12/1/08  

Credit Crunch Couture

Wow! We are really in it aren’t we? We have not had such a crazy-making economy in decades. I am really impressed by how people are rising to the occasion and cutting back on unnecessary spending, planting gardens and (YES!) returning to sewing. Even the Queen of England is showing she needs to reuse and recycle in this downturn, marshall.uk.queen.credit.crunch.itn. But, you don’t want to look cobbled together. Life can be depressing enough as it is right now so execute your ideas in a professional way. There are plenty of classes out there that can help. If you are new to sewing, take a basics class on sewing a bag or robe, then move on to simple skirts. If you are returning to sewing, sharpen your skills with a more advanced construction class or challenge yourself by making a tailored jacket. I suspect you will get the bug and continue learning. Who knows, you might even find yourself on a new career path and jump into the apparel industry via Apparel Arts. We would love to help you get there.

I love to see students at Apparel Arts integrate the skills they are learning into their current lifestyle.  We had a Design Principles class in September where the students learned to tap into their creativity and define their aesthetic.  The class culminates with students designing a small line of clothing and storyboarding it for the group.  The presentations are always inspiring and fun.  Student Nancy Chow-Yang designed a line of jackets and coats with pull-tabs to change the look.  I think you can really see her architecture training and the garments themselves as well as the backdrop. 

Design by Nancy Chow-Yang

 I love it.

Check This Out

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I saw a glass exhibit in the Palm Springs Museum of Modern Art (www.psmuseum.org). I was mesmerized by a piece by Karen LaMonte (www.KarenLaMonte.com), Pianist’s Dress Impression, 2005. She creates life-size bodies and drapes “fabric” on them.  The rendering of the fabric is remarkable, and she also shows the shadows of a body underneath – incredible! It is absolutely mesmerizing to see in person. 

Great Reads to Inspire

Breaking the Mode, Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, (Skira), Kaye Durland Spiker and Sharon Sadako Takeda

An amazingly inspirational book on designers who have revolutionized garment construction and made us think differently about the body’s form. Think Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo and Vivian Westwood. The fabric manipulations alone are worth seeing. 

The Crafter’s Recipe Book, (Rockport), by Jessica Wrobel

This book has a section on manipulating fabric through layering, dying, cutting, felting, embossing, shredding and sewing. Don’t quickly dismiss it as too “crafty” for you. There are some beautiful effects in here that are easy to execute. And, Prada’s spring 2009 line was full of fabric manipulations through wrinkling, pleating and twisting. Marni had some interesting fabric cutwork that is worth checking out.  

Until next time!

Suzy Furrer