Modefabriek winter 13/14

Hi, I'm back!
In the previous post, I promised to try and do some non-sewing posts last week. Well, I tried and failed. 
Certified ecological fabrics can be hard to find, so sourcing material for her collections often takes M a long time, and this time around it was worse than ever: we didn't take delivery until Thursday before last...
Since then, we've been working non-stop to complete the collection in time for last Sunday's and Monday's trade show. I spent the past week and a half working eleven-hour days and slogging through the snow to get to and from the studio (the Netherlands were hit with a cold spell, including heavy snow last Tuesday and Sunday). Which turned out to put a serious damper on my blogging mojo... I'm sure you'll understand. 

After that, it was two days of standing around in high heels, smiling kindly and generally trying to make the best possible impression on anyone who took the time to stop at our stall. All the big brands send their crack sales people to such events, and with good reason... I'm by no means a natural at this so I find it very tiring. 
Fortunately there were the three of us: M herself, me and a girl who recently did work experience with her and has that elusive social talent. 
And fortunately, the new website for the label, Sena ecocouture, was finished just in time (the English version isn't finished yet and this new collection we took to Modefabriek is not on the site or obvious reasons. But can have a look at the collections for autumn/winter 12/13 and spring/summer 13. Oh, and it's not a webshop and, at least for now, the clothes are only available in a few stores in the Netherlands. Expanding points of sale is why we go to trade shows...).

M and EL at our booth, getting ready for the day ahead.

Attending a fashion trade show may sound glamorous but before you start thinking I lead some enchanted fashionable life, let me explain. ;)
This is not Fashion Week (even though the event takes place at the start of the Amsterdam Fashion Week). There are no runway shows, no celebrities, no models (although some brands have a couple of models at their stall) and no superstar designers. 
This is a giant event space which is converted for two days each season (in January and June) into a giant shopping center for shop-owners and -buyers. At    Modefabriek there is a lot of womenswear, there's also menswear, jeans and some accesoiries like bags, scarves and shoes (there are separate trade shows for children's wear, plus sizes, bodyfashion and real outdoor and sportswear). Brands either rent their own booth or are represented by t-heir Dutch agents. 
In the main sections, the booths look like little stores with three walls, open the aisle. Brands dress up this shop-space in their own colours and bring in manequins, furniture and props. They may also use such means as champagne, cocktails, sweet or savory nibbles and goodie bags to lure in the buyers (although this time, that seemed to be done less than before). 
In some smaller sections, different rules are set to allow smaller brands with smaller budgets to be present as well. 

This time, the old "young designer" platform had been replaced by a section called "Refined +" which included young designers presenting their brands as well as a selection of other small high-end labels. Here, booths were smaller, more uniformly furnished and only separated by white curtains. 

In "MINT", the section we were in, effort is made to create an experience which is more 'market square' than 'shopping mall'. There are no dividing wall between the booths and all of those are furnished in the same way. In the central pavilion, there is a cafe, a small shop (a real one, selling novelty goods) and a DJ playing music. Only 'ethical fashion' is allowed in MINT. This means all goods shown here are either ecological or fair trade or both. 

I didn't take detailed pictures of any of the stalls because a lot of brands get very nervous about protecting their designs. 

Next to the serious shopping business, the was also a display of menswear made by fashion students of the Royal Academy of Arts. Not very wearable, but fun to look at.

And there is always this bit: called "Trash and Treasures" it's a bit like Etsy in real life: a shop space for vintage, second hand and artsy hand-made stuff (more of the latter this time). In this case, it looked particularly dramatic with the dip-dyed second hand wedding dresses hanging from the ceiling. Those were actually dyed on site and for sale...

Although I did get to walk around a bit, the vast majority of the past two days I spend at our own little stall, with increasingly painful toes... This morning, I slept late for the first time in two weeks. Over the course of the coming week, normal life will resume. 

A week summarized

I certainly didn't plan to be absent from this place all week... But circumstances conspired against me.

I finished the coat, of which I will only show you some close-up sneak peeks here. 

Front closure

Pocket

I plan on doing an actual outdoor photoshoot for it this weekend. At least, if E can be convinced to play along and take a couple of pictures for me.

After finishing work on the coat, I decided to tidy and clean my, by then thoroughly messy, sewing room. During that process, I found something disturbing: On an open shelf above the drawers which hold my fabrics, next to the dressmaker's dummy on which I display my lovely sharp shouldered jacket, I keep the things I bought second hand with the intention of refashioning them. Leather and suede in skirts and coats, a pile of silk shirts, some of E's old band t-shirts and a harris tweed men's jacket. I found out that a big patch on the back of the tweed jacket had been completely devastated by moths... 

Of course, I threw it out straight away. I also threw out the t-shirts which had been lying under it. The one on top (of the three) had a couple of moth-cocoons on it... 

I spend the next day moth-proofing my stash and my wardrobe. Cedar chips, moth balls, the works... And my beloved jacket is now in the freezer. According to a book on vintage clothing, three days in there will kill any moth eggs which might be hiding. My recently acquired vintage silk dress underwent the same treatment. And from now on, any 'new to me' vintage find will!

After all that unwanted excitement, I was quite happy to get away for a little bit and go with designer friend M to the fabric trade fair in Lille: Premier Tissu. We were looking for eco-fabrics for her brand but those were, unfortunately, not widely available. We did get a good insight into colour and fabric trends though. The 'it' thing for summer 2014? According to this fair, it's digitally printed fabric.

Now, I really have to focus on two little 'assignments' first: making a dressy long sleeved knit top for my grandmother and replacing the waistband on a pair of trousers for my mother. 

And then, I promised E a new coat (because he wears the one I made him last year ALL THE TIME) and a new shirt and I kind of decided to make another shirt for my brother who turned 25 this month...

Modefabriek

Just a quick update. Remember I told you I'd be busy this past week?


Well, I've been very busy helping designer friend M put the finishing touches on her collection for spring/summer 2013.

Now, we're presenting it at Holland's main fashion trade show Modefabriek. As a very small and 'fair' brand (eco fabrics, high labour standards, certified by Fairwear Foundation) we are in the MINT segment. 
I don't really expect anyone reading my blog to be visiting this fair, but, of course, you're very welcome to proove me wrong ;)
Just pop by and say hi, you know what I look like. 

All in a day's work

Most of the time, I consider myself to be a fairly skilled hobby seamstress/pattern maker, hopefully eyeing up carreer options and supplementary education possibilities in fashion. However, I also spend quite a bit of my time helping designer friend M (who taught me how to draft my own patterns by the way, that's how I got to know her: I took her pattern making and sewing technique course) on her new collection.

Today, however, we went to the 'modefabriek' ('fashion factory'), Holland's largest fashion trade show. This is the place where buyers for retail stores go to see the new collections available to them for the new season (winter 10/11, in this case). And it's the place where all kinds of fashion professionals go to see what everyone else did. We didn't have a lot of time, so we did kind of a quick run-through, concentrating mostly on colours, shapes and textures in women's wear (modefabriek offers women's wear, men's wear, jeans and accesoiries).

Despite the lack of time, it was pretty interesting. There were some small areas dedicated to small brands and up-and-coming designers, which I really enjoyed. With the larger 'main stream' brands, there was some good stuff: a nice shape here, a good texture or great detail there. However, there was also a lot which just really showed that trade fairs are about what you will find in every high street next year, so: not the greatest quality and a lot of stuff which looks like other stuff you've seen before.

I really wanted to write you a nice, comprehensive report, but it isn't really coming together. If I end up making something in the near future inspired by today's experience, I'll make sure to mention it.

On a completely unrelated matter: I still haven't heard from New Year's Giveaway winner Cashew. So Cashew, if you're reading this, please contact me at aicha_hockxAThotmailDOTcom. If I haven't had a reaction by Februari 1, I'll put the other names back in the hat and draw another winner.