Wrap it up!

    This was the most informative experience I have ever had. I am currently taking a class about the business of fashion, and this trip coincides perfectly with what I am learning in this class. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to learn, on a first hand basis, how the industry operates.

SHOPPING!!!

   The Shopping opportunities in Los Angeles are endless. From our hotel we were a few steps or a short bike ride away from mall and boutique shopping.

     I have shopped all over Los Angeles. Because of the price zone I have been able to afford all of my life, I mostly stuck to Melrose, 3rd st. Promenade in Santa Monica, The Grove (when it was first developing) and the ocean front boutiques of my hometown. West 3rd Street in LA was a much different experience. There was a very diverse assortment of retailers there. We visited ALLSAINTS SPITALFIELDS, a store totally my style, but upscale and my post graduation price point. They have easy silhouettes with some unexpected edge. I have always been attracted to their creative fixtures- they use repurposed garment industry pieces. You can see here where their windows are, top to bottom, vintage sewing machines. I love love love this brand.
     The shopping experience on West 3rd is very eclectic. Across the street from Allsaints is a store that sells couture gowns with a steampunk influence. In the same area you can shop Trina Turk (a local designer), Ralph Lauren, and Kitson.
     Trina Turk was a particular designer we made a point to see. Her aesthetic is funky and brilliant and quirky- a contrast to Allsaints.
     West third is a well developed area. Boutique shopping is a very intimate shopping experience. A boutique customer shops with a purpose. From a retailer's perspective, it is important to be located near similar stores, but not too similar that there is product competition. I could shop Kitson, Trina Turk and Allsaints for different things. That is the point of a well rounded boutique shopping location. West 3rd has an eclectic assortment that compliments, not competes.

Los Angeles International Textiles show

Im really bummed that my camera was not working for this experience, so I dont have any images, but I do have a lot to talk about!
     One of the days that we were in Los Angeles, we were fortunate to attend the textiles show. This event is important for many mills that wish for their products to be purchased by manufacturers in their garments and home furnishings. Any mill can have a booth, as long as they can pay the fee. The fee to participate in the show varies depending on location and size. There are also booths that offer findings as well.
     Our first stop was to Lenzing fibers. Lenzing has been producing fibers for 75 years and are based out of Austria. The first fiber they produced was viscose rayon. They are vertically integrated and were the first to implement sustainability in their factories. They do not grow and harvest the beechwood tree (which modal is made from) or the Eucalyptus tree (makes Tencel). They use the trees there and let the resources replenish on their own.
     Tencel is a fiber that Lenzing is very excited about. It is the strongest man made fiber and they have been producing it for 20 years. The trees are turned into a pulp and is shipped to their facility in Austria, where it is converted into yarns or other uses. Here are a few qualities of Tencel:

• It wicks moisture
• It inhibits bacterial growth
• It is smooth to the touch
• It is antistatic
• It can be used in both knits and wovens

Lenzing makes a wide variety of fibers used in textiles. Here is a link to the Lenzing website, if you want to Learn about Lenzing fibers! This is the main page, click on a particular fiber to learn more! Take a look around the site and learn about other uses for their fibers!

    We also toured the booths at the show and learned there were multiple textile options at this show. The first thing we saw were beautiful laces and luxury fabrics. Mostly textiles used for bridal and formal wear. The fabrics we saw cost up to $300.00 a yard. It helps one understand how wedding gowns end up costing so much. These fabrics were so ornate and beautiful, I was jealous. ( My wedding gown was made of polyester- it's what I could afford!)

     The most interesting thing that I personally learned was that you could purchase textile graphics alone. There were companies that designed images and prints that you could purchase and use forever. You owned the rights to that design. There was a whole section dedicated to people providing this service.

Andari Sweaters

On our third, and final tour, we visited the Andari factory. Andari is a factory that produces fully fashioned knit garments. This means that there is no cut and sew process involved. I learned all of the proccesses of production of knit sweaters as well as the costing components of the design process. Experiencing this first hand, I have decided to give a basic explanation of the steps involved in the creation of a sweater.

1. A designer employed by the factory as well as the manufacturer. At this level decisions are made about the fibers in the yarn, color, shape, and treatment. Each one of these decisions determine the cost of the garment. the $1,200 sweaters for the row were made from "Forbidden Cashmere". This yarn can cost around $1.05 per gram compared to cotton yarns less than $.12 per gram. 
2. Pattern specs are drafted and a programmer programs the flat back knitting machine you see in the first video to produce, essentially, each pattern piece. one for sleeves, bodice front/ back, etc.
3. These pieces (pannels) are inspected to ensure quality standards are upheld. Adjustments and repairs are made if neccissary/ possible.
4. pieces are bundled together for one entire garment and are then linked together. The linking is then inspected.

*Linking is the most expensive part of the production process. As you can see in the second video, a person sits at a linking machine and hand loops the pieces on the rotating circular platform. Each individual loop must make it onto this machine. If one loop is missed, the quality of the garment is compromised. In addition to the cost of a human performing this task, it requires better skill, therefore more money, if a smaller guage is used. Smaller loops take better skill and more time than a larger guage knit.

             * Another method to attatch pannels together is called cut and overlock. This is comparable to serging seams in a cut and sew garment. It is a faster and cheaper method and more widely used. Because of this, linkers are becoming obsolete and, therefore more expensive.

     5. The sweater is washed and dried once to eliminate most consumer shrinkage. The decision can be made to declare the garment dry clean only or machine washable. Silicoe can be added to the wash cycle to get the right hand.

              *We learned, from every factory tour, that the more you wash a garment, the more the fibers break down or get coated. This prevents the fibers from behaving naturally. 

Heat setting with wire frames. See them on the back wall, hanging?

     6. The sweater is then heat set. A wire form is created in the shape designed in step one and inserted into the garment and someone uses high heat, high pressure steam irons to set the shape/ size as well as stablize the yarn.

     7. After heat setting, the garment is labled, tagged, and packaged (which also varies the cost, depending on method) and shipped to distribution centers.

A pile of sweaters for The Row. Made of "forbidden" cashmere.
Each will retail for $1,200 a piece.

Andari is the factory where we were able to learn about this process. They offer a wide variety of contract options, including full package. They also perform a three pass quality check throuout the process to ensure the garments they are producing are exactly what was aggreed upon with the manufacturer. They do this more than cut and sew factories because of the process of production where they link an entire garment at a time. If something is wrong, entire garments are ruined, rather than one specific pattern piece that can be replaced at a lower cost than an entire sweater. 

We also learned about cost and the mark up process. Andari charges $30 and up per sweater produced.The amount of pannels also increases the cost due to the cost of linking each piece together. Wholesalers charge a 55% markup from cost and retailers markup another 55%. Direct to store manufacturers will markup 70%-80%. This is how we can get a garment costing $1,200 when using higher quality materials and finer knit designs

Anteaus/ Nicewell tour

a flat seam machine is being used here.

     Our visit to Anteaus gave a cohesive overview of the cut and sew process. In their facility, they produce mostly sportswear, because of the machine capabilities that they have. *Factories can all have different machines. Some facilities have capabilities for denim, others for sportswear, etc.* One specific machine that accommodates for this niche market is the flat seam machine that they use. The seamstress feeds the pieces into the machine with the seams side by side, the machine overlocks them together and trims any excess. There is a tube that sucks out that excess to keep the machine clean.

pattern pieces being cut out

     The cut and sew process is the most common in the industry. Think of your own garments, how many are fully fashioned (yarns linked at the seams) and how many are sewn together? The process begins with a manufacturer designing the styles and creating a marker. The marker is a lay out of the most cost efficient placement of pattern pieces. The specs for the marker are sent to the producer and printed out there. The marker is placed on top of many layers of fabric and pinned through each layer. The fabric is then cut with an electric blade. *the operator has to wear a chain maille glove to protect his hand*

Heat set machine and template

     After the fabric is cut, if required, a logo is heat set onto each piece, respectively. There is a template given to the operator to ensure that each logo is properly placed on every piece needed. A ticket is kept with each group of pieces to keep track of the production as well as how much the employees are finishing. Employees can be paid a bonus for producing more than their quota, if they do not meet the quota, they are paid minimum wage. Cost comes in to play here, because federal minimum wage is $7.25, California's minimum was is $8.00. This is a HUGE jump from the cost of labor in other countries, where it can cost pennies an hour to produce garments. Afther the fabric is cut, if required, a logo is heat set onto each piece that it is needed. There is a template given to the operator to ensure that each logon is properly placed on every piece. A ticket is kept with each group of pieces to keep track of the production of the garments as well as the efficiency in which the seamstresses are working at.

packaging for an up and coming brand of youthful yoga wear

     

 Employees can be paid a bonus for producing more than their quota, if they do not meet the quota, they are paid minimum wage. Cost comes in to play here, because federal minimum wage is $7.25, California's minimum was is $8.00. This is a HUGE jump from the cost of labor in other countries, where it can cost pennies an hour to produce garments. 

     The pieces move on to the machines. Each seamstress is responsible for one seam, they sew that same one all day, and they are proficient at it. The garment is then heat set and finished and all tagging and packaging takes place. Packaging also plays a huge role in the cost of a garment. The plastic bags used for shipping cost money and that cost trickles down to the consumer. After the order is packed up and ready to go, it is shipped to the manufacturer distribution centers.

  

Branding and Heritage with South Coast Plaza and Brooks Brothers

     After the Antex tour, we hurried to South Coast Plaza. South Coast Plaza has done a tremendous job of branding themselves. They are well known world-wide as a travel destination. They keep this image up by offering services not typical of a shopping center, such as a concierge desk and a VIP lounge. They also participate in the event "Fashion's Night Out" which was created to support consumer participation in the fashion industry during the U.S.'s economic struggle. They have a luxury assortment of retailers in the shopping center and equally luxurious dining, to create a calm, relaxing shopping environment. Retailers include (but not limited to); Bloomingdales, Christian Louboutin, Valentino and Oscar de la Renta, etc. Here is a link to their website to learn more about South Coast Plaza.

Brooks Brothers

     We were fortunate to also be able to speak to the store manager of Brooks Brothers, Stephanie Karr, as well as a man who has worked for the company for many, many years, Ted Flood. We learned of the Brooks Brothers Heritage and Sales philosophy. They hold the utmost respect for their clients, and take great pride in what they do every day.
     It takes a good deal of commitment to the product to stay in business for almost 200 years. In it's beginnings, the brand made men's suits and have clothed almost every president since 1818. In the 80's they introduced Women's wear and today they carry children's wear as well as a line of collegiate wear for the younger customer. They have multigenerational clientele and the tradition is, historically, passed down from father to son. Going into the future, they plan to clothe the whole family and create an even more familial integration to their average client base.
     The product assortment for their base customer, the professional man who wants to dress classic and polished, and his son, is specific and calculated. They offer off the rack product as well as custom built suits. A customer can speak with a specialist and choose everything from cut, to fabric and collar shape. They offer basics that stand the test of time and are tried and true products for their customer. Their wrinkle free button ups are the original "Polo" shirt and can be worn directly out of the dryer. *Ralph Lauren worked for Brooks Brothers and had an idea for a different polo shirt, this is when he started his own company and created the well known, modern polo shirt*
     To be profitable, you must have a clear and concise view for your brand. For a few years, the company was owned by someone trying to update the brand by getting rid of it's heritage and trying to, basically, create a new brand. When this happened, the company lost it's core client base because the brand was unfamiliar. Recently Brooks Brothers was purchased by an independent investor, Claudio del Vecchio. He is the sole proprietor of the business, so he is the only one who gets to call the shots, and they have all been wise. Since he took over the company, they have reached back to their roots; dark woods in their stores, a multigenerational sales approach, and a professional relaxed vibe in their stores. They have added trendier collections to broaden the customer bas, but have begun to regain the trust of their core customer. Here is a link to their website brooksbrothers

Antex fabrics

This is Ted. Ted knows everything.

     Antex is a major producer of knit fabrics in the U.S. and they were generous to give us an informational tour of their factory. They are accredited by multiple associations as well as some of their biggest contracts, such as Adidas, for their standards of production and labor.
Ted Kronfli packed as much information he could in the time that we had. He taught us about fabric purpose, how it is designed, knit, dyed and finished. He also talked about the testing process and spent a good amount of time on the history of polyester.
     Rather than running down the whole process he showed us, I think that I will highlight the areas that are great examples of cost factors as well as a little bit about how a fabric can be developed.

The top figure is a diagram of how double sided fabric is constructed.
( 2 yarns on the loop, one for the right side, one for the "wrong")
Also depicted is a diagram of what filament yarns (those used in polyester fabrics)
and spun yarns look like.

     Antex has a library of knit fabrics that manufacturers can choose from for their products. If a manufacturer needs a fabric that they do not currently make, they will work with them to develop a new one. This is  a service that can cost more, but is a good option for sportswear when a specific need exists. For example, Nike needed a fabric that would wick away moisture for their soccer players. Through a bit of trial and error, they designed a fabric that was polyester, double sided (plated knit) and wicked away most of the moisture, leaving some to cool off the players bodies. The success of this fabric deemed to be profitable because Nike now owns the rights to this fabric, now called Dri fit. Nike products are now produced with this technology, creating a market for individuals looking for high quality, high performance athletic wear.

a circular knit machine

     Antex is the largest circular knit producer left in the United States. This wasn't always so. Circular knit mills used to dominate the south, but due to the impact of production costs, there are none left in that region. There used to be hundreds of mills in Los angeles alone, but only around 100 left now. The lack of American mills can be an advantage for Antex. A lot of production is outsourced currently, for multiple reasons. One reason, Ted explained, is the incentives that companies can take advantage of. Currently, a lot of outsourcing is located in South America. Certain garments that are assembled in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras or Guatemala, can be shipped back to the US duty free, if the fabric is made in the United States. Incentives help lower the bottom line for manufacturers. This particular incentive helps Antex remain relevant in the industry because it encourages manufacturers to seek American made textiles.

This is the machine that creates each color. This process
happens after the color is chosen and analyzed to create
the right recipe.

To give you an idea of the process of circular knitting, I will give a basic idea of the steps included.

1. Yarns are supplied to the mill.
2. The mill uses these yarns to knit the fabric in a circular knit machine. 
3. The fabric is dyed
• The dying process involves some specific steps, including:
• selection
• color matching
• color creation
• dye method selection 
• based on type of dye needed to ensure colorfastness
• based on type of fabric
4. The fabric is cut to be flat
5. Then it is treated
6. Then heat set (also the time when width and weight is created)
7. Then the fabric is rolled onto the bolt

A rotary screen printer

• Another process that can be added is screen printing. Here are a couple of facts about screen printing fabric:
• At Antex, they have a rotary screen printer capable of printing 18 screens onto one fabric.
• Each screen costs $300.00
• the screen exists forever

Here are a few more pics and a video of the mill:

This is the machine that feeds the fabric to stretch
or contract the fabric to create the predetermined
weight, as well as the width requested by the
manufacturer to optimize the space utilized for
the pattern pieces.

The lab that creates the formulas for the dyes

Color matched samples. These are all from different dye
lots. They are compared to retain the integrity of the color
across every order.

This is a knit pattern given to a technician that programs the
machine to 

This machine can read the color of anything
and turn it into a series of numbers in which
a chemist reads to determine if a color is correctly
represented from the manufacturers original sample

They process of the production of fabrics has different cost factors at every level. Some elements of production to highlight where a cost decision must be made buy the manufacturer are:

• Yarn
• type of knit
• dye quality and attention to matching
• screen printing

The Dolby Theater mix up

  The first day that we all met up, we went to the Dolby Theater (formerly the Kodak). I am from the South Bay, 30 min. southwest of Los Angeles, so I had been there before. However, I never had the eyes before that I had on this trip. We weren't able to experience the Dolby Theater and see the architecture, but there were a couple of displays at the Hard Rock cafe that were interesting. 

     The Hard Rock cafe had display windows with garments worn by a couple of musicians. I was able to capture two that interested me. One of Katy Perry's and one of Fergie's. Regardless of my style, I was able to appreciate each of their looks . I like the theatricality of Katy Perry's style, exhibited in the sparkle and feathers as well as the color contrast she uses. Katy Perry is well known for her style that is fun, upbeat, and colorful. Fergie's outfit was a little more edgy. It shows more skin and showcases more design elements. The main thing you can take away from celebrity style is their influence on the public.

Each one of these girls offer free advertising for the brands and designers they wear. Here is a link to a website called "Steal her Style" It has pictures of things Katy has worn, and the names of the brands/ designers. There are also links for affordable ways to "steal her style".Katy Perry's style

 Weather you love them or hate them, they have influenced a generation of consumers.

Here is another link to that site with one look of Fergie's that you can steal. Fergie's style

Introduction

     A few of us from the Clothing, Textiles and Design program were fortunate to attend a study tour to Los Angeles. We attended multiple factory tours, shopped South Coast Plaza and Robertson Blvd, and went to the Los Angeles International Textiles Show. The experience was amazing and we were able to learn so much first hand that will help tremendously when we enter the job market. I am here to talk about the tours we attended and what we learned there, from a business perspective. I have a lot of experience in retail- where everything ends up. In retail, you are continually explaining the product; where it comes from, what it is made out of, why it costs what it costs. I will speak on each facility we visited as well as some fun tidbits on fashion and branding. Through this journey, I have gained a more complete understanding of the process to explain to the customer. I hope to pass on this knowledge. If you have questions, please ask!