StudioSKB’s white lace dress rated #1 on Portland Monthly’s favorite things about last Wednesday’s Fade to Light show. Sharon Blair, designer for StudioSKB, was one of 8 designers showing their Autumn/Winter 2013 lines in the midst of an artistic venue.
Sharon’s inspiration for the A/W 2013 line: Edie Sedgwick, star of Andy Warhol movies in his New York Factory day. The line showed the transition from the close fitting long skirts of the early 1960s to the looser, shorter styles worn by Edie and her Factory colleague, Baby Jane Holzer. Model Shaedyn shown here, epitomizes the Baby Jane look.
StudioSKB will start taking orders for the A/W 2013 line later in March.
For more about the show, follow the link by clicking here
We’re getting ready for the Fade to Light show Wednesday, Feb 27, Crystal Ballroom at 13th & E Burnside. StudioSKB will show 12 looks inspired by the transition in fashion during the 1960s. These Autumn/Winter 2013 tyles will move from those epitomized by Pauline Trigere to those worn by Edie Sedgwick, star of Andy Warhol’s Factory. And, yes, it will be quite a show.
As I told Marjorie Skinner of the Portland Mercury,
I am inspired by Andy Warhol’s factory girl film star, Edie Sedgwick, for StudioSKB, A/W 2013, Actually, it was a conversation with Elizabeth Mollo, the Fade to Light producer, that got me started down this road. Elizabeth looks a bit like Edie. Our conversation made me feel the same atmosphere of that time: The bursting desire to break free from past constraints and move into a new, exciting future. For the early 1960s of Edie’s time, it was a break from the conventions and constraints of the 1950s. For us now, after the re-election of Obama it is the burning desire to shake off the gray days of congressional gridlock, recession, bad economy and jump into a giddy future of invention and optimism.
My 10-piece collection moves from the well tailored details of a Pauline Trigere, as worn by Patricia Neal in 1961′s “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” to the loose fun styles of Mary Quant and Ossie Clark.
With each collection, I keep joking with Josh Buck and Lisa Silveira that “this is my final collection.” So I guess you could call this my second annual final collection for StudioSKB.
Other designers showing include Bryce Black of Project Runway, Alyson Clair of Clair Vintage Inspired, Joshua Buck of Chicago Harper, Lisa Silveira of Wandering Muse and Alicia Wood of Ms Wood.
To purchase tickets, click here.
Recent trips to the apparel, textile and trend shows in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York kick-started thoughts on what will be the big trends for this decade. In fact, we’re in the early stages of some of these trends already.
Chicago Harper by Joshua Buck for StudioSKB
Visit Radish Underground, 414 SW 10th, Portland Oregon, as part of your Little Boxes tour of holiday shopping.
Hidden Placket Shirt in Chambray; Painter Pant in Neon Orange
Marjorie Skinner said good things about Joshua Buck's Spring 2013 line for Chicago Harper/StudioSKB.
"Joshua Buck's menswear collections for Chicago Harper/Studio SKB walk a fine line between usability
and creativity. Consider the multipurposeness of a pair of pants that make you ultra-visible as a cyclist
or ped, are lightweight, water resistant, edgy, and this well tailored."
Skinner writes the Mercury On Design -- or MOD -- column for the Portland Mercury. She recently
filmed a segment about Portland Fashion with Buck for Oregon Art Beat. In it, she called Buck "one of the most
interesting designers working in town, and one of the few doing menswear apparel that walks the line between
wearable and experimental." Ifanyi Bell, the interviewer from Oregon Public Broadcasting, wore
some of Buck's clothes from the Spring collection.
Buck designs the menswear line for Sharon Blair's StudioSKB. Look for his garments soon at
Radish Underground, west end of downtown,and Posh Designs in the Hollywood District.
Gilda Dress, StudioSKB S/S "Love Rita" collection
Portland Monthly’s October issue calls for you to “Fall in love with [our] extravagant October fashion spread, “High Style,” featuring a mansion, saltwater pool, pearls and pages upon pages of beautiful clothes. . .” including StudioSKB’s Gilda dress.
For more hot news about cool fashions from PM fashion editor Eden Dawn, go to: Fall Fashion: High Style
See the behind the scenes video at: Video: Fall Fashion 2012
Gina Morris, co-owner of Radish Underground. Visit Radish to see fashions from StudioSKB.
Holy smokes! Look at our beautiful Gina Morris, co-owner of Radish Underground, on the cover of today’s Living Section in the Oregonian. The article, “Leather lace and the latest hot styles” promotes tonight’s Fashion Night Out. Be sure to stop by Radish and see garments from StudioSKB, Wandering Muse and Bryce Black.
Here’s the article: http://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/09/sneak_a_peek_at_the_big_trends.html
Angled Yoke Knit A-line Skirt.
Lisa Silveira’s Wandering Muse Fall 2012 line now available at Radish Underground, 414 SW Washington, Portland OR. Just in time for the Fashion’s Night Out, Sept 6, 4-9 pm. Get ready for Fall and see you at the Radish!
Angled Yoke Knit Pencil Skirt
Upside Down Sweater
Heather Kara and Ashley Marie in Donna knit dresses. Heather in tropical, Ashley in cobalt. StudioSKB S/S2013. Pink Carpet fashion show.
Fashion shows come at the end of Project Runway. It’s the big moment when judges choose who wins and who loses.
But In the real world, stores choose who wins and who loses. That’s because the bottom line is how many garments you sell and whether you make a profit. Fashion shows are just a part of marketing, if they exist at all.
More than 70,000 brands exhibited at the August trade show in Las Vegas -- Nearly 400 at ENK at the Wynn alone.
More than 70,000 brands of clothing competed for buyers’ attention at the Aug 20-23 garment industry trade show in Las Vegas. The winners were those who had appointments, busily showing their lines and writing orders. The losers were those who stood alone for hours in their booths. Particularly since booths can cost around $5000 plus the cost of travel, lodging and transporting materials.
Most independent designers audition for the Capsule trade show at the Venetian. Displays range from an 8'x8' booth to a single rack of clothes.
To attract buyers and get appointments and thus to win the real apparel game, do your homework:
– Know who your customer is. Why does s/he need your clothing? What is s/he missing in her life? What would make her buy your stuff?
– What stores sell to this customer? Go shopping, both on-line and in person. Look for people who you would consider your customers. Where do they shop? Follow them into stores. What brands are they buying? Are they similar to yours? If so, these are your competitors or, potentially, complementary lines.
– How much are stores charging for these garments? Go to enough stores that you have a good average for the retail price for your kind of garments Then divide it by 2.5 to know what you could charge at wholesale.
– Use this number to calculate how much you can spend on developing, producing, marketing, selling and distributing your garments, with a little bit extra to make a profit and fund the next season’s clothing. Calculate how many you would need to sell at a minimum to make the production worth it.
Find the boutiques who sell your type of clothes. Help them make sales and they will help you grow your business.
Then deliver:
– Create your samples and selling materials and pursue those stores like a shark. Find out who buys for them and steel yourself to show them your clothing and take orders.
– Once you get the order, be sure to deliver it on time, in the way they requested and with the same quality, if not better, than the sample.
After delivery, follow up. Find out which garments sold and who bought them. Find out what customers said. Find out why some of your garments didn’t sell. Find out what features customers like in your competitive and complementary lines.
You will need this information to create your next season’s line. By the way, you’d already be working on it as you deliver the current season.
Seem like a lot of work? It is. Want to know more details? Take a look at our apparel business classes.
WWD/MAGIC at the Las Vegas Convention Center: Each trade show caters to a different customer. Research the show carefully before you sign up.
Then you’ve added another level of work. We’ll talk about that in part 3.
Katrina models the emerald Gilda dress from the StudioSKB S/S2013 Love,Rita collection at the Pink Carpet fashion show.
Fashion shows. How glamorous! How exciting!
That’s what comes to mind when most people think about the world of fashion. And it’s the high point of every episode of Project Runway. They never show you the hours of work and the steps it takes to make a show-worthy garment.
Let’s take the Gilda dress shown above as worn by lovely model Katrina Dimick. This dress is part of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection from StudioSKB. Designer Sharon Blair previewed the collection at the Aug 9 Pink Carpet fashion show.
Gilda won strong positive reviews and will be featured in the next edition of Portland Monthly magazine. For the Gilda, it took:
– Six years of research and testing to focus on the customer and what she wants in look, fit and feel of a garment. This became Sharon’s starting point and the idea behind her design statement for StudioSKB: Sustainable fashion with a vintage touch. Sharon’s clothes are locally made from sustainable or recycled fibers. They are inspired by classic films.
– One week of research for Spring/Summer 2013 to see what colors, fabrics and silhouettes would fit best with the customers’ wants for next year. From this, Sharon created a concept board for the entire line.
Rita Hayworth, movie icon from the 1940s
The inspiration: The films of 1940s movie legend Rita Hayworth. In her prime, Rita could outdance Fred Astaire. Her auburn hair and complexion are a good match for the color of the season: emerald. Just before making her most famous film, Gilda, Rita had a baby. The soft flowing drapes of her dresses flattered her positives and hid the negatives as does StudioSKB’s Gilda dress.
– One hour of sketching. StudioSKB dresses are know for their soft folds and pleats in tencel jersey knits. Sketching helps clarify exactly where those folds should go.
– Two days of sourcing. Thanks to going to textile shows Sharon had swatches on hand from which to choose. A quick call ordered the fabric. It arrived within the week.
– Six hours of patternmaking. Fortunately, Sharon had a pattern from the 1970s when she made a dress that won her the title of “Miss Norwegian Princess.” She copied and altered it to make a first pattern for the Gilda dress.
By this time, StudioSKB had a call for models for the Aug 9 show. Sharon chose Katrina to model the dress and took Katrina’s measurements. She copied the first pattern and altered it to Katrina’s dimensions.
Kattie sews prototypes in Portland Sewing's sewing studio. Things get messy mid-production.
– Two hours of cutting and sewing a prototype. This was made from polyester jersey with the same drape as the tencel.
– Two hours of fitting and correcting the first pattern. Sharon fit the proto on a dress form close to Katrina’s size. Thanks to all the work done on the pattern in the 1970s, the corrections were few. No second proto was needed. Sharon could go to final pattern.
Joshua Buck cuts a garment for his S/S Chicago Harper collection in one of Portland Sewing's pattern rooms.
– Two hours of cutting and sewing a fitting shell for model Katrina. This was made from the final fabric, the emerald tencel jersey. Pleats were sewn to final but seams were basted for easy alteration.
– One hour fitting session with Katrina. No human body is exactly like a dress form, even a dress form made to your shape. For Katrina, we needed to
take it in a little on the tummy and center back waist. You want the clothes to fit well when they are seen on the runway.
– Two hours to finish seams, lining and hem. Sharon added brand, size, content and care labels.
– Thirty minutes to make a final check on the dress form then bag and steam. And we’re ready for the show.
But the show is just the start of the real work: The business of selling apparel. More on that in part 2!
