tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-156016042024-03-13T22:11:17.513-07:00MondoModeGeorgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1172337016961064762007-02-24T08:43:00.000-08:002007-02-24T09:10:16.976-08:00Second Life produces real millionaire<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/slcover.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/slcover.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Thanks to fellow <a href="http://thesewingdivas.wordpress.com/tag/divas-in-the-press/">Sewing Diva</a> Mary Beth at <a href="http://thestitchery.wordpress.com/">The Stitchery </a>for sending me <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2006/11/second_lifes_fi.html">this story</a> from Business Week's Techbeat on <a href="http://www.anshechung.com/include/press/press_release251106.html">Second Life's first millionaire</a>. <br /><br />Just in case you were thinking that this is all so much fluff, it seems that if you are willing to <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_18/b3982001.htm?chan=search">devote your time </a>to 'playing the game', there are real cash rewards. I guess that works for any endeavor - from the <a href="http://www.nba.com/">NBA</a> to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/team-hillary-shoots-back-_b_41763.html">presidential politics</a>. Notice that the headline on Business Week's webiste says "First Millionaire". More can be expected. Is this a new twist on Timithy Leary's mantra "turn on, tune in, drop out", as we turn on the computer, tune into Second Life (or any other all-consuming community) and drop out of real life?<br /><br />I am feeling particularly curmudgeonly on this topic. Who can devote that much time to amassing fame and a fortune on-line? I have a job in real life, family, laundry, stuff I want to do like sew, read. Most of the time I can barely sit down to devote time to The Sewing Divas and MondoMode. I guess I won't be making a fortune in Second Life anytime soon, I seem to be devoted to First LIfe.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1172182468791585952007-02-22T14:04:00.000-08:002007-02-22T14:14:28.803-08:00Virtual LivingRL vs VL? Real Life versus Virtual Life? Mondomode noted last week that Dior has an on-line shop for Victoire de Castellane's Dior Joaillerie collection and that the French have embraced Second Life way beyond the inroads made here in the USA.<br />NYTimes technology guru David Pogue's blog topic this week <a href="http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/02/22/an-experiment-in-virtual-living/">Second Life</a> includes part of an interview with the founder. The average member spends <em>4 hours a day</em> on-line in Second Life, and millions of dollars are spent on virtual products that can be used only in Second Life. <br />You know how that insulting idiot says "Get a life!" to you when you're not behaving how they think you should? Perhaps we should be advised to get a Second Life. Go to your room, shut the door, and live in a virtual world if this one is too complicated for you.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1172163129284322342007-02-22T08:29:00.000-08:002007-02-22T12:06:29.480-08:00Iqonic?I see that Women's Wear Daily has deigned to notice the new upstart fashion community <a href="http://www.iqons.com/">Iqons</a>. Claiming 1500 members, with 100 a day signing up, Iqons intends to be the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">FaceBook</a> or <a href="http://myspace.com/">MySpace</a> of fashion. Designers are not paid to participate, but somehow they have convinced folks like John Galliano and Alber Elbaz to be featured Iqon of the Month - to interact and offer advice to other Iqon members. Members include designers, photographers, stylists and students. The founders of the site hope that it will provide networking opportunities for the fashion business, as well as entertainment for fashion consumers.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-4562655-4929435?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Daniel+Goleman&Go.x=9&Go.y=7">Daniel Goleman</a>, of Emotional IQ fame, wrote about "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/health/psychology/20essa.html?ex=1329714000&en=27234df5c6a72130&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">the online disinhibition effect</a>" and the emerging field of social neurosicence for the NYTimes Science Times section this week:<br /><br /><blockquote>In a 2004 article in the journal CyberPsychology & Behavior, John Suler, a psychologist at Rider University in Lawrenceville, N.J., suggested that several psychological factors lead to online disinhibition: the anonymity of a Web pseudonym; invisibility to others; the time lag between sending an e-mail message and getting feedback; the exaggerated sense of self from being alone; and the lack of any online authority figure. Dr. Suler notes that disinhibition can be either benign — when a shy person feels free to open up online — or toxic, as in flaming.</blockquote><br />Apparently it's due to the lack of social cues we normally get from reading the faces of those we interact with in RL (Real Life). We've noticed this devolution of discourse into flamewars, <a href="http://artisanssquare.com/sg/index.php/topic,1410.0.html">trolls and emotional vampires </a>elsewhere, haven't we?<br />I am looking forward to seeing how the Iqons community can control this real and unfortunate tendancy to sink to the depths in cybercommunities. It's not like anyone involved in the fashion industry has a tendancy to cattiness and snark anyway, is it, hmmmm?Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1171043999108722002007-02-09T09:38:00.000-08:002007-02-09T09:59:59.130-08:00Virtual Fashion, Design, and Marketing<a href="http://boingboing.net/images/second_life_snapshot_468x351.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://boingboing.net/images/second_life_snapshot_468x351.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2007/02/08/fashion_design_insid.html">Boing Boing reports</a> that Victoire de Castellane's new jewelry collection for <a href="http://www.diorjoaillerie.com/jewelry.html">Dior</a> has a site within the massive multi-user on-line game <a href="http://www.secondlife.com/">Second Life</a>, with a link to the original post at <a href="http://showstudio.com/blog/19157">ShowStudio</a>. Why, you may ask, should I care? <br /><br />There are rumblings that sophisticated French netizens are embracing virtual on-line worlds and setting up shop. What better way to reach your demographic, than in the on-line version of guerrilla marketing? All you need is a team of techy nerd graphic artists to design your campaign and voila!<br /><br />Let's see, first I have to figure out how to sign up and log in to Second Life. Then I have to be able to navigate in that world well enough to find the hot spot. We can assume that I already have a level of 21st century sophistication that is beyond high powered Wall St. exec that can't program his TiVo or enter phone numbers into his cellphone. You know, the one that sends you emails in all caps because he can't be bothered using the shift key. Or using spell check.<br />I guess within the designer/techno-nerd community, someone must be making money. How else to afford Dior Joallerie?<br /><br />Designers, if you are tired of plying needle and thread, you can become a cyber designer and construct and sell clothing and accessories for online virtual worlds. A different skill set, to be sure, but at least you don't have to worry about cutting something the wrong grain, or slicing off a hunk of your armhole accidentally with your overlock machine. (Ask me how I know!)Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1170572110925735702007-02-03T22:26:00.000-08:002007-02-04T06:30:38.386-08:00Times Reporter Bitten by Sewing BugMichelle Slatella writes on cybershopping for the New York Times. Her column was in the technology pages of the Circuits section for ages. This week's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/01/fashion/01Online.html?ex=157680000&en=e5e6969d0e0c2304&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">article</a> "On Pins and Needles -but Not Missing a Stitch" appeared in Thursday's Styles swing section, where one is now more likely to find her 'barely techno female wowie look what I found on the web' pieces. It is all about her newest addiction - to <em>sewing</em>. <br /><br />She starts out small, as in doll clothes for a daughter, and wonders if she can make big people clothes too. Typical of a Slatella piece, she tells us what she's been searching for on the internets, and what she found. While some of us more sophisticated sewing enthusiasts can hardly argue with her mentions of <a href="http://clotilde.com/">Clotilde</a>, and <a href="http://reprodepot.com/">Reprodepot</a>, why on earth would she devote her last paragraph to <em>Joanne's?</em> <br /><br />We hope that Michelle's path to sewing excellence will carry her quickly past Joanne's and onward to <a href="http://www.emmaonesock.com/">Emmaonesock</a>, <a href="http://www.textilestudiopatterns.com/">Textile Studio</a>, or <a href="http://www.timmelfabrics.com/">Timmel Fabrics</a>.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1170273350679201902007-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:002007-01-31T11:55:50.693-08:00Fear of Sewing<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/213381/almost%20done.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/320/254605/almost%20done.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />How many of us have approached a project with that knot of terror in the pit of the stomach? I know that I regularly feel that I am sewing above my skill level. How about you? After years of working in sample rooms, sketching, and making patterns, I know <em>how</em> things are supposed to be made, for the most part. There is a big gulf between that, and actually sitting at the machine and doing it myself. <br /><br />I recently came up against my sewing anxiety while working on this boiled wool sweatercoat. Everything managed to go smoothly until I got to the pockets. Of course, one could always make patch pockets...but then, I would have to match the pattern. I couldn't imagine interupting the design with a mis-matched patch pocket. That left me with puzzling thru inserting a single band/single layer "buttonhole" pocket. <br /><br />Why single layer? The whole garment is unlined and made for the most low-bulk finish solutions possible. This double face boiled wool jacquard sweater knit fabric is very heavy, and I wanted this to be a sweater, not a coat with linings and interlinings, etc. <br /><br />Starting with a commercial pattern, <a href="http://www.simplicity.com/dv1_v4.cfm?design=6536">New Look 6536</a>, which had a similar collar to what I wanted, I have added length and tweaked the fit. But now I am in uncharted waters!<br /><br />Here's how I finished the collar:<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/788353/selvedge%20edge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/400/540421/selvedge%20edge.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> I have used the selvedge as a trim for the collar/front edge, and the cuff edge. I will use the same trim for the pocket band. So far I have managed to get past my fear and trembling to install about 2/3's of one pocket. The body is slashed and I've turned the back of the pocket to the inside, so it's definitive.<br /><br />Let's see how long it takes me to get up the gumption to finish the rest of it. I am shooting for it to be finished before the warm weather comes. Stay tuned!Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1170081460856185332007-01-29T06:05:00.000-08:002007-01-29T06:40:14.186-08:00Levi's goes after 'copyists'<a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/28/business/29jeans.600.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/28/business/29jeans.600.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />See the Jan. 29, 2007 NYTimes article <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/business/29jeans.html?ex=157680000&en=202a9d5c9521a3d1&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">"Levis' Turns to Suing Its Rivals"</a> for revelations on how the San Francisco denim maker is attempting to protect its brand. <br /><br />Not only must other denim manufacturers be wary of placing any form of topstitched arc on the rear pockets of their jeans, you can't place a label in the vertical pocket seam on either the right or left side. They have a world wide team of store detectives looking for violations of their patent.<br /><br /><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/28/business/0129-pg1-subPANTS.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/28/business/0129-pg1-subPANTS.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> It's rare to have a patent on a sewn product in the garment industry. Gee, I guess Levi's really did invent something, huh? <br /><br />Take a look at what Levi's considers to be an infringement~ As we saw in a <a href="http://mondomode.blogspot.com/2006/11/steal-this-fashion-design.html">previous MondoMode post</a> on piracy and intellectual property issues in the fashion industry, copying can sometimes spur innovation. Apparently innovation is no longer Levi's business.<br /><br />Stories abound in the Garment Center of design team meetings at the Gap with file folders with 500 pocket designs on the table. Don't quite like the look of that one? Let's try this. <br /><br />Is Levi's, and in turn all of the denim manufacturers that it has spawned, so bereft of ideas? I agree that those manufacturers that are able to protect their brand should do so, no quarrel there. What gets me is that Levi's, a company that has more money than God, and 'owns' the concept of denim jeans, was unable to see which way the wind blows. Let's do some designing, what do you say?<br /><br />Don't get me started on how the Gap has also given up its pre-eminent place as well! Is it something in the water in San Francisco? Nah, more likely it's the fickle finger of fashion. It's hard work to stay on the edge, maintain your customer base, and attract new customers as your base ages out.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1169155194420793392007-01-18T12:51:00.000-08:002007-01-18T13:51:29.006-08:00Tag you're it - Part 2According to Mary Beth at The Stitchery who tagged me today:<br /><br /><blockquote>Here’s how it works:<br /><br />1. someone tags you,<br />2. you post five things about yourself that you haven’t already mentioned on your blog,<br />3. you tag 5 people you’d like to know more about</blockquote><br />If you already knew that I grew up in Hawaii, I need to come up with 3 more things to tell you about. <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/748717/2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/320/423292/2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <br />I first saw this image of Gloria Swanson when I was about 8 years old in a wonderful coffee table compendium of the old Vanity Fair photos and articles. I am sure that it seared my brain with the ultimate Diva image. I loved that book! It was like my bible. I taught myself how to draw from comic books. Besides Archie and Jughead, there was a Dobie Gillis comic, based on the popular TV show of the time. And Patsy and Hedy, a fashion comic that encouraged readers to submit drawings for publication. I drew many many things, but never submitted them.<br /><br /><br />My mother's cousin was <a href="http://fashionsfinest.fuzzylizzie.com/tinaleser.html">Tina Leser</a>, a well known designer of mid 20th century America. She is one of the designers credited with inventing 'playclothes' and American sportswear. She is often mentionned in the same breath with Claire McCardell, and won the Coty Award in 1945, the same year that Adrian won. I suppose knowing this must have had some influence on me, but I never met her until my mother took me to see one of Tina's fashion shows at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki when I was 15 or 16 years old. (When I was in high school I thought I was going to get my PhD in historical linguistics, I had no aspirations to be a fashion designer.)Tina was pretty busy, and fairly distant - I think she barely knew my mother - they hadn't seen each other since they were 9 or 10 years old. <br /><br />My second time around moving to New York, after working in fashion on the West Coast and Hawaii, I worked with Tina for about 5 or 6 months. She had moved from 550 7th Ave (THE designer building with Ralph and Calvin, el al) around the corner to 40th St. It was the beginning of her last hurrah. Though she was kind enough to me, she was a 'screamer' - later when I told my button supplier, an old timer, that I had worked with her, he rolled his eyes heavenward. I apparently wasn't the only one to suffer. Her half-brother told me that he hadn't even lasted that long working with her. <br />"Never work with your family" he said, words I have lived by ever since.<br /><br /><br />OK, I will have to think about the last item of the 5. Meanwhile, whom shall I tag? I will have to think on that as well.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1169146754600122552007-01-18T10:38:00.000-08:002007-01-18T10:59:14.613-08:00Tagged!Mary Beth, fellow Sewing Diva, at <a href="http://thestitchery.wordpress.com/">The Stitchery</a> has tagged me. I am supposed to reveal 5 things that never revealed in my blog about myself. That leaves it pretty wide open.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/953636/Hawaii%20.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/320/692928/Hawaii%20.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> But you knew I grew up in Hawaii?<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/959997/Keiko%20in%20sweater.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/320/329015/Keiko%20in%20sweater.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Did you know I designed for a sweater company, Objects d'Art, for a long time? We made this sweater for Keiko her first winter in NYC - poor thing she was shivering. This was the first fitting. We needed to raise the centerfront neckline.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/930719/scan.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/320/409760/scan.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>I worked in imports for a long time in junior sportswear. "Back in the Day" we had our yarndye recolorations hand painted - CAD systems cost $40,000 and were not particularly intuitive to use. We also used to carry graded sets of hard paper patterns in our suitcases on overseas trips. I made more than 36 trips to India - I lost count. <br /><br />Hmmm, I will have to think of another couple of things to add. Right now, back to work. Check in later and see what else!Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1169018762017616812007-01-16T23:20:00.000-08:002007-01-16T23:26:02.026-08:00Creative recycling<a href="http://www.missmalaprop.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/femadress.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://www.missmalaprop.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/femadress.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/">Boing Boing </a>for bringing this link to our attention. <a href="http://www.missmalaprop.com/etsy-upcycle-recycling-contest/">Miss Malaprop</a> shows us what to do with those blue Fema tarps you may find along the roadside.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1168495052828905852007-01-10T21:40:00.000-08:002007-01-11T10:12:30.543-08:00Giorgio's Angel<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/525070/giorgio%27s%20angel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/400/148107/giorgio%27s%20angel.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />My first job in New York City, after I got out of Haute Couture draping school in Paris was as the assistant designer for Giorgio di Sant'angelo. Giorgio's name has now become synonymous with trousers and blazers made in Bulgaria or some former Eastern bloc country for Chadwick's of Boston. But back in the day, he was one of the most exciting designers of his time, and right up there with Halston for glamour and innovative ideas.<br />It was Christmas, and we all got small packages from Giorgio with a hand drawn card included. This little angel was detachable, so I threaded a ribbon thru his loop and have hung it on the tree at Christmas ever since. He is holding a feather quill in his hand.<br />I have been meditating recently on my teachers and mentors, those I learned my craft from. Giorgio is right up there near the top of the pantheon. They know that you will spend the rest of your life drinking at the well of inspiration. That's why that kind of job never pays, and there are 10 people outside the door waiting for your job.<br />Read about a great article all about <a href="http://nymag.com/shopping/articles/02/springfashion/santangelo.htm">Giorgio</a>. I wish I had access to the late 1960's <a href="http://www.joanhansen.com/giorgio_p2.htm">Vogue fashion spread</a> he did with Veruschka in the desert. Mind boggling!Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1166928198505840832006-12-23T18:35:00.000-08:002006-12-23T18:43:18.520-08:00Argyle anyone?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/21902/deconstructed%20argyle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/400/293136/deconstructed%20argyle.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><a href="http://thestitchery.wordpress.com/">Diva MaryBeth</a> at The Stitchery is working on an argyle machine knit pattern these days - I mentionned using teeny ricrac for the "X" in the argyle pattern. Here's a test swatch of a deconstructed argyle pattern for a knit top I did a while back, just so you can have a visual of the technique.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1166714528344806462006-12-21T07:14:00.000-08:002006-12-21T07:22:08.356-08:00Carmel-by-the-Sea<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/231538/Our%20Lady%20at%20Mission%20Carmel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/400/852321/Our%20Lady%20at%20Mission%20Carmel.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />This photo was taken at the chapel at Mission Carmel. A few of us went on a pilgrimage to Carmel-by-the-Sea to visit the <a href="http://www.loeshinsedesign.com/">Loes Hinse </a>store. On the way out of town we stopped at the old Spanish mission. I have no idea how old this tile work is, but I felt it was heart-stoppingly beautiful. I thought I would share it with you, in this season, which is, after all, about mothers and babies. An everyday miracle, for sure.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1166418830074865672006-12-17T21:02:00.000-08:002006-12-17T21:15:28.363-08:00L'amour in Glamour<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/456455/pewter%20twinset.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/400/563982/pewter%20twinset.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Here is another metallic mesh made for Cynthia's Global Caravan show in Honolulu in November. This twinset did not sell, so it now languishes at Mimi's, a shop on Union St. in San Francisco. <br /><br />One of my friends, an former fashion buyer with a long career advisng smaller stores on product, stated flatly "It won't sell, because you are not offering the pieces to go with it." Other people who ought to know, say that every woman has black pieces in her closet, how hard could it be?<br /><br />All I know is that it is a great set, it came out beautifully, thanks to Mr. Magic Hands who sews for me occasionally, when I need the finest sewing and tailoring.<br /><br />It is a "Go figure?" kind of thing. What's to not like? I don't want to give it away, I just want to make back my investment....having speculated on this fabric with Kashi at Metro Fabrics for another project, I figured making something up for the holidays was a no-brainer. If it was a 'big name' label, there would be no question, it would sell for 3 times the price. Arghh!!Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1166150813164599492006-12-14T18:28:00.000-08:002006-12-14T18:46:53.176-08:00Never a Dull MomentI have been busier than the proverbial one-legged dog on an ice floe, and now tired as a dog too.<br /><br /> I finished all but the last dress of the 8 new styles that I had to produce in 11 days – I did all the patterns and got them cut and sewn, but the last dress was one of those that was too last minute and too hard to explain, so I sewed most of it myself. (Fortunately the head honcho was agreeable to sending it out to a sample service in LA to do the finishing bits. I would call it ‘the dress that whupped me’) I was up until 2 am Wednesday nite before leaving for LA on Thursday on the 8:40 am flight - then got up at 5:45 am.<br /><br /> I threw a few things in a bag and did manage to make my flight with all of the dresses in a large ‘coffin’ – (hard sided sample case on wheels) - flew back Friday evening and left at 10 pm headed to the coast with DD. We made it thru the driving rain and fog over the coastal mountains and arrived at our <a href="http://www.capitolavenetian.com/capframe.html">little bungalow/ motel</a> room in Capitola at midnight. It was great to wake up there on Saturday morning instead of facing the drive.<br /><a href="http://www.capitolavenetian.com/barimgs/23-1-400b_small.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.capitolavenetian.com/barimgs/23-1-400b_small.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I went down for a training session in PhotoShop on Saturday, while DD wandered around Capitola village doing some window shopping until the category 3 style storm broke. She managed to make it back across the bridge to the room, and was holed up there watching TV when I got back in the early evening. We had an uneventful dinner at the closest restaurant across the bridge ( a sort of Venetian Bridge of Sighs affair separating the wharf area form the village) and woke to the pouring rain again Sunday morning. After marching once again across the bridge to go get breakfast (too bad I didn’t have time to pack any food items, as the kitchenette was very cute and useful) we came out of the café to find the sun shining merrily once again.<br /><br /> So now I am back, the studio is sorta cleaned and I am getting ready for the next tidal wave of work. I have a helper 10-15 hours this week (yay!) - a design school student from SF who can do a few things under my direction. Good for me, and good for her.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1164733532809343572006-11-28T09:04:00.000-08:002006-11-29T08:00:59.820-08:00Steal this Fashion Design?An article in Salon <strong>Steal this fashion design: Sometimes, copying someone else's creation is the right thing to do</strong> by Andrew Leonard has an interesting take on intellectual property and piracy issues that plague software and other creative media businesses.<br /><br /><blockquote>"Like the music, film, video game, and book publishing industries, the fashion industry profits by repeatedly originating creative content. But unlike these industries, the fashion industry's principal creative element -- its apparel designs -- is outside the domain of IP law. And as a brief tour through any fashion magazine or department store will demonstrate, while trademarks are well-protected against piracy, design copying is ubiquitous. Nonetheless, the industry develops a tremendous variety of clothing and accessory designs at a rapid pace. This is a puzzling outcome. The standard theory of IP rights predicts that extensive copying will destroy the incentive for new innovation. Yet, fashion firms continue to innovate at a rapid clip, precisely the opposite behavior of that predicted by the standard theory."</blockquote><br /><br />Citing a recent article published in Virginia Law Review <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=878401">The Piracy Paradox: Innovation and Intellectual Property in Fashion Design</a> Leonard feels that the lack of protection in fashion is part of what spurs creativity. Designers must move on, in order to stay ahead of copyists and counterfeiters.<br /><br />He goes on to say the authors of the piracy article<br /><blockquote>"offer a wide-ranging tour of the fashion industry in the U.S. and Europe and its relationship to IP law, but the most provocative point they make is this: The speedy copying of new designs contributes to the rapid turnover of the fashion cycle, which in turn boosts the profitability of the entire sector. The hot new elite thing becomes passé so fast that the cognoscenti must perforce move on to something even swankier, asap." </blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/36/MAGDO.html">Christine Magdo's Harvard Law paper</a> lays out what protections are currently available, especially in the area of trade dress, for designers. It is a very murky area, and hard to bring suit under trade dress statutes unless you have an established business and an established 'look'. Her discussion on laws that <em>do not </em>offer protection is informative for any designer or artisan looking for the answer to the question: "Can I make this [insert item/pattern you wonder if you can copy] and sell it [insert venue: on the internet/ at the craft fair/ to my local boutique].<br /><br />An article in <a href="http://news.scotsman.com/opinion.cfm?id=506502006">The Scotsman</a> from last April lays out some of the issues for the fashion industry, now that the the CFDA "wants Congress to introduce a revision to US copyright law based on a recent statute that gave boat designers protection for their hulls for 10 years. Fashion designers are asking for similar protection for clothing designs for three years." Diane von Furstenburg and other American designers are looking for a path to legal redress for the most egregious line-for-line knock offs. <br /><br />Some followers of design and fashion may remember Yves St. Laurents successful law suit against Ralph Lauren in the late 1990's under French anti-garment copy laws. Since Ralph had a shop in Paris, St. Laurent was able to prove that a garment on the rack there bore an uncanny resemblance to a registered St. Laurent design. Although St. Laurent was unable to stop the sale of the dress to the rest of the world, he did receive compensation and get the offending garment removed in France. <br /><br />A paper published at the Boston University site "A Design for the Copyright of Fashion" by Jennifer Mencken, written in 1997 brings up interesting concepts of the "conceptual separability of fashion's artistic elements from the functionality of clothing". <a href="http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/law/st_org/iptf/articles/content/1997121201.html">Mencken's proposal for design copyright protection</a> merits consideration, now that the CFDA wants us to consider fashion design in the same category as boat hull design. It sounds like lots of new areas of employment opportunites for lawyers to me.<br />Leonard's Salon article wistfully concludes that<br /><blockquote>"More fashion goods are consumed in a low-IP world than would be consumed in a world of high-IP protection precisely because copying rapidly reduces the status premium conveyed by new apparel and accessory designs, leading status-seekers to renew the hunt for the next new thing."</blockquote><br />Is there some kernal of truth in this? Is there a way to protect fashion design from the more egregious copying and still function freely in the rapidly evolving global market place? Stay tuned. Let's see what the new Democratic majorities in the US Congress cook up on this particular front. It is an issue that is not going away anytime soon.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1164528306524203362006-11-25T23:51:00.000-08:002006-11-26T00:05:06.536-08:00Blast from the past<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/1600/797477/Cazino%201.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5873/1449/400/974647/Cazino%201.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I did a collection for Paradise Clothing Company in Honolulu, way back when. Here's one of the strapless gowns with sleeves I did. It's made from bathing suit nylon/lycra and appliqued with dyed-to-match Glissenet down one side, with Glissenet sleeves. All of the the gowns had built in bodysuits, so you didn't have to wear anything underneath, and keep a smooth line.<br /><br />The artwork was developed in my studio, looking out at the tropical plants in the yard. I got inspired by the Art Deco brickwork in Waikiki. Most of those old one and two story buildings in the "Jungle" as that part of town was known, are gone now. I wish I had photographed those references. I keep looking for tropical architectural photos, in vain, searching for that style of brick. If I had a name for it, searching would be easier.<br /><br />My mom transferred the flower silhouettes to oaktag and cut stencils with her handy Exacto knife. I still have all of those stencils. I have thought of using them for devore velvet designs. Someday, in my copious free time!Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1163297360780300812006-11-11T17:44:00.000-08:002006-11-11T18:14:09.306-08:00Going global<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/carpet%20ref.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/carpet%20ref.png" border="0" alt="" /></a> In addition to the embellished metallic mesh pieces I sent to Cynthia for her Global Caravan show in Honolulu, I sent an appliqued sweater - a sample rejected from a Holiday collection I worked on a few months back. It was supposed to be coral on green, but a communication glitch caused it to come out a <em>very</em> Christmas-y deep red.<br /><br />Since I wasn't able to be there for the gallery opening I sent along an 'artist's statement' to hang on the rack along with the garments. Here is part of the text:<br /><br /><blockquote>"I have included one special knitted sweater design in the show. The artwork for the embroidery and appliqué design was taken from a photo of one of my favorite carpets Cynthia carried back from Turkey. Carpets were piled high at her special showing, and magic color combinations colored my dreams for sometime afterwards. <br />Soon after, my travels took me to Yingkou in northern China near the Mongolian border, where I spent several weeks designing a knitwear collection. I slipped my Turkish carpet design onto one of the sweaters. The Chinese interpretation of that design, with its beaded accents, is truly a child of Global Caravan." </blockquote><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/sweater%20ensemble.0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/400/sweater%20ensemble.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/sweater%201.1.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/sweater%201.1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>The red is appliqued on top of the green sweater, then embroidered over the applique. Afterwards, sew-thru rhinestones were scattered over the design, with a few seed beads for good measure. I loved working on this piece - finding the right shape and color of stones was a challenge. It's too bad that it was a bit too dramatic for the line I was working on, and will remain one-of-a-kind. In the sample room in China, this piece was known as the 'Chinese Opera' jacket. Funny how that Turkish carpet design seems to fit right in to the Mongolian vibe there in northern ChinaGeorgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1163288027141209642006-11-11T15:25:00.000-08:002006-11-11T16:06:44.276-08:00G. L'amour<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/shawl%20jkt.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/shawl%20jkt.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I used my overstock of fancy embroidered and embellished metallic mesh from Kashi at Metro Fabrics to make some pieces for my dear friend Cynthia to sell at her annual Global Caravan pre-Christmas gallery sale in downtown Honolulu. Each piece had to be handcut around the idiosyncrasies of the fabric. Some are one of a kind, and others I managed to cut 2 or 3 pieces. It was more a labor of love than a commercial enterprise. I did want to recoup my investment in the fabric though, or it was slated to be inherited by whoever comes into my textile estate.<br /><br />This piece was hacked out of 3 yards of silver mesh that had been embroidered with medallions sprinkled with heatset rhinestones and embellished with a serpentine pattern of silver soutache cord. (Could we add anything more to this fabric??) The fabric had a double border with a scallop edge on both sides, so I had to work to make a style that would cut into the fabric the least amount possible.<br /><br />There are a few patterns out there for this type of shawl jacket - KwikSew has a rudimentary one; Vogue has a much more sophisticated version with some shirring at the neck. I felt that neck shirring was what was going to make this piece work, so I incorporated it into the final design.<br /><br />There is very little seamwork on this - shoulder, armhole, sleeve, and neck. I used a silver organza to finish the seams and made an inside neckband for a more elegant finish. Not to mention that the metallic mesh is kind of rough, and it needed at great couture finish.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/shawl%20jkt%20neck%20detail.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/shawl%20jkt%20neck%20detail.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Wouldn't you know that an embroidered medallion fell just at the shoulder seam and I had to cut around it and applique it over the shoulder seam? It would have been a shame to cut in the middle of it. Not to mention that its very heavy and tough to sew through. Fortunately I had studied my Susan Khalje "Bridal Couture" book recently and had no problem sewing around the motif with tiny hand stitches.<br /><br />The hem is slightly lettuced with a 'pearl' edge overlock stitch. Most of the bottom edge is the scallop border, but the ends of the front panel needed a finish. I don't have the right machine, so had to go beg someone with an industrial Merrow machine to do it for me.<br /><br />As the old Hawaiian auntie said "Don't give it away, honey". Here's hoping someone can appreciate this piece enough to buy it so I can recoup the fabric cost.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1161409126002792082006-10-20T22:29:00.000-07:002006-10-20T22:38:46.020-07:00Dress A Day hits it out of the BallparkThe blog A Dress a Day's post for Oct 20th <a href="http://www.dressaday.com/dressaday.html">You don't have to be Pretty</a> is so right on it hurts. <br /><br /><strong>Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked "female". </strong><br /><br />Amen sister! I don't know how to link to the post itself, but it's worth digging a bit to find it in the archives. In this world where young women are assaulted in their high school classrooms and no one calls it a hate crime, this post needs to be read and disseminated.<br /><br />Is it just because I have a teenage daughter? No, but possibly because I was once a teenager, and once considered beautiful. Now I am aging, and not quite so beautiful. I recognize that cloak of invisibility that the older women I knew spoke about.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1161059508397581592006-10-16T21:29:00.000-07:002006-10-16T21:31:48.410-07:00<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/marlena%201.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/marlena%201.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Is that cuff a piece of jewlry or is it part of the garment? Inquiring minds would like to know.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1160547144709087072006-10-10T23:07:00.000-07:002006-10-10T23:33:44.476-07:00Icon<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/pearls%20and%20turban.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/400/pearls%20and%20turban.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Another great image of Coco, with her Verdura cuffs, white this time, of course. Since when do we cavort on the Riviera in a long sleeve sweater, long trousers, a turban and fine jewelry? In January perhaps? Wtih the young man to hoist us up - not bad. I can relate to it in a meaningful way. But first I have to work on my pleated cuffed pants pattern.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's <a href="http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/S2007RTW/complete/thumb/RLAUREN">Ralph Lauren Spring 07</a>, trying to springboard off of Chanel cool, looking good, but not quite making it. He works on the black and white angle, the straw boater, the menswear as womenswear aspect, but somehow his turban misses the boat. There's a lot to love (thank you Ralph!)but I prefer to go back to the source.<br /> <br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/detail.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/detail.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1160483575075826882006-10-10T05:26:00.000-07:002006-10-10T06:40:04.256-07:00Coco Smoko<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/coco%20smoko.0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/400/coco%20smoko.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A great photo, no doubt. There is something to be said for fine black and white film developing. I wonder if a digital photographer could acheive the perfection of this photo? I just want her jewelry! I wouldn't mind the <em>chaise longue</em> either. Yep, she's wearing the black Verdura cuffs.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1159238007730403102006-09-25T19:32:00.000-07:002006-09-25T20:25:45.383-07:00More faux Verdura<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/KJLane%20cuff%203.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/400/KJLane%20cuff%203.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I found this Kenneth Jay Lane faux Verdura listed at Style.com's Pick of the Week for August. This is getting even closer to the Coco version. Yum! Now if only it comes in a sort of ivory version, as well as the black, we will be in business.Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15601604.post-1159153239907481882006-09-24T19:31:00.000-07:002006-09-24T20:00:39.936-07:00Verdura cuffs<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/verdura%20cuffs%202.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/verdura%20cuffs%202.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> Whenever I see these photos of Chanel with her Verdura cuffs, I feel instant lust. Of course, to buy the 'real thing' would set one back several months rent, if they even make the same ones anymore.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/verdura%20cuffs%201.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/verdura%20cuffs%201.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can wear the simplest basic dress and slide these cuffs on your arm and go anywhere. We won't even talk about the ropes of pearls.<br /><br /><br />Imagine my delight when I saw these Kenneth Jay Lane cuffs on Net-a-Porter recently. Why, you could spend more for a couple of glasses of champagne at the rooftop bar of the Peninsula Hotel in New York City!<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/KJLane%20cuff%201.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/KJLane%20cuff%201.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/1600/KJLane%20cuff%202.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/5873/1449/320/KJLane%20cuff%202.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a> What's particularly entrancing is that he pierced the center of the stonework, so that your skin will show thru.<br /><br />I can't decide, the black one or the white one?Georgenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00447847200057156134noreply@blogger.com4