Lisa Dawn Miller the woman behind Crimson Rose Lingerie and Soft Furnishings.

DESPITE THE LACK of fabric and the heavy competition from international economies of scale, Crimson Rose Lingerie and Soft Furnishings would not wilt.

Manager of the business, Lisa Dawn Miller said she is going ahead with plans to open a boutique.

In an interview with BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY last week Miller said she took a risk when she started up six years ago and had no regrets.

However, she said, "With lingerie there are so many different pieces of fabric that you need to put together for one thing. . . to get certain colours you have to order as many as 1500 yards."

Miller said that even her supplier of speciality fabrics, who was also a small business owner, could not afford to buy in bulk.

A shortage of lingerie fabric and below-cost prices that store owners offered to pay for her soft furnishings were hampering the enterprise.

"I got good prices for the lingerie but they wanted the soft furnishings too cheaply," said the cottage-industry manufacturer.

Miller explained that her prices on soft furnishings were comparable to imported merchandise.

Operating from Valley Development, St George, the 33-year-old depends on individual customers to keep her business viable.

A self-taught designer who cuts lingerie patterns and creates ladies' undergarments, Miller did however receive formal training in the production of soft furnishings from the Barbados Vocational Training Board.

Among her plans is acquiring her own home, where she wants to establish her own boutique.