So Excited, and We Just Can't Hide It...

Ok, I was going to wait until the end of the week to do an official unveiling, but I'm just TOO EXCITED...we are prepping for fashion week, which is our main focus, but we also have a few other things in the works for development/training/future business goals...and we're not gonna try to hide it, they're huge for anyone in or around the fashion industry...

We GLADLY welcome Optitex Software into our hearts, hands, and workplace...if you don't know it, it's one of the leading softwares for pattern-making in apparel design, and we're BLESSED to have it...no more of this archaic paper wasting during the drafting stage!!!  Seriously, the amount of time (and sanity) we are going to save by using this software is indescribable...expect MANY more posts with me shouting my love for this software program from a mountain top.

And what would a new software program be without an amazing device to perform said software upon?!??!  We also welcome the Dell Inspiron 23 into our open arms (picture us running towards eachother, slow-mo, baywatch style...ok maybe not baywatch...)!  I himmed and Hawed for WEEKS trying to decide what unit would best serve the design lab; seriously, I drove my friends, family, and husband INSANE over this purchase (same with the software, over a MONTH of deciding what would best suit our needs, and then price negotiations...)...needless to say, spreadsheets were created, sleep was lost, BUT at the end of the day (or month) we have an amazing set-up, and I feel like I made the most educated decision possible.
We are MOVING ON UP and excited to do so!!!

Oh and one more thing...if you're a granola bar eater, go out and purchase these "Chocolate Almond & Sea Salt" Kashi Bars...they are life-changing...I am aware this is in no way related to this post, but as far as excitement about new things goes, this is high up there on the list...no joke!

Fashion week is rapidly approaching...

Trying to remain calm...but we've got so much going on over here it's hard to keep our heads on straight!  First things first, let's get organized and get some fabrics printed so we can clothe some models...keeping true to our socially responsible roots, all our fabrics are organic and eco-friendly, so we start there; then we make sure they're PFD (prepared for dyeing - which organics and eco-friendly fabrics usually are).
I've been working on Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop on and off since August/September to create prints for this season - I know that seems like a long time, but there has been a lot of work that has interrupted progress, so it hasn't been as consistent as it should've been, but now we're putting finishing touches on the PDFs so they're ready to go on the fabrics.
In attempts to be as efficient as possible (without higher level software to do the leg work for me...stay tuned cause it won't be that way for long...) I then have to figure out what print goes on which fabric, and exactly how much should be printed of each...spreadsheets help with the organization of this...it can get a bit crazy with 20 looks (over 30 styles to organize fabric, print, and yardage for each)
ANYWAY...I digress, we're getting fabrics printed this week and I'm EXCITED!!!!
Theme of our show and prints to follow soon...stay tuned...

It might look like a mess, but it's MY mess! Got my essentials: swatches, prints, sketches...let's make some magic?

Working Walls

We can't be the only ones working over here...we gotta make our surroundings pick up a little slack ;)
In order to get inspired and not want to kill ourselves in the workplace, we find it useful to make our space visually stimulating and appealing; specifically when we're in development phases for Fashion Week...
We put this wall up while we underwent some other renovations, and then stumbled across this great article on "How Working Walls Unlock Creative Insight" and we figured we had to share.  We love ours and we're even taking tips to improve upon our work area and idea process from the article.
Anyway, check out our renovations below and get inspired!

the Design Lab before...so boring!

progress... 

...et VOILA!

 

 

Now put that wall to work and get sketching!

Fellow Designer, Christian Siriano and his Working Wall

Interior Design Working Wall

Quality of Life

We strive to think about the quality of life of each individual that comes through the Design Lab program.

We stumbled across this great article by Rachel Monroe from Inc. about 4 Ways to Make Your Employees Love Working for You; and in honor of the New Year, we thought it fitting to share some of our goals and motivations here at the Design Lab.

4 Ways to Make Your Employees Love Working for You

1. Think about their Career

The article focuses on retention - which is important here at the Design Lab, but we also strive to focus on job placement outside of the Design Lab as well.  Once the training program is completed, we realize that the Design Lab might not be the perfect fit or industry for the trainee.  We want each trainee to find their dream job, even if it doesn't involve staying on with us.

2. Encourage Learning.

This one is a no-brainer :) we're ALL about learning here!

3. Promote Wellness.

The article talks about a company who gave out Fitbits; we love that idea!  We definitely encourage and promote health and wellness here, and it's a daily discussion amongst all employees.  We talk about and join the same health apps to encourage eachother (ie Loseit and MapMyRun).  We also have long term goals of starting a meal program and partnering with local community gardens to start our own work garden that can provide for employees work and home life.

4. Help them Give Back.

We hope to inspire our employees to give back, especially considering our mission here at the Design Lab, we'd like to think our trainees are like-minded as well.

Recently we volunteered at a local grammar school, St Pius, and we explained how vital math is to apparel design.  We had so much fun, and surprisingly to us, the kids were really intrigued and engaged!

This will definitely be an area that we expand upon at the Design Lab; more community outreach!

Here's to hoping the smiles continue in 2014 :)

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY...

We usually post our sillyness on our Etcetera, Etcetera blog, but we had a little too much fun with this project not to give it a fair amount of credit :)  A girl who has our hearts at the Design Lab, Saralane, had a big birthday and welcome home party, and we couldn't let her go dressed in just anything...we created a custom bday/holiday shirt that she sported out and about on the town in New Orleans...it was also nice to let loose and let our creative juices flow; you know what they say about "all work and no play" ;)  Creative side projects keep us sane here at the Design Lab :)
Make sure to notice the custom snowflake neck cutout, custom rudolph "handlers/antlers"equipped with bells and light show, and how could we forget 3D Frosty...
Enjoy the fruits of our labor:

Saralane turns 31!

Gifts that Give Back - Donate a Sewing Machine!

Here at the Design Lab we love hearing about projects with similar socially responsible initiatives.  Women for Women International is a great organization that provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies. They're changing the world one woman at a time.
DONATE A SEWING MACHINE
One of their projects close to our heart supports women in Afghanistan, Kosovo and DR Congo; the path to economic self-sufficiency often begins with a small home tailoring business. As tailors and seamstresses, women are using simple sewing tools to provide an income for themselves and their families. By donating $75 through their organization you can help destitute women in each of those areas get their start with the tools and training they need to succeed.

Final Sew-ups and Fit Sessions for Pre-Fall

We're chugging right along, trying to prepare for our Pre-Fall collection(s)...Marci is AMAZING, just these past two weeks she's learned how to drape a torso block, transfer to paper pattern, and design a custom pattern from that torso block (process documented in pics below).  

In the midst of all that we're doing some fit sessions to assess what mannequins and dress forms lack which is how the samples look on an actual body - thankfully we have a great and patient fit model, Breanna, who's allowing us to stare her up and down and "him and haw" over what needs to change...can't wait to see our fabrics when they come in cause our muslins really leave something to be desired :-/ ...our actual custom fabrics are going to be show-stoppers (fingers crossed) and we're anxiously awaiting their arrival...

Marci working on her first torso sew up

Truing up lines for her custom design created off of her Torso Block

Marci's final custom sew up, sketch, and intense pattern work in process!