This is quite a big blog today, I didn't get much time last week to blog so you have two entries for the price of one.

First of all you can see some new colours I am planning on launching.  I am still not 100% sure about them but I rather like them.  I am making some frames in these colours and if I get a good reaction from my lovely Opticians, I will have them in the collection by Feb.

Below is a screen shot from Alain Miklis website.  I just want to say a big thank you for the compliment we have been paid.  It is not often such a respected designer copies your style.  Thank you thank you!

 Below is a 5am start in the Netherlands.  Chintu was over doing an event and so travelled back with the design school.  No expense spared on the luxurious easyjet!

Arriving at Design School Opticians (from all over the world) are treated to a top secret production film, showing exactly how we make Bespoke glasses in our workshop. 

Below you can see Chintu making a nice English cuppa and then regaling the Opticians with stories of his recent fishing trip (probably)

 Whilst it is quite good fun at Design School, there is the serious busienss of explainging how we design Bespoke frames. We give the same training to the Opticains as I give my designers. This is a great way of understanding how I personally design my collection and also helps you when you are desinging, so you can work with us and break our rules (easier to break them when you understand them) 

 In the evening we all went out for dinner.  You can see me being presented with some Clogg slippers. It is not nessasary to bring me presents (but I happen to like wine, chocolate and slippers!)

What a week! I am almost ready to fly home and I have had both the time of my life and one of the hardest weeks ever in China.

To say that the factory is buzzing is an understatement, its like a hornets nest on speed.

I have never had the pleasure of working with such a hard working bunch of people.

With our Bespoke sales having doubled in the past two months, we are all frankly going in to overdrive to keep up with demand.  I have spent a good part of the week working out how to expand our production without interupting supply.  Here you can see a photo of our ground floor.. .ready and waiting for machines!

So far our delivery has not suffered... well, I’ve not been able to launch any new Ready To Wear this month, but this is no big problem.  The 8mm T joint models will be ready by the end of the month.

On the 8mm T joint, NEVER has something so simple been such a pain in the ass! It is the hardest component we have ever had to make and you can’t see it to look at it.  I am certain of one thing... it will sell faster than we can make it!

Monday I will launch my video blog.  Go to our You Tube TV station or Facebook fan site to see it.  It will get posted as soon as I get a chance, most likely 10am UK time.

We have 24 positions advertised in the local area at the moment. We need to start beefing up our team.  In today’s team photo, we have now grown to 94 people!

In this picture we are showing off the new team uniform. Whilst I like a nice smart black, I suppose I had to concede to the 35 degrees heat and black not necessarily being the best colour for our team! TD blue has just been offered (but I’m pleased to say some people still like the black!)

Here you can see a possible new finish.  This is called Scratch finish.  It was a complete accident actually, Someone was trimming down some acetate with a wire brush and I thought it looked rather nice.  So I had them do this to my Sunglasses.  I’ll show a few people and maybe you will see “SCRATCH” added on the Supertool finish!

Here you can see some of my new Sunglasses.  I’ve still not got enough good mens metals (I know I’m leaving it tight) but the retro suns and ladies suns are looking fantastic.  I’ll post some decent pics when I get back to London.

Finally, just a few pics from my recent walk around the workshop.  Finishing touches to Calipers...

New retro fitting templates in the final stages...

Right, thats it for now.  Let me know what you think of the Video blog... back to London on Tuesday.

It is great to be back in the hot seat in the workshop.  The place is buzzing with all the increased activity.  There are so many things to see and do that I could be here full time... just for the fun of it!

Thankfully, people are doing a great job.

Above you can see one of our new models, using a mini T.  These frames are very difficult to make. The Mini T is a pain is the XXX to make and the combination with titanium rimwire means that here we are actually making two frames.

Hmmmm, technically THREE when making a bespoke.  Since we have to send away the wire for colouring, we actually make the metal rimwire insert twice.  Once to send away to colour and once so a Master can fit it to the front.  If we didn't do this, a Bespoke of this model would take 5 weeks.

Here you can see a prototype for one of my new ladies models. You MIGHT just be able to see the drawing.  The top of this is yet to be chopped off and replaced with a titanium bar.  Could be something amazing (or could end up in my nearly was box....)

This guy is welding a 12 mm T joint.

For anyone reading this blog for the past 6 months, you might remember the dental loupes I designed.  Here is one at the QC stage.  Pretty damb bloody brilliant!! (if you are a dentist who needs his frame to stay on his nose, manage his lighting cables and fit his loupes on....)

Another new ladies frame, using a mini T.  Looking magic!  I expect to launch in a few weeks.

Last pic for today.  Here are some colour kits being put together.  They might seem innocent and simple... but to exactly colour match all these stick to our strict QC, put them together at the rate we are opening accounts.... there are a few people assigned full time, just to this job!

I just had a quick look around the factory.  Its is looking mighty fine.  I've only had a few hours but there are some amazing things to see.  I'll post again tomorrow, here are a few of my quick snaps!!!

This is my lazer.  Here you can see a load of frames about to have the customers name put on the inside. (the pile is three times as big as last time I was here!)

One of our excitinig new accounts in the Netherlands has asked me to create them a reader, exclusively for their shop.  This will have lenses in by the morning.  If I get time, I'll try to grab a final shot!

This a frame created in DESIGN SCHOOL a few days ago by Seen Opticains. I can see about 30 of them downstairs at the moment.  They are looking fantastic.

Finally, below, you can see a range of frames for Children.  No Tom Davies has not just launched them.... one of our forward thinking customers created a range of glasses using our DESIGNER service! Magic!

I’m sitting on a plane to the workshop again and I am incredibly lucky to finally get to spend some air miles and go in business. I already have shown myself up as a amateur luxury traveller by asking someone official looking why my TV only seems to be playing Harry Potter.  (I did so in a grumpy, playing the business class passenger type person) voice.  “dunno, he said. I only fly the plane!”

Well, if the captain can’t make my movies work... what chance do I have?

Anyway, I have pulled out the laptop to do a bit of work and try to finalise my agenda for this week.

I will update the blog every day (I hope) as this is going to be an action packed week. 

We are planning to renovate the ground floor of the workshop, re-organise the entire Bespoke production structure and re-plan the main studio.  The past few months have shown us that we really need to start ramping up our capacity.  2010 is going to be the year of Tom Davies.

I am also going to be working on our new ladies collections. Launching in January I want to have at least 10 new ladies frames, this is incredibly important.  I know what I want, I just have to put pen to paper.  This will happen this week.

Finally, I need to design some new colours.  I want two more funcky acetate colours and I don’t want to pick them from the suppliers stock.  It is going to be great fun!

What a week! I am not sure we can pack more action in to 7 days than we currently do.

First of all, I checked the Bespoke orders over the weekend (this was last Monday) and they are 100% more than they should be.  I.e. frightening! Never mind, it's just a blip........ I thought. 

Tuesday...hmmmm "Dicky, get the designers on Overtime!"
Wednesday "Better hire two new designers" 
Thursday "make that 4".   

This morning, I am delighted and nervous to report that the orders are still flying in. "Dicky, hire some new production staff and buy those new machines we signed off for Spring!

Above you can see one of our Dutch clients, Mestrini designing their own collection using our new DESIGNER product. I spent a good half day with them doing it as I also wanted to learn more about this amazing new offer.

"That is a lot of work for just 18 pcs" They commented.  But they will use these 18 pcs as a basis for their 40 pcs collection. "If you are going to spend £5000, you want to spend longer than half an hour on it" I answered. We were both joking but it does take more work to put this together.  The rewards are that you get PERFECT product for the shop. Early signs are that DESIGNER collections are the fasting selling frames in each store. I'll keep you posted!

We are busy creating our new marketing materials for 2010.  Here you can see a BESPOKE POS card.  I am not sure of the ratio, but I think that if you order 18 DESIGNER frames or more, they will come with a POS card like this, designed for your shop with photos from your frames on them.

As an extension of this,  we want to offer a similar BESPOKE window program.  Here you can see some full bleed window images.  High impact and descriptive!

 Part of the 2010 window strategy are these white plinths. These will go in a window with a frame on top.

 Just like this infact....

I have also posted some new designs on FACEBOOK this week.  This one got a good reaction! Why not join up to our Facebook group, just launched!!!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/TD-Tom-Davies/136874831378?ref=ts