In the Bags
Hand-beaded accessories have treated Christiana Lapetina-Johnson almost as kindly as she treats her employees.
Vital Statistics: Christiana
Lapetina-Johnson, the 40-year-old founder and CEO of Chatsworth,
California-based Christiana Enterprises Inc.
Company: Started in
Lapetina-Johnson's garage in 1994, the company makes a
collection of hand-beaded bags, home furnishings and apparel.
2002 Projections: $6 million
to $8 million
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Ready to Leave: "I was
in the ready-to-wear business before 1994, working for a successful
company out of India for five years. I did sportswear and started
beading vests, but I got sick of that, so I thought, 'OK,
I'll utilize my knowledge and contacts and try some beaded
accessories.' "
"This business
is competitive, and you've just got to keep your chin up and
keep trying."
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Oversaturation: "My
quest was to reproduce antique bags; and then, as trends come
around, beaded bags became all the rage with couture designers like
Badgley Mischka and Valentino. Then the rest of the world catches
on to the idea, and I have to face a tremendous amount of
competition. At first, I was upset by it because then my business
didn't seem special anymore, but I just decided to spend all my
energy pushing forward and reinventing, trying to stay at the top
of my game and experiment with different things."
On Roots: "Being from
the Midwest [Kansas City] has helped me out in a lot of arenas-not
just in being an easygoing person in business, but also in being
able to work with my employees. You get a lot more with kindness
than you would by being a real b****."
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