Hey hey bloggers! Any history buffs out there? Cause if there is, you're in for a real treat!
So you say you're a lover of everything fashion, but did you ever stop and think where did the fashion/garment industry in the United States begin? If you haven't really thought about that or don't know, you're not alone because I didn't either. Until yesterday that is! I had the opportunity to visit the Tenement Museum on Orchad Street in the Lower East Side.
So we all know that New York City is one of the biggest fashion capitals of the world, right? Well it is was and still is the birth place of the American fashion industry. It all goes back to the Civil War era where tailors would sew the uniforms for both the soliders of the North and the South. So when you think about it, the boundary line between the North and the South was much more permeable than people think. The tailors would even make clothes for the slaves of the South! Since these tailors had to make so many uniforms for so many soliders, how could they possible make exact sizes for all these men? And so standardized measurements were born.
The museum is called the Tenement Museum because most of these garments were made in these tenements at the time. According to the Tenement House Act of 1867, a tenement is defined as any household, building, or portion thereof, which is rented, leased, let, or hired out to be occuipied or is occupied, as the home or residence of more than three families living independently of one another and doing their own cooking upon the premises, or by more than two families upon a floor, so living and cooking and having a common right in the halls, stairways, yards, water-closets, or privies, or some of them. Actually, 70% of all womeswear of the time were created in these tenements, and about 40-50% of menswear was made there as well. So in these tenements, the families that occupied them basically had little garment factories in these tiny apartments producing clothing for Americans! And it definitely wasn't like the "working from home" that we know so well today; these were basically little sweatshops in their living rooms, and these quarters were very, very cramp. There would be multiple workers, aged as young as 10, working away as a team to put together a garment. On any day, these workers could produce around 16 garments. A majority of all the workers that were making these garments were from Eastern European Jewish decent because the work did not require the need to speak English and it did not require a proper education. When you think about it, most immigrants that come to the US typically work jobs where there is not a need to speak or know a lot of English.
At the museum we were able to get an indepth look into the lives of two families that lived in the tenement where the museum is held. One family that worked straight out of their apartment like I explained above, and another family that in later years worked in a factory. Like I explained above when these workers would work out of their homes, the conditions were cramp, hot, and hard. There was a photographer that captured images of these people at work and actually released them to the public. When the public, mostly the upper class society that wore the clothes they made, saw these images they either chose to turn their back and ignore these shocking images, but others decided there needed to be a change. So then the sweatshop factory that we are more familiar with these days came about. The second home we looked into was the home of a family that worked at the factory, so the home was much nicer; however, the place was still cramp and housed families of over 6 people! It was shocking to see this to say the least.
When the sweatshops were moved to the factories things got better for the workers because unions were able to be made; however, conditions were still not good. Workers would work long hours, not get paid properly, and work under hot, dangerous conditions. The triangle waist shirt fire actually changed all of that. The fire killed around 156 workers because they were trapped in the building with no way out. Workers either burnt to death, or plummeted to their deaths with no way out. It was a shocking and devistating moment in both American Hisory and the history of the garment industry. After the fire, the owner of these factories had to change conditions for the workers; less hours, more money, and proper safty percautions, but this would cost them a lot of money and take down production, so what to do? The solution was to move these factories to countries where laws were not as strict as the laws in the states. It's a sad fact, I think.
I believe the most shocking thing I learned at the museum would have to be the truth behind the "last name change." Growing up, I was taught that when immigrants came through Ellis Island, the workers at the Island changed the names of the incomers to more "Americanized" more pronouncable names. However, this is a lie! There is no proof at Ellis Island that supports this fact; however, this was what we are taught in schools. In reality, because these immigrants that were making the garments came from lower class Eastern European countries they were considered much lower status and much lower class, less respectable. It wasn't because they were Jewish, but instead because their country of origin, so they would change there names to more common sounding European names from Germany, for example. This was so shocking to me because these people chose to change their names, and almost in a sense erase their family history. It is a shame because I know a lot of people that would love to learn about their family history but cannot because names were changed. I suppose I understand in a sense because status was/still is a huge thing to many people.
Overall it was a very eye opening experience and I learned a lot. I'm quite the history buff myself so I was really excited to learn all these interesting things, especially since this was something that I knew absolutely nothing about! The garment industry has come such a long way in the United States and there is only more to come. I'm excited to be in the now and experience more history as it happens, but it is great to take a look into the past and realize where it all begin. It's very inspiring to see how passionate these workers were to do what they did, especially under the conditions they were under.
All-in-all, whether you're a lover of the fashion industry or not, the Tenement Museum is a must-do stop to anyone that wants to learn a unique history that not many people know about. A very enriching experience overall.
And the giftshop rocked.
Until next time!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
COTERIE - SOLE - TMRW
Hey hey fellow fashionistas!
So, in the past, I never really knew what consisted of a trade show. Literally, I just pictured trunks of clothes, fold out tables with clothes in bins, and things of that sort; kind of like a flea market. So when I heard that we were going to Coterie, I wasn't all that thrilled... But then, I walked into the Javits Center and in that very first second, I knew I was in for a treat.
It was so great to see all the upcoming trends to hit stores before they actually hit the stores. A lot of boho, hippie chic, color blocking, pattern mixing, punk studs, and just good old fashion experimentation with different looks. It's so great to be living in a time where it's the consumer that creates the look rather than the designers telling us what colors are "hot" right now. It's a great time to be an individual and shine through your clothes. Seeing all the different styles that are going to be out in the coming months truly let's the consumer be an individual and give all the new looks a unique twist.
Looking at the map/directory I was a little overwhelmed. How was I going to get to see everything?! The first thing I did was circle all the places I definitely wanted to see, so I could remember them. In Ohio, I used to work at a store called Buckle, and it was and still is my favorite place I have worked in my life, so when I saw a lot of the denim brands we carry were showing I knew I had to see them! And of course, I am a bit of denim freak myself, so I just had to explore all the denim and contemporary clothes. Even though I had the idea in my mind that I would go to the places I knew first, I surprisingly got side tracked many, many times at new places that caught my eye. I love discovering new clothing brands, not only for myself, but to see different styles and get a new perspective on clothing or inspiration.
The thing that caught me by surprise the most, aside from the large scale of the event, was how distinctive and unique most of the show areas were; they were like miniature stores! All the people working the stores were very kind and helpful as well. Of course, they were expecting me to be a buyer (honestly, I was flattered that they thought I was) so naturally they want to help me to the best of their abilities, but once I told them I was a student, they were just as helpful and kind. Most of the workers wished me luck and shared little tid-bits of advice, their business cards, and maybe even a lookbook to take with me.
The designers and brands that stood out to me the most would have to be:
Blue Pearl by Allen Schwartz - I loved the 80s punk look to the pieces that I saw. A lot of leather, black, denim, and saftey pins! Here are some of my favorite pieces from Coterie.
Twenty8twelve - This is Sienna Miller's line, and she's one of my favorite style icons, so naturally I fell in love with her line. I've heard of it in the past, but I never really looked into it, so I'm glad I got to see the pieces at Coterie. They are great everyday pieces, that I could definitely see myself rocking.
Megan - I've never heard of this brand before, but I saw this gorgeous flowy peacock printed dress that I instantly fell in love with. This brand is located out of California so it is very beachy, very breezy, and very fun. I kept thinking these would be great peices to pack for a vacation beach getaway!
Darling - Just like the name implies, these pieces were DARLING! So cute and preppy. If I could think of a way to describe the line to someone I would have to say these pieces were like clothes you would want to put on your favorite doll for a tea party out in the garden with the rest of your toys, but in life size. Make sense? Anyways, they were great fun pieces that you could wear for a fun day party or a way to mix it up and bring a fun flare to the work place.
Love Cupcakes - This was a great, fresh new t-apparel brand that designs around one of my favorite treats, cupcakes! These were super soft dressy t's that played little spins on known logos, but made them their own because of the cupcakes. It was fun because they named their styles after delicious cupcake flavors. I was eating up the line! (Not literally of course!)
Left on Houston - Beautiful peices where old world meets modern. Easily could see myself rocking some of these.
Desigual - This was a brand I've never heard of before moving to New York. I would always see the stores on the streets, but for some odd reason I never ventured inside, and to be perfectly honest I didn't expect to be drawn into their booth, but all the whimsy, colors, and fun atmosphere of the Desigual booth made me an instant fan. It was like a circus show! Which I guess is a good thing because their inspiration of the line was Cirque de Soleil. This is definitely a unique store worth stopping by, very innovative and fun.
Chaser, Rebel Yell, Unif Clothing, Patterson J. Kincaid Originals, Capture by Hollywood Made, Religion, and House of the Gods - These brands were all very similar and 100% my type of style. They had that rocker edge, vintage feel, and purposeful destruction that I love so much. These are the types of brands that I could only dream to fill my closet with someday, but then probably regret it when 35 and should be dressing my age ;)
Monrow - When it came to basic t-shirts, I thought it was blasphemous to go anywhere BUT American Apparel, then I saw Monrow. A lot of great basic t-shirts that were super soft and light weight, and came in a plethora of different colors.
Willow and Clay - Another great flowy, boho, looking brand that was new to me that day! Fun and feminine, but not too girly. A good combination of girly and tom-boy. Needless to say, I fell in love and definitely will be searching for this brand in the near future.
Custo Barcelona - Fun, colorful, boho. Never looked into this brand before, but I'm glad I gave it shot. They had this amazing vest that I described to my roommate as: "If I myself was a garment, I would be that vest. That vest is the essence of who I am."
Free People - A well known brand to me that never fails. With inspirations from nature and vintage looks from the 60s and 70s, it's a brand that I often flock to for an everyday look.
So, in the past, I never really knew what consisted of a trade show. Literally, I just pictured trunks of clothes, fold out tables with clothes in bins, and things of that sort; kind of like a flea market. So when I heard that we were going to Coterie, I wasn't all that thrilled... But then, I walked into the Javits Center and in that very first second, I knew I was in for a treat.
It was so great to see all the upcoming trends to hit stores before they actually hit the stores. A lot of boho, hippie chic, color blocking, pattern mixing, punk studs, and just good old fashion experimentation with different looks. It's so great to be living in a time where it's the consumer that creates the look rather than the designers telling us what colors are "hot" right now. It's a great time to be an individual and shine through your clothes. Seeing all the different styles that are going to be out in the coming months truly let's the consumer be an individual and give all the new looks a unique twist.
Looking at the map/directory I was a little overwhelmed. How was I going to get to see everything?! The first thing I did was circle all the places I definitely wanted to see, so I could remember them. In Ohio, I used to work at a store called Buckle, and it was and still is my favorite place I have worked in my life, so when I saw a lot of the denim brands we carry were showing I knew I had to see them! And of course, I am a bit of denim freak myself, so I just had to explore all the denim and contemporary clothes. Even though I had the idea in my mind that I would go to the places I knew first, I surprisingly got side tracked many, many times at new places that caught my eye. I love discovering new clothing brands, not only for myself, but to see different styles and get a new perspective on clothing or inspiration.
The thing that caught me by surprise the most, aside from the large scale of the event, was how distinctive and unique most of the show areas were; they were like miniature stores! All the people working the stores were very kind and helpful as well. Of course, they were expecting me to be a buyer (honestly, I was flattered that they thought I was) so naturally they want to help me to the best of their abilities, but once I told them I was a student, they were just as helpful and kind. Most of the workers wished me luck and shared little tid-bits of advice, their business cards, and maybe even a lookbook to take with me.
The designers and brands that stood out to me the most would have to be:
Blue Pearl by Allen Schwartz - I loved the 80s punk look to the pieces that I saw. A lot of leather, black, denim, and saftey pins! Here are some of my favorite pieces from Coterie.
Twenty8twelve - This is Sienna Miller's line, and she's one of my favorite style icons, so naturally I fell in love with her line. I've heard of it in the past, but I never really looked into it, so I'm glad I got to see the pieces at Coterie. They are great everyday pieces, that I could definitely see myself rocking.
Megan - I've never heard of this brand before, but I saw this gorgeous flowy peacock printed dress that I instantly fell in love with. This brand is located out of California so it is very beachy, very breezy, and very fun. I kept thinking these would be great peices to pack for a vacation beach getaway!
Darling - Just like the name implies, these pieces were DARLING! So cute and preppy. If I could think of a way to describe the line to someone I would have to say these pieces were like clothes you would want to put on your favorite doll for a tea party out in the garden with the rest of your toys, but in life size. Make sense? Anyways, they were great fun pieces that you could wear for a fun day party or a way to mix it up and bring a fun flare to the work place.
Love Cupcakes - This was a great, fresh new t-apparel brand that designs around one of my favorite treats, cupcakes! These were super soft dressy t's that played little spins on known logos, but made them their own because of the cupcakes. It was fun because they named their styles after delicious cupcake flavors. I was eating up the line! (Not literally of course!)
Left on Houston - Beautiful peices where old world meets modern. Easily could see myself rocking some of these.
Desigual - This was a brand I've never heard of before moving to New York. I would always see the stores on the streets, but for some odd reason I never ventured inside, and to be perfectly honest I didn't expect to be drawn into their booth, but all the whimsy, colors, and fun atmosphere of the Desigual booth made me an instant fan. It was like a circus show! Which I guess is a good thing because their inspiration of the line was Cirque de Soleil. This is definitely a unique store worth stopping by, very innovative and fun.
Chaser, Rebel Yell, Unif Clothing, Patterson J. Kincaid Originals, Capture by Hollywood Made, Religion, and House of the Gods - These brands were all very similar and 100% my type of style. They had that rocker edge, vintage feel, and purposeful destruction that I love so much. These are the types of brands that I could only dream to fill my closet with someday, but then probably regret it when 35 and should be dressing my age ;)
Chaser
Rebel Yell
Unif
Patterson J. Kincaid
Religion
House of the Gods - Easily a unisex brand!
Monrow - When it came to basic t-shirts, I thought it was blasphemous to go anywhere BUT American Apparel, then I saw Monrow. A lot of great basic t-shirts that were super soft and light weight, and came in a plethora of different colors.
Willow and Clay - Another great flowy, boho, looking brand that was new to me that day! Fun and feminine, but not too girly. A good combination of girly and tom-boy. Needless to say, I fell in love and definitely will be searching for this brand in the near future.
Custo Barcelona - Fun, colorful, boho. Never looked into this brand before, but I'm glad I gave it shot. They had this amazing vest that I described to my roommate as: "If I myself was a garment, I would be that vest. That vest is the essence of who I am."
Free People - A well known brand to me that never fails. With inspirations from nature and vintage looks from the 60s and 70s, it's a brand that I often flock to for an everyday look.
All hail the wonderful fabric that is denim! I wasn't lying when I said I was a bit of a denim freak earlier. It's amazing all the innovative things designers have been doing with the fabric. It's not just your everyday jean, its everything and I couldn't get enough of it! Here are some of my top pick brands and looks for denim!
One of my favorite denim brands, Big Star. Super comfy, a lot of different styles, cuts, fits, etc. These jeans have a lot of great details, but most of the details are found in the seaming. Definitely something different that sticks out among the hardwares of the jean world.
Rock Revival jeans look hot on anyone. A lot of great hardwear, metal work, leather work, and other details go into these jeans. And all the fits range from low rise, mid rise, high rise, slim fit and even relaxed fit so everyone can look like a rock star!
Release your inner punk rocker with this amazing Blue Pearl by Allen Schwartz denim jacket. Who said bedazzlers and studs weren't cool? Because they're definitely on a lot of great pieces for the upcoming seasons.
Destruction, gold, studs, and saftey pins with Met.
Other great denim brands that never fail: Levi's, Cult of Individuality, 7 for all Mankind, True Religion, Joe's Jeans, and Citizens of Humanity.
Overall, it was a fun, great, unique experience that I'm glad I was able to go to. I easily could have spent all day, or all three days there, but unfortunately I could not. However, I'm glad I got to see what I was able to see. Being surrounded by all the different styles, looks, trends, colors, etc. it's an inspirational dream. While being at Coterie, my mind was running through different ideas at 1,000 mph. Everytime I encounter all these wonderful places it makes me realize why I am in the industry that I am in.
Monday, September 12, 2011
"It's all about pretty."
Even though I am not lucky enough to attend a NYFW runway show, does not mean I am incapable of following religiously on blogs, YouTube, and of course, WWD - thank you age of technology.
From what I have seen thus far for fashion week Zac Posen has taken my breathe away. Classic lines, jewel tones, gowns, and true elegance. I feel as though Posen brought back an old school era of fashion back to the runways for his S/S 2012 line. Looking through his line, I couldn't help but think of vintage Dior circa the 1950's, but kept it fresh I noticed Posen's use of the mermaid cut on certain gowns, which I believe accentuates the body and is quite flattering on almost any body type. Posen captured the true beauty and elegance of a woman with his line; I wasn't just looking at the clothes, but I was looking at the model as a whole. Everything from the hair, to the make up, to the runway itself; it was simplistic and elegant. Sometimes I feel runway shows now are a battle to see who can be the "edgiest" or who can take avant-garde to the next level, so it is nice to see fashion brought back to the basics of beauty and elegance.
Here are some of my favorite pieces:
From what I have seen thus far for fashion week Zac Posen has taken my breathe away. Classic lines, jewel tones, gowns, and true elegance. I feel as though Posen brought back an old school era of fashion back to the runways for his S/S 2012 line. Looking through his line, I couldn't help but think of vintage Dior circa the 1950's, but kept it fresh I noticed Posen's use of the mermaid cut on certain gowns, which I believe accentuates the body and is quite flattering on almost any body type. Posen captured the true beauty and elegance of a woman with his line; I wasn't just looking at the clothes, but I was looking at the model as a whole. Everything from the hair, to the make up, to the runway itself; it was simplistic and elegant. Sometimes I feel runway shows now are a battle to see who can be the "edgiest" or who can take avant-garde to the next level, so it is nice to see fashion brought back to the basics of beauty and elegance.
Here are some of my favorite pieces:
On another note, Jason Wu's collection also caught my eye. The hot shorts, the sheer fabrics, and the hoops skirts instantly got me hooked. But then when I took a closer look at his collection I realized it was much more than that. Wu mixed chic sport and retro glam, with a dash of Pop. The use of color was just right; nothing too bright and over the top, and it was perfectly mixed with neutrals to give it a slight explosion of color. The subtle use of jewels around the neckline also gave the garments that extra something that make the pieces something special and out of the ordinary. The use of print throughout the collection was kept to a minimum, which contrary to what some may say, I really enjoyed. It made the collection easier to follow and made it more cohesive. The thing that stood out to me about Wu's collection was I could see myself wearing the pieces straight off the runway and could easily mix and match all of the pieces. I just wish I could see the movements of the garments in person, I could only imagine they moved beautifully.
Here are some of my favorite pieces:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)