Copycats Beware!

(Sainte CoCo: "You cry the day they don't copy you". I wonder what Uncle Karl would say?)

There was once a time when fashion wasn't so fast. I would see a trend in a magazine and the trend wouldn't appear in retail shops for over a year. But now with information being available on the Internet the next day, a copy will be in the shops within three weeks. CFDA's proposal for a new law intends to change that. The article in today's NYT explains the dilemma.

I can empathize with these designers. They should have some form of protection from piracy. But maybe they should fight fire with fire? After all, what's going to stop a retailer from trying to make money from the hottest trends, even if they're not copying line for line? I say, designers should be looking into licensing deals with these retailers, more so than ever. After the whole Stella/H&M success, what retailer wouldn't want to team up with a top designer to receive massive fans lining up at the door? Maybe designers should consider knocking off their own stuff, after all if your design is so desirable, shouldn't you capitalize on that? Isaac Mizrahi has no problem playing the high-low game. Something that a massive copycat retailer can't do, is having the same credibility as the designer brand image itself has. If I could buy a resonablely priced authentic Zac Posen dress, don't you think I would have already? Instead, I'd have to find the next best thing somewhere else. From a retail perspective, they're just giving what their customers want.

However, the debate continues, when is a copy, a copy?

Dropped Stitches make a statement

(Left: Dior sweaterdress featured in Vogue. RIght: Cushions by LoooLo)

Currently obsessed with the look of intentionally dropped stitches. Its makes a basic design look extremely modern, yet it's so easy to do! The look says, cool without trying. I have a Gautier sweater made of really thin, loosely knit viscose with "runs" that get compliments every time.

Everybody Loves Ruban

(Left: Cover of The Fashion Designer's Survival Guide from Gen Art. Right: Drawing from last year shown on Style.com)

I used to collect a lot of terasheets of fashion illustrations. Many of them are from Ruban Toledo. He's done work for just about every department store-- everybody wants him! For the longest time he was foing for for Nordstrom's. It would be in every issue of Vogue, the first couple of pages. But then it stopped, and I was like what going on?? Then I found his work for Nordstrom in the recent Vogue issue. He's also done the illustrations for the Nordstrom's Designer Collections on their online shop.

Make vs. Buy: Michael Kors

(As listed on Net-a-Porter.com)

Look what stylish sweater you can knit in the Spring 2006 Vogue Knitting! The exact Micheal Kors cardigan (a whooping $1600 US!) seen on the runway is knitting reality. So if you can knit, there is virtuallyNO EXCUSE that you can't be stylish. (Don't ever tell me that knitting is more expensive than buying, it's what you compare!) I wonder how much VK has to pay MK for this pattern?

New patterns!

Finally completed the Gilmore Vest pattern. And the quick project I was talking about earlier is the Nola Skull Cap. It looks like crochet, but it's acutally knited (as I've said before, love the look of crochet, but I'm o good at it). A good project for yarn left over from a previous project.

A truly atelier's sweater

(Moschino ad for SS04, I love the tailor shop theme!)

The sweater in the middle is just too cute. I never realzed that the beading was in fact made of odds and ends like metal paperclip, hook and eye and button snaps until I saw it at the Holt Renfrew's clearance outlet. Even at reductions, I couldn't afford to take it home, and it was too small anyways. Don't you love this idea? See runway photo here.

Wedding Knits

(I found these on Style.com, unfortuantely, I don't know who the designer for the one on the left is. Right: Chanel SS05)

If I ever do get married, I wanted a kni/crochet wedding dress. Also, one day I'd like to get into publishing and write a book about knitting forweddings and other elgant ocassions.

Current Read: March 2006 issue of W

I love this ad from TSE. The stich pattern is gorgeous! I saw this in W, which has an even better view of the stitch (you know because W's format is so big!) Also an article on the TSE deisgner, Tess Giberson in this issue of W.

I finally got around to reading the article in W that Amy was talking about. It's frustrating to read that knitters/crocheters are only paid $8-12 to make a hat that retails for $110! Mind you, it must take at least 3-5 hrs to complete one! As well, the fact that the labor was coming from elderly women sounds more like taking advantage. One designer called it "fair trade". Fair? Maybe if you were hiring people in third world countries, but $8 isn't even ann hourly wage in Europe! Meaning what they are paid is below poverty level. I hope these grannies have a decent pension to live on. Overall I found the article so patronising of the elderly.

Of course, as an ex-member of the fashion industry, I understand what the pie chart looks like: $50-60 goes tot the retailer, $35-40 goes to the designer, $10 to the knitter, and $5 for material. I feel so uncomfortable with this breakdown that I rarher knit everything myself because I know that I can't offer a fair wage for someone else to do it. This is just another fine example of capitalism, the laborer always loses. Now aren;t you glad you can make your own?

Supersized knitting

(From FLOCK, Rug handknitted from the wool of 18 merino sheep!!)

Am I turning into a workaholic/insomniac? It's hard to put down your work when it's so engaging. I've been spending the last couple of hours researching. I found this to be truly outstanding. It's by Dutch designer Christien Meindertsma, whose work was recently shown in NY. Read about it here.

This weekend, I didn't get a whole lot done, but have been working towards completion, which is always better than standing still. Caught up on some web surfing, and reading.

Some excitement in April. sponsored two students from my home-school, Ryerson, providing them with bab alpaca yarn for their final year collections. Stay tuned!

Granny Squares

(Left: Chloe, FW 1999, I think, Right: Marc Jacobs bag!)

The turth is, I can't crochet to save a life! I've really tried. But I just can't get used to it. That is unfortunate because I do love the look of granny squares, and I haven't yet found a way to knock off the look using knit yet.

Happy Friday, everyone! The weeks just keep on flying by, being productive does that. I do almost have a finished object (it's not the vest, yet, I got sucked into a quick project to boost my sense of accomplishment) for another free pattern. Hopefully it'll be ready next week if I can get a photo done this weekend, I wonder if the weather will be any good (I use natural lighting).

The modern quilt

(From the March 2006 issue of Vogue

Found this in current issue of Vogue. I love this Ian Hundley's sensibility for quilting. It's so unexpected and modern. It's brilliant how he's broken all the symetry that is a main feature in quilting. Now I have quilt-envy.

C'est Finit!

(Left: Louis Vuitton FW06, Right: Hermes Fw06)

The grand fnale of Paris to top off all the fashion weeks is said and done. Was such a treat to see a lot of knitwear for next season. I loved how designers wamred up to the cozy-look. The Lousiv Vuitton By MJ seems to be more MJ than LV, it was an extension of his MJ line, featuring his signature thermal knit translated into cashmere (I think the stitch is k, p one row, purl one row). Also loved JPG's taken on the fair isle for Hermes.

(Left, Chloe, FW06, Right, Alexander McQueen, FW06)

So more gorgeous knitwear at Paris fashion week. I love the Chloe zip front cardigan. See detail shot here. The McQueen so was just fascinating. I love the butterfly motif he used. He's done several great knitwear pieces, including the irresistible bolero pictured above.

I was planning to finish the vest this weekend, but forgot the project at the office. I want to finish it in the next couple of days. I need to be more productive at the office. Often I get too caught up surfing the web, despite it is a major part of what I do.

Blanket Statement

(Left, Stella McCartney, FW06, Right, Sophia Kokosalaki, FW06)

I don't like ponchos because the majority of the designs for them i the mass market are just terrible. But when done just right, I can see it being very desirable. The above are fine examples of that. I also think choosing simple and luxurious yarns in the right color makes a huge difference. Sometimees novelty yarns can wreck a design. Lots of knitwear at Stella McCartney to gawk at. She's really great for knitwear. I'm glad she choose to feature more of it this season.

Dessine moi un chandail

(Left: Dres Van Noten, FW06, Right: backstage at Givenchy, FW06)

Knitwear, not as big at Paris fashion like it was in NY or Milan, but there were some really unusual pieces. The left one, from Dres Van Noten, is knit vertically to get the vertical striping. See detail here. The right one, from Givenchy, looks like it was thrown together, but still, there is a method to all the madness.

So I am supposed to be finished with the vest if things went as planned, but I'm not done yet. I am just so close though! I just need to work on the neck and armhole ribbing. I have a quick (is it ever? I hope it will be) project planned afterwards. But I want to know, what kind of patterns do you have a hard time finding? I want to know, leave me your wish list!

God is in the details

(Left: Balenciaga FW06, Right: Jean Paul Gautier FW06)

Not much choices in terms of sweaters from Paris Fashion Week so far. I found these two to be incrediblely interesting, but unfortunately hard to see exactly what is going on. The JPG one on the right, you can see the details here. Isn't it just mind blowing? How does one even begin to think up a design like that!? What incredible talent. But I suppose, if it's not hand knittied, the designers' team has access to special software and machinery to do all that for them, one only has to imagine what they want.

A Fable update: check back later (today I hope?) for the new shrug pattern being added. I am so very close to to done. I have to double-check the numbers and do the schematic.

UPDATEL The Sofia Shrug pattern is up! Clich here, and scroll right!