This month we highlight Fashion Studies student Ann C. Ann has been attending classes now at the sewing room for about a year. It’s been an absolute joy to see her hand work emerge and grow as she works through the Ann Wood Handmade Slow Stitch Book and posts photos of her work on Instagram. It’s somewhat rare to find a student who enjoys the hand work like this, as many want to rush through the process. This slow stitching is a good meditation for the practicing of patience. It will also prepare her for the work she will do in our Couture Sewing Intensive we are holding in spring. (Shhhh….don’t tell her I told you). In any case, here is a little more about Ann…
Read morePursuing a Career in Fashion Design for Beginners
Fashion is an ever-evolving industry that encompasses clothing, accessories, jewelry, and more. It is an art form where creativity meets practicality and incorporates the latest trends in design to create new looks.
Read moreSwitching to Sustainable Fashion Made Simple with These Helpful Ways
Most of us are looking for ways to live more sustainable and less wasteful lives. We’re thinking of how we can be more environmentally friendly and do our bit for the planet. One big problem when it comes to wastage is fast fashion. Fast fashion is typically cheap items that are made and sold cheaply, using poor-quality materials that won’t last.
Read moreThe Business Of Fashion - An Interview with Autumn Adamme of Dark Garden Corsetry
I recently spoke with Autumn Adamme, Founder of Dark Garden Corsetry. Autumn became known as the Godmother of Modern Corsetry after launching Dark Garden in 1989, reviving corsets for a modern body and audience. Growing up on the Renaissance Faire circuit, Autumn made her first corset at 13. Shortly after reaching the age of majority, she turned the crafting of custom corsets and historical ensembles into the groundbreaking business which established many of the techniques and standards observed by corset makers across the world today.
In our discussion you will find out how Autumn as built her business from a semi-solopreneur to a team of 19. We talk about the importance of her amazing team, Tik Tok, having signature offerings and manufacturing in San Francisco. Her ”all-bodies-are beautiful” ethos has created an inclusive and luxe experience for her clientele which gives her an advantage in the corset making business. I so admire Autumn and the business she has created. And I hope you enjoy this interview.
Here are some of my key take aways from my conversation with Autumn:
Read moreJobs in Fashion - Photo Styling with Susie St. John
A photo stylist is someone who works with a photographer and sometimes a team, such as an art director and/or an assistant stylist, to make clothing or products look the way the Brand or Magazine wants them to look. Their goal is to translate the vision of the designer or art director into a scene that can then be photographed.
Read more6 Things You Need to Know When You Are Starting Out as a Designer
Recently I interviewed my friend and colleague, Susan Aplanalp-Weeks. She has had a varied career in the fashion industry and has worn many hats, some of which are Pattern Maker, Designer, Technical Designer, Production Manager and finally Professional Fashion Instructor. Susan Currently teaches Fashion Classes in the Design Department at UC Davis and she's also taught for the California College of the Arts and Otis Design School in Los Angeles. During the interview we discuss what new designers need to know when starting out.
Read morePillars of Sustainable Fashion
Fashion has always played a key role in the global economy. The numbers further amplify the need for brands to become more eco-responsible. A 2020 report by Global Fashion Agenda and McKinsey found that should the industry continue with its existing decarbonization initiatives, emissions will be capped at 2.1 billion tons a year by 2030, which is the same level the report estimates the industry emitted in 2018, accounting for 4% of the world’s total emissions. This underscores the importance of a shift to sustainability and sustainable practices for fashion.
Read moreMy Wool Shirt - Learning to copy my favorite shirt, through PRACTICE & mistakes
My mom once told me sewing was a good way to have more clothes.
Her advice likely came from an economic standpoint, but I think she had more in mind. Last summer I decided to explore what she said and set out to recreate my favorite wool shirt. Merino wool is renowned for its softness and ability to deflect odors and maintain a comfortable temperature whether hot or cold. Its price, however, reflects those super-powers.
Read moreLearning to Sew - A Student's Experience
Sewist, Sewer, Someone Cool Enough To Sew Own Clothes (SECSOC) – whatever it’s called, my question was, “How do I become one?” Sure, I took Home Ec (now Life Skills) and learned to make a draft dodging sock stuffed with rice. I distinctly remember when it developed a hole (along my stitching line), and the rice went everywhere.
Read moreJobs in Fashion - Fashion Designer
The prevailing stereotype of a fashion designer: design what you love while also wearing cute clothes everyday, bow at the end of the runway show, take a long vacation when it’s over and finally, get your work so famous that it is featured on stars at fancy events. Th
Read moreJobs in Fashion - Techical Designer
A Technical Designer's job is to sit between the Fashion Designer, Merchandiser and Production Manager to make a garment fit the customer that the merchandiser is targeting, adhering to the designer's original vision, while also producing it at the right price. This is usually done remotely by sending communications overseas to agents and factories.
Read moreI Can't Wait to Keep Learning - Student Highlight on Ava S.
This month's student spotlight is on Ava S., who is currently in our ONLINE Fashion Studies Program. Her instructors speak very highly of her and she is producing very lovely work. Ava is 16 years old and a Sophomore at Skyline High School in Oakland, California.
Read moreIt's Never Too Late to Start Something new - Student Highlight - Rylee B.
This month's student spotlight is on Rylee B., who is currently in our ONLINE Fashion Studies Program. She's an amazing artist an what she has written is very inspiring. Below is a little bit more about Rylee in her own words -
Read moreI live in Alameda, California, with my husband, our roommate, and — most belovedly — our cat. We’ve been in California for roughly 3 years after moving here from Florida. I’m currently a nurse and I work night-shift, so hobbies are what keep me going since most of my awake time is while the world is sleeping.
Jobs in Fashion - 5 Different Kinds of Models - An Interview with Charleston Pierce
This Blog post and video are kicking off a series I’m starting where I’ll talk with industry professionals about Jobs in Fashion. There are so many different kinds of jobs in the fashion industry and I thought it would be really interesting to dig into a few of these and let you know what these jobs are really like and how they can differ from one company to another.
Read moreUpcycle Sewing: 4 Tips For Making Old Clothes New Again
As you open your wardrobe each day, you may notice some items that you used to love wearing but now have taken a back seat when it comes to your clothing choices. It may be because they're already out of style, or you simply have newer items to choose from. Either way, at some point you might have thought about how you can wear them again in a way while keeping up with the current trends and your style as well. If so, then upcycling old clothes may be ideal for you.
Read moreAvoiding Fast Fashion: How to Get a More Sustainable Wardrobe
This was originally posted by Adriana Lopez for Porch.com. I thought the content was really important, so I asked if I could share it here. There are tons of good nuggets in this article so I hope you enjoy!
Buying stylish clothes at an affordable price is appealing to most consumers, but it can have negative impacts on our environment. Known as fast fashion, this industry offers low prices on clothing, but it comes at a hidden cost. Thanks to a rise in the human population and the increasing popularity of fashion-related social media content, people often think they need more clothes than they really do. In fact, humans are consuming a whopping 400% more clothing today than they were 20 years ago
Read moreStudent Highlight - Lacie Schwend
We are excited to Introduce you to our Student of The month Lacie Schwend. She's been taking our Online Fashion Sewing and Beginning Pattern Making with Christine in our Online Fashion Studies program. Lacie lives in Wyoming and has a really interesting background. We love her Cruella Costume that she made, using techniques she learned in class with Christine.
Read moreEncouraging Children While They are Learning to Sew
I’ve been teaching kids about fashion and sewing, now for almost 15 years. It’s a joy for me to see the excitement children bring to the classroom, while they learn to use the sewing machine and sew their own clothes. It’s both a technical skill as well as creative experience which uses all sides of their brains and gets them super jazzed as they progress from one level to the next. The thing they need most in this beginning stage (which could last years - more on that later) is Encouragement! Encouragement might look a little different from a parent's perspective than it does from a child’s point of view.
Let’s talk a little bit about the process in relation to kids.
Read more5 reasons why it's Important to Cultivate your Sewing Skills when studying Fashion Design
I've been sewing now for more than 40 years (yikes!) Starting at age seven and sewing ever since. All that practice informed the way I understand how clothing gets made. Spending years reading patterns, prepared me for design school and I was much more SEWING-ABLE than many of my peers. Here are 5 reasons why it's crucial to get this skill cultivated early:
Read moreThe Top Four Crucial Skills to Have When Designing a Fashion Collection
Designing your own fashion collection can be very exciting. Putting your big ideas out into the world is amazing. But what happens when it doesn’t go exactly as planned? Your pattern maker didn’t understand your sketch and your samples turned out wonky or the factory made decisions counter to your ideas. Being a designer is hard sometimes! But it doesn’t have to be hard, if you know a thing or two about how the manufacturing process works & how to communicate properly with your team even if it’s just your mom sewing up or helping to sew up your designs.
Read more