Bangkok bound!

Hi all,

I have been an errant blogger, I know. So many things were happening in PersonalLand, that it made it hard to stay on top of the demands of a hungry blog audience. I am back now, though!

So the current news is that I will be going to Thailand in December and January, and while there, I'll be working with a wonderful Thai costume shop called Siam Costumes to build my patterns and first samples. They have experience working with vintage clothing cut for modern bodies, and a backstock of period fabrics as well. I'm really excited!

I still plan to manufacture the production line in the US, but there's just no way I could resist master cutters working on my samples while I ride elephants and give monkeys cocoanuts. Truly.

In other news, I'm also going to work on the Fall Winter 12/13 patterns and samples at the same time. This way, no matter what season we end up launching, Cabiria will be ready to go running into production. How exciting!

With that in mind, here's a dress, sans fabric, from the FW12/13 collection. You, my readers, are the first to see it!

There are many changes afoot, and I think the new approach will better serve my vendors and customers in the long run. Making plans then completely remodeling them seems to be in the air lately, but it's all good stuff!

Let me know what you all think, and I'll try to be more diligent on that blog posting thing!

-Eden

Re/Dress, Salon Z, and Deserving Good Things

Hi folks!

I just got back from an evening workshop at Re/Dress in Brooklyn - a space that has provided both fat community and amazing vintage and resale fashion in true plus sizes these last 3 years. Glenn Marla and Hana Malia led some wonderful exercises about exploring what it would be to let go of a lot of internalized fatphobia, and I was reminded again how lucky we've been to have Deb Malkin's amazing store these last several years.

Here's a photo of Glenn and I at Re/Dress in 2009:

Sadly, the physical store is closing November 20th, and with it goes the community space she provided in which to be fat and gloriously, fearlessly fashionable. The same week this information was released, news that Saks Fifth Avenue is removing ALL Salon Z plus size sections from it's stores to an online only model. Another venue where the economy is partially at fault, but marginalized selling floors and inconsistencies in quality (as in the quality across the price point is NOT equal to similar price points in mainstream sizing) are the real culprits.

As a fat person with money to spend on clothes (ok, theoretical money right now, but hey), I still say there's a market there for well made, comparable quality at comparable price point clothing. Hearing all the women at the workshop talk about the internalized sociological shame we all work very hard to combat during waking moments, no wonder we're tired. All that energy just geared towards facing the world, facing the fear, and facing what we're told we don't deserve.

I can't wait to change that and let all women feel entitled to inhabit whatever body they have gracefully and beautifully. I can't wait to show a woman my size (18 - 20, for the record) how nice Italian silk jersey feels on the skin, and how different that feeling is from polyester or rayon. How good fabric pays for itself by not needing to be replaced after a few wearings because it's pilled badly or the high spandex content is deteriorating. How a fashionable item can remain a staple in your closet if you feel confident wearing it time and time again.

Wish me luck, people. It's rough out there, but I've got some great role models.

-Eden

Heads and Tails

Hello all,

This past few weeks has been interesting, for certain. I found out that I'm a pretty good patternmaker in my own right, but unfortunately I had to learn that by reviewing the work of the professionals I'd contracted to make some of the patterns and realized they'd been done all wrong. Please note! Werkstatt did NOT end up doing my patterns - they are far more professional and couture for me to have been able to handle, and I am in no way implying that they messed up. I have not worked with them - merely met them in their immaculate studio.

I sprained my wrist pretty badly, which has been making drafting the patterns challenging, and working on the financials, which I definitely could use a hand on, but I am trucking along. I'm the little engine that could.

One thing to remember in the face of all this, though, is that trouble comes and goes, but you can rely on yourself to pull on through in the end. I believe in me, and I am very fortunate to have a lot of others who do too.

Have a glorious few weeks until I post again. I know - I really need to be more diligent with that! In the meantime, I leave you with an image that seems to explain my life a lot lately:

Pattermakers, Accountants, and Other Fun Updates

Hey there folks!

It's been a few weeks, and there have been some new combinations afoot. One of the things I'd done was learn Adobe Illustrator, at least the basics, so I could make flats of my garments for the patternmaker. Since I seem to do everything from the ground up, I'll happily share my flat plus size template for drawing out clothing on a truly plus size figure:

There were many like this available in mainstream sizes, but of course, like with so much in the plus size world, I found none so I drew that one myself. You like?

I've also changed patternmakers - while Werkstatt is a wonderful resource and she is obviously a talented patternmaker, it wasn't the perfect fit. I did manage to track down the patternmaker and samplemaker I'd worked with over a decade ago, when we were at Lucy Barnes (now wholesale private sales only). When I designed the line and envisioned the quality, it was always with this woman's craftsmanship in mind, so it's pretty genius to get her on board.

Finally, I've been reworking the business plan. I'd always thought of starting up with crowdsource funding and using that collateral to gain business loans, but now I'm trying to research what options are available with business partners and shared equity. I'm a workhorse, but I don't know everything about business and accounting, so finding someone gifted in the arena would be amazing. If you, dear readers, know of anyone who would be interested in contributing knowledge, resources, or/ and funds to bring Cabiria to market for love and profit, please contact me. I'm very open minded!

Monday begins a new phase of development, and hopefully my next posts will be about finding wonderful size 18/20 models in the New York area soon!

-Eden

At the patternmaker now!

Hi all,

After the crazy week with hurricanes and earthquakes, I finally got everything together and now have the Spring Summer 2012 line at the patternmaker's studio. That's right, those were dates you just heard.

The pattern maker is this cool woman named Tina Schenk who owns Werkstatt NY in the garment district. I worked on all my notes to translate to flats, and am now looking to book the samplemaker too. Tangible clothing! After that, the next steps will be finding gorgeous models, a photographer, shooting the lookbook, and pre-selling the production line. Awesome, right?

Here's a little bit about Werkstatt in the meanwhile. Updates soon!

Werkstatt NY

-Eden

New progress on patterns!

Hello friends!

I've been working diligently on getting my patterns flattened out and spec'ed, courtesy of my friend Luci and Adobe Illustrator. Next week I will have a meeting with the patternmaker, and we'll be moving forward! I'm really happy with moving into this next step, especially after all the madness of the last few months.

Fingers crossed!

-Eden

Cabiria Studio is up and running!

Hi all,

First of all, thank you so much for your patience in waiting for my blog updates. It's been a very hectic few months here with the move to New York and the new studio set up, but we're in and ready to start cranking out beautiful patterns now. Thank you for everyone who's helped and supported along the way!

For your enjoyment, the first shots of the new Cabiria Studio!

My next step is to start working with the wonderful patternmakers and samplemakers I've reconnected with here in New York, and hopefully knock out the first samples so I can photograph them on beautiful plus size women and show them to wonderful plus size boutiques! I'm keeping busy, for sure!

Thank you again to my generous and wonderful donors, who are collectively responsible for much of the items you see in the studio - bolts of fabric, labels, notions, and of some you don't see - licensing and bureaucratic paperwork fees, professional services, etc. Your help means the world to me, and I appreciate it greatly. Hope to show you what I can do with those gifts soon!

-Eden