Submitted by Brittique Blog
Brittique and our blog just featured in the latest Elle UK. They said you should visit our blog for tip-offs on designers and collaborations. I really need to lift my game and blog more often if we get that sort of publicity. I feel bad that I’ve been AWOL for so long. No more, I promise. I’ve got so much to write about. Thanks Elle!
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
Tonight, of course, is the annual Costume Institute benefit gala starring super Hollywood heroes like George, Julia, Mary-Kate and Ashley.
This morning’s press preview was an affair for mere mortals, who rubbed elbows with fashion superstars Giorgio, Anna and the like. Here, a few shots to tide you over til the exhibit officially opens on Wednesday, with additional coverage posting on Vogue.com tomorrow morning.
Photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden
Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
I finally completed some more sewing of this HotPatterns Blouse…despite being on strong medication while I stitched!
Previously I showed you how I construct a collar. Now I will show you how I sew the stand to the collar before attaching the complete “collar unit” to the neck-edge of the blouse. Please note that all collar seam allowances have been trimmed to 1/4″ for ease of construction.
Here is one piece of the collar-stand. I have pressed up 1/4″ on the straight edge of the stand as shown:
Next, I took an extra step and quickly basted this piece to the “UP-side / right side / Public side” of the collar. This stand piece will be the “inner band” when the blouse is complete.
Then, I made a “collar sandwich”….with the collar stands matched right-sides-together, and the collar between them. I stitched them together using small stitches when sewing the curved edges.
Here is a close-up of one end of
the stitched collar unit
ready to be turned and pressed.
After turning and pressing, here is the finished “Collar Unit”….ready to be sewn to the neck-edge of the blouse!
Labels: HotPatterns, Sewing Tutorials
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Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
…now available at ~Fashion Sewing Supply~
Don’t miss these gorgeous new styles of genuine metal and real wood shirt/blouse size buttons…now available for sale at
~Fashion Sewing Supply~
Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
…now available at ~Fashion Sewing Supply~
Don’t miss these gorgeous new styles of genuine metal and real wood shirt/blouse size buttons…now available for sale at
~Fashion Sewing Supply~
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
Simon Doonan just saw the release of his latest book, “Eccentric Glamour: Creating an Insanely More Fabulous You” here in the States. And this week, he jumps the pond to celebrate the release of his memoir “Beautiful People” (published in the US in 2005 under the title “Nasty”), which is also being made into a BBC Two comedy series from Ab Fab/Little Britain producer, Jon Plowman. Read all about Doonan’s fabulous adventures at VOGUE.COM.
Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
I didn’t get as much done on this blouse as I had planned today. But at least it is cut out, and the collar is completed!
Here is the collar, stitched, before turning. The seam allowances are only 1/4″. That is because I reduced the pattern’s 5/8″ allowances to 1/4″ before cutting the collar. It saves me time by not having to trim later, and uses less fabric.
This is a close-up of the stitched collar point. You will notice that I do NOT stop and pivot at the corner. I stitch until I am about 1/2″ away from the collar point, change my stitch length to 1 (very tiny stitches), then stitch right off the edge. I am a firm believer that if you do not STITCH a point, you will not HAVE a point after the collar is turned and pressed.
Next, the point’s seam allowances were trimmed like this:
Then I got to use one of my favorite “tools” to help turn the collar…a Hemostat!
I folded the seam allowances of the point and clamped them tightly in the “jaws” of the hemostat. One of the jaws is up inside the collar, snugged into the right side of the point. The other jaw holds the seam allowances in place like this:
Since the hemostat clamps and holds itself together, I just turn the collar right sides out..up and over the jaws of the hemostat. After both points of the collar were turned and pressed, I ended up with a nice, neat, sharp collar point!
SEWING NOTES:
Under-Collar Interfaced with Pro-Weft Fusible Interfacing.
Soon, specially designed Hemostat Tools will be available at ~Fashion Sewing Supply~
Labels: HotPatterns, INTERFACING, Sewing Tutorials
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Usually when I plan to sew in the evening and something interrupts me, I am one totally annoyed shirt-maker. But this time, the interruption was a pleasant one…and a timely one as it turned out.
The friend for whom I am making a blouse dropped by unexpectedly, made her way down to my studio, saw this fabric..and promptly changed her mind! We are still going to go with white collar and cuffs…..but this is the shirt fabric….the final choice…final…as in she doesn’t get to change her mind again. {smile} I’m telling you..I was **this** close to cutting into the other fabric I posted a pic of yesterday !
To the best of my recollection,this Italian cotton shirting fabric was purchased from GORGEOUS FABRICS last year.
Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
As mentioned in a previous post, I am choosing to make the HotPatterns Boxy Blouse as the demonstration garment during my time as “Cheerleader” for the Yahoo Groups Creative Machine’s “Shirt Challenge”.
The fabric has been chosen…a fabulous shirting fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics (purchased quite a while ago). A navy, white, and peach stripe for the body and sleeves, with white collars and cuffs.
The fabric is pre-washed…all ready to go!
However after talking to the friend for whom I am making this shirt…she told me she would rather not have bust darts. That’s just as well as I do not see her often enough to make dart fitting changes. So I turned the side bust dart into shoulder gathers with a very quick and easy method…a simple rotation of the side dart to the shoulder seam.
1. I traced a copy of the shirt-front.
2. Next, I marked a line from mid-shoulder to the dart tip.
3. The line was slashed to the tip of the dart.
4. Next the side bust dart was folded-out…”Auto-magically” transferring the fullness to the shoulder seam.
5. A scrap of paper was placed under the open shoulder wedge, and then the new shoulder-line was drawn.
6. The scrap paper was taped to the pattern, and the excess trimmed…to reveal the new shirt front. Now the pattern has gathers at the shoulder, rather than a bust dart.
Tonight I will cut out the pattern, and begin to sew!
Labels: HotPatterns, Sewing Tutorials
Submitted by Brittique Blog
Well it’s kind of been a break. I have been working away in the background as and when my new little man allows me. Behind the scenes here at Brittique we were kept busy by London Fashion Week, London Fashion Weekend and now the arrival of all the new spring/summer 08 collections. Here we are out and about at the Tribeca Film Festival that’s running this week. I’m wearing a fabulous vintage dress bought from ebay.
During London Fashion Week Susie Bubble did an incredible job of selecting some real treats for AW08. I can’t wait to show you some previews in the coming weeks. She was able to pin point exactly what the core Brittique customers love and I know her selections will be snapped up come September when they arrive online.
Here in New York the weather has been perfect - 25C days with a slight cool breeze. It means that I’m having to think about my own summer wardrobe. I am one of those people who pack away the winter woollies and plan what I’ll be wearing. I then take pictures of my key outfits and stick them on the back of my wardrobe door. It helps me keep organised - something of particular importance now that I have even less time.
With my baby came a change in body shape. I’ve had to kiss goodbye my small waist (hopefully this is temporary) and embrace a more flowing style of dressing. Thankfully my personal shopping from Brittique hasn’t been too hard. I’m just lusting after everything from Emma Cook. These drop waisted, striped denim pinafores will be perfect for this tween season over a little tee and then without as it gets warmer. The cotton voile blouse is stunning too and will hide the last of the baby blub.
We have had new arrivals from Louise Amstrup, Gil Carvalho, Aei:Kei and Peter Jensen. Now to find some time to get them all up on the site!
Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
Oh Yes my friends, it’s NOT a pretty picture…but this is the resulting wash water as it went down the drain… after putting some very nice fabric through a plain warm water (no detergent!) wash….YUCK!
From my experience in the fabric business, visiting mills and converters, I think there are at least 3 reasons why pre-washing fabric is necessary.
1. To remove the sizing, excess dye, etc.
2. Fabric Mills and most warehouses can be dirty places. So Wash that fabric…you don’t where it’s been!
3. When fabric is milled/manufactured it is pulled and stretched a few times before it ends up on the selling floor of fabric stores. This pulling and stretching is a consequence of getting it into sale-able form for the home sewing consumer:
First, it is loomed, then it is rolled under tension onto tubes, then people called “converters” use “double and rolling” machines to fold the fabric and roll it onto bolt boards. During these processes, the fabric is rolled under considerable tension to make the rolls (and then the bolts), as tight as possible……to make them as compact as possible for ease of shipping and other reasons.
So, often it is necessary to wash fabrics before sewing just to relax them (not to mention that dirt and sizing)….*sometimes* that is why they “shrink”…they are merely relaxing back to their original loomed proportions.
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
Since launching her eponymous handbag and footwear line in 2006, Joy Gryson’s accessories have become a fast favorite among fashion cognoscenti and celebs such as Michelle Williams and Jessica Biel.
The Korean-born, New York-based designer - who honed her chops at Coach, Calvin Klein and Marc Jacobs before going solo - recently debuted a limited-edition line of Gryson for Target handbags, which will be in-store through June 21st.
The Fashion Informer caught up with the FIT-educated Gryson earlier this month to get the scoop on her favorite Web sites, her vacation spot of choice and the contents of her own purse.
So, Joy…
What is your favorite springtime activity?
Going down to Avalon, New Jersey on the weekends - we have a beach house there - and we love going down there with our daughter and friends! It’s completely relaxing - and the total opposite of being in the city.
Any summer vacation plans yet?
Our beach house, and possibly going to Nantucket. Peter (my husband) and I got engaged there.
What did you have for lunch today?
Eggplant Parmigiana with spaghetti. I love food, specifically anything Italian or Asian!
What are the Web sites you read most often, and why?
Honestly, I am on the computer more than I like to be, so I try to give my eyes a break and stay off it when humanly possible. But I do read WWD.com and Style.com.
Please look up from your computer and describe what you see when you look around.
Lots of magazine tearsheets, sketches and flowers - and the most perfect drawings done by my 5-year-old daughter, Olivia.
What is it about handbag design that you love?
I love the utilitarian aspect of handbags - that they must serve a function yet also need to look beautiful. I love playing with the combination of leathers, materials and hardware. I love finding and using the most sumptuous leathers; it’s definitely a tactile thing.
If you could have one talent that you don’t possess, what would you choose?
Playing a musical instrument - possibly the guitar.
Who is your favorite actor/actress of all time, and why?
I don’t have just one; there are too many to name.
What is your favorite mode of communication?
Text messaging - it’s instant - and it comes from only friends and family.
When was the last time you got a pedicure, and what color did you choose?
Last weekend - Chanel Blanc Ceramic. It’s a little early for white, but I am really anxious for Spring weather!
Since you’re a handbag designer, please tell me what items can typically be found in your own bag.
Iphone, sketch book, pouch wallet, sunglasses, mirror, tooth floss, Smythson agenda, Rosebud Salve lip balm, Handi Wipes.
Brunch: pro or con?
ALWAYS a pro - I love brunch.
Do you have any superstitions?
Definitely. Don’t walk under ladders, and I have never broken a mirror (keeping my fingers crossed)!
What makes you nervous?
Speaking in public.
When are you happiest?
When I am with my husband and daughter - just laughing and being completely ridiculous and silly.
Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For Anna Sheffield.
v
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
“The West Village has gone through a real evolution over the past few years,” says Alexis Bittar. “There’s been this injection of energy, and it makes you want to just reach out and grab it. It’s one of those rare neighborhoods that is unbelievably commercial, yet still manages to remain truly special and quaint. It’s a great location to further the branding aspect of the business.”
And further the branding aspect of the business is exactly what the Brooklyn-based jeweler – whose Lucite, Elements and Miss Havisham collections are carried in hundreds of stores and museums around the globe - is doing with the new outpost he’s opening on Bleecker Street in May (his original NYC flagship, which opened in 2004, will remain on Broome Street in Soho).
“It will be a bit more intimate than the current store, which I think is appropriate given the quaint, village-like feel of the neighborhood,” he adds of the 350 sq. ft. Bleecker Street space, which is designed to feel like someone’s home – if that someone was Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, and home was Chicago’s Drake Hotel, as seen in the Alfred Hitchcock film, North by Northwest (Bittar’s stated inspiration for the new venue’s look, which includes dark grey carpeting, oak veneer cases and Cherry blossoms on one wall - the latter a direct nod to a scene from Hitchcock’s classic).
“I want to make this retail experience different from anything else out there,” explains the charmingly down-to-earth designer. “Much like the showcasing of modern art, the world of retail has become so stagnant and formulaic, with its white sheet rock walls and concrete floors. I really feel like there needs to be a change. People are bored with that aesthetic, as am I. I want my customer to feel something special upon entering my stores - like they are stepping back in time, catching a glimpse into an old 1930’s bedroom. I’m very conscious of the customer experience and there’s a disconnect there that I’m really interested in - looking through the glass like you’re not supposed to be there. But then there has to be some sort of trust established; you have to find a way to take the museum-like qualities, and add a touch of modernism to make it feel relatable.”
Hmmm. Museum-like quality? Modernist? Relatable? Sounds kind of like his jewelry design.
Another element that makes shopping – or just browsing - in an Alexis Bittar store so pleasant is the staff, such as Broome Street employees Eric Joppy and Nadia Dev, who rank among the friendliest, most knowledgeable and professional sales help we’ve ever encountered when shopping (and we shop a lot).
We asked Bittar what he looks for when hiring his stellar sales staff.
“I look for people who are eclectic, artistic, personable, genuine and honest, first and foremost,” replied Bittar. “There seems to be this odd formula these days for sales staff in so many retail stores: They barely engage with the customer at all, and if they do, it’s usually them just standing back and saying ‘that’s cute,’ even if it’s not. That totally turns me off. I want my customers to feel welcomed and comfortable - to be confident that they will get honest opinions from a skilled and genuinely attentive staff.”
Mission accomplished, Mr. B!
Next stop: Los Angeles, San Francisco, London and New York’s Upper East Side, all of which are slated to get their own Alexis Bittar boutiques within the next five years.
Photos courtesy Alexis Bittar
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
“I always feel that the collection evolves from the previous collection, so it was Schindler followed by Gaudi with Schindler influences, then [for Spring ’08] I did something informed by Gaudi and the Spanish influence from Mexico and the mission architecture of the American Southwest,” explained Yeohlee Teng of a few of the recent inspirations behind the namesake collection she’s been designing since 1981.
For Fall 2008, the boxy ponchos and geometric coats of the previous season segued into cube skirts, arc tunics and a series of quilted cover-ups, all of which paid homage to the design and spiritual values of the Shakers and SANAA, the architectural firm behind the recently opened New Museum of Contemporary Art on the Bowery, where the designer, not coincidentally, held her Fall show.
Although architecture is the main recurring theme in all of Yeohlee’s collections – a theme that has led to her work being exhibited in museums around the world - the designer insists she only recognized the connection when it was pointed out to her by others.
“It’s really strange because when I burst on the scene it was because of ‘Intimate Architecture: Contemporary Clothing Design,’ an exhibition at the Hayden Gallery at MIT,” Yeohlee told The Fashion Informer as we sat in Philippe Starck ERO/S/ chairs at a glass table in her light-filled studio in midtown Manhattan. “That was the first time that my work was linked to architecture and that exhibition was in 1982. I grew up amongst architects, but I didn’t really see that. I thought that I was happily designing and making clothes, but the curator sought me out because she saw something in my clothes that, to her, spoke about this idea of intimate architecture, which is the first shelter that you build around yourself.”
Since then, Yeohlee’s shelters…err, clothes, have been exhibited in “Energetics: Clothes and Enclosures,” alongside the work of architect Ken Yeang in 1988, and were featured in shows at the Galleria Museum in Paris and London’s Victoria & Albert in 2000, at New York’s Museum at FIT in 2001 and at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2005.
Her designs are currently showcased in “Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture,” which launched at MOCA-Los Angeles in 2006 and traveled to Tokyo’s National Art Center in 2007 before moving to London’s Somerset House Embankment Galleries this week, where the exhibit (also featuring the work of Alexander McQueen, Boudicca, Hussein Chalayan, Zaha Hadid and Future Systems), will be on view from April 24th through August 2008.
We asked what the typical jumping off point was for her when designing a new collection (e.g., which comes first, the fabric or the shape, such as the spiked shells from Fall ’08 that serve as sartorial armor for the designer’s “urban nomad” fans)?
“It changes all the time,” Yeohlee replied, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. “I’m not rigid about it. Like, it would be difficult for somebody to stalk me because I never pick the same path. You know how, if you’re a creature of habit, you might start your day at 8:15 and go to the same deli for coffee and read the New York Times? I don’t do that.” She laughed. “And with [my work], each season the approach is different. I’m sure there are similarities but my thinking is different. For Spring 2008, for instance, we were going along working on the characters and crafting shapes but then the collection took a quantum leap.”
Based on what you were doing?
“Based on how you cut, so the collection evolves in that way,” she explained. “At a certain point you get a breakthrough and then it changes. So on the one hand, it’s always different. But on the other hand if you look at my work, there’s a very strong signature - and that signature is a constant. However, with what I discover during the design process [each season], we do make breakthroughs.”
So tell us about how this piece evolved, we asked, pointing to a mannequin wearing a silvery-black knee-length sheath that was fitted in front and seriously voluminous in back.
“That’s called the bellows dress,” she said, leaping to her feet and motioning for us to follow.
“I decided to create a lot of volume in the back, but if you’ve seen Gaudi’s work and how he created his shapes, you know he lets gravity create the shape.” Yeohlee pulled the back of the dress further away from the mannequin’s body, where it stayed, as if held aloft by invisible hands. “Well, this is a standing shape, meaning I allowed the fabric to determine the shape and the cut. Now this is not structured, there’s nothing in it to make it stand out like this, though the fabric itself has got metal in it.”
She then showed us a perfectly simple strapless wedding dress with a train that could be looped over the shoulder for dancing, followed by a reversible black and white felted topper that was one part coat, one part cocoon.
“This piece was informed, really, by the width of the fabric; it’s called an ovoid. Here, I’ll demonstrate.” And with that, the petite designer held the coat up by its hem, so that all we saw were her hands and feet peeking out from a circle of ivory wool.
So does she have a particular woman in mind when designing her collection, famous for its modern shapes that appear somewhat simple at first glance, their intellectual rigor and incredible craftsmanship apparent only upon closer inspection?
“I actually think that design is universal, so I design for people,” she replied mischievously. “I know there are designers that have a certain muse or client in mind, but I don’t think that way. I think [my client] is you, it’s your sister, it’s your future daughter, it’s your mom, you know what I mean? I really feel that if your design is successful, then it works for a lot of people.”
Yeohlee then pulled from the rack a rain cape with a hood that, when tied around one’s neck, completely covers the head, making an umbrella unnecessary. “It’s also very efficient in its design because there’s very little fabric waste and it’s one size fits all.”
“I try to really use fabric efficiently so there’s no waste and then I try to design efficiently with very few pattern pieces, one size fits all, that you can kind of stack them up and tuck them together [when cutting],” she added. “So I incorporate some personal philosophy into the design process. I have a real respect for fabric and process.”
And, clearly, Yeohlee’s fellow designers (and, it would seem, curators and architects the world over) have a real respect for her work and her process.
We mention that she always looks so happy and contented whenever we see her.
“Well, I kind of like what I do,” she replied with a grin, “and I really feel that that is such a privilege.”
Skin + Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture” will be on view at the Embankment Galleries at Somerset House through August 2008.
Photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden
Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
Who says Men’s shirts have to be all buttoned-up with a collar on a stand? Not me!
I designed this casual shirt in 2003…and still continue to make it for clients today…..especially for my clients in very warm climates.
Made from a very lightweight hemp/linen blend, this shirt features modified double breasted styling, sleeves with a single pleat at the cap, and wood buttons.
Labels: Shirt Designs
Submitted by Off the Cuff Style
In my search to streamline construction while maintaining the utmost quality of the shirts I design, I developed an easy way to ensure perfectly symmetrical pockets.
First, change your pocket pattern by reducing the side and bottom seam allowances to no more than 3/8″.
To help with accuracy while cutting, place your fabric on a stable padded surface, such as your ironing board. Stab-pin the pattern through the fabric and into the padded surface, as shown below. By pinning in this manner the fabric will not shift as the pocket is cut.
With Wrong side UP, press the seam allowances of ONE side and ONE angle edge, as shown below. You now have half of the pocket seam allowances pressed to the wrong side. Normally we would continue to press all the seam allowances to the wrong side, but by doing that we often end up with a pocket with odd angles and unequal side edges.
Fold the pocket in half RIGHT sides together at the point, matching the top edges as shown below.
Next, press the remaining seam allowances TO MATCH THE PREVIOUSLY PRESSED (folded) EDGES. Don’t worry if the seam allowances vary in width. The goal is to have a finished pocket with its edges even…NOT the seam allowances!
Now we need to address the pocket’s top (hem) edge. Before folding and pressing it into position, slide the top edges of the seam allowances IN a scant 1/8″ as shown below. By doing this, bulk is reduced when stitching the pocket to the garment.
Finish the top edge of the pocket hem as desired. Fold down to the wrong side and press.
Place the pocket right side up and press. The corners and point will miter “auto-magically”.
The finished pocket will have sharp point, perfect angles, and all edges will be even!
Labels: Sewing Tutorials, Tips / Techniques
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Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
Some snaps from the Gap launch party celebrating their second annual Design Edition collaboration with CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists. This year’s designers are Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian, Philip Crangi jewelry, 3.1 Phillip Lim and ThreeAsFour, all of whom were on hand to toast the project, as were about a dozen other designers. You can read more about the party on VOGUE.COM.
Photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
Some snaps from the Gap launch party celebrating their second annual Design Edition collaboration with CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists. This year’s designers are Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian, Philip Crangi jewelry, 3.1 Phillip Lim and ThreeAsFour, all of whom were on hand to toast the project, as were about a dozen other designers. You can read more about the party on VOGUE.COM.
Photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
Some snaps from the Gap launch party celebrating their second annual Design Edition collaboration with CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists. This year’s designers are Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastian, Philip Crangi jewelry, 3.1 Phillip Lim and ThreeAsFour, all of whom were on hand to toast the project, as were about a dozen other designers. You can read more about the party on VOGUE.COM.
Photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden
Submitted by The Fashion Informer Blog
“When I was a little girl, I’d be like, ‘Mom, when I grow up, I want to have an empire!’” said Meredith Kahn with a laugh. “That’s my thing; I want to have a whole platform of pieces that really communicate to people, head to toe.”
So far, Kahn’s got the upper body covered, thanks to Made Her Think, the quirky-yet-classical jewelry line she launched on a whim in 2004, which became an instant hit with fashionistas from California to Kuwait.
Known for its use of iconic imagery - skulls, talons, pyramids, roses - Made Her Think was originally fashioned from found trinkets and one-of-a-kind vintage elements that Kahn, a long-time flea market fanatic, had collected over the years. But the line has since evolved to include seasonal costume and semi-precious collections she designs from scratch, along with a just-launched fine jewelry range, dubbed Meredith Kahn, that puts a more luxe spin on her trademark girly-goth aesthetic.
“I think a lot of what Made Her Think gives people is that relationship where they can look at [a piece] and even if they don’t understand its origins, they feel something,” the pretty brunette told The Fashion Informer when we sat down with her at 5 in 1, the wood-paneled Will