Knit a Porter

Haute Couture cont'd ...

2007-08-23T18:56:03-07:00

Haute [oʊt] means high or elegant.

Couture [kuˈtür] means dress making, by a couturier.

Haute Couture is the French term for upper end fashion design, licensed by the Chambre Syndicale, supported by the Ministry of Industry in France.

Atelier [at^əˈlyeɪ] or salon [sa-lawn] is the place of business where a fashionable clientele is catered to. The salon employs approximately 15 people fulltime.

Vendeuse [vahn- dɶz] directly translated means sales person. Her commission does come from making a sale to a client. But neither the client nor the fashion designer are normal. The vendeuse gets involved with a client, once the client has been given an appointment. The vendeuse coordinates calendars and accompanies the client to all, at least 3 fittings. During the first appointment decisions are made about the design of the garment and its materials to be used. Measurements are taken and the work commences. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the vendeuse not to have two clients order the same garment. Such protection is yet another priviledge, not available to the prêt-a-porter crowd.

Toile [twɑl] is a linen canvas, used in the initial design and fittings.

Mis à plat [miz a: plāt ] – after each fitting the toile is laid on the “cutting table,” taken apart entirely, refitted and then put together for the next fitting. All cutting and finishing proceeds in one room, under the supervision of the same seamstress.

The design of a haute couture garment is at the top level of customized clothing construction. These made to measure exclusive clothes are made by hand and reinforced for wear, after it is fitted the last time. Manual labor may take 100-200 hours for a suit, or daytime wear, and it can take 1000 hours for an evening dress, often with beads sewn tediously by hand.

Materials used are novelty as well as luxurious silk, fine wools, soft cashmere, drapey cottons, linens, leather, suede, furs. They are so specialized that the design and color of the cloth is placed on hold for a couture house before it goes to market.

There are only approximately 3000 clients of which only 1500 might order haute couture garments.

The designer, in addition to the special clients, must create and show 35-50 garments twice a year on the runway, showcasing their creativity and inspiration.

With all expenses increasing and a diminishing client base, a salon routinely operates at a loss. A Chanel outfit may have cost $25,000 in the year 2000. By 2005 the cost has more than doubled. Hence, so many fashion designers are choosing to show twice a year prêt a porter clothing. Such clothing is actually wearable and available as is by any high end retailer, and in the end accessible to a larger audience.

Are you interested in some designer garments that are incredibly priced? The latest designer to lend his name to a small line of designs is Christian Lacroix. Yes. THE Chirstian Lacroix. One of the very few left standing as a licensed haute couture designer. The French catalogue La Redoute has been providing cool clothing by fashion designers such as Courrege, Rene Derhy, Alain Manoukian, Ventilo and many more for some years now in Europe and now in North America. This is the time! Seize the day. Just don’t tell anybody where you got your over the top clothing… Well, I know you will, so I provided you with a link to this site.

In memoriam: Lady Astor died at 105, a queen of society. Brooke Astor was friends with and received medals from presidents, LB Johnson, Reagan, Clinton, she was seen at the arm of politicians like Henry Kissinger, she was known as a great philanthropist, dancing with the likes of David Rockefeller, John B. Fairchild and Andrew Carnegie. She was equally at ease with Lillian Gish and Annette de la Renta, who became her executor.

Her philosophy for life:”Discipline, in every way. You can have fun, but don’t eat so much, don’t drink so much. Flirt a little, but don’t get involved.”

Project Runway Season 4: Who will be IN and who will be OUT?

2007-08-08T15:14:20-07:00

Why this entry? Ah! It is a lesson in HOW to be IN or OUT on the path of becoming a designer, for haute couture, pret-a-porter or mass appeal.

Project Runway is a microcosm of a real life salon or atelier as seen through the personalities of several contestants.

The show is aired on Bravo. Visit BravoTV on the participating personalities and their bios: Hosts, Judges, Sponsors, Marketing, the Designers, the Models, the Prizes.

You get IN with “Make It Work” and “Carry On” – Tim Gunn

OUT gets you “Auf Wiedersehen” – Heidi Klum

Auditions for Project Runway 4 where held in LA, Chicago, Miami and NY. The talent has been scouted, filming is in progress and it is estimated to air later this year. This season promises to be the best yet.

Hosts:

Heidi Klum: Victoria’s Secret model to all bras, and angel, and a fabulously famous and successful Swim Suit Model, and yet being mom to 3 children.

She hosts the show with grace and wit.

Tim Gunn: mentor to the contestants, has decided to return to Project Runway 4 – it really would not be the same without him.

§ He was Chair of the Department of Fashion Design at Parsons The New School for Design,

§ He wrote a book_A Guide to Quality,Taste and Style,

§ He has his own show Guide to Style premiering Sept. 6 and

§ He new job as Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne Company Liz Claiborne is also parent company to Juicy Couture, Mexx, Dana Buchman and Luck Brand Jeans.

Judges:

Nina Garcia – Fashion Director at Elle Mag azine, she wrote The Little Black Book of Style launched in September, who cuts through the lengthy stories that sometimes justify an incomplete design, or lacking inspiration.

Michael Kors – inspired by a model and her flawless style, his Mom, he studied design, launched his designs at Saks and Bergdorf Goodman. He now has his own successful design line, including menswear designs. Being coveted by celebrities, increases visibility which impacts marketing. His feedback in the show is based on understanding the road to success: details, complete look, fresh designs, fitting the model.

Sponsors: Project Runway 4 is being filmed at Parsons School for Design. Moods provides the incredible range of fabric. Sponsors like TreSemme and L’Oreal, make the models shine and teach the designers to look for the look for the look – in other words, they help the designer plan for and bring the message across of the whole package. The grand prize: the winning designer, receives a Saturn sportster and $100,000 towards starting their own line.

Spin-Offs

Project Runway is so successful, that it has spin-offs in several countries: Project Catwalk in Great Britain, Project Runway Canada hosted by Iman, others in Norway, Netherlands, Malaysia, Middle East, the Phillipines.

The Road to Success

What does it take to be a designer? Sketches that sell , great decision making abilities, great listening skills, a great eye for fabric, great pattern making skills, great skills with the sewing machine and the serger, working under pressure, energy, nerves of steal, untouched by flying emotions. But, absolutely above all, it takes a cutthroat Point-of-View.

A Point of View ties together all garments into a theme, a flavor, the personality of the designer or a muse. Watch a runway show on the Elle website, J'adore Dior, and watch how it all “looks” like a "Collection." Pick any other season. It is different and yet a "collection." Stick with Dior – it’s the most theatrical. La sensation! Armani flows, Chanel persists, Valentino is refined. They all have a Point-of-View!

My favorite Project Runway show – The Paris Haute Couture designs episode 9. It had all the intricacies of designing haute couture, hand making, creating fantasy, under the guise of French designer Catherine Malandrino. Jeffrey Sebelia winner of Season 3 had the closest design to Haute Couture. And guess what -- it reminded me of John Galliano for Dior.

BravoTv has an auction site.

This dress went for $1525.

Sketches were also auctioned for $300 and $500.

T-shirts and designer tools are available in the ProjectRunway store site.

(images are a compilation of shots from BravoTv, its Project Runway, Project Runway auction sites and Elle magazine)

Influences: Coveted Designer Names and Their "Other" Wears

2007-08-06T13:58:22-07:00

Who has the bag? Who has the shoes? Perfume? Who is IN and who is OUT? Oh, that's another show...

Hand Bags: most saught after are these labels: Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Hermes (who does not know that you have to go on a 3 year waiting list for this $4000 jewel, from the ladies in Sex and the City), Louis Vuitton, Prada.

Visit http://www.efashionhouse.com/ for great ideas and some products 70% off.

Accessories: If a handbags are not for you? Get a wallet, a card keeper, a scarf, sunglasses.

Make your own Prada jewelry. Do you know how to crochet? Visit http://knittersstudio.com/classes/ and learn it from April!

Perfume : The newest perfumes are not only launched by designers, but also celebrities: Paula Abdul, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwen Stefani, J. Lo, Celine Dion is working on her second scent. Just don't wear it to the office, some actually are allergic. Wear it out at night!

Balenciaga Dior Versace Chanel Sonya Rykiel Betsey Johnson Donna Karan Ralph Lauren Hermes Louis Vuitton Alexander McQueen Lagerfeld Anna Sui Carolina Herrera Marc Jacobs Michael Kors Dolce&Gabanna Jean Paul Gautier Prada Armani Givenchy Etro Elie Tahari Gucci Isaac Mizrahi John Galliano Emanuel Ungaro Hugo Boss Roberto Cavalli Catherine Malandrino Cynthia Rowley Loewe Moschino Missoni Narciso Rodriquez Hussein Chalayan

What's Couture Anyway?

2007-07-29T17:19:55-07:00

Couture is clothing. But, not just any kind of clothing.

It is Haute Couture.

It is Pret-a-Porter.

It is Mode.

A Socialite or Debutante wears Haute Couture.
The Nouveau-Riche can afford Pret-a-Porter.
It is the self proclaimed Fashionista who seeks out Mode.

These are ranks in decending order of significance. Although, in ascending order of cost-effectiveness. The first wears a dress maybe once. The second might wear an item again to a different event. The last will buy it vintage...

Clothing used to be form following function. And then there was King Louis XIV, who had a grand idea. Those French! He decided that the fashions of the day, well, the royal fashions anyway, were so hot, that they must be shared with the world. So. He had lifesize "fashion dolls" manufactured and clothed in the best the court could offer and sent them to other royal houses. The personal couturier of such royalty would sketch, or even painstakingly pull apart stitch by stitch a garment, paper copy it and put it back together again, for re-sizing. All of this was done only by hand, and so, a tradition was born.

The actual first couturier, rather than a servant to the king, was British import to France, Frederic Charles Worth. In 1858, he branded his own label, began to show collections on live models, impressed Empress Eugenie such, that designers began to influence fashion at court.

Charles Worth soon recognized the need for an established organization, which would restrict the number of designers allowed to be called true couturiers, of influence, and to legally prevent couture to be copied. It was to become, after several permutations, "La Chambre Syndicale De La Haute Couture," after it was etablished as the "Federation De La Couture Du Pret-a-Porter, des Couturier et des Mode," in 1973. It is run through the Ministry of Industry for the purposes of promoting French fashion and in particular French Haute Couture style. Its mission now includes not only protection from piracy and international advertising of French fashion, but also education and organization and coordination of runway shows.

The Syndicale meets every year and establishes a list of designers deserving the title of couturiers. Among the early couturiers to make the list were, Patou, Poiret, Vionnet, Fortuny, Lanvin, Chanel Schiaparelli, Balenciaga, Dior. More recently Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Cardin, Guy Laroche, Paco Rabanne, Emanuel Ungaro, Givenchy were included. Eventually the Syndicale invited foreign designers, such as Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Elie Saab, Atelier Versace to join. Big losses were salons such as Herve Leger and Thierry Mugler. Opening a fashion house did not immediately follow the designation of "haute couture."

The cost of running a true "haute couture" house is so prohibitive, that many such establishments have begun showing a secondary line, that is more accessible through pret-a-porter. And the latest avenues to save a fashion house, is the decision to increase their income through mass marketing and the sale of designer name branded perfumes, handbags and other accessories.

The pressure of creating "haute couture" has become so exorbitant, that several salons decided to retire, most notably Yves St. Laurent (1997), Donatella Versace (2002), and Emanuel Ungaro (2004). The number of salons has diminished from 106 in 1946, to 60 in 1952, to approximately 10, a number which remains in flux. New designers inspire, but it takes much more than skill to climb the ranks.

Follow the link to ModeaParis to view the currently ranked fashion designers, and the newly invited ones, all linked to their history and latest collections.

Some of my favorites are Japanese: Kenzo, Yoji Yamamoto, and the grand master Issey Miyaki. There are the body sculptors Balenciaga, Herve Leger,Thierry Mugler, even Alexander McQueen. The theatrical pomp and circumstance in dress and decor, John Galliano creates for Dior and his own label is totally mesmerizing. But, I'm always inspired to knit by the tweedy knitted look of Chanel, Sonia Rykiel and Vivienne Westwood.

Here are the currently entitled couturier salons, in order of photograph: Dior, Armani, Givenchy, Gaultier, Elie Saab, Chanel, Lacroix, and Valentino

Fall Winter 2007 Samples brought to you by style.com. See a world of fashion by following this link. Well worth the hours spent!

Missoni. Artisans. Colors. Graphics. Knitwear. Kaffee Fassett.

2007-07-19T19:30:54-07:00

The Missoni high fashion label inspired me to design. The House of Missoni is well known for its unique style in knitwear. Rosita, daughter of a mill owner and budding entrepreneur in producing track suits; and Ottavio called Tai, an olympic runner, wore tracksuits. They met due to this event and married soon thereafter starting the House of Missoni.

Tai and Rosita Missoni like to be called artisans because they developed their business by dreaming up colourful designs, mostly influenced by folk art. First they started with stripes, the easiest design which could be made with color. They moved on to zigzags, second to none, and then to a color dyeing process that epitomizes dyeing to result in a variegated fabric, simply sublime. They use up to twenty different fabrics, including wool, cotton, linen, rayon and silk and some 40 different colors for each of their collections. Their clothes range from sweaters to skirts, dresses and jackets. Tai Missoni has also diversified the business to include homewear. All three children have joined the business and remain true to the established quality and traditions.

Keep up with the Missoni collections at style.com. Buy the latest in Missoni fashion from all fine retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue. All these merchants offer online shopping, and if you are lucky you live close to one of their outlet stores.

In November 2005, Missoni agreed to make available their Fashion House’s name to open a lifestyle hotel chain of the same name: Hotel Missoni. The first Hotel Missoni are due to open in Kuwait City (2007), Edinburgh (2008) and Dubai (2008) in a mix of luxury and user friendly environment.

Doesn't this just want to make you knit?

For all you knitters out there, did you know that Kaffee Fassett worked as a graphic designer for the Missoni's early on? Now look at it again. Can't you just see it now?

I'll also add some photos of my own Missoni collection (all of 4 items) and of my knitting inspired by Missoni.

In Memoriam: Again we have to bid farewell to a designer, a stylist and a supporter of fashion:
At 78, American icon Liz Claiborn died. She was one of the first designers to pioneer colorful and stylish to dress the American career woman.
Most shocking is the early death of Isabella Blow, stylist and former fashion director at Tatler and London's Sunday Times. Her hats preceded her at every fashion show, where she was a champion of emerging talent. She was 48.
Mme. Claude Pompidou, former First Lady of France, died at 96. She was a staunch supporter of the fashion industry and will be missed in the front rows of couture shows.

Celebrations, Memories and Discoveries

2007-07-05T12:11:06-07:00

Just back from Germany after a great reunion with highschool friends. Everyone's life seems to have settled into a feeling of wellbeing. The atmosphere was relaxed and at night we turned to reminiscing, planning to remain in contact ... definitely this time. That is quite likely, with the help of advances in e-mail and blogs.

We were in Munich for the reunion and travelled to Nuremberg and Neuschwanstein for site seeing. Munich is a very cosmopolitan city. All historical buildings are maintained as it were yesterday, in light and clean colors. So, all that's old is new again and it all creates and ambience of elegance, sophistication and richness. In Munich I had a chance to fashion surf. Germans are as eclectic and elegant as we are. "The internet really has changed everything" (Larry Ellison, Oracle Corp., 1999).

Nuremberg must be the original "burg." The inner city has a large amount of its mammoth city walls still standing. The moat is filled in with green grass and the towers serve as outlook points, tourist attractions and museums. Of note is the Museum of Albrecht Duerer the painter and lithographer who as a mathematician innovated a true 3-dimensional way his printed images look. He originated the "praying hands." It is only back to the car, that we happened onto a street filled with boutiques. Roberto Cavalli, Prada, Louis Vuitton. Check out my pics. The street is non-descript. The shopfronts are unassuming, until you see one of two things, something you covet or something really really really expensive, even on sale.

Neuschwanstein is a castle built by Ludwig the II of Bavaria, noted for his penchant to build beautiful castles and spending the people's money. Despite his demise, the castle is as glorious today as when it was built, and it can be found as a replica all over the world in Disneyworld resorts as the Cinderella castle best represented on Wikipedia.

Let Walt Disney lead you through all Disney castles, Disney Land, Disney World, Euro Disney, Tokyo Disney and find ways to visit them all.

Wiki elightens the reader with other and older versions of the the actual Cinderella story. The earliest reference is to a play in 1st century BC. And later reference is made to a version which was found in 860 AD China. Come to think of it, the Greeks wore and performed in sandals, so not having a pair, let's say, was not to the advantage of the non-bearer. On the other hand the Chinese culture believed, until very recently, in footbinding, another kind of loss. Beauty, maybe, but with similarly disadvantageous consequences. Well, in the meantime, let's celebrate Walt Disney and the vision and joy he brought to the world!

But now, beginning with photos of my friends, I absolutely must go and play with flickr . You should be able to see all the pics I loaded into the Reunion set.

In memoriam: On my way to Germany, I found out in one of the Air France in-flight magazines, that Gianfranco Ferre touted as the architect of fashion, died at the age of 62 of a heart attack. He was best known for his intricately structured shapes as couturier and designer for the house of Dior. He was part of the still old school of haute couture design, even in his more relaxed personal line.

Fashion Technology and Style

2007-07-04T17:05:37-07:00

Fashion ... you can buy.

Technology ... you can learn.

Style ... you earn

Fashion is all around us. Clothes are not the only fashion forward thing. Or shoes. Or bags. Fashion inspiration comes from paintings, old and new. Museums. Old cities. Architecture. Fashion is in knitting, crocheting, textiles, sewing. There is punk, grunge, goth. We have couture, and haute couture. Haute couture can be found in limited selections at Bergdorf Goodman, Wilkes and Bashford, Neiman Marcus, or by name specific collections such as Giorgio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada boutiques. Fashion a step above, is more readily available to the public, by shops and designer communities such as Anthropologie, La Redoute.

The runway shows F/W 2007 will be available to view at the end of this month. So, keep tuning in.

Do you "iphone?" Everyone's speaking about the iphone. It is uniting the best of the latest in popular technology. Can the production hold up with the market? Give us a week and we'll know more.

But let's turn to technology in fashion. First time I became aware of this combination is an article with men's wear designer Jhane Barnes in Wired magazine. She used fractals and chaos theory programming to attach to her looms creating unique textiles. It is still my dream to do that with my knitting machine. Often technology is a scary word, and sometimes the ideas are unworkable in a real life situation. But it always influences the future, in technology and in fashion.

And then there is Style. Style is what you make of it all. It is not technology. It is not innovation. Although it is sometimes wearing a garment inside out or back to front. The Style connoisseur is usually a collector of fashion items, mixes it up, recycles it appropriately and puts their personal innovative stamp on it. Style is often eclectic. It is an artform.

Here are some of alltime favorite Style Icons: Jackie O, Princess Diana, Audrey Hepburn .

I will introduce you to Nan Kempner: American Chic, whose collection is presented at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco until November 11, 2007. Make time to see it. And watch for my next few posts. I was priviledged to be invited by Mary Jo Bowling and Robin Wander, marketing experts at the deYoung, listen to Harold Koda the curator of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, absorb the magnitude of the meaning of "Style" and take 500 pictures. I was so impressed that I began sketching knitwear right away.

I gave you lots and lots of websites to visit. There will be a quiz!