Chicken & Costumes

Another morning of waking up early then heading downstairs for some waffles and eggs.  After breakfast the group headed to our first meeting of the day.  First up was Nobland.

Nobland is a New York based company that develops fabrics and garments for other companies.  Some of Nobland's clients include: Alex Wang, Target, Kohl's, and many more.  Nobland is a product development company that not only manufactures garments for those brands, but they also make their own prints.  Many times Nobland will manufacture a print specifically for a certain brand and it's not until the small, high-end brand sees it that they may tweak the print and produce something for the mass production companies.  The next stop after Nobland was...Pink Chicken.

Pink Chicken!

Y'all, I finally made it to Pink Chicken!

For those that don't know, Pink Chicken is a childrenswear company in New York that came about when Stacey Fraser first started selling her handmade items in her hometown of Amagansett, NY.  Their main retail source is online, but Pink Chicken does have 4 brick-and-mortar stores: 2 in New York, 1 in Los Angeles, 1 in Charleston.

I first learned of Pink Chicken when I started researching various childrenswear companies, since I want to pursue a career in childrenswear.  I also discovered they have internships!  I learned all this information long before I knew we were going to Pink Chicken on our tour, but after visiting the company I feel like I could see myself there.  I honestly don't know if personally I could live in New York, but working with great people like Paige and Christina at Pink Chicken and learning the ins-and-outs to the children's industry would be awesome.

The style of Pink Chicken clothing is always going to be breezy and bohemian.  Pieces that are very easy for mom and baby and kids.  Paige and Christina said they can pull inspiration from anywhere, but they mainly love to look to vintage fabrics and wallpapers.  They love to reinvent vintage prints and sometimes even invent a few of their own prints.

The environment in Pink Chicken was so calm and inspiring.  Even though there were only about 5 full-time employees and 1 intern in the room, you could tell that everyone loved their jobs.

Paige and Christina talked about how they have pieces from each collection, going all the way back to the very beginning, and another unique thing is the wall of pictures is made up of pictures they used from their booth at various market shows.

After Pink Chicken, we headed to Jeffrey.  First off, let me say that Jeffrey is located DIRECTLY across the street from Diane von Furstenberg's flagship store!  Yes, I freaked out a little bit A LOT, when I saw those lips on that building!! Fan girl moment!  

So on to Jeffrey!  Jeffrey is not your typical high-end flagship store.  Jeffrey was started by a former shoe seller who realized that with his connections he would be able to open a store carrying all the high-end brands for his customer.  You can find Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Comme des Garçonne, Louboutin, and many more.

I also loved seeing the unique designs that were in there.  I especially love this "cape" below that looks like a bunch of vinyl steering wheels.

Our final meeting of the day was at a costume shop called Izquierdo Studio.  There are very few employees at this costume shop, but the work they produce is amazing.  They've done pieces for various Broadway shows and ballet companies.

These next two pictures feature prototypes they've done of a couple of Heidi Klum costumes.

Izquierdo Studio is also famous for their wing work.  They produce just about all of the wings for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and they have even produced wings for various pageant contestants.

This case featured dolls with small scale versions of VS costumes.  That way they can get the logistics of the costumes figured out before they produce the actual thing.

Learning the ins-and-outs about Izquierdo Studio was very interesting.  They truly look to provide high quality work and it's like a little family there.

That night, we went to dinner at Benares, an Indian restaurant.  This was my first time ever eating Indian so I was excited, and the food did not disappoint!  I will definitely be eating Indian again.  The picture below is of the beautiful light fixture in the restaurant.

Two days of meetings down, one more to go.  It's definitely been a great experience getting to go to all these companies and see behind-the-scenes and make connections.  Talk to ya tomorrow!

Got Notions?

Day 3 in New York...but the first day of our meetings!

Our first stop of the day was a company called TrimLab.  TrimLab is a great source for up-and-coming designers and small businesses who need zippers, zipper pulls, snaps, elastic, ANYTHING for a project.  The way they work is that a designer can come to them with a need for any notion and TrimLab will work with them to make sure they have the right size, color, quantity, etc.

They work with you step-by-step of the project, and provide he materials to the client at a wholesale price.  The thing that makes them stand out from other such companies is they provide FREE samples of the notion needed to the client.  That way the client can make sure it is the right product for their project.

TrimLab can even customize any notion for you!  Simply bring them your logo/design idea and they will get it manufactured for you.  Below are a few samples of custom zipper pulley they made.  The lips you may recognize, because they are the actual ones for Diane Von Furstenberg.

Another great thing about TrimLab is their involvement in the community and their willingness to help guide emerging designers.  Their conference space hosts many a party and they try to have gatherings that allow fashion industry veterans and emerging designers to mingle under one roof.  They also host competitions that allow emerging designers to showcase their talents and utilize their products.

Up next was M & S Schmalberg, a family-owned company that produces handmade flowers.

This company was so awesome! They have been in business for 99 years, and still use the same flower making techniques from the very beginnings.  The current owner, Warren, was a hoot and you could tell he takes pride in the fabulous work his company does.

M & S Schmalberg has done flowers for many celebrities, Disney movies, ballet companies, you name it.  They can use any fabric the customer provides them with, and create any flower shape using one of there many molds.  They can also do shapes other than flowers, such as butterflies, stars, etc.

No matter what they are making, the shapes are die-cut from fabric that has been stiffened with a water/starch mixture.  The piece of fabric that is left once the shapes are cut is just as cool as the actual shapes.  Warren was nice enough to let us actually take some of the leftover die-cut fabric with us!

They had so many extra flowers in the warehouse and we were able to purchase whatever we wanted.  I bought this awesome two-tone vinyl flower.  Touring M & S Schmalberg showed that handmade is better and many customers still love quality over quantity.

Our next stop after M & S Schmalberg was at RMC USA, Inc.  RMC is a company that produces knit goods for many companies, but their main client is Anthropologie.  RMC does everything from start to finish.  They select the yarns, dye them, knit them up and show samples, rework if needed, and ultimately produce the final product.

Our final stop was Earnshaw's, a renown magazine for those involved in the childrenswear industry.  There, we were able to talk with the creative director, Trevett.  He was awesome.  We learned about how they find inspiration for their photoshoots.  Pretty much they get that aha moment from a location.  They will scout far and wide to find that perfect place.  For instance, my favorite shoot of theirs was the 70s spread.  Trevett said they scoured for days looking for the perfect place and then found that vintage, abandoned bowling alley.  Hey also pulled inspiration from The Brady Bunch.  So much creativity flows through each and every employee at Earnshaw's and you can really see it.

That night, we went to dinner at a Contemporary American restaurant called Commerce.

Monday was a great learning day and it only got better from there!  Until Tuesday!

We met the MET!

Day 2 in New York!  Sunday was a chill day.  When we first left the hotel, we went to Central Park and walked sound for a little bit. After leaving Central Park we head to the MET. Since this is a school trip of course we are going to have educational experiences. Our one for Sunday was checking out the China: Through the Looking Glass exhibit.

I was excited to just even be going to the MET, and when we got to the exhibit we were not disappointed. All the garments and accessories were spectacular!

The intricacies and amount of detail on each gown was amazing!

I also loved seeing the setting each gown was in. They did a superb job of displaying everything in its own little world.

One of my most absolute favorite parts of the exhibit was the section where the gowns were inspired by blue & white porcelain china.  The details!  The sparkle!  The overall design of the gowns was...spectacular!

Another exhibit that I absolutely loved was the one with the giant lighted columns that looked like bamboo, and then there were warriors in solid white and black ensembles amidst the columns.

The way the columns create such mystery around the statues was awesome.

Seeing the statues standing in there, and the mysterious atmosphere made me want to climb in there with them so badly. Lol

After the exhibit, we split up into groups and Hannah, Naja, and I headed back towards Chelsea.  We went into Chelsea Market to see what that was about and grabbed a bite to eat.

After that we headed back to the hotel until it was time to leave for dinner, at a Mexican restaurant called Toloache.  The food was good there and you could just tell that all their ingredients were fresh.

Later, the group headed back to the hotel to call it a night and prepare for our first day of meetings.

So, until next time, when I'll tell y'all about our visits!

Hello New York!!

The day has arrived!! Today I headed to New York with the Fashion Design department at my school. This trip is a required part of our curriculum, and with it we will get to have once in a lifetime opportunities to meet with influential figures in the fashion industry. We will get the chance to visit Earnshaw's, the go-to childrenswear magazine for those in the children's clothing industry, PRPS Goods, a renown men's jeanswear company, and Nanette Lepore, just to name a few.

Once we got to New York today it was all about walking around and exploring the city.

We checked into our hotel, bought metro passes for the subway - a grand experience on its own, walked around for a little bit, and then had dinner.

Having now experienced the subway, I can fully understand why most people don't like it. It gets quite hot and muggy in the underground subway terminal, and it is a germophobe's worst nightmare!

After riding the subway uptown to Soho, we were able to break into groups and explore.  Hannah, Naja, and I walked through Greenwich Village, where we found a cute little shop named Tierra.  Everything in there is handmade in Spain.  I wanted to buy so much, but decided on a cute pair of flower earrings.

We then started walking towards the subway to catch one to our restaurant, and along the way found some cool graffiti.

Hannah, Naja, and I had no idea where we were going, trying to get to the subway, but alas, we figured it out! We traversed the subways on our own, while another group got so lost they just had to hail a cab. Lol

We did make it to dinner at Chelsea Ristorante, and I must say it was amazing! I ordered the fettuccine with pesto.  This was the best pasta I've ever had.  You could tell it was handmade.

For dessert, of course I had to get my favorite Italian dessert...Tiramisu!  I feel like it's just my duty to order it at every Italian restaurant I go to and compare!  This tiramisu definitely did not disappoint!

After dinner Hannah, Naja, and I decided to walk back to the hotel, which was just straight up 8th Ave from the restaurant.  Slowly we're learning our way around!

Tomorrow, we get to go to the MET and explore some more.  So, until next time y'all!

Back At Last!

I know, I know, yet again I have neglected my dear readers.  This past school year was a lot, though.  This was the year that I created my own 6-piece collection and showcased it at my school's annual fashion show.  More on that after I talk a little about some projects I did before all that!

First up is this adorable little pair of overalls I made for a friend who had a baby boy in October.  His name is Finnley and he is the cutest thing ever!  The pattern I used for his overalls was Simplicity 2459.  I found this cute plaid on sale for an awesome price when I was still working at Hancock Fabrics.  I used bright orange buttons on the sides to pull out the orange stripes, I did turquoise buttons on the inside where the straps secure, and this was also my first time ever using snap tape.  While I haven't become best friends with the snap tape, I must say it wasn't that hard to work with.

I believe I made these overalls in a size 12 months, so that way he would be able to wear them when he's a little older and possibly still be able to grow into them.  As another special gift for Mr. Finnely, I made a custom embroidery hoop for his room.  I found out his nursery was done in vintage airplanes, so I chose to do that for his hoop.  I love making personal gifts for people, and this piece was a big hit with mom and dad!

I was on a big hand embroidery kick at the time and was making embroidery hoops for a lot of friends.  Like this hoop I made for one of my best friends at school.  She is a huge Beyonce' fan.  Enough said. Lol  Needless to say she loved it!

In addition to my embroidery kick, I had gotten into cross stitch.  I had never cross stitched before, but started with some cute patterns from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery.  I you love cross stitching, and have not experienced all the kawaiiness (cuteness) of The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery patterns, then you are truly missing out!  Being that I was a first-time stitcher, it was great that their patterns are easy to understand, easy to follow, and explain everything so clearly.  I think I had already bought 2 patterns when I decided to buy their Woodland Sampler to stitch up for a friend who loves anything woodland.

This pattern is a 12-month one, which means it originally came out as a block-per-month.  In total I think it took me about 3 or 4 months to stitch it up.  I was on a mission to have it finished as a Christmas present for her.  Once I had it stitched up, I decided to make a cute little pillow for her...because y'all, she has a real pillow addiction!  For the backing of the pillow and as a little border around the front, I used an awesome batik cotton I found at fabric.com.

Well, now we've made it to 2015.  Spring semester!  The semester of the fashion show!  For my collection, I chose to do a little girl's line.  I've discovered that that is what I want to do with my life.  Be in the childrenswear industry, whether as a designer at a company or have my own line.  I will also be doing a little girl's line for my senior collection.  Before I get too much into my collection, though, I must show off my dress I made for my school's Pantone Cocktail Party.

We were told to come dressed as a Pantone color of the year, and I chose 2001's Fuchsia Rose.  For my dress I used New Look 6143 and the fabric is a stretch cotton sateen I got on sale at Fashion Fabrics Club.  The polka dot tulle I found at Joann's.

My friend Hannah, pictured with me, also made her outfit.  She drafted the pattern for the top and skirt herself.  She went as Pantone's Emerald of 2013.  

This picture is a great representation of our friendship. Lol

Now, at this point it was just a few short weeks to the fashion show.  All garments are complete, we're finishing up accessories, and preparing for our jury presentations.

As part of the junior class requirements, we had to make every single piece of clothing, and any accessories we used had to be made by us or altered significantly in some way.

My collection name is Lil' Miss RockaBetty, and it is for little girls 3-7 years old.  My inspiration was the 1950s Rockabilly culture, that is still prevalent in today's time.  I wanted each piece to be cute and functional.  All my fabrics are 100% cotton.  My 6-piece collection included:

1. a peplum top with a pair of stretchy denim jeans

2. a dress with pleated skirt and 3/4 length sleeves

3. a two-tone gingham skirt with a sleeveless top

4. a polka dot sleeveless top paired with gingham shorts, feat. removable suspenders

5. a sleeveless polka dot dress with red pearl snaps down the front

6. a cherry print romper with red pearl snaps in the front and adjustable shoulder ties

My accessories included a picnic basket I wove with gingham ribbon and I made a gingham liner for it.  I made pinwheels, a reversible hair tie, a purse I covered in fabric-inside and out, and a headband featuring giant cherries I made from styrofoam balls and paperclay.  I also made a cherry necklace from small styrofoam balls and paperclay.  The piece I love the most, though, is the cherry purse I made.  I used brown circular boxes that I cut and covered in vinyl, glued together, and lined with gingham.  I also cut out some foam leaves and added a brown leather cord strap.

I am so pleased with how everything came out and my little models made each piece even more adorable.  These little girls are so stinkin' cute and I am so proud of them!  It was so great seeing a collection that I produced go down the runway and I can't wait until next year for my senior one!

Well, that's all the updates I have for now.  You won't have to wait months to hear from me again, though.  May 30th I'm heading to New York for a week with other girls from the fashion department at my school and our Fashion Dean.  It is our required travel trip through the school, and as part of the class we have to blog daily about our time there.

So, next time you hear from me I'll be updating form the Big Apple!  Until next time y'all!