). I will always be pushing forward and create new items.

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WIth all this said I would like to take a moment to address those that are following in my footsteps. I do appreciate that the items are so loved and wanted that there is demand for many. The thing I ask is that you tap into some creative ethics. Yes, I know it is a free country, and I do not have my items patented (don’t think I did not look into it, but it costs many thousands to get it done properly), and copyright will not protect them fully. But I did create the cocoon. It took several tries and modifications to get it the way I saw it in my brain. It took work and creativity, and it was very very hard to see others just steal the idea and do their own, especially the ones that copied down to the same yarns! For a long time it bothered me and really got to me, but I am over that now. And as the new items are released I know that there is going to be those out there that want to make them. You will see the demand, you will see how fast they sell, you will see $$ signs, and want to do it for yourself and you will. But I ask those of you that want to do this to take some time and try to make it your own use your creative ethics. Put your own spin on it. Adjust the pattern, make it so it does not look like mine. Make it YOURS. There is such a things as creative ethics (this goes out to the photographers as well), it has been dying for years now. And I realized the first time someone said “its a free country” that is was near dead. I take pride in my work and I do all I can to try to create, be inventive, etc. And when I get inspired by something, something that I think another deserves credit for, I pay them, I give them credit, and you will see that in some of the new items to come. I also have some new items that are ground breaking coming out. They have not been done before for photography, babies or anything of the sort. I worked long and hard to get the idea out and I hope that others will see it for what it is and leave it alone.

One more thing and I will get off my soap box :). I have created a few items for people that had their own vision, but needed a knitter and someone that could create from scratch. Those items are not mine. They are theirs. They were their idea, I just made it a reality. As easy for me as it would be to make them and sell them, and probably make a lot of money. I won’t. There is a such thing as art, even in photography and knitting. And the combination can be amazing. But that amazing factor gets diluted when everyone and their mom makes, sells, and photographs the same thing….back to creative ethics. This is why I refuse to recreate the Hanging Cocoon I made for Britt and Carrie. This was my own decision and I am sticking to it. Others have already started to copy the idea and that is sad.

Ok…soap box done. Enjoy a peek at the new products and be sure to sign up for the mailing list to be notified when more come out. All items can be purchased on Etsy…use the thumbnails above to get to the site.