Wow, I had almost forgotten about this jacket... I wonder if the stylist even knows, it's been so long.
Correction, the date is OCTOBER 21st !!! see NEW POST
Fashion Week is over here in NYC, and everywhere, the press has been full of stories on the state of the industry, the price of the clothes and how to give the industry, especially at the high end, a jolt.
Debate over price point, $800.00 for a dress is considered by some to be to “low end” for “high end” according to an interview in the NYT with Vera Wang, while Thakoon shows off $100.00 a yard fabric that he plans to use for a dress that will wind up at about 2000.00 in the stores.
Me, I think this is pretty impressive, considering he has to make that dress, pay for all the materials (There is a lot of draping this season=more fabric) & notions (trims, buttons, zippers etc) plus the highly skilled sewers needed to make something that will merit that price and then, add his markup, covering fixed and variable costs, and allowing for some profit (this should also include an allowance for buy backs & charge backs) plus carrying costs, since he will probably have to wait between 90 - 120 days to get paid. All this, for about 1/3rd of that estimated retail price.
On the other hand, in Thursdays’ style section was a feature “The Bodysuit Electric” featuring a $2300.00 ready-to-wear YSL strapless leather 1980’s style bodysuit, and all the different ways you can wear it. (Unfortunately all too 1980's derived) It is a hot, sexy garment, but why would you buy this as RTW? Even in the editorial you can see that the model will fall out of it the second she spontaneously raises an arm. A great piece, but a piece of this sort screams out to be custom-made. And when you consider the investment, it should to be custom-made.
What do you think, RTW vs Custom-Made?
Why and for what would you make the choice, or not, to go Custom-Made?
The view this evening:
It is beyond my ability to describe the feelings that fill my heart when I see these lights. They are simply, to me, the most beautiful and fitting memorial to all who died on 9/11/01 and to all who have fought for us and all who have died since.
The Skyline is like a hazy glimmer of what could be the best in us. A once and future dream if you will. I hope we will reach it.
I had to post this, the first part a great interview with Rick Owens that I found here, On The Business of Fashion. Part two is on youtube.
I have known about Rick Owens since the late 80's. A roommate of mine was good friend of Michelle Lamy, who he lived with at the time, in LA. I was always hearing about the clothes he was designing. (We've probably been designing for the same amount of time.) So over the years I've always followed his work and have always held a great deal of admiration for it, especially as a fellow designer who works in leather. In this interview, I realize that we share a lot as far as our feelings about fashion, the industry and working in it. His POV, is both practical and realistic and he doesn't buy into all the BS that we are bombarded with constantly.
I love that he jettisoned his press office, and the reason why. I love, love, love his kind of aggravated comment on the cv's & "collages" he sees all the time.
"Everyone wants to be a designer, what I need is older people who know how to make the stuff"
Ok, after getting all worked up about the leather jackets in "Inglourious Basterds" let's get back to the modern world. (Though I live to see those statement lapels come back!)
Here are some photos of a jacket I just finished, in an incredible espresso brown leather called "Roadrunner". The leather was milled a bit before cutting to bring out the grain. I am loving this leather. It's got a beautiful hand and very good weight and it works up beautifully.
This jacket was based on a old and much loved & worn, jacket belonging to the customer.
But the original jacket was quite beat up & much too over-sized for his taste & style today so really it was just a jumping off point.
It is lined in a heavy weight cotton sateen in a contrasting khaki and has these wonderful variegated horn buttons as well as two large outside pockets and 3 interior pockets, 2 at chest level and a special semi- hidden card pocket.
I am thrilled with the way it came out. It looks great on him, suits him perfectly & and should last him forever! ... Drat, did I just lose another customer!?
I saw Inglourous Basterds last night. I wasn't originally planning to - but after seeing it mentioned on 2 of my favorite blogs, here & here, both of them highlighting the costumes, well... (like I said, I'm a sucker for costumes) I really enjoyed it.
QT has a shoe fetish, and with such great shoes, who wouldn't?
... and of course the leather...
(I must admit, though, after 'Grindhouse' I was a bit apprehensive - I could not stand that movie- dreckola- plus y plus-! I had to force myself to be polite & not ditch my friend in the theater!)
Anyone else see the huge "Brazil" influence in this film? Between the costumes, the mores, & the buffoonish portrayal of so many of the Nazis?
I do hope we will be seeing a lot more of Mélanie Laurent & Christoph Waltz in films here now, they are both tremendous talents.
Saw Harry Potter the other night, really enjoyed the visuals and kinda made me wish I still had a hand in the costume business....love costumes!
Anyhow, on the way home, a conductor got on the train & we both immediately noticed his bag.
It was gorgeous, & obviously made specially for the things conductors need, with an unusual square base, solid brass hardware and in an incredibly beautifully broken in leather.
We admired it & I took some (not very good) photos with my phone:
Such a nice contrast! I don't work on white often, leather is such an attention getter and white makes it even that much more so! So it takes a certain, very strong and confident personality to own a piece like this!
Fun to work on project, hopefully my client will one day send a photo of it on! Shot like this definitely does not give full effect.
Here, another unique and very personalized piece. Soft lambskin leather sweat pants for kicking back in. With full details- zip pockets and lower leg and waistband detail.
And lastly, something I've just started to get requests for, a mens jean style in the same stretch leather featured in our womens leggings. This client opted for stretch throughout the waist, which appears as slight gathering at the waistline when shot flat like this, but smooths out completely on the body. First thing he remarked on was how comfortable these jeans are.
Also, I am in the process of putting together a blog where I hope to eventually give an
overview of the actual process involved in creating various custom-made pieces.
Right now, The-Process is (mainly) a foray into my own (little bit frustrating) learning curve with Wordpress, but I'll get there!
I could never have managed so far on WP without this class. So please bear with me on this one.
It is truly a work-in-progress.
This headline is not my own but the subject of an e-mail from my dear friend Karin... and here is what she sent me:
baby Leonardo Lovell.
Been a little tricky for me to keep on top of this blog lately, I think I may need to get help with this facet of things soon....it's hard for me to come up with things to write about &while I have tons of plans, I know I need massive help organizing them & planning! Plus, without the time to spend here on a regular basis it has just become problematic. So for now and to keep things lively, here is a recent editorial I received in Vice magazine & a little change of pace;
It was pulled mainly from items from my "World Domination " line.
it was shot by Richard Kern and inspired by his "NY Girls" era work and styled by Avena Gallagher.
and I will note the extra watermarks are on everything due to the fact that we found somebody ripping off our images to sell some g'dawful crap on e-bay. I shudder to think what the product looked (let alone smelt like- based on where it was coming out of.) This work cannot be done cheaply, neither the fit, the leathers, nor the skill to make the patterns can be gotten at a cut rate. Not to mention the attention to detail and service, especially when you are talking custom made.
