Living Legends of Fashion exhibit at TACtile Arts!

I am undone!  Last night I attended the Living Legend of Fashion lecture series at TACtile Arts in Aurora.  The show was put together by Carol Engel-Enright and Fashion Group International and it did not fail to please.  In fact, I was a little astounded at how under-attended it was.  But, no worries because there is still a little time for you to still catch the exhibit.

First we were charmed by the acclaimed fashion illustrator Jim Howard, who walked us through his long lived and amazing career which culminated in an incredible body of work.  His first years with Goodfriend's through his famous years with Neiman Marcus and illustrating everyone's designs from Coco Chanel to Yves St. Laurent!  Working in the business from the 1940's and into the '90s, the man was an encyclopedia of fashion history!  He was a rockstar in the fashion world until photography completely took over and killed the illustration end of the business.

Jim has turned his work into a series of incredible fashion paper doll books.  I have collected paper doll books for many years and never knew of these treasures, which are soon to be added into my collection!  There are a limited amount of these available at TACtile right now, as well as several of them that you can peruse but are not available for purchase.  They will be there for the next week, as well as his slideshow of incredible work, so get yourself down there!

Then we were dazzled by our favorite fabric shop proprietor in Boulder, Elfriede Gamow of Elfriede's Fine Fabrics.  She told us of her early years living in Germany through WWII;  being inspired by her father the dollmaker, who came home from the war when most men didn't;  living behind the iron curtain after her town was walled in by the Russians;  and subsequently leaving as a refugee to live in 2 camps and ultimately winning a scholarship to CU in Boulder.  After her studies, she became biologist and worked in academia.  But, she was a skilled dressmaker having learned the art from her family and always practicing the fine art of handsewing; making dresses without aid of a sewing machine.  In 1963, the only fabric store in Boulder was having a going out of business sale.  She bought the store, left the academic life and has never looked back.  She brought her collection of fine and beautiful garments that have been made for her over the years.  What an exquisite exhibit of fine garment construction...and STYLE!  Such elegant style and class! Many of the garments in this display were made 20-30 years ago and could easily be worn today...and she does!

Both Jim and Elfriede's collections will be on display for another week at TACtile Arts Center in Denver.  I hope you will have the opportunity to visit and see some of the other amazing textile arts hosted there!  It's an incredible resource and could use your support!

When you want a custom garment, remember this!

Custom clothing requires time for planning, design, fabric sourcing, pattern drafting, not to mention the sewing. Your dressmaker must also take her other client projects into consideration when scheduling for your project.  It is a good rule of thumb to secure your designer/dressmaker at least 6 weeks in advance of your date requirement for your finished garment.  If you can plan even farther in advance, secure her 90 days in advance!

Some designers and dressmakers can even be booked up to a year in advance, so if you call them at 90 days you may not be able to secure them for your design.

If you are planning to have a custom made garment, do not think 'off-the-rack' pricing.  The labor for designing and constructing a garment is time intense!  Most designers are creating every stitch of your garment themselves, or perhaps with the help of one person.  They are most often making a pattern designed to your measurements and personally selecting fabrics and trims on your behalf.  Many times, your designer is hand finishing the interior of your garment with delicate, precision hand sewing to hide hem and facing stitches.  An endeavor like this is not assembly line sewing, so you should plan your budget accordingly.

In my studio, a custom garment or costume is priced starting at $450.  But, the cost can and will increase depending on the fabric selections and design details of your particular project.

So, shop smart.  Have a relatively good idea of what you want when you approach a designer.  Know your budget and stick with the plan once it is developed.  Making changes in the middle of a project will lead to additional cost in fabrics & labor that will skyrocket the cost of your project and could create deadline problems, as well.

If you keep these things in mind, you will be a happier client and your designer or dressmaker will treat you right!

Change and Growth!

Well, another whirlwind year of constant changes as I watch my business grow and morph into what it was meant to be!  After clearing my workload and making time for the kind of work I really want to do, I found myself working on ice skating costumes and historic era iconic dresses for a film!  This is the kind of work I love!

I attended the Create Denver Expo and attended some really great sessions on branding your business and social marketing, which inspired a lot of thinking about the next steps for me.

Earlier this Spring, I learned that my lease would not be renewed in my current space.  I was devastated for about 24 hours.  But, it really is true that when one door closes many more of them open up before you!  I will be moving into an incredible space at the end of July when my current lease expires.  I can't say anything more about this space just yet, but all of the amazing details will be coming soon!

In the meantime, I continue taking work and students in my current space.  I am considering the re-branding of my business and what that would mean.  I am looking for some opportunities for funding to buy that embroidery machine that my little business needs to help it grow.  And I have plans to start using this blog as an educational site for my students and clients.  So, there is lots of good stuff happening and I look forward to sharing with some of you as I move into the next phase!

See you all at the Grand Opening!