Home fashions and non-essentials hurting retailers

photo courtesy of http://www.wisebread.com/peak-debt

In the failing world economy, it seems like every other day we are hearing about another retailer that is filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy. Its almost surreal for me, as many of the companies have been around since I was a child, and hence I have grown accustomed to them being a staple retailer.

In researching slumping home fashions sales, I found an article on msnbc.com reporting that Target and Lowe's have both reported a 24% profit drop. The fact that these retailers, who to me are massive industry leaders, are losing money is truly scary. The recession is obviously becoming more serious, and its reflection on our society is getting much deeper.



The article quotes the main reason for this profit slump is, "...rising unemployment, falling home prices and tight credit would continue to pressure its business." The fact that people aren't buying non-essential items is going to make or break many retailers in this economic recession. What started with a housing slump has led to a massive economic crisis, proving that the greed of few can effect us all.





Cited Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27766787/

Guest Speaker Review

Amy Butler Fabric Bolts.  Image courtesy countryliving.com

I really enjoyed Elyse's presentation today.  I found it refreshing to listen to a former student who knows our program, went through the same classes and demonstrated how everything connects.  For example, her demonstration of how blogging has translated from school to work.

The reason  I liked Elyse's presentation so much was the abundance of things she discussed were things I didn't know already.  Primarily, that Jay McCarrol is designing fabric now!! and that Wal-Mart is closing its craft department.  The first is of personal interest to me, as I think Jay is the best Project Runway designer to come out of all five seasons.  I'm sure I'd love his fabrics too!  The second is kind of scary to fabric industry, as Wal-Mart is undoubtedly many companies' largest buyer.  Its unfortunate that many textile mills might go bankrupt because of Wal-Mart.  Just one more reason they are too big for OUR own good!

I love the idea of former students talking to the class- its great to see someone doing well who had access to the same information we have.

Sweatshops are in America too...

photo courtesy www.la.cityzine.com

As I was doing reasearch for this blog, I wanted to parallel a company who uses outsourced labor vs. one who creates its garments in the United States. American Apparel is sweatshop free garemts produced in downtown LA where every employee of the corporation (which recently went public) receives a median salary. Hence, the garmet workers get paid an industry high while the store managers get an industry low. This could have drastically failed for American Apparel if not for its popularity, partly in response to the way it does business. The urban hipster crowd that shops there encompasses a growing social network of young adults concerned with human rights issues.

The follwoing is an interview with the company's CEO, Dov Charney.




I then looked into sweatshops that are technically in the United States. This occurs due to the US imperialist expansion of much of southeast Asia in the early 20th century. Islands like Guam and Saipai are US principalities, but are still operating sweatships as if they were in China. The following video is a expose by a man who went to see for himself what was going on. Un-ironically, these industries are supported by corrupt politicians and businessmen who use their influence of power to keep the industry running at its often inhumane capacity.




One faces opposing moral dilemmas when producing garmets for a company. Do you go the road of American Apparel and live in relative poverty? Or do you buy from sweatshops to ensure a salary that allows you to live comfortably? Personally, I would choose the sweatshops. I beleive working for American Apparel is great when you are young and carefree, but as one ages we like to have some finacial security and luxuries. However, I think the use of sweatshops in US territories is ethically wrong. Though we know garments produced in China are made by underpaid workers, they are in the restrictions of their own government and uninforcable by the US government. Does that make it OK? I can't speak for the women who work in those factories but I know conditions are improving for the most part, and finding any job in a country with such a dense population as China is a good thing.

Art vs. Usability in Milan

Making it in the fashion business is certainly how as a designer and merchandiser one delegates their artistic vision into something the public will buy.  In the past, Italian fashion week displayed the most artistically innovative collections, but hardly what one would wear to a business meeting.  Its a sign of the times that Italian designers are forming more sell able runway looks in order to compete with New York, Paris & London designers.  You can be artistic if you go out of business.  

However, what was once the inspiration of fashion designers all over the world has now become second rate from this restructuring.  Every season has a few misses, but most reviewers agree that s/s 09 in Milan was a great disappointment.  Two designers, to me, did the best at both adapting for an economic recession as well as keeping the artistic element alive in Italian clothing.

The following quote is from Sarah Mower's review of Bottega Veneta's s/s 09 show: 

"It's not a time to be ostentatious with clothes," said Tomas Maier backstage at Bottega Veneta, fingering an artfully faded-out floral-sprigged print on a tea-stained cotton shirtdress. "But our customer has never been like that. And it's not about seasonal dressing anymore—that's gone. People like clothes they can collect and wear for years." Maier's alertness to the sensitivities of our troubled times is part of an emerging picture in Milan. "

 Bottega Veneta S/S 09 RTW photo courtesy style.com

Tomas Maier's Bottega Veneta had a very successful transition into a more wearable Italian RTW line.  The two pictures shown demonstrate a very Italian aesthetic yet completely wearable.

Bottega Veneta S/S 09 RTW  (dress discussed in quote) photo courtesy style.com

Perhaps not as subdued was Consuelo Castiglione at Marni.  This collection was all Milan, yet is (I think) still sell able due to the ever increasing desire for fashionistas to acquire lifelong pieces that are interesting, high-quality and unique.  

Marni S/S 09 RTW photo courtesy style.com

What Marni does is fuse an artistic runway look with usable, sell-able pieces.  This is , ideally, what every designer aspires to do: create a business based on a vision.

Marni S/S 09 RTW photo courtesy style.com

Dressing me: Day & Night

When deciding on what criteria a design would need in order to be the perfect outfit for my tastes (regardless of money, obviously), I have to split the looks into day wear and evening wear.  I think as Americans we too often blend the two without realizing it- and while appropriate now in my 20's it won't be so when I have a career in fashion.  

For a day wear look, I love the aspect of utilitarian minimalism with a hint of glamour and a critical eye to detail.  Subtleties are the backbone of quality garments, and I like the small details that only you might notice.  Vivienne Westwood makes amazingly artistic menswear that is unlike much of American menswear we see today.  Her designs are modern, have regard to aesthetic, and always contain those small details that prove their quality.

photo courtesy of http://www.thevine.com.au/resources/imgdetail/240608032211_vw_455x290.jpg

As for evening wear, it can only be Tom Ford.  His approach to dressing a man is both meticulous and precise, allowing the same attention to detail like Vivienne Westwood but in the ultimate tailored fashion: the suit.  Tom Ford designs a look rather than just a suit, giving a powerful aesthetic to each man.

photo courtesy of http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2007/0704/lmenswear_0423.jpg

If I ever can acquire either a wardrobe full of Vivienne Westwood clothes, or just ONE Tom Ford suit, I'd be content.  If I got both I'd be in heaven!

Ethnic Influences on Apparel

Ethnic influences, mainly non-western patterns & forms, have been part of the fashion conscious consumer's outlook for decades. The use of non western forms and patterns brings many aspects to a piece of clothing, mainly a freshness and global perspective on fashion. This in itself makes one look truly fashionable as we can work differences in fashion into our wardrobe, thus making our wardrobe as a whole different. And as we all know, most of the props always go to the innovators.


When working at Anthropologie, I saw this first hand. Part of the store's aesthetic was incorporating multi-ethnic products into our product mix, thus giving our customers a truly eclectic shopping experience. Through collaborations, Anthropologie has become known for going outside the box in terms of innovation and creativity. One example was our partnership with Zachary's Smile, a vintage boutique in New York that offers one of a kind pieces as well as aspiring designer pieces. The owner traveled to the Ivory Coast, where she found numerous vintage wax block prints that only came in small quantities. With these, they made $300 dresses to be sold at Anthropologie and were, print wise, unique.

Photo courtesy anthropologie.com

This was also noticed on the runway in New York fashion week this year. In particular, Anna Sui used many ethnic styles and prints to create a neo-bohemian look that wasn't too costume but chic and fabulous.

Using ethnic prints and designs is a great way to diversify your wardrobe.

photo courtesy of elleuk.com

New York s/s09 trends

One can spot countless trends in all of the collections shown at New York Fashion Week, and many of the fashion & style writers did.  However, a few main tends popped up many times in many collections, often falling into many categories (for example, one look might be metallic & tailored).

1. Tailored.  This look consisted of very classic tailoring, but with modern twists.  Some of the suit pieces were very late 80s-early 90's woman power suit, with the use of big shoulders and bright colors. I really liked the slouchy linen shorts suit look- I thinks its a fresh idea.

2. Metallic.  This trend has lasted from this years lines to next year, with more emphasis on metallic fabrics than metallic accessories.  

3. 70's Inspired.  The Boho looks is still in full effect, with the maxi dresses and head scarves, big glasses and wide leg pants.  High waisted is huge, and looks like it will still be huge for s/s09.

4. Jumpsuits.  Part of the 70's look, rompers and full on jumpsuits paired with blazers and platform heels were huge.  I think this look is the fiercest- its very versatile and ca

n transition easily from day to night.  Proenza Schouler and Marc Jacobs stood out here.

Go Green! Well, maybe...

It is only too obvious how much the green movement is affecting our society.  It only seems like yesterday when Al Gore's book and movie, An Inconvenient Truth, blasted environmental awareness into mainstream culture.  Carbon footprint was the buzz word, and reducing said "footprint" was the name of the game.  Obviously, the fashion industry being trendsetters, were well into using green materials like organic cotton and dyes way before going green became such a huge thing.

Now that organic is such a desired commodity, apparel manufacturers are pursuing organic materials in order to advertise that their product is green friendly.  One such company is American Apparel LLC, who's "sustainable edition" of jersey clothing uses 100% organic cotton.  One would think that this line from a company already known for its socially responsible mission would have a great contribution to this field.

I shop at American Apparel for my basics, and was very disappointed in the sustainable edition.  I am not sure if its the organic aspect of the cotton, but the shirt I bought shrank about 30% of its size, and disproportionately.  It looked like a bad 90's crop top! I just hope that the future of organic apparel is as reliable as the everyday cotton of today.

Favorite Designer

Iattribute the fact that my favorite designer is Vivienne Westwood to the fact that she is the first high fashion designer I truly noticed (to the extent of following her work season to season). I have been interested in fashion for quite a while, but until I became enamored with VW, I only identified with looks I liked, not designers.


Vivienne Westwood made her career on trend, specifically spotting them before they became mainstream. As the exclusive outfitter for the Sex Pistols in 70's London, she dressed the pioneers of punk rock music through her "SEX" boutique and quickly gained attention for her trademark "punk" looks. She's also attributed to starting "new wave" fashion in the 80's, mixing traditional british looks with own her concepts to create an inspiring and artistic expression. She might be most celebrated for her work with traditional english tartans in the mid-90's, making elegant dresses and outfits with fabrics typically used only for classic menswear.


Today, she is known for her play on sizes and proportions, using asymetry to throw off our preconceptions of what a garment should look like.


I also admire Vivienne Westwoods control over her brand. Though she has lisenced her name out to sunglasses, jewelry, fragrances, and even teacups, she always insists on comple design control. This is refreshing when one looks at the oversaturated market today (for example, calvin klein nail clippers).

Cheers Viv!