Fast Fashion- Hecho en México

Project Statement:

Our goal was to have a garment a comfortable and versatile garment that would appeal to a broader range of customers. We chose to “knock off” a t-shirt for the piecework production project. Our company Shamans was based off-shore in Mexico. The work load was divided up to most efficiently utilize each others skill sets and levels. We worked with a cream colored knit, purchased downtown in the fashion district and used an iron-on graphic designed by Michael. We made the t-shirt “one size fits most” and unisex to target a wider variety of consumers.

We were able to work in a real “sweat shop”, thanks to Vanessa’s fiancé. It really enhanced the project by getting outside the classroom experience working in the piece-production industry.

Cost breakdown:
Garment: T-Shirt With Graphic
Made in: Mexico
Mexico Labor Costs:
79.6 Pesos Per Day (8 Hour Day)= $6.24 USD (WAGEINDICATOR.ORG FOR 2013)
Labor: 38 hrs. 42 min= $29.96 USD : 15 Pieces= $1.99 per shirt
Fabric: 25 yard roll= $25 = $1 per yrd
Thread: 6 spools= $9
Transfer Paper= $24 for 20 sheets= 15 Sheets= $18 = $1.20 per shirt

Total per shirt= $2.19
Retail= $10
Profit= $7.80 per shirt

Mariachi Vest

For our tailoring project, I was inspired by the cultural significance of a mariachi and wanted to reflect my own heritage through the aesthetics of my vest.  I chose a plaid wool and used chain stitch embroidery to represent my Anglo-Saxon and Celtic ancestry.

This was a very fun project for me, although frustrating.  I learned to appreciate even more the time and effort that it takes to create a well-crafted garment.  Impressed by the craftsmanship and dedication I witnessed at La Casa del Mariachi, I really tried to push myself to create a well-fitting and tasteful garment.

 

Mariachi Conversation

At first its a discord of sounds and plucks

The tune up of an introduction

Like the guitar humming up to an E

Shaking hands with the A of the violin

The jolted chords as you start and stop

And laugh till you find the rhythm

Of the guittarron mumbling low to the beat

The tempo rises and you start to grin

As the harmony of things in common

Gets the music dancing, gets words swaying

In the engaging conversation where

The accordion and the trumpet are exciting

New stories that liven the scene

As violin and vihuela rhythmically blend

Your souls into a friendship that will last

After the final reverberating chord ends

Saying goodbye to mariachi for the night

Just means you start waiting

For the next conversation

With your new found friend

Coutured Trash

Finished garment

Using couturier Stéphane Rolland as my inspiration, I wanted to create a garment that reflected his classic and simple silhouettes and his modern lines and asymmetry. With a nod to his 2012 Fall/Winter collection, I constructed a garment that had architectural elements as well as a soft side. I used magazine pages to create the definite lines of the structured side of the garment and I used pleated plastic bags to create the flowing drape of the other half of the garment. I also incorporated a metallic belt, made from the foil of a chip bag, to reference the belts and accessories that so often complement Rolland’s designs.

Design Inspiration

Preliminary Design Sketch

Couture: Stéphane Rolland

Stéphane Rolland has the distinction of being the youngest French Couturier in Paris, beginning his Haute Couture work for Jean-Louis Scherrer at the age of thirty.  Ten years later he opened his own Couture house, admitted to the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. With twelve collections under his belt, his Couture line is renowned for its modern, architectural, and luxurious aesthetic. 

After studying at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, his career in the fashion industry began twenty years earlier when he was named artistic directer for menswear at Balenciaga. At twenty-four, Rolland launched his own prêt-à-porter line, which was immediately successful. He is also a costumer, nominated for two Molière awards, and  an official partner with the Cannes Film Festival. 

His design aesthetic is bold and structured. His garments are often asymmetrical and feature exaggerated shoulders, intriguing folds, pleats, and flounces, metallic belts and accents. His color palate usually remains neutral, with only a splash of color here and there. Rolland is inspired by contemporary art, often using architecture and even furniture as his muse. This is reflected in the dramatic lines and curves of his designs, as well as the innovative manipulations of fabrics.Stéphane Rolland’s designs are sleek, and elegant, combining the classic principles of Couture with a modern flair. The simplicity of the silhouettes gives way for dramatic, often mysterious detail, achieved through creative draping and use of materials. His celebrity clientele includes Queen Rania of Jordan, Sheikha Mozah of Qatar, Lady Gaga, Cheryl Cole, and Beyoncé. This year he will be launching a ready to wear and accessories line. 

My Favorite Designer

My favorite designer is Alexander McQueen, not the brand, now run by Sarah Burton, but the designer himself and his strong, innovative designs.  I admire his creativity with materials, whether they are shells, feathers, or glass. His use of texture and color helped convey the complex thoughts that inspired each collection. His designs are strong and sometimes dark, yet he also has the ability to evoke a fragility and softness. Alexander McQueen was clearly a designer that understood the rules of tailoring, but he was not afraid to break them in order to get his point of view across. He was deeply imaginative and inspires me to challenge the conventialism of fashion and use it as a tool to convey what is important to me.

http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/alexandermcqueen/en_US