http://www.fashion-incubator.com How to start a clothing line or run the one you have, better. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:08:09 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Bob Heft, the designer of the US flag we fly today. Apparently, Bob had never sewn before starting this high school history project -and he hasn't sewn again since. His teacher wasn't impressed and graded him a B- because he put 50 stars on it at a time when there were only 48 states. "I was upset," Heft says. "The teacher said, 'If you don't like the grade, get it accepted in Washington then come back and see me. I might consider changing the grade.' " And Heft did go to Washington; his design was approved on July 4, 1960 by which time there were 50 states. His teacher said if it was good enough for the country, it was worth changing his grade to an A. As ever, it's the archives entry for the week. Have a great holiday! June 26 through July 2, 2005 Home again This changes everything The myth of vanity sizing Rohr's Pattern Drafting Books Tivi Fit and sizing entropy]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/archives-626-72-2005-2008/ one from Kate Rawlinson who left a link to some recent work she'd done. It's phenomenal. Even her mistakes are phenomenal. Just to temper my gushiness, I'll throw that one up first. Left is the original, right is the marked up one showing the matched stripes. Do note how the plaids match across seams in the skirt. The bodice is a bit off but what the hey. [Blue lines are seams, dashed red are the stripes.] ]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/kate-rawlinson-cutter-extraordinaire/ What not to do: The two worst things you can do on a blog are to astroturf or post a business card or blurb entry. Of these, astroturfing is worse. It means one who pretends to be an impartial observer. Some businesses pretend to be customers and write glowing reviews of themselves. It's really easy to pick these out. Here's a recent example that was posted to my last entry on the Design Piracy Protection Prohibition Act: Author: sewing scott (IP: 216.46.89.93, smtp.cfda.com) E-mail: sewing.scott@[deleted] URL: Whois: http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=216.46.89.93 Comment: As someone who sews at home for my friends and family I am not worried about this bill. I have read it and it only prevents the commerical reproduction and those who benefit from selling others work. It won't effect us do it yourselfers... As a young designer I spend too much time and resource for others to steal from me. I am too small a company to fight the big guys which are represented by the AAFA. I used to work for a big company and was shocked that instead of asking us designers to design they would send us out shopping. We would bring clothes back to the studio and decosntruct them... I couldn't do that so i left... This law is good for american designers and is not about an elitist group at all. As this comment was posted from CFDA offices (the most strident lobbyists of this bill), you can see why this is considered to be astroturfing. It was also cause for a good laugh among kindred. Normally astroturf comments are deleted. It's best to be honest about where your interests lie, making your points from a position of integrity. Besides, dishonesty reduces respect for your organization or position; "Scott" has only undermined CFDA's credibility.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-promote-your-business-on-blogs/ before, today's guest entry is from Mark Bonanno. Mark is the lead fashion photographer for QuadPhoto based in Miami, Florida. Thanks Mark! -------------------- OK, you found a photographer you like. You have a person to do hair and makeup, and maybe even a wardrobe stylist. Now you take all your garments to the studio and shoot as many shots as you can by the end of the day, right? While this may seem like the easiest method, it is not the best way to execute a photo shoot. As a professional fashion photographer, I am often told by designers that they want to shoot photos for a particular line but when we get into the details, they say they have it all “in their heads”. In this fast paced and competitive industry, preparation is everything! I have put together a short checklist that will help you get the most out of your day at the studio.

• Create a storyboard
• Set the stage
• Scheduling
• Mind your models
• Assign clothing to models
• Include accessories
• Use professional models
• Basic necessities

]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/preparing-for-your-fashion-photoshoot/ One-Dress project directed by Malcolm Harris, renders this result: [Click on the image for a larger photo] I don't know how many ways there are to wear it but based on colorways alone, you have four options (black, cobalt, magenta, and white). Fabrication is 100% silk knit jersey, retailing at $225. A portion of the profits benefit Womankind Worldwide and Kiva.org.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/pattern-puzzle-one-dress/ archives entry. Below are the entries published on this site for this week over the past four years. Hope you're having a great weekend. June 19 through June 25, 2005 Welt-Reece machine operations Marking & Cutting Welt and paper jig Re-framing industrial methods Welt pocket construction June 19 through June 25, 2006 Latest is greatest? Plant organization Plant organization pt. 2 Pleating How I Got Started]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/archives-619-625-2005-2008/ talking about, this is an entry I needed to put up a long time ago for people making children's products who need to comply with CPSIA. Several people contacted me saying they needed to order labels so I had to get back to it. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you need to read CPSIA and tracking label requirements. As of August 14, 2009, all children's products are required to have a new label. For review, the purpose of the label is so consumers can determine:

1. The manufacturer as we define it (legally, in other words, you)
2. Location of manufacture
3. Date of production
4. Cohort information (a contractor -none if applicable)
5. Batch or lot number (a number you assign)

The big sticking point is what is a batch? Normally, a cut order is a batch but this does not qualify under CPSIA. Under CPSIA, a batch is one lot that uses identical items which themselves have identical lot numbers. For example, if you're using the same thread, the same fabric and the same buttons or zippers the individual items of which come from their own complete batch as listed on the box they came in, then that is a batch. Each batch needs a unique identifying number.]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/what-is-a-batch/ yesterday's entry (also see pt one and two) before going on because I know that what I said is highly controversial. Let's start with a comment from Ragga: Very nice definition of handmade, but I have to disagree with one small point which is that even if something is made by one person from beginning to end it does not guarantee quality. The quality depends on the skill level of the person who made it by hand. I say this because here in L.A. there seems to have been a handmade trend going on for the past couple of years which in some cases seems to glorify amateur level craft. Nothing wrong with it when you’re giving your handmade from home items away but questionable when it is being sold in “boutiques”. I understand what you're saying. First, yes, quality can -in part- be controlled by an operator (no operator can cure a mis-cut piece or a bad pattern). I've also seen caliber of work such that you describe, stuff so bad you can't tear your eyes from it but some RTW is pretty bad too. The guy at the coop says these $20 trainwrecks sell well. I can match the price and do a better job of it but the hassle of schlepping stuff around and collecting puts me over the top and out of the market. It depends on how hungry you are. It proves to me that there's still a lot of opportunity in shopping bags. Ragga continues:]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/why-handmade-is-best/ my book (Entrepreneur's Guide to Sewn Product Manufacturing) online. I was reminded I needed to post this announcement because an old garmento supplier found the TOC page today and thought one of the entries was so hilarious -and true- he was compelled to call me. Specifically, he thought Weird Things that No One Ever Tells You was laugh out loud funny, especially when I talked about suppliers, presumably like him. He said this is exactly correct: ...calling a supplier and requesting a catalog can be perceived as threatening. and under Interrogation 101: Suppliers have things to sell but they won’t tell you what they have! So between designers being too paranoid to tell suppliers what they're making and suppliers too paranoid to tell designers what they're selling, it is truly a miracle anyone launches a line without elaborate formal introductions. I've also been told many times that the chapter on how to buy wholesale fabric is a verbatim description of what really happens. Brrr, that's so scary I shiver all over. Things have improved somewhat but I tell you, I couldn't make this stuff up. It is so not like what people think. Preamble dispensed with, here's the free stuff, sorry I can't do more:]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/free-access-to-the-entrepreneurs-guide/ pt.1 and pt.2), I think I want to back up and explain a few things. The problem is, I think a lot of people read certain phrases and mentally say to themselves "I'm so small that doesn't apply to me" and then they tune out. Or maybe their knee has jerked up so fast and hard they've whacked their foreheads and knocked themselves out. I can't know all of the words that have negative connotations to small businesses so keep an open mind. Be sure to read through to the very end (!) where I explain why all small businesses should continue to use handmade production or gravitate to it if they are not. Tragically, many tiny enterprises want to become more "efficient" by switching to certain methods used by large manufacturers and it is a step backward. But I digress, on with semantics. The M word: The M word -judging from what you read in many forums on the web- is a really naughty word and maybe even NSFW. Yes, that word is manufacturing. I hate to break the news but if you make stuff and sell it, no matter how large or how small you are, you are a manufacturer -legally!- no matter how much you dislike it. I don't mean this unkindly but it's hypocritical to complain you can't buy made in the USA products anymore because who would want to do it when everyone decries manufacturing as an awful horrible thing? I once stood next to a woman in a store who complained nothing was made in the USA and when I said I worked in US manufacturing, she sneered at me and said "sweatshop". You can't have it both ways. If manufacturing is a dirty word, we are never going to rebuild jobs here because no sane person wants to engage in reviled and insulted work. Manufacturing is just like any other business, you have good ones and bad ones. It is unkind to insult hard working people who are proud of doing a good job especially if they're doing something you don't want to. Handmade: Almost no one really knows what handmade means. The dictionary defines this as "made or prepared by hand rather than by machine" but that's obviously not true in sewn products nor in pottery. It would be ridiculous to suggest a bowl made by a potter isn't handmade because a wheel was used to form it. Rather, handmade is defined by the industry to which it applies. In rugmaking, it means the rug was hand knotted or hand-loomed. I can find tons of examples but I'll drill it down to this: in sewn products, handmade means the item was made by one person start to finish. In other words, there is no contradiction between handmade and the M word, you are both. I'm not arguing with you for no reason. You must understand that handmade is the most efficient form of production the P word and ensures the highest level of quality. Really, it does. Too bad so many see the M and P words thrown around so they split before seeing how often I write about this to prove it. Everyone's goal should be P-word of handmade products. If you're already there, don't change! ]]> http://www.fashion-incubator.com/archive/how-to-start-a-homebased-handmade-sewing-business-pt3/