Study gets a new intern

I’d like to introduce my new intern, Boom Boom, who started yesterday.  He’ll be with me for the next three weeks until his mom gets back from Australia.  So far he’s done more napping than sewing but I’m hoping he’ll figure out how to use the sewing machine soon so he can earn his keep.

I’m thinking there may be a line of Boom Boom-inspired Study doggie clothes in the near future.  I’m not sure how sustainable that is, but I think in this case cute trumps sustainability.  And I already have a muse AND a model in my studio ready to be shot for the lookbook… though little BB is proving to be a bit camera shy.

Wonderful Paris

My little collection traveled across the Atlantic yesterday to attend The Rendez Vous trade show in Paris that starts today.  So if you’re in or near Paris this weekend, go by and say hello to Johnny at the International Playground booth.

Hopefully he’ll take some pics for me to post after the show is over (hint, hint)

Some more pics of the Fall collection for you.

These were taken by Eric Reeves specifically for the email lookbook that gets sent out to current buyers (and potential buyers).  This is a more conventional way of shooting a lookbook that shows the fit and details of the clothes.

It’s really nice to see the whole collection together and the pics are clean and fun, but between you and me, the black and white shoot we did for the printed books is way more terrifying AND gratifying to produce.

Arrggghhhh Amaaazooon!!!

I like ordering things online.  I know there’s a lot of extra packaging and transport, but I still like it.  I love forgetting that I ordered these things and then receiving surprise packages in the mail.  I love the efficiency… I can shop at 2 am in my pyjamas.  And I especially like shopping on Amazon, because after all they sell just about everything.

I am prefacing this post with an explanation for the rant to which you are about to subjected.  I don’t like to use this blog as an outlet to vent.  I want to keep things positive.  But I’m going to make an exception today.  Stop reading here if you’d prefer to keep things happy.

I needed a pair of knitting needles that I couldn’t find (easily) near me.  I’m sure if I had tried a little harder I could have found them in NY somewhere, but I didn’t try that hard because I found them on Amazon, and that was that.  I spent about an hour in line today at the post office mailing my lookbooks.  While I was there I realized that I had a package waiting for me, so I picked it up.  The box measured about 2 feet x 1 foot x 1 foot.  That’s pretty big.  And it was very light.  I had no idea what was inside (see above comment about forgetting that I’ve ordered things), so I opened it up right away because I thought it was empty and someone had stolen my surprise present.  Instead I found a pair of number 19 bamboo knitting needles buried at the bottom of this ridiculously large box filled with plastic bubble wrap.  THEY’RE WOOD KNITTING NEEDLES!  They weren’t going to break, c’mon Amazon!  C’mon!

So that’s it.  I’m already boycotting one large chain store for multiple reasons, and now I’ve decided to turn my rage upon my one-time online shopping mecca.  I’m sorry Amazon, but we’re through.  It’s not you, it’s me.  Actually wait, it IS you.  And I’ve found somebody better.  Etsy has never let me down.  Etsy sellers recycle their packaging and include cute little surprise gifts with my orders (not pretend surprise gifts that I actually ordered and forgot about, but real surprises).  So until you can show me that you’ve changed, I’m going to be spending my paypal dollars on etsy instead.

A place to call home

When we closed 5 in 1 in January I lost a valuable sales outlet that I used as a testing ground for new styles, as well as a way to communicate directly with customers.  That void has now been filled, thanks to my wonderful new sales reps, International Playground.  Later this month they will be opening a shop AND showroom on Stanton Street in New York.  Number 13 Stanton Street, to be exact.

I stopped by the space-in-progress yesterday to chat and check it out, raw pics above.  Watch this space for updates on the grand opening part and limited edition styles that I will be releasing exclusively to this store.  I can’t wait, it’s going to be amazing!

Trade shows… a necessary evil

The new Study Fall 10 collection launched today at the Rendez Vous show here in NY.  The lovely Virginia and the very handsome Johnny from International Playground are my new sales reps and will be hawking my wares from now on.  I have to admit I’m really excited to pass the sales portion of this job off to someone else, particularly someone who’s naturally good at it.  I don’t like selling my clothes, and I’m terrible at it.  Most designers usually are, and very few are ever really good at it.  I’m always fascinated by those who are.  So when Virginia & Johnny came along and were excited to show my collection to stores, I was beyond thrilled.

The booth looks great and I feel grateful to be in such good company.  Above are some pics I took at the show this morning when I dropped off the last of the samples.

Press check… and press!

After a frantic rush to get the files ready and to the printer on time for today’s press check, the very lovely Amanda came through with all the corrections and not a hint of a complaint (thank you Amanda!).  My heart bled a little during press check when I saw how much wasted paper is required to print one series of books.  The first few dozens are just test prints that are completely wasted.  I was reassured by the workers at the printing house that all wasted paper is recycled.  But I still felt a pang of guilt.

And then the first of my beautiful Fall 10 lookbooks came down the press line, literally hot off the press!  I was so excited I stuck around after approving the proofs and waited for the rest of the books to be finished.  And then I lugged all 1000 of them back to my studio, ready to be distributed to the masses.

PS: If any of you want one, just email me with your mailing address and I’ll send one to you.  I have 1000 of them after all!

Happy New Year!

Okay so I’m a day late on this one, but happy Chinese New Year to everyone!

I went to visit my sample factory in midtown Manhattan today, I didn’t they’d be open as everyone who works there is Chinese, but they were working frantically getting ready for some fashion week shows tomorrow.

I know a lot of industrialized countries such as China, Mexico, India and Thailand are having a hard time saving face right now with all the bad press they’ve been getting in the eco world for having terrible environmental and human rights impacts.  Up until recently I’ve only ever worked with foreign factories, most of them in China.  And the ones I’ve worked with recently have been very dedicated to maintaining workers rights, if not also trying to improve their environmental impact.  I have to applaud them for spending the extra money and time to be progressive, particularly in a country that is progressing full steam ahead.  I believe that we all have a responsibility to encourage and support the smaller enterprises that are doing their part to make changes, however slow and painstaking they may be.

So I wish you all a happy and prosperous year of the Tiger!

Finals… finally!

Graeme worked like a madman today and got me finals for all the pics about 10 hours after we selected our favourites. Here’s a glimpse of what the layout of the printed book is going to look like.

Can’t wait to see it actually printed!

Contact sheets

This morning Graeme and I went over the contact sheets from the shoot earlier this week. Digital photography has made contact sheets virtually obsolete, so there’s something gratifyingly old school about going over shots days after they were taken laid out this way, as opposed to the immediate satisfaction of transferring them directly from the memory card to the computer.  It’s a frustrating wait, but definitely worth it.

We then matched up each shot with a corresponding dead flower picture.  I’m so excited about this book, I think it’s going to be beautiful if I do say so myself.

Graeme thinks the pictures are weird and I think he’s a little afraid of them.  I don’t know why, but it’s funny to hear him talk about them.

Off to the printers in a couple days with the final layout!