How I got my line into the top boutiques on the most prestigious street on Miami beach

I stroll into Astoria on Lincoln Road rolling my suitcase with a bag on top. Either I was a tourist catching a flight or just landed or I was a salesperson. Not sure here but usually from Toronto solicitors are frown upon, this is understandable because of all the crap these solicitors try to push off on the store owner.

Lincoln Road is the most prestigious luxury shopping street on Miami beach. The road is a long pedestrian street fill with lively music, tall palm trees, clothing boutiques, and restaurants.

I went into the store and came up to the sales assoicate there, "can I see Danny or Michael" I said reading those names off of the sheet made by my sales rep Sarvi. She contacted the stores here in Miami to get me names.

"Do you have an appointment with him?" she asked.

Trying to say anything other than no I said "I'm here to see Danny, I spoke to him on the phone."

"So he's expecting you? What's your name?"

"Jing from JUZD..."

"Let me go see." then she walks off to the back.

She has been gone for almost a minute, while I eagerly await the response. I thought to myself, so he have never heard of my name or even spoken to Sarvi. I'm not sure how she got his name, either way if she did speak to him there was no way he would remember JUZD.

Danny is a big deal, he has 5 stores including one on the Las Vegas strip. I was nervous but also kind of excited to hear Danny's bewilder response. I can imagine him saying "I have an appointment with who?"

She comes back and to MY bewilderment says "Come on in, just go to the back and up the stairs."

I went up and sitting there was Daniel Amuial the owner of Astoria.

"I know you from someone." says Daniel with a big welcoming smile.

You can expect his surprise when I said "Nope, we never met before."

The rest of the conversation is history, he ended up loving the line because it's unique and he said he's going to buy and didn't want me to show it to anyone else.

Chris Bosh’s 25th birthday gala gets JUZD

The day couldn’t have gone any better with a Raptor win over the LA Clippers, undoubtedly an early birthday present for Chris and his teammates. The adrenaline level was sky high and the team made a special effort to look and smell good for the highly anticipated festivities that the night would bring.

Liberty Street had never felt so alive on a Sunday night; the street was filled with high energy and people, who braved the frigid cold, on a day where usually the street is calm and quiet. The storm was just about to come. Chris’s friends and family were riled up to celebrate Chris Bosh's 25th exclusive birthday gala at Maro nightclub on Sunday March 22, 2009.

The red carpet was rolled out with style and the crowd was decked out to the nines. People were definitely ready to get JUZD. Lots of people ran out to buy the exclusive, hand made, one-of-a-kind BIG 25 JUZD, hand crafted by Jing Liu. The shirts were sold before the event and those who purchased beforehand, took advantage of the VIP treatment in the club. The BIG 25 shirts were also selling at Maro as a souvenir commemorating a new milestone in Chris’ life.

Hundreds of Bosh’s closest friends including Jay Triano, teammates: Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker, Jose Calderon, Jason Kapono, Andrea Bargnani, Kris Humphries, Roko Ukic and Joey Graham were among some of the Raptors in attendance. Hallie Dixon, Trex and Devo Brown were also anticipating Chris’ arrival. The paparazzi were ready with their extra large SD cards and as soon as Chris rolled up to the club, the flashing lights from hundreds of cameras started. 4Korners welcomed him with 50 cent’s “In Da Club” and the crowd sang “Go Shawty, it’s your birthday." Shawty was quite the irony standing tall at 6’10!

It only took minutes for the friends and family in the VIP section to start popping bottles to help celebrate Chris’s 25th.

The party went on until the wee hours but who would turn down celebrating in style with Chris for his quarter century milestone? Here’s to brilliant year Chris, all the best from your closest family and friends in Toronto!

JUZD’s Jing Liu Poses with FLOW 93.5 Host Devo Brown

Toronto Raptors Star, Anthony Parker

Toronto Raptors’ Anthony Parker and Jose Calderon with friends

Enjoying the Evening

DJ 4Korners

Jason Laquian (Buyer for TNT Blu) and Jing Liu poses for the Camera in Style

Clubbers Posing for the Camera

Clubbers

JUZD Team Tiffany, Rebecca Lam, Benny Yeung, Jason Wong (JUZD Photographer)

Hallie Dixon

Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh Celebrating his Birthday in Style

Clubber

JUZD model Neila Smai with Toronto Raptors Teammate, Shawn Marion

Even at the Bar, the Bartenders got JUZD!

Stephanie with Toronto Raptors’ Roko Ukic and Jason Kapono

Friend Josh, Daniel Carmen (Buyer for Over the Rainbow), A Cool Partyguest, and Jing posing for the Camera

Andrea Kertesz (Makeup Artist) and Jing Liu engaged in conversation

JUZD Poses with Cool Partygoers

Fergie's Birthday Party to Showcase JUZD Streetwear!

Celebrating her 34th birthday this upcoming Friday (March 27, 2009) in style at Dolce Ultralounge in Miami, Florida, Fergie has a whole slew of musical performances planned (with artists such as Will.I.Am and DJ Craze), as well as a fashion show hosted by JUZD Streetwear showcasing the fashion line's edgy designs.

As much as we would like to, we can't take our fans down to Miami to this awesome birthday bash. However, we do invite you to follow us on our Twitter, which is updated daily with links to exclusive photos and news of what we are up to at JUZD Streetwear!

Sneak Peeks! Chris Bosh BIG 2-5 Private Party last night @ Maro

Chris & Jing

Joel Bosh, friend Geno, Chris with cousin Adriane

Chris & Shawn Marion

Jing & Devo Brown from FLOW93.5

T-Rexxx & DJ 4Korners

Anthony Parker from RAPTORS

Jose Calderon, Jay Triano and Jake Voskuhl from RAPTORS

JUZD Team

More to Come...

Chris Bosh on Primetime CTV with Big 25 shirt

On Thursday March 12th 2009 Chris Bosh was on CTV News at 6, a celebrity fill in for the retiring Dave Devall. On the show Chris did the weather and gave out the JUZD Big 25 shirt which is a ticket into his private birthday party on Sunday March 22 2009.

Go to 4:20 to see the JUZD Big 25 shirt

Get yours now.

Jing Liu handmakes JUZD shirt for Chris Bosh's 25th birthday gala

Chris Bosh is turning 25!

To celebrate this milestone JUZD is releasing a special, limited edition t-shirt. JUZD lead designer, Jing Liu, custom designed and handmade only 100 female 100 male shirts for sale. Six of Toronto’s finest boutiques will receive an exclusive one-time only shipment of 14 shirts per sex: Gotstyle, Show Room, TNT Blu, Over the Rainbow, Coal, and Almost Naked. Not in Toronto? Go to JUZD online shop to get your hands on the handmade shirts.

The shirt is the ONLY way for the non invites to get into Chris Bosh’s 25^th PRIVATE Birthday Party on Sunday, March 22^nd 2009. Hosted at an undisclosed location (visit www.juzd.com to find out).

View Press Release

Gotstyle

489 King St W

Toronto ON, M5V 1K4

416.260.9696

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Show Room

278B Queen St W

Toronto ON, M5V 2A1

416.977.3888

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TNT Blu

Hazelton Lanes

55 Avenue Rd

Toronto ON

416.972.1593

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Over the Rainbow

101 Yorkville ave

Toronto ON, M5R 1C1

416.967.7448

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Coal

803 Queen St W

Toronto ON

416.301.COAL

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Almost Naked

479 Queen St W

Toronto ON, M5V 2A9

416.360.8200

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The one simple missing link to success

I love reading Inc. magazine and one of my favourite sections is Joel Spolsky. In his column he talks about his experience as an entrepreneur and gives monthly advice. I find that his advice really connects with the true reality of everyday business issues.

In this month's issue which features Marc Ecko on the cover (which also is a good read), Joel says that it's not the "Big Idea" but the little things (you won't know these until after the success) will dictate the success or failure of a product. He gives the example that for one of his product they only offered Pay-as-You-Go option for a software. Then they decided to offer a subscription option and the product really took off. In fact if they continued with the Pay-as-You-Go option they would have dumped the product because of the low demand.

Today I met two of the newest JUZD team members. One was Sarvie who have been in the industry for a long time and works at one of the store that carries JUZD. She answered a question that if it wasn't on my mind, it should've been. She told me that after we drop off our shirts for the buyers at the store it was just laying there for a month before they contacted us. And she said the reason was that we didn't have a look book for the buyers to browse through.

How simple! I didn't make a lookbook because I wasn't fully happy with the photos we had and I didn't think it was that important. I have sent and dropped off lots of samples with buyers and kind of surprise that they didn't get all excited and want to pick up the line. I wonder because I have such a great product and all the buyers that I've met and shown the whole line to really like it. So that's the missing link!

The moral of this is that always get feedback and watch out for any little things that will catapult your line to the next level. Oh and also always send a lookbook to buyers. How simple of an idea!

Spotted: Devo Brown is an "All Star"!

We last spotted Melanie Martin of Flow 93.5 being “original” in her JUZD shirt. However, she’s not the only Flow 93.5 DJ rocking the airwaves fashionably in a bamboo shirt. We caught Devo Brown rocking his All-Star shirt with hip-hop artist Q-Tip.

No amateur to the radio airwaves, Brown has worked at numerous radio stations before finding his niche at Toronto’s #1 hip-hop radio station - Flow 93.5. Currently, Brown can be heard on-air on his program, FLOW Factor, Monday to Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sneak peek at JUZD handmade shirt for Chris Bosh's 25th Birthday

Here are some photos from our shoot on Thursday. This is the first release of the photos for this shirt. The official public launch is scheduled at the beginning of the week.

This shirt is handmade by Jing Liu for Chris Bosh for his 25th birthday party and are limited to 200 male and 100 female shirts. These shirts will be available at the top boutiques in Toronto as well as online. Watch out for the official release.