Martha Stewart Celebrates American Made Designers

Congratulations to all of the 2014 American Made Award Winners! Sponsored by Martha Stewart, talented makers and designers that painstakingly work their passion to be made in America competed for recognition. The entrepreneurs competed in a variety of disciplines, from food, crafts, style and design and were judged by a combination of originality, design aesthetic and overall interpretation of the American theme.

There was a lavish cocktail party Friday night to celebrate winners that included florists who grew unique flowers, flour producers reviving ancient grains, furniture designers, urban agriculture start-ups. 

The textile winners were Rowland and Chinami Ricketts of Ricketts Indigo met when they both apprenticed with an indigo dyer in Japan.  They brought the traditional technique of indigo farming to the West, in Indiana to create beautiful handmade home textile goods.

Whitney Pozgay designs and produces her clothing line WHIT right in New York’s Garment Center.  As the Style Winner, she collaborates with local artists nearby to try to keep all of her operation in Manhattan and give back to the community.

There was also a promoted shop onsite for the American Made designers and makers.  One of the most interesting speakers at the American Made Summit, Ellie Bennett was represented with her Hedley & Bennett aprons.  She was someone who used to work in professional kitchens, frustrated with the poorly made, generic aprons.  She set out to create stylish, practical aprons and created a business custom designing aprons with restaurants.  She produced superior aprons with bartacked pockets and fully finished straps that wouldn’t rip off like most mass produced aprons in commercial kitchens.  She designed each restaurant’s order individually to match their restaurant’s aesthetic.

The party itself served the most amazing artisanal foods from every corner of the country.  AS you would expect at a Martha Stewart event, there were craft stations to make gorgeous crepe paper flowers or get in touch with the 3D printing Makerbot to make your own luggage tags.

Seeing so many entrepreneurs who DID make things by hand or followed their artistic passion being celebrated gave me a lot of hope. I can’t wait to see all the winners next year!

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Chado Ralph Rucci Spring 2013

American couture. The term is tossed around lightly, but Ralph Rucci is the one designer whom it truly applies to.  The designer's New York Fashion Week show was a striking display of the capabilities of his New York design studio.  He is the only American accepted by the Chambre Syndicale in Paris for Haute Couture.

Signature Chado Ralph Rucci details, like the anatomically flattering seaming was present.  The color palette had clean white and black, but with gorgeous shots of neon sorbet colors of bright tangerine, lemon and raspberry pink.  There were a few pieces with shine and feathers for more novelty texture for his Spring 2013 collection.  

Wearing an exquisite couture creation, made in New York is as patriotic as fashion gets, (at least until you find a way to wear Miss Liberty's copper robes). 

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4th of July Fashion: Made in the USA

What is your Independence Day fashion resolution?  Is it to show your patriotic side by shopping
designers who produce their collections stateside?

Recent news that the Garment Center’s roots are being downplayed to accommodate other tenants was devastating to an industry that has struggled to stay in New York for years. While costs are the obvious factor in designers going overseas, one can’t forget the many benefits of producing in the United States.

Local factories are essential to designers who don’t have the volume of mega-brands going overseas. 
Independent brands also offer a unique vision in fashion and can produce quicker to react to trends, and customer preferences.  

I recently found some family-owned companies that have been in the Garment center for generations.  M & S Schmalberg makes custom handmade fabric flowers from antique tools dating back 150 years. They are hand-cut, painted, dyed, glued, trimmed, embellished into a work of art that soon becomes another work of art as part of another designer's creation. They are unique to the industry and an art that thankfully, many designers know is worth preserving. For the artistically inclined, you can take a workshop and tour of this amazing studio to learn the craft yourself.

Dersh Feathers is another mainstay in the area that has supplied high-quality feathers to top designers, costume makers and creative legends for decades. This is a smaller place than you would imagine for the range of colors, textures, birds, feather shapes that they carry. Leave your allergies at the door, there are feathers EVERYWHERE. 

Check out these designers who use local suppliers to produce their collections:
 
Angel Sanchez:
This designer and architect may have had his roots in Venezuela, but his label has been a proud New Yorker since 1997.  His architect background is visible in the structured looks of his bridal and eveningwear line.  His fans include Eva Longoria, Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

Ann Yee:
A graduate of Philadelphia University, Ann Yee designed knits for labels like Alice + Olivia, Barney's and LaROK before branching out on her own.  Her collection reflects a mastery of fabric and draping.

Designers who have previously been profiled in Ms. Fabulous and produce in the U.S.A. include: Ralph Rucci, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu, RichardChai and Milly.  Even more...  Douglas Hannant, Anna Sui, House of Waris.

To learn more on how to Save the Garment Center, click here for resources.

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Norisol Ferrari - Bespoke Punk Couture

 I met my new fashion heroine last week.  Her name is Norisol Ferrari.  She is a strong, Amazonian woman who makes no excuses for her super luxurious sable coats and makes no compromises in her quality and fit. She is often compared to Alexander McQueen, which she does not agree with, except to say they both are inspired by mens' tailoring and military uniforms.  Instead, she cites more historical references like Dior's New Look that she finds to be a muse, except she updates it with modern materials and some edgier gang references.  

She has very strong opinions on how many designers try to infantilize women.  She builds clothes for a woman's shape with an almost warrior-like passion.  Norisol has images of Frida Kahlo and Louise Brooks on her office wall.  She has trinkets and carved skulls from her travels and a wall of taxidermy to show her darker muses. 

Norisol proudly produces her collection with trusted artisans in New York.  She refuses to sell out or tailor her label to anything less than what truly inspires her, regardless of cost.  In this day of outsourcing and penny counting, her fashion manifesto is an career to look up to.

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American-Made Designers

Happy Fourth of July! That's American Independence Day to everyone overseas.  While foodies are flocking to the "locavore" movement of consuming locally produced goods, I think it is important to do the same for fashion.

Here is a spotlight to some of my favorite labels produced in New York:

Nanette Lepore is a perfect duo of artist and entrepreneur.  Together with her husband/business partner Robert Savage, she counts poets, painters, celebs and fashion editors as fans.  She is one of the most vocal and visible designers in the mission to keep NYC's Garment Center thriving.

Jennifer Chun designs a polished collection of tailored pieces with a relaxed chic attitude.  She honed her design skills at Derek Lam and Michael Kors before branching out on her own.

Yeohlee Teng's architectural approach to fashion has made her work sought-after subject at many museums for design and fashion.  She brings philosophy to her designs and popularized the look of the "urban nomad".

If you want to learn more about producing a great clothing line in NYC, check out Save the Garment Center .  It is a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about keeping clothing manufacturing in New York City.

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