Photoshoot Part 3

And the last part of the photoshoot are actually the shots we did earliest in the day.  I just happen to be showing them last.  We changed make-up on Paget from one designer to the next and I think the difference is most drastic her in Tim’s shots.

Tim’s label, Zig Moth, is very tailored and beautifully structured.  He was inspired by the human skeleton, in particular the spine, as you can see on these pieces.  His coat, the only one in the entire Study Hall collection, is incredible and was immediately tried on by Virginia at International Playground when we showed them the samples.  It fit her perfectly too!

Photoshoot Part 2

Here’s the second part of the photoshoot, showing clothes by Karolina Johansson. Her label, Redesign by KJ, already exists in Sweden. Her brand ethos is to make garments using recycled textiles and vintage clothing. She emailed me earlier this year asking if she could come to NY and intern for me for the Summer. Her 3-pc collection was inspired by the streets of New York City.

Because Karolina arrived a month after the other interns started their mini collections, I limited her to 3 pieces instead of 4 so she could focus on them more closely. Had I known the full scope of her abilities, I would have let her do all four. She hand painted the tops herself using a non-toxic spray paint, and I love the effect.

Enjoy!

Photoshoot part 1

I’m going to post some of the photos from the Study Hall shoot. Jena Cumbo did an amazing job on these shots.  These are not the retouched pics as those were too big to post, and I’m just too excited to wait for them!

This first group is from FIT student Julianne Margiotta, her label is Juewls Amelia.  Her draped pants were the reason Study Hall started in the first place.  And Johnny & Virginia’s reaction to them was equally enthusiastic.  In case you’re wondering, the pants are made of a hemp silk blend that I love!

Julianne’s inspiration for this collection was her recent move to a tiny apt in Brooklyn where she soon discovered she had much less closet space and needed more versatile clothing.  And the circle pant-jacket was born.  Yes it’s convertible, and no I had nothing to do with that!  That was all her idea.

Enjoy the pics!

Study Hall was finally taken out into the real world today.

My amazingly talented interns presented their collections to Johnny and Virginia of International Playground for feedback, guidance and – yes – orders!  At first my sales reps extraordinaire asked questions about the process, how the interns enjoyed the program, what they found difficult about their work, etc… and then the presentations started.  Each collection was shown by its designer with details about their inspiration, their fabric choices and even costing.  By this point the meeting turned from student – teacher relationship to designer – buyer, and things got a little more serious.  In a good IP way, of course!  Johnny & Virginia gave their honest feedback, commented on pricing and how they felt about the styles. Each designer had about 20 minutes to show their collections, which is a lot of time considering they only had 4 styles a piece.

They are huge supporters of Study and love this project. I couldn’t have offered the kind of feedback or advice they gave to the interns today.  They offered a sales rep / store owner perspective which I find invaluable to my own work, so I can only imagine what the group must have thought.  At first I expected them to take the clothes for their own stores – IP in NY and LA – but as the meeting progressed today we started discussing other options.  Would the lines do well at D&A in September?  Who would love to see this collection and hear the back story?  We came up with a few options, I won’t say who just yet.

The whole process was very enlightening for me, more so because I was finally able to step back and see a sales meeting from a third party point of view, and listen to the constructive criticism with a less invested ear – because I’ve been trying to disconnect myself from the collections and see them with a more unbiased eye.

(One prevailing comment that did come up time and again throughout the meetings was the quality of the tailoring, for which we have Michelle to thank.  So a huge THANK YOU to Michelle, who will be getting flowers and chocolates very soon.)

This week’s highlighted store is Juno & Jove, which has two locations in Sarasota, Florida.  Some info on the store from their site:

In keeping with our commitment to social responsibility and sustainable business practices, a close eye was kept on the design and construction standards of our store. The majority of construction materials, fixturing, and finishes were sourced locally, here in Sarasota County, or within the United States. Where possible, salvaged fixtures, discontinued remnants, and recycled materials were selected. Local artisans and craftsmen were commissioned to minimize unnecessary travel. All paints and stains were selected for their low or no VOC (volatile organic compound) formulas; wood flooring and finish millwork were FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. Lighting controls were installed to maximize energy efficiency during varied natural light conditions and calendar seasons. Our objective was to provide a flattering backdrop for our merchandise; one, which is equivalent to the high standards we expect from our designers and vendors themselves.

Quality craftsmanship with a sophisticated, comfortable and warm aesthetic reminiscent of home was our goal. The completed store exceeded our expectations, and we think it will exceed yours as well. We look forward to your visit.

This week they will be shipped the pleated hoodie, reversible scarf (perfect for early Fall), the hand-woven skirt, and pleated organic shirt dress, all pictured below.  So head over there soon to pick up these items before they disappear!

The interns labels have arrived, and they look great!  These will be placed above the Study NY label inside the garment.  They are working on the rest of their packaging now (hang tags, bags, etc…).

I have been working with the same factory in Bangalore, India for several years now.  I worked with them at a previous job and only recently started again with Study for the Spring 2011 collection.  The reason I approached them in the first place was because I was developing an ikat pattern raw silk in Bangalore, the same city where I had a good relationship with this factory.  So instead of shipping the fabric all the way to NY, I figured I’d develop the styles using that fabric in India as well.

I asked the factory for photos so I could post them on the blog. I have visited this factory several times before but have never taken photos myself.  I was always very impressed with the considerable lengths they took to improve their workers’ quality of life and I wanted to share their story with my followers (ie. my mom and brother, the only people who read this blog!).  I asked them to send me a few photos and a little resume about the factory.  This is what I got:

We would be happy to send you photos of the factory- the crèche, the gardens, the little doctor’s room that we have who would fall sick or need any medical attention. Will also take pictures of workers sewing your samples.

We are an International Standards Organization- ISO. We can provide you copies of the certification- that you also need.

We are also in the process of trying to make the factory more eco-friendly and are replacing diesel fire burners in the factory with alternate fire burners which use biomass briquette- mixture of peanut shells and wheat husk, etc. The residue of this can be used as manure for
gardening.

We also recycle all the used water in our factory using the ETP plant, and reuse this for gardening as well.

I’m really looking forward to visiting the factory again, hopefully in the Spring!

Learn Your Craft

This morning I took a table loom weaving class at Third Ward in Brooklyn.  It’s an incredible place, I can’t believe I’ve never been there before.  I’ve been wanting to learn how to weave on a loom (as opposed to my coffee table) for a long time, so I figured I might as well just take the class when I learned it was being offered.  And since becoming a mentor for Awamaki earlier this year, I think it’s important that I understand the craft I’m trying to preserve.  I’m not sure I’ll ever become a master weaver, there are way too many techniques I want to learn before attempting to focus on just one, but I do plan to explore this a little more and maybe incorporate some more hand woven pieces into my collection.  And this time poor Tim won’t have to suffer hunched over the panels taped to my table.

I think it’s important that designers know at least the basics of their craft.  Sewing, knitting, pattern-making, draping, printing.  If I’m going to incorporate these things into my collection, and ask someone else to execute them for me, I think I should at least know what I’m talking about, and how to make changes if necessary.  I meet a lot of students who are incredibly creative and inventive, but have no clue how to execute their ideas.  And if your design stays on paper, is it really worth the effort?

So laugh, if you want, at my feeble first attempt at weaving.  It isn’t pretty or very creative for that matter, but now at least I know what the weavers at Awamaki do on a daily basis (it’s still hard on the back, if you ask me!) and can understand a little better how to mentor the designers who will be working with them.  I do plan on taking the Intro to Weaving class at Brooklyn’s new Textile Arts Center this Fall so I can learn a little more about setting up a loom, and using more advanced weaving equipment.  So maybe I’ll end up with something a little more exciting than the 6″ x 18″ panel it took me 3 hours to make today, even though I’m actually pretty proud of it (but don’t tell anyone). It also makes a perfect little scarf for Boom Boom, who I’m watching this week.  But I’m not sure he likes it very much

Study Hall Photo Shoot

It took 3 designers, 2 models, one photographer, hair, make-up, a stylist, and 10 hours to complete the first round of intern photoshoots.  And I’m so proud of them!  My interns showed up on time, brought props and accessories and tear sheets for their shots.  They knew what they wanted and were very specific about their looks.  The day went a little long, as shoots usually do, but we did a tremendous amount of work in 10 hours with two models!  But we couldn’t have done it without the help of an amazing team who basically donated their time to help out.

A HUGE thank you to the following people who worked on the shoot and made it a completely seamless day:

Jena Cumbo – photographer

Rachel Loehrer – stylist

Kim Caudle – make-up

Jessie Sung – hair

Paget & Chelsea (from APM) – models

I posted more pics throughout the day here. And now we have over a thousand pics to sort through to select the ones that will make it to the designers lookbooks!

UP meets IP LA

I just got off the plane from LA where I was doing a fitting on the next Uniform Project pilot, Miss September (can’t tell you who yet, it’s a secret! But I can tell you she’s going to be exciting).  While I was there I checked out the new International Playground in Echo Park.  The store looks A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  It carries a lot of the same brands as the NY location, and will soon be carrying some local LA designers as well.

Short post tonight as there’s lots to do before the interns shoot their very first lookbooks with photographer Jena Cumbo tomorrow morning.  We will be shooting in and around her studio in Bushwick (Brooklyn) all day.  I’ll tweet live photos from the shoot and then post lots of images when they’re all cleaned up and pretty.  I’m really excited for them, and can’t wait to show everyone all the beautiful work they’ve done!

Happy Weekend!