The Making of the Bespoke Button

By: Alison Myers

Growing up, there was always a mason jar of spare buttons hanging around my mother’s sewing supplies. There were small ones—some were absolutely tiny—a good range of mediums and a few distinct giants I can still remember to this day. These ones were made of crosshatched brown leather and must have come from an old coat as I can’t imagine something that hefty being used to button a blouse.

 

Anytime a button disappeared from a piece of clothing, my mother would search through her stash to find a good match, then dutifully give it a new home on whatever garment had ejected its kin. (This must have been before the time when clothing came with its own little goodie bag of extra supplies.)

 

Somehow, there was always a button that was just right for the job. It is with this same spirit of tailored attention that Bespoke incorporated an image of a button into the company’s new logo. It speaks to our dedication to helping clients find the best way to bring all the working parts together in order to reach their goals:

Reliability

Engaging in a relationship with a fundraising team is not something organizations take lightly. It involves an important get-to-know-you process that can include several deep dives into purpose, vulnerability and truth. It’s imperative that our clients understand we are here for them as they engage in these discussions with staff, volunteers, leaders and board members. A button can be relied upon for connection and closure in the same way Bespoke is for dedicated guidance, direction and support.

The Right Fit 

Every once in a while, you try on a piece of clothing and can’t for the life of you get the button through its hole. Or, possibly worse, you bring it home only to find the opposite to be true. All of a sudden, connections are lost and you’re feeling an uncomfortable breeze where there once was warmth. We at Bespoke understand the importance of finding the right fit. This can certainly apply to our work in crafting the perfect message to take to donors, but it goes further than that. Not only do clients want to find the right fundraiser for the job, we, too, want to find organizations that align with our values and inspire us to continue better our communities.

Working Relationships

Buttons don’t come into this world longing for connection. It’s merely their purpose—one that can’t be fulfilled without the help of its partner, the button-hole. This may all seem a bit of a stretch, but when you think about it, the button and the hole only achieve their common goal when they work together. They each need to do their part for the benefit of the whole (not the hole). Our team at Bespoke is comprised of an impressive group of diversely talented and mutually respectful professional women. We each work diligently to fulfil our own duties while doing our best to help make it easier for others to do the same. Put more simply, we appreciate and understand how to best utilize the strength each member brings to the team.

Here for a good time, not a long time

A button is beautifully functional yet temporary way to bring two pieces together. But no one wants to wear the same shirt forever. In Bespoke’s working relationship with clients, we are not meant to become part of the woodwork. We are there to help clients hone their message of purpose and need, then find ways for them to effectively engage with donors and the broader community to garner support. This is the value we leave at the door when our job is done. 

 

Bespoke’s button came as result of careful considerations over image and branding, but there was also an aspect of levity involved. We are an approachable agency willing and eager to work with a diverse collection of clients whose organizations range in size from three-person shops to those with hundreds on staff. We have the ability to be or work with any button in the jar (except maybe those giant leather ones). It’s just a matter of fit.