What started as a superhero-themed costume party for a local hairstylist quickly turned into a side business accessorizing shoes, wallets and clothing with comic book characters.
After sifting through old comics at a local shop last April, so she could put together a Wonder Woman costume for her birthday pub-crawl, Bexx Fine discovered a knack for designing unique articles to wear on a daily basis.
Using pages from the comics, Fine first started by applying the pictures to a pair of high-heeled shoes.
“It all kind of came out of nowhere,” she said. “I made one shoe, and I had to go to work the next morning, but I couldn’t wait to get back home and make the other shoe.”
A self-described “Accessorizer Extraordinaire,” Fine went back to the comic book shop for more samples for her project. While there, she saw fliers for Boston ComiCon, and decided she could try and sell the items to die-hard fans.
“[The event] was an excuse to wear a costume, and that turned into, ‘OK I’m going to try and launch this business idea.’ And that’s what I did,” she said. “It’s been pretty awesome. In the past nine months, it has been pretty insane. One convention leading to another.”
Now, the local artist creates a range of products for those who want to add a little character to their clothing, through her business "Fine!"
From wallets to bow ties, purses, and hair bows, Fine has created customized accessories for everyone.
She has even dabbled in sports apparel, stepping outside of the traditional boundaries of comic book-based products.
“I made a matching bag—I made a bunch of different bags—and then I started doing men’s wallets, bow ties, hair bows and cell phone cases,” she said. “I have even covered journals, and done a table.”
The table, she added, is hers, and pays homage to the rock band KISS.
“I go through the comics and cut them up, attach them to items, or make them from scratch. Lots of gluing and sealing and coating involved,” she said.
But the artist's creative projects don’t just jazz up peoples’ outfits—they also serve a good cause.
Fine said she gives portions of her proceeds from her crafts to the “Melanoma Education Foundation,” a non-profit started by her father after Fine’s brother passed away from the disease.
“My father is really my superhero,” said Fine, adding that she draws inspiration to keep her business going from her father’s “hard work.”
Currently, Fine is focusing her efforts on internet sales, using Etsy.com, and waiting for another comic book convention to pop up, but she said she doesn’t know where the business will take her.
“I definitely am always trying to think of new product ideas,” she said. “I think about clothing a lot. At this point I don’t know where it’s going to go, but I’d like it to bigger and maybe be in more stores.”
Check out some of Fine's pieces in the slideshow below. All photos courtesy of Bexx Fine & her business, Fine!
