Clothing
A Quarterly Collection of Designs, Patterns, Events, Classes and Ideas From Antiquity Press
July 2006 - Vol 1, Issue 2
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Sandy Ericson, Editor

Adaptation is something we all do constantly but sometimes we become aware that we must adapt quicker than we thought and that point has come in the global fashion industry. We have been going through a period when the people who wear the clothes were more important than the clothes and the backlash to that has been the emergence of niche labels, often celebrity driven. But now we have a problem and we must refocus on the clothing itself.

Here’s the problem. We have a fashion/textile system in this country that uses the corporate need to constantly grow the business (i.e. make money, deal in bigger volumes, sign up bigger retail accounts, etc.) as the engine to drive what designs we wear. The margins in the fashion industry are low – not much profit – so this system is in a race to the bottom. We are served up less and less choice, cookie cutter clothes, one market (the too young one), poorer quality, more dumb doo-das attached to the surfaces, only three colors, closets full of waste – you get the picture. We do this to ourselves. It is time to stop supporting it.

First, the think part. Understand that whatever went on in the past is no longer an option on the global mass scales that are in operation today. We live in a world of finite resources plus our personal scope of understanding now takes in more than we want to know – we can know the name of the woman in Bangladesh who sewed our shirt and how she lives – we can know about who is really sorting our garbage and where – we can know how many pounds of pesticides on our T-shirts. Technology has delivered it all to our doorsteps. So buying with abandon and hoping for the best is less a source of fun than it used to be. We all feel it.
There are probably lots of systems to cope with all this but I can only share mine. The steps are . . .
  • I did go to see the Spirals & Ellipses show and the Chado Ralph Rucci show at Kent State in Ohio, curated by Anne Bissonnette. Both were stunning. We don't hear enough about Ralph Rucci out here but, without a doubt, he is the best in the US at this time and the most expensive. He has a workshop of 50 people in NY and doesn't advertise or do red-carpet giveaways -- a truly class act. Click in the Quicklinks to see his 2006 collections -- notice that the clothes are exquisite, wearable and adult at the same time!
    Also, if you haven't already, go to the Kent State Fashion Museum site below for more views of both shows.
    P.S. In the Spirals show, the blue fringed Chanel (a simple fringed shift with a fringed "shawl") at the left just went for $42,000 at the Doyle Gallery auction in NY, a new high. It's a reason to shop! Clothes are now serious inflation proofers!

  • Professional Association of Custom Clothiers National Conference
    San Francisco, November 3, 4, 5.
    I will be teaching an intense Master Class on the Bias Cut with draping included. It is a day-long class on Madeleine Vionnet's bias techniques which will include a 3-hour session on draping bias on the half-scale as Vionnet did. Due to the demand for this course and the limited enrollment for the draping section, there will also be an 'observer' status registration for those who want to have the information without the hands-on draping experience. See Quick Links for more information.

  • In the spirit of Greenchic, the M.H. de Young Museum is exhibiting The Quilts of Gee's Bend from July 15 to November 26. This will be the only West Coast stop of this exhibition which has toured the nation with much celebration. For at least 6 generations the women of Gee's Bend, an isolated community near Selma, Alabama, have made these quilts from worn-out clothes and fabric scraps. The quilts remind you of Henri Matisse and Paul Klee.

  • After less activity during construction, this is definitely the year to get back on board tthe Textile Arts Council at the M.H. de Young Museum. Membership is only $25 and with it you'll get lots of special chances to see a renewal of the costume exhibits and all the events that go with them. An article last month in the Chronicle quotes John Buchanan, the new Director, promising a strong emphasis on fashion exhibits -- "Dress is, next to cave paintings, man's most original form of self-expression."

    • Go to Quicklinks and sign up, be the first in line for next event.

  • Vivienne Westwood Retrospective exhibit comes to the de Young on February 7!
    Also promised are exhibitions on Nan Kempner's couture wardrobe and also an Oscar de la Renta retrospective.
    Things are looking up at last.

  • Issey Miyake was one of three chosen in Japan for the Kyoto Prize in arts and sciences -- the first time it has ever been awarded to a fashion designer! The Inamori Foundation's statement, which awards the prize, said "Mr. Miyake . . has elevated clothing to the philosophical level". There will be several events in Japan in November to honor him. His clothes are definitely investment pieces -- as in, auction later. Note the Chanel price above.

  • Cicada is having a store-wide 30% off sale. Cicada is an art-to-wear store at 547 Sutter -- fabulous, original works of art.

  • The Arts and Crafts Fair will be at the Concourse in San Francisco on 8th St. on August 12-13. This is the all time best event for finding great things, great ideas, great people. Bring a notebook -- there will be so much you will need to remember!

  • The Council of Fashion Designers held their annual awards recently and the best are (drum roll): Francisco Costa at Calvin Klein for women's clothing design, Thom Browne for menswear and Tom Binns for accessories.

  • ArtWear Fashion Week
    September 8-15 in Fort Collins, Colorado. I know it sounds like a low profile event but they have been doing it for 13 years and it is a juried show -- so just the best. There is a sales gallery (think art-to-wear boutique buyers go there to buy) and many workshops and lectures. Deadline to enter is in June but go to see if you want to enter next year -- it's closer than NY!

  • Vitamin V
    Jackie Chaban writes that she and Kolsoum Hoertkorn have started their own clothing line by the name of Vitamin V. The 'V' stands for Voluptuous and all the clothing is designed for the voluptuous, curvy woman. "As two curvaceous women who were tired of all the ugly clothes out there, we decided to take matters in their own hands and design beautiful, flattering clothes for other voluptuous women."
    Jackie and Kolsoum met in my patterning classes at City College and decided that they could make a difference for women of “plus sizes”. They are launching their beautiful line for sizes 12-22 during the Fillmore Street Fair on July 1 & 2 (as you read this). They will be located one street up from the fair at California Street and Webster. Go see them!

    To email them and to see photos of their designs go to Antiquity Press at:
    To contact and order by telephone: Jackie 415-867-7707; Kolsoum: 415-647-8152
    (website under constrution www.bevitaminv.com):

  • This little item is plea for local influence. Anne Bissonette's curating work on the shows was exquisite and she would be great doing our shows here for the de Young. So I am starting a hire-Anne- for-the-currently-open-de Young Museum curator's- position campaign. It would be good if John Buchanan, the new director, and Dede Wilsey knew how wonderful Anne's work is. If you think her Chado Ralph Rucci exhibit is as wonderful as I do, put in a word.

    		•

    (sparks from Paris)


    Ten years ago, Alan was my student at CityCcollege and transferred to the Chambre de Syndical de Paris, graduating 2 years later. Since then he has worked as a couture draper for many Parisian couture houses and last year he went on his own with menswear, specializing in shirts. His work is beautifully cut and finished, very wearable for both men and women and his ideas completely original.

    Photo by Cécile Bortoletti

    A Rock 'N' Roll Wedding
    by Alan Le Blanc

    People often put Paris down, for many reasons, which are not completely invalid. I should know, I have spent a few years here, without really knowing why I stay, why I miss it when I am elsewhere, nor why I keep coming back. But then another magical moment will happen, and I'll know that I was meant to experience it, in Paris. Now these "magical moments" are pretty rare. I can count them on my hands. But they are so very . . . worth it. When can you see a pack of dressed-to-kill Fashion-empassioned hipsters running around the streets, in unreasonably pushy shoes, equipped with cameras and cam-corders, drunk on champagne, skipping in the sunlight, and openly smiling behind their sunglasses.
    Fall, 2006

    They are held in St. Helena at Napa Valley College, Upvalley Center. If you call 707-967-2901, you'll get a live person who can put you on a mailing list for the catalog. If you have an idea for a class or a ready group for one, let me know at the beginning of the previous semester.

    Designing With Scissors and Cloth

    Meeting times: 9:30 - 5:30 weekends, Sun. 10/08, Sat. 10/14, Sun. 10/15, Sat. 10/20. Bag lunch, drinks and snacks provided.

    Draping is the method used by most couturiers in the design of their collections. The emphasis will be on designs that specifically require the use of the draping technique to create the pattern. This is a beginning level class and will use both 1/2 scale and full scale forms. If you have questions please email me -- see link at the bottom.

    Teach What You Know

    Two Saturdays: 9 – 5, September 16 and 30.
    Many of us have a special interest which has made us “ a pro”. A specialty may be a vocation or an avocation but it definitely inspires a passion. Presenting a course at a local community college in your specialty makes your community more interesting, increases the general knowledge in the field and brings people of similar interests together. Teach What You Know offers an opportunity to:
    • Learn how to negotiate the complex rules and regulations of the community college system
    • Organize and present the course material
    • Determine the costs and income
    • Teach the material in ways unique to the subject
    • Prepare student materials and assignments
    • Market the course

    Course fee: $70

    Break Into the World of Commercial Surface Design

    Six days in early August at the Mendocino Art Center (a really great place). Call: 707-937-5818 for more info and registration. $350

    Somebody is designing those fabulous sheets! Could be you!
    This is an advanced peek at one of my one-piece pattern designs I've been working on -- seems like for ages!
    A sarong is great for summer and the pattern is the same for both the back and the front, tying at the hip. If you make the side seam a fold and put in a dart to shape the hip, you can eliminate the side seam making it better for a border print or hand painted or woven fabric.

    Cutting Instructions:
    Cut 2 for back and front. The distance across the pattern from right to left is 1/2 your hip measurement plus 1 inch for ease and another 1.25" for seam allowances. Determine your own length when cutting out. The slightly diagonal line at mid-waist is center front or back mark. The wording above the vent at the right hem just says to sew between the dots. Of course, you don't really need to sew it all! Well, maybe a little.

    To copy this pattern to fit, copy and paste the pattern into Word. Print it out. Fold it in half lenthwise, then fold it in thirds crosswise. Just fold the body of the skirt, not the ties. Now you have 6 creased boxes. Take another piece of paper the length and width of your measurements from waist to hem and side to side. Fold it the same way. Now copy the lines of each box of the smaller paper into the boxes of the larger paper. Attach an extension for the ties. Cut another for lining to be stitched all around or just bind the edges.
    Big Sign of the Times!
    The Consumer Price Index, which sends out shoppers to see what things cost, has recategorized sewing machines from basic household appliances to entertainment!

    Women who wear grapefruit scent appear to men to be about 6 years younger than they actually are. Scents that had no effect: Broccoli, banana, spearmint and lavender. From the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Institute in Chicago.

    The AAA auto club is offering free towing up to 7 miles on the 4th of July to anyone who has had too much to drink and calls them. It's called the Tipsy Tow -- they did it last New Years and probably will again this year. What a great idea.

    There's a new cultural phenomenon afoot -- the emergence of a group known as 'grups', named after an episode of Star Trek in which the crew lands on a planet of children with no adults in sight. the children call the crew 'grups', a contraction of 'grown-ups'.
    We knew this was coming to our planet when it became apparent that many adults were continuing to wear toddler clothes as a life-long choice and proceeding to extend childhood indefinitely. To read the whole, very funny, article see the Quicklinks above.

    Google is coming out with Google Transit Trip Planner. This online tool will scan all the local transit schedules for you and give you the best public transit options for your trip. They're starting with East Coast cities. Another form of Greenchic!!
    Follow-up Potential . . .

  • A local friend introduced me to a woman in Thailand who had hosted her daughter as a foreign exchange student. The Thai woman, Aninda Ratanasangpunth (email: aninda_r@yahoo.com), exports the most beautiful handbags and hard-to-find Thai fabric created in distant villages. If anyone has an opportunity for her, she is eager to find outlets here for her products. She will email photos and is also happy to help visitors there.

  • Heads up shoppers and sellers!
    A recent article in Retail Traffic the trade magazine for all the malls in the country flatly says that the middle class is declining and recommends that mall temants and owners shift to upscale stores and services like accountants to fill the malls. The reasons why: household debt is setting records; adjusted for inflation, wage earners make $1.57 less than they did in 1973; buying power is decreased -- in general, "the middle class is running in place".
    The news is not good for buying but it is great for sewing!

  • Last quarter I encouraged everyone to buy local -- well, just in 3 months many people have changed their minds about ordering from distant sources at all -- now the delivery charges are frequently more than the items. This is a big business opportunity for local companies which can now complete more effectively against larger, more distant companies. Support regional sources, both wholesale and retail, and you'll always have what you need nearby.
    		•

  • Zoe Magee! is looking for interns. Must be energetic and passionate. Located in SOMA, the internship is one day a week for 4 hours helping with various duties. Including but not limited to QCing garments, some basic sewing, filing, inventory, and endless other small tasks. This is a non paid position. However, if you become invaluable this could turn into a part time paid position after a few months. In exchange for your time, you will be allowed to use the space to work on some projects (to be discussed)and get help/advice. This is a great environment to be involved in. Please send info about who you are, why you want to be involved in fashion (i.e. fashion student, personal interest, etc.), when you are available, and your contact information including phone number. This position available now. Would like someone as early as next Monday, April 3rd. Could be done for credit at some schools. Email: zoeacacia@yahoo.com
    		•
    Imagine my delight when I found Brenda Joyce in her bookstore at 1040 Hyde St. in San Francisco. The store is called Rejoyce Books and she is a clothing, textiles, fashion fan and seeks out used books in all these related fields -- so she has a good selection!
    P.S. The store is next to a vintage store, a thrift store and an consignment store around the corner on Pine.

    Field Notes From a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert
    This book is expanded from the series in the New Yorker -- really makes the case about climate warming. Give it to a disbeliever.

    The Suit: a Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style by Nicholas Antongiavanni
    A new book -- haven't read it yet but it ties together the social meaning of men's clothes with current style so that the wearer can understand the implications and can make better choices. At times, this point is too subtle for some.

    Fabric Flowers, Lark Books. Just flowers, zillions of them, all different -- that you can make with all those scraps -- another form of Greenchic! It's an irresistable book.

    Looking for an out-of-print book? Check out the Antiquity Press site.

    Volume 1, Issue 3, will be published on October 1, 2006. There will be lots on making shoes. Again I say, the goal is to make shoes for which on one has to die, no toxic materials, readily available components and can be done at home -- I'm almost there -- not just one style either!

    Two final reminders -- Buy green -- the planet depends on you -- and reduce your debt -- so you can still be you later in life. The conventional wisdom is that 2008 will be an economic crunch with the first wave of retiring boomers, rising interest rates and many social programs in jeopardy -- so start actively reducing your debt now and you'll be ready.

    Simplify Life!
    Sandy Ericson
    Antiquity Press

    phone & fax: 707-967-0852
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