Happy Halloween from PinkyShears.com!
We here at PinkyShears.com wish you a happy, safe, and above all, fabulous Halloween!
Enjoy strutting your stuff in a great costume, whether you’re going for ghoulish or glam.
Hope your night provides a sweet feast for the eyes, and of course, all the candy you want.
Got pictures of great, elaborate, fashionable costumes? Share them on our Facebook Page!
Earlier this week I was invited by Steve Steinberg of QST Industries to attend the New York and New Jersey Designers Club meeting at Arno’s Ristorante. Arno’s Ristorante is a popular meeting spot for people in the NY garment district. You guys would have loved hanging out with this group, everyone was welcoming and full of industry stories and jokes.
I met people from JCPenney, Alvanon (makers of dress forms), Utica Thread, and Direct Textile (maker of linings and interlinings.) The New York and New Jersey Designers Club is a spin-off of the International Association of Clothing Designers and Executives. One of the members mentioned that you used to have to take tests in order to join. Part of the test consisted of patterning, but that was phased out.
Most of the people who attended were salespersons with many years of experience. They began the meeting downstairs in a private room where they discussed old business. As we entered the room, one salesmen from a thread company jokingly said he didn’t appreciate his competitors product front and center in a picture frame on the wall where we were to eat.
After old business they gave me the opportunity to talk about PinkyShears.com. I gave a brief talk and offered PinkyShears.com as a way to get the word out about events they had planned, such as a forthcoming Actor’s Studio-like interview with designer Joseph Abboud. As I sat down, I knew there was more I wanted to say, but I did manage to keep my enthusiasm in check. There’s always next time, I hope.
They briefly talked about the HBO documentary Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags and how it wasn’t true to form. One guy mentioned he thought they left out an important part of the fabric of the garment district which was the happenings outside of 530 7th Ave a building that housed a lot of fashion houses and manufacturers back in the day.
The club’s new business was to figure out how to bring in more members. The club is especially focusing on a new generation of members to get their perspective, outlook, and suggestions. During the main course and dessert members debated how to encourage and increase membership. I was trying to keep from jumping up and down and saying “hey! my website does exactly that!”
And finally to my relief someone said, “Well let’s ask Brandon.” I reiterated who our readers were, what stories we’ve done, and the value NY/NJ Designers Club could be to the PinkyShears audience. For example, a presentation about jacket construction would be fascinating to young people just entering the field, especially if it came from someone as experienced as the members of the Designers’ Club. Just getting the opinions and suggestions of the current members and to be part of a club of like minded individuals would be a reason to join. Most people in the industry don’t actively go out looking for fashion groups to join; mainly because they already have a full schedule. I think, if we present the club the right way people would see the benefit and make time.
I’m interested in joining the group and will keep you updated on the next meeting. Hopefully PinkyShears, our readers, and the New York and New Jersey Designers Club can work together to make even more information available to designers and others in the fashion industry.
-Brandon Graham, publisher
Elizabeth Willse and Brandon Graham from PinkyShears.com interview designer Nanette Lepore and Joe Raico from the HBO documentary “Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags.” See editor, Elizabeth Willse’s, “Save the Garment District” recap at http://pinkyshears.com/2009/10/save-t…
Special thanks to Dorelle McPherson from fothmedia.com for the video footage.
Don’t forget a women’s pant zipper is unzipped with the left hand and men’s zipper is unzipped with the right hand.
More than 500 people attended.
“The heart and soul of New York city.” “The key to a diversified economy,” “an education, nurturing young designers,” “the hub of my fashion life,” Whatever words they chose, each impassioned speaker at today’s Save The Garment Center rally took the same message to the microphone. The garment industry is an essential part of New York’s history, and may hold the answer for saving New York’s economy.
Stan Herman, former president of CFDA and Fern Mallice, Senior VP of IMG Fashion
A crowd gathered in Manhattan at 39th street and 7th Avenue. “It’s so nice to see real people on these streets for what they believe in, and not just clicking a protest box on the computer,” said Fern Mallis, senior vice president of IMG fashion. What Ms. Mallis termed “a good old-fashioned rally” featured speakers such as factory owners, union representatives, designer Nanette Lepore, and mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson.
A densely packed crowd, including students and industry professionals like Paul Cavazza, owner of Create-A-Marker, waved signs reading “It’s Sew N.Y.” and “Save the Fashion District.”
“What do we want to do?” artist Robert Savage, Nanette Lepore’s husband, exhorted the crowd.
“Save the garment center!” they shouted, waving their signs.
On stage from left: Michael Kors, Ellie Tahari, former CFDA president Stan Herman
Stan Herman, former president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) evoked the garment industry’s past, when a piece of clothing could be made, start to finish in one afternoon. He celebrated designers like Anna Sui and Nanette Lepore, who are committed to keeping local business a part of their design. “Protecting and modernizing zoning is the key,” he said. “It’s time to take pride in ‘Made In New York!’”
“The world is watching to see what New York is wearing,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “Everybody needs to work together to save the industry and create jobs.” He called stricter zoning laws “an economic engine, to bring creativity here, and preserve New York’s history.
“Vote and organize,” he implored the crowd. “as if your life depended on it.”
No matter how bad the economy is, said almost every speaker “everybody wears clothes!” The rally was a call to action, to spur government to pass zoning laws that would preserve and develop fashion industry space in the city, which is vital for the economy.
“We’ve seen what happens when New York bases its economy on finance and real estate,” proclaimed Bruce Raynor, the President of Workers United, SEIU ( the union representing garment workers at the rally,) getting a somewhat bitter laugh from the assembled crowd. Calling the fashion industry’s woes “a solveable problem,” Christine Quinn spoke of a need for commitment to an industry that could provide diverse jobs at all skill levels.”
Fern Mallis declared that the fashion industry holds at least part of the solution. “We need to use our brilliant marketing skills, which the HBO movie Schmatta says we do better than anybody in America, to really sell that story.”
PinkyShears publisher Brandon Graham and designer Nanette Lepore
“Twenty years ago, I came to New York city as a fashion student,” said designer Nanette Lepore. “I could not have built my business without the small businesses of the garment center. They were my teachers. They were patient and helped me succeed. It takes a village, a city, to make a dress. It is socially and morally wrong to let the garment center die.”
–article by Elizabeth Willse
PinkyShears coverage of New York City’s Save The Garment Center Rally will be posted later today, with photos and video from the event.
Here is a great Adobe Illustrator example of how to detail flats for the factory/sample maker. It clearly shows button size, stitching, etc. To make the process faster companies have sketch templates to use as a base to add or subtract details.
You may notice there are no measurements. In some cases, if the factory has your pattern blocks and have done similar styles in previous seasons, they can sometimes work from that and make minor adjustments.
If you want a specific shoulder strap width with a special stitching, and it’s a key detail, you would need to note that on the sketch so a tech designer and/or sample maker could make the necessary adjustments.
This is a teaser for the upcoming feature documentary Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags, premiering today October 19th at 9 pm on HBO. Paul Cavazza who we featured earlier in the week, is in this movie. So be sure to catch it! The teaser doesn’t explain much so here’s a quick summary of what the movie is about.
The Garment Center is the heart and soul of Midtown Manhattan and the backbone of the fashion industry. It was the gateway for many immigrants to the American Dream. Now, its in danger of disappearing and one of the main reasons is outsourcing. This HBO feature documentary explores the rise and fall of New York’s fabled schmatta (rag) trade as a microcosm for the economic shocks that have changed our lives.
See more at HBO
I’ve done a few articles that have a connection to Calvin Klein. I am also a big fan of NBA basketball and used to play for my high school basketball team at Allegany High School in Maryland. But do you know what NBA basketball and Calvin Klein have in common?
The “Calvin Klein Rule” is a law banning fans from entering the court or field during professional sporting events.
In March 2003, an inebriated Calvin Klein left his courtside seat and walked toward Latrell Sprewell, then player for the New York Knicks, who was inbounding the ball. Klein then grabbed a stunned Sprewell by the arm and got off a few words before being ushered back to his seat by a laughing security. Klein later checked into drug treatment.
Because of the great response from our previous post titled:
Today’s Inspiration: Fashion Photography – 1940s, 50s & 60s
we decided to post another video by Rosebudgarden’s Channel over at YouTube. Please drop her a quick line of appreciation.
I hope this inspires you in your work.
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