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CFDA Executive Director Fights Fashion Piracy January 14, 2010

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Design Resources, Industry News, Manufacturers, Organizations and Associations , comments closed

The CFDA Executive Director Steven Kolb and CFDA President Diane Von Furstenberg are fighting to protect your ideas.  They have brought a bill, the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, to Congress and are working aggressively to get it passed.  In the recent profile article on 1stDibs, Kolb says “It makes no sense to me that designers can’t copywright their designs when other creatives can.  Artists or writers or filmmakers are all afforded protection.  We’ve created a broad-based coalition of support in Washington and with the focus placed by our First Lady, Michelle Obama, on young, vulnerable talent, we will move forward and champion this bill to success.”

Thank you Mr. Kolb!

To learn more about fashion piracy and the Design Piracy Prohibition Act, visit the Stop Fashion Piracy website and see how you can help.

- Tiffany Teague

Pitti Uomo January 13, 2010

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Careers, Industry News, Inspiration, Manufacturers, Organizations and Associations, Trade Shows, Trends , comments closed

For people in the menswear industry, Florence is the place to be this week.  Yesterday marked the beginning of the biannual Pitti Immagine Uomo fair where retailers from around the world come to buy from Europe’s notable and emerging menswear brands (there are numerous non-European brands represented, as well).

This 77th edition of Pitti Uomo marks the debut of the new menswear line by Lars Nilsson.  The Mr. Nils F/W 2010 collection is entirely Made in Italy.

Each season the Hackett pavilion gets more and more popular as buyers recognize their customers desire for heritage and elegance.  Suzy Menkes, from the International Herald Tribune, discusses the rise of Jeremy Hackett from a guy scouring vintage clothing bins on Portobello Road to outfit himself, to opening a vintage clothing store that sold to the likes of Ralph Lauren, to launching a brand of clothing that has a vintage feel.

To find out who else is showing their collections this week, be sure to check out the Pitti Uomo website.  It’s a great place to start if you are interested in working in the menswear industry and looking for a European brand that might just want to take advantage of your American aesthetic and expertise.

- Tiffany Teague

Digital Fabric Printers January 8, 2010

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Design Resources, Manufacturers, Sewing and Workroom Supplies, Textile Resources , comments closed

Have an idea for a printed fabric but just can’t find it in the stores?  Let Karma Kraft print the fabric for you!  SCAD Graduate Student Thomas Gaddis recently found this resource for a digital textile printer.  Unlike other printers who work with cottons only, they print on a variety of textiles and don’t have any minimums for in-stock fabric.  We haven’t used them yet, so if you do (or have) please let us know what you think of their service.

Thanks, Thomas, for the great find!

- Tiffany Teague

Handcrafted in Amish Country December 9, 2009

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Careers, Industry News, Inspiration, Manufacturers , comments closed

The Scout Blog recently posted this gorgeous video they made of the two gentlemen behind the Billykirk leather brand:

Brothers Chris and Kirk Bray have been producing leather goods for the last ten years. They launched Billykirk from Los Angeles in 1999, learning their craft from a third generation leather maker. A simple leather strap kick started the business, a decade later their collection has flourished into other offerings that consists of bags, belts, shoes, wallets, hats and other accessories. Since expanding and moving their operation to the East, they’ve employed a group of Amish leather makers to produce much of their line, while wrapping up production in their studio. We visited the brothers over the summer to observe their operation first hand and to discover the beauty behind the process.      – The Scout

- Tiffany Teague

Textile Encyclopedia December 8, 2009

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Design Resources, Manufacturers, Organizations and Associations, SCAD, Textile Resources , comments closed

Ever wondered what’s the difference between napping and sueding?

No?

Me, neither.  But, thanks to the Textile Encyclopedia, now I know!

Cotton, Inc. just donated some materials to the SCAD-Atlanta resource room including CD’s and information about their educational site – the Textile Encyclopedia.   It’s a great resource with definitions and videos explaining every major fabric term including pique, circular knitting, resist printing, twill, single jersey and about 200 other words you just might need to know.

Watch the videos.  They’ll make you feel smart.  I promise.

- Tiffany Teague

Mass-Produced vs. Custom Suits November 30, 2009

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Careers, Industry News, Manufacturers, Organizations and Associations, Sewing and Workroom Supplies , comments closed

Those of you interested in menswear will appreciate these videos which highlight the huge differences in the production processes for a suit that is mass-produced vs. one that is custom-made for an individual.

Mass-Produced

Custom-Made

To learn more about the difference in quality and production in all the types of suits ranging from the entirely machine-made version to the full-on bespoke suit, check out this great website “An English Cut” where Thomas Mahon, a true bespoke tailor, discusses all the ins and outs of men’s suiting.

At the highest end of mens suiting are the tailors located on Savile Row in London’s Mayfair district.  In this video, Mr. Mahon, who maintains an office on Savile Row and his production facility in the English countryside, discusses various aspects of his job as a master cutter, including his private relationships with high-profile clients:

“The thing is, because of the nature of what I do, it’s extremely personal. I mean, there’s lots of people who meet Prince Charles – but there’s not many people who meet him in his underwear.”

- Tiffany Teague

Nano Technology in your Pants November 18, 2009

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Manufacturers, Textile Resources, Trends , comments closed

Those of you studying Intro to Textiles will appreciate this new fabric used by Outlier, a clothing manufacturer for city cyclists.  The textiles they use in their pants is given what the Swiss textile manufacturer Schoeller calls the Lotus treatment, “a nano tech fabric treatment modeled after the surface of a lotus leaf . . . . What that means is that the surface is a fractal with no repeating surface structure upon which oil or stains can bond.”

So you can pour all sorts of crazy liquids on it – like red wine, mud, and coffee – and the stuff just rolls off.  And, to accommodate Outlier’s bike riding customer, the fabric wicks moisture from the inside, remains dry and breathable, and (with its incorporated stretch) allows for a wide range of motion.

Basically, this company is producing garments that look like something you could buy anywhere, like the basic khaki – but the fact that they are using these super-functional textiles gives them an edge over the competition and gets people talking.

So, be glad you have the opportunity to study textiles.  You may just pick up on something that will spark an idea for a super-functional and easily-marketable apparel line.

- Tiffany Teague

Rimmon Fabrics at SCAD Atlanta Wednesday November 9, 2009

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Local Sources, Manufacturers, Textile Resources , comments closed

Rimmon Imported Fabrics

Rimmon Imported Fabrics is coming to the SCAD-Atlanta Campus this Wednesday afternoon and has invited each of you to participate in their sale and showing of imported designer fabrics.

Their representative Ron Rimmon will be showing their exclusive lines of finer European and designer fabrics and buttons. The complete collection is available to students with low minimum yardage requirements. He will be showing their new fabrics including their newest line: Roopa Organic Bamboo Knits.

WEDNESDAY
November 11
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

at the SCAD- Atlanta
Fashion Resource Room

For more information call:
Ron’s cell: 310-502-7579

RIMMON IMPORTED FABRICS
1-800-697-4666
11054 West Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
e-mail: rrimmon@aol.com

Come by and invite your designer friends. Rimmon Fabrics is a “secret source” for small to medium size pieces of imported designer dress fabrics for independent designers, manufactures and retail fabric stores.

Night of Spectacles Scholarship Competition October 26, 2009

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Inspiration, Local Sources, Manufacturers, Organizations and Associations, SCAD , comments closed

OK.  Here is the perfect scenario for all you aspiring designers:

  1. You get to design a garment for a runway show using materials paid for by someone else.
  2. Your work benefits a fantastic charity.
  3. Your creation enters you into a competition for a $1000 scholarship.

Seriously.  What could be better?!  EVERYBODY wins!!!

Now is your chance to live out that perfect scenario.   Each year, the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation hosts a fashion show featuring artists who use eyeglasses in their work.  This year, they have invited SCAD students to participate!  Visit nightofspectacles.org for more details.

Buttons and Zippers and Toggles! Oh, my! October 16, 2009

Posted by SCAD Fashion Department in : Design Resources, Illustration, Manufacturers, Professional Portfolios , comments closed

Professor Jason Bunin recently shared some of his Illustrator files with me that he used when he was designing in New York. Those of you taking CAD classes and working on technical flats for your designs will really benefit from these detail and trim files.

- Tiffany Teague