Motorcycle Style

Marlon Brando in "The Wild One" (1953)

Paul Teutul Sr., Founder of OCC

Bikers. Beautiful, tough. Disturbing yet intriguing.  Their edge drives us crazy. Do you dare approach or will you admire from afar? Whatever you decide you can definitely draw inspiration from motorcycle biker style if you so choose! You will also earn points for learning to work with leather as your fabric. Start your biker inspired designs by making a simple doo rag. Then go from there.
While we are on the topic of motorcycles - Become a fan on Orange County Choppers Facebook page and submit your application to become the Creative Director on Paul Teutul's new TV series on CMT. Don't be shy! You have nothing to lose. Not even the cost of postage since you will submit your resume to the Orange County Choppers email address. Imagine having your resume read by the head honcho of the number one producer of custom motorcycles in the world! If you are in the Newburgh, NY area in the U.S.A. be sure to stop by the OCC Cafe for delicious food and good fun. Don't miss Karaoke Thurdsay!

January 2012 motorcycle calendar babe Jessica / Kawasaki Z1000

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*You must be a legal U.S. resident to apply
**Potential employment through Orange County Choppers, Inc.

If you are in the Newburgh, NY area in the U.S.A. be sure to stop by the OCC Cafe for delicious food and good fun. Don't miss Karaoke Thurdsay!

Elizabeth Taylor Auction at Christies through Friday

Gingham is in for Spring 2012!

Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry grossed an incredible $115,000,000 yesterday at Christie's Auction House - and the sale is not over yet! Although the necklace known as "La Peregrina" given to her by twice husband Richard Burton sold for 11.8 million - setting a world record - you will find that some of the items at the online only auction are quite reasonable.  Taylor's 1970s gingham skirt by Valentino for example is only 300 dollars at the time of this post. Until Friday you have a chance to obtain items once owned by Elizabeth Taylor either by attending the live auctions at Christies or by bidding on items through the online auction.  Don't delay; view her designer jewelry, clothing, accessories, interior decor and memorabilia. Perhaps you will venture to make a bid to own a piece of American movie star history, or at least some of Liz' belongings that didn't quite make it to the big tag sale. A portion of the proceeds from the Auction will be donated to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Liz' style was hit or miss. 

The Sociology of Fashion

Masai Warrior  istockphoto.com/DenGuy

In a fashion school one of the core courses is, or should be, sociology. There should at least be a course that touches upon the sociology of fashion addressing the issue of, "Why do people dress?" To jump from that and how it applies to a career in fashion design is simple. Why would people want to dress in YOUR clothes? The space in between is merely marketing. To sell clothes you market to the socio-psychological reasons why people dress in the first place.

Why do people dress?

One answer might be: "Because they are cold."  That´s a good answer. Long ago, man learned to stay warm on chilly prehistoric nights by crawling under a leftover animal hide. Perhaps at some point he realized that by tying strips of skin together his fur blanket stayed on better. But that does not explain why he began to carve bone, antlers and ivory into adornments. Why at some point did primitive peoples divide into a diversity of cultures with tattoos (a form of dress within the skin), scarring rituals (a form of dress from within to the outside), hairstyles, piercing or other body modifications, body and face painting, nail designs, traditional clothing and perfume? Yes, even perfume is considered a non-visual "form of dress".  Fashion is the more recent phenomena of cultural dress. Occasionally a classic will emerge, such as bluejeans or the little black dress.  For the most part fashion is everchanging, sometimes at ridiculous rates, not static as is the case of traditional cultural dress. 
There are several established focuses in fashion theory as to what creates fashion. These are based in the social sciences - anthropology, sociology, psychology - as well as cultural studies and history. 

• Modern Anthropological: Man posesses an innate instinctual propensity for adornment and dress.
• Protection:  Clothing choices change based on extremes in weather conditions.
• Modesty: To cover sexual organs. To avoid sexual attention from the opposite sex.
• Sexual Attraction, Seduction:  People dress to seduce a mate.
• Zeitgeist : Fashion responds to social and political change. The miniskirt for example or the bra burning protests of the 1960s.
• Trickle-Down: Fashion develops in the upper classes and the lower classes aspire to it.
• Trickle-Across: Fashion develops in any of the social classes and transports to the others.
• Anti-fashion: Dress which is indifferent to or explicitly contrary to the popular fashion. This often cancels itself out when a rebellious style of dress becomes popular and thus becomes "fashionable".
• Symbolic Communication:  Dress to send a message about how you feel or who you are.
• Postmodern: Man defines and redefines himself through dress in order to survive in a metropolis.

The Harvard University paper, Why the Devil Wears Prada:  The Fashion Formation Process talks about some of these. My personal view is that first theory, the modern anthropological theory is the precursor to all the others. And that these are all true. Fashion is merely a western world term for an industry which is created out of man´s most innate instincts to "fill in blanks". At some point in the evolution of man from ape a desire to fill in blank spaces developed. They drew on cave walls (home decor?), they covered themselves, they pierced and adorned and tattooed. Psychological and biological spaces needed filling as well as physical ones and all these were expressed in their form of dress  All forms of art and engineering and rituals spring from there.

 Interesting Resources:

The Berg Fashion Library
Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion

The Berg Companion to Fashion
Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture

"I love fashion. I just don´t like the way it´s presented."

This is a quotation by Wendy Hicks artist/photographer. I wish I had thought of such a poignant thing to say. Fashion is an industry that is full of creativity, fun, excitement, beauty as well as a wonderful platform for psychological, sociological and anthropological observation throughout the world and throughout history. But we can do our part to make the industry better by being ethical designers.

Hear Wendy´s podcast at the "Endangered Species" conference that took place in London. In her work "Fashioning Inspirations" she took average people and airbrushed them to look like they would in a fashion advertisement.

Here is an article in newspaper from her hometown of Suffolk England  East Anglian Daily Times;  Fashion´s Altered Images.  And her Fashioning Inspirations exhibit.

Entry Level Jobs in the Fashion Industry

See section Fashion Careers on this blog.

Designing clothing is only one of many careers in fashion.

One thing I´ve observed about the fashion industry is that there are really no "rules" to getting in.  Obviously going to fashion school is one place to start and will offer opportunities for getting a foot in.  Marketing and social sciences such as sociology, anthropology and psychology are excellent base courses and are actually required courses in the serious design schools. A basic grasp of Euclidean and of projective geometry is of great assistance for transferring design ideas into clothing through patternmaking. You can also get some insight into the fashion industry from reality shows like "Project Runway," "Running In Heels," "America´s Next Top Model". "The Devil Wears Prada" is a must-see movie as is Isaac Mizrahi's 1995 movie "Unzipped." In fact, a look into Mr. Mizrahi's career over the past 20 years or so is something to be admired.  Not because he chooses to pander to an often cruel and supercilious industry but because he chooses to "take it or leave it" and does so with such dignity.

Backstage at a fashion runway show.

Here are some tips:

• Before deciding on any school, fashion or otherwise, make sure it is accredited by an agency recognized by U.S. Department of Education (ED).  Also do a search on the internet for how to avoid post-secondary school scams, university scams and online school scams.  There are a LOT of scams, especially now that the internet has made it so easy. Just because a school claims to be accredited means absolutely nothing unless the accrediting agency is recognized by ED.  If the school is in a country other than the U.S.A. do your research. There must be similar agencies to the ED there as well.
•  Try to work at a clothing store, a big department store is best.  Entry level jobs are usually as a sales attendant. The pay is low, perhaps commission-based; and the hours can be grueling.  You may also have to deal with demanding, sometimes downright rude, customers.  (Remain professional, this is a taste of what is to come in a "dog-eat-dog" industry). But this is a great job for someone who wants to see a bit of everything.  Fashion merchandising, marketing, publicity, trends.  If you are able to stick it out you might eventually get promoted to managerial or buyer´s position. 
• Check out websites of various designers and fashion magazines, many have an "Apply for Internship" link. Requirements to be accepted into an internship program vary but most ask that you either have a college degree or be currently enrolled in a college or university. 
• Many clothing or department stores hire extra sales help before Thanksgiving on temporary contracts to work through the high sales season.  Nice way to try it out and see if you would eventually be interested in long term work.
• No matter what job in fashion you end up in, knowing the basics of patternmaking, sewing, knitting, crochet, weaving, how textiles are produced and all those other "crafty" things will make you better at your job.  To write a fashion column for example, you should know what goes into making a garment. Then you will know how "good" or "bad" it truly is.
• Take a few classes in sewing or fashion design at a local community center or college before diving head first into a big investment.  If you are still in high school this is the perfect way to see if it is just a passing interest or if you will be in for the long haul.  People are sometimes disillusioned when they enroll in an expensive fashion school and then realize it is a lot different than they thought it would be.
• See more information on Clothing Design, Fashion School and Fashion Careers for links and resources about the fashion industry.

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Photos:
Fashion Model Fitting Clothes by Professional Designer Woman; istockphoto.com/CandyBoxPhoto

Model Taking a Break; istockphoto.com/Dr Bubbles

Slaves to Fashion: Today´s Sweatshops

I am reposting an essay I have written about the down side to the fashion industry.  There are many issues about which a responsible designer should be aware:

For more info see:
Sweatshop Journal and Sweatshop World

Fashion can be exciting and glamorous. It is creative. It communicates who you are and expresses how you are feeling. It helps you seduce or reject those around you. Fashion is fun and beautiful. But fashion has its ugly side. “Fashion” is an industry whose main purpose is to attack and manipulate our self-esteem in order to raise profits. In fashion our self-worth is based on what tag is sewn into our jeans, anorexia and bulimia is rampant, environmental issues and animal rights take a back seat and around the globe human beings are forced into slave labor in order to rapidly produce for the demands of the masses; our demands. When one truly understands this, it should make you think twice about how much you really need a new shirt or pair of pants.

Buying from the big name brands is no guarantee that you are not supporting slave labor. Big labels usually outsource work to sewing factories. One example can be found every day in the garment district of Buenos Aries. A very common strategy in Argentina by independent sewing houses is to send representatives to other countries; Bolivia is quite popular; to recruit desperately poor people, promising them work in Argentina for a "fee". Since they don’t have money to pay the "fee" they are told that they can work and pay the fee and other costs off in installments. Most often uneducated and unaware of their rights, the workers arrive and are literally forced into slave labor. Paid nothing and not allowed to leave the factory until the "fee" is paid off, they sleep, eat and work next to their sewing machines. They receive no medical care in spite of extreme repetitive stress injuries, are exposed to extremes in temperature and excessively long work days and are watched over carefully to avoid fraternization and solidarity among laborers. Women must often endure sexual harassment as well.

A few years ago a fire broke out in one of these slave factories, in the Caballito neighborhood of Buenos Aires. A family of six died, four of whom were minor-aged children. You may be asking: “What were children doing living in the factory?” A sad fact is that it is quite common for single, poor mothers; lured by false promises and dreams of a better life; to be indebted not only with their own "fee" but by that of their children.

Until recently big name clothing brands have had an "easy out" from responsibility, claiming that they "just didn´t know" what their contractors were doing. But that is changing now that certain laws are holding them responsible for what their contractors are up to. We as consumers also play a big role in this problem and should hold ourselves accountable morally. By allowing ourselves to be manipulated by the rapidly changing fashion industry we quickly feel “out of style”, we demand lots of clothes at cheap prices and which cater to the “style of the month”.

A responsible designer will consider the "human" factor when deciding to mass produce. A responsible consumer will learn to live with a little bit less clothing and not be driven to desperation for fashion. Why not even learn to make your own clothes?

For more information on this topic there is an interesting article: "Globalization and Clothes" which touches upon the lesser known side of the fashion industry. For a look into the modeling industry see "Girl Model".

Basic Bodice

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"Clik" para Español  See the Written Instructions and accompanying Video "How to Make a Basic Bodice".   As usual, I will conduct the lesson using the metric system.  If you do not have access to a metric tape measure please order one from the Petit Poix shop.   
See  "how-to" videos:

  Draft a Basic Bodice,  Convert Bodice into Blouse,  Transfer a Shoulder Dart

The bodice is the most basic pattern for any top, and converting a bodice pattern into anything else; be it a t-shirt, a blouse, even a dress; entails some simple letting out or rotation of the darts.  More about this will be explained in the video.  In the meantime here is the accompanying information if one cares to review it beforehand.  Another suggestion, get familiar with How to Take Measurements and if  you are so inclined write up a list of your measurements, this will be necessary when you draft your basic bodice pattern.

Written Instructions

Video

Globalizaton and Clothes - Slave Labor Practices

Take Part in the Second "No Chains" Design Contest! 
 Deadline November 11, 2010

I haverewritten and reposted this essay in a later post  Click Here

The meeting with Juan Nieto went very well. He was hesitant about allowing my classmates and I to enter the factory and do our observations for Ergonomics class. But Vitnik is a company that is constantly supporting local charities and educational facilities and he kindly allowed us to use his factory for our project. The facilities are just beautiful! Huge spaces, high ceilings, modern equipment, plenty of natural light as well as artificial light so that the laborers can see what they are doing. Emergency medical services for all employees. In short, the city regulators would be hard pressed to find something inhumane or unsafe about the factory. When you think that in many clothing factories people are literally forced into slave labor it was quite a refreshing sight to visit Vitnik.
Unfortunately even buying from the big name brands is no guarantee you are not supporting slave labor. Here in Argentina a very common occurence is for the Bolivians and Peruvians to come to work. Independent sewing houses (who contract work from the big name brands) actually travel to those countries to recruit desperately poor people, promising them work in Argentina, for a "fee". Since obviously they don´t have the money for the "fee" they are told that they can work and pay the fee off in installments. When they get here (they are uneducated people who are not aware of their rights) they are literally forced into slave labor. Paid nothing, not allowed to leave the factory until the "fee" is payed off. Sleep, eat and work next to their sewing machines. No medical care in spite of extreme repetitive stress injuries. A few years ago a fire broke out in one of these slave factories, a family of six died, four of whom were minor-aged children.  It is common for single poor mothers, lured by the false promises of a better life , to be indebted not only with their own "fee" but that of the children.
This is the other extreme to Vitnik obviously and then there are different factories at different levels within the spectrum. The big name brands have had an "easy out" from responsibility, claiming that they "didn´t know" what their contractors were doing. But that is changing now that certain laws are holding them responsible for whom they contract their work to.
We as consumers also have a big role in this. We want lots of nice clothes at cheap prices. A responsible designer will consider the "human" factor when deciding to mass produce. A responsible consumer will learn to live with a little less and why not learn to make your own clothes?
Anyway, I don´t want to bore you with a long blog, be sure to do a search on google or some other search engines. Here is an interesting article Globalization and Clothes which touches upon the lesser known side of the fashion industry.

Petit Poix

Welcome to the world of Petit Poix, the blog about the ever-ending struggle to create, whimsical, earthy and yet sophisticated clothing and accessories for children, large people and pets.