Alia Juma‘s passport is full. I know this because the designer pulled it out over dinner at the Drake Hotel last week to prove that every square inch of every page was maxed out with stamps and visas from China, India and the other countries Juma visits and lives in while conceptualizing and manufacturing her line with brother Jamil.
That globetrotting, we’ve already noted, is a big reason why the brand’s distribution has grown over the past two years and why the duo is looking to mount their first, full New York Fashion Week presentation in September. And their knack for online marketing is why they’re attempting to raise the thousands it costs to show in the Big Apple through online fundraising platform Kickstarter.com.
The crowd funding website is geared towards finding backing for projects in music, film, art, tech, design, food and publishing, with creators offering products and experiences as an incentive for pledges. Yesterday, Stylcaster.com announced Juma’s campaign to collect $26,000 through the site before August 26.
Contributions start at a $1, but go higher and you’ll receive anything from a spot on Juma’s sale mailing list ($3) to a jam-packed package including digitally printed scarves, a ticket to the fashion show, a makeover, one night at a boutique hotel and a bottle of Dom Perignon ($4500).
As of this morning, $2,125 has been raised so get pledging. Even just a sneak peek at Juma’s Spring 2012 collection of canvas and leather iPad covers, clutches and tote bags on their project’s page is worth a couple bucks.
