The Craft Issue

no. 33

May 2017

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table of contents

03 masthead 04 contributors 05 editors' letter 08 no experience needed Student entrepreneurs at Northwestern take advantage of modern technology to bring their fashion ideas to life.

16 make america(n production) great again The promise of "Made in the USA" is associated with superior quality, high standards, and major patriotism – but is it a trustworthy promise?

18 she's all that We redefine formalwear by turning the cliché into an opportunity for eclectic mixing and matching

26 maker nation Big retailers and mega-malls encourage fashion conformity. One writer explores how to take fashion back into your own hands.

30 collage creations With some help from glitter and rhinestones, we are elevate arts and crafts to create bold makeup looks reminiscent of childhood.

34 a patch made in heaven STITCH ventures into Chicago for a behindthe-scenes look at the mechanisms – and the hands – behind the embroidery trend.

41 roy's sweatshirt— last word One STITCH writer shares a personal story of the memories and meaning behind a piece of clothing.

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CO-EDITORS IN CHIEF Amber Cline and Rachel Lefferts

A self-portrait made entirely out of the letters on a keyboard

MANAGING EDITOR Emily Ash CREATIVE DIRECTOR Renée Jacoby

Wh a you t is the hav b e ev est th er m ing ade ?

SENIOR EDITOR Christian Welch TREASURER Kay Veikos CO-DESIGN EDITORS Rachel Price and Angela Cheng

An outfit made of grocery bags, orange juice boxes, a milk jug and a meat plat ter that I wore to school on Earth Day in 6th grad e

DESIGN TEAM Birdy O’Conor, Jessie Paridis, Manon Blackman, Aysha Salter-Volz, Cindy Luan, Katherine Steiner, Crystal Gong, Michela Ferrari PRINT EDITOR Rachel Burns

A pinho le came ra that I and dev used to elop a b take unch of cool pic tures

ONLINE EDITOR Hayley Glazer ASSITANT ONLINE EDITOR Eden Lichterman STAFF WRITERS Isabel Seidel, Maddy Kaufman, Monty Nelson, Mackenzie Broderick, Grade Wade, Emily Chaiet, Ivy Li, Lexi Schiff CO-DIRECTORS OF PHOTOSHOOTS Sage Ressler and Nina Wescott DIRECTOR OF ONLINE PHOTOSHOOTS Helena Kalman STYLING TEAM Rachel Gradone, Christian Maness, Jane Carpenter, Sam Milstein, Erica Cantor, Olivia Krevoy ASSISTANT PHOTOSHOOT DIRECTOR Jason Yuan PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Melissa Cagan STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Charli Hu, Katherine Sprengel, Michelle Yun, Louis Lu, Luke Kleekamp, Jodie Wei, Elliot Nick, Mai Schotz, Ellie Levine DIRECTOR OF MULTIMEDIA Sydney Stein

A dress from fake flowers

MULTIMEDIA TEAM Emily Kvitko, Zoe Juanitas, Gabrielle Silva, Emily Orr, Smera Kumar, Kayla Reardon, Gibran Wirjawan, Nicole Tanda, Anna White, Karam Hansen

CO-DIRECTORS OF CORPORATE Hannah Curcio and Danielle Cohen CORPORATE TEAM Alexandra Menell, Sydney Agus, Haley Rolff, Phoebe Chase, Juliet Sage, Ruth Teklu SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Samuel Maude

took six which s n o r a ac flour nfetti m s of almond fu la il Van pound ts and attemp

SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Brooke Delaney, Wren Hagge, Macon Bianucci, Ridley Rochell, Courtney Schaf, Emma Kluever, Zoe Grossinger, Stella Kleynerman

A piece of string with a c mom, w lasp for hich wa my s s upposed bracelet to be a but all th e beads fell off

DIRECTOR OF EVENTS Madison Blanchard DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT Patricia Tang

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contributors

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Luke Kleekamp Boulder, CO

Birdy O'Conor Cleveland, OH

+ Freshman, Photo Team + Favorite creator: Nan Goldin + Song I can't get enough of: "Awake/Asleep" by Blonde Maze + What I'm most looking forward to this summer: Spontaneous mountain adventures with friends

+ Freshman, Design Team + Favorite creator: Tim Burton + Song I can't get enough of: "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Elvis Presley, Twenty One Pilots cover + What I'm most looking forward to this summer: Waitressing at the beach or researching neurolinguistics at NU

Zoe Juanitas Davis, CA

Nina Wescott Akron, OH

+ Sophomore, Multimedia Team + Favorite creator: Mickey Smith + Song I can't get enough of: "Falling Short" by Lapsley + What I'm most looking forward to this summer: Seeing Alt-J at Outside Lands

+ Freshman, Co-Photoshoot Director + Favorite creator: Elaine Welteroth + Song I can't get enough of: "Back in the Days" by Ahmad + What I'm most looking forward to this summer: Lollapalooza

editors' letter

In an age of mass production and ubiquitous technology, fashion is more accessible and engaging than ever. No longer reserved for those with the finances and industry clout to sit front row at runway shows, fashion can be consumed by anyone, anytime, anywhere. And yet, as with anything that becomes more available and replicable, value is lost in this process. With fashion at our fingertips, many are left craving the human element–the unique and artistic process behind fashion–that globalization has inevitably consumed.

Thus, the concept of craft has recently resurged as a panacea, if not a form of resistance, to the ills of the modernizing world. Take Etsy, which has experienced massive growth and success since it was founded in 2005 with the mission of championing craftsmanship. Or take beer, which has dominated the craft category in the past decade, and which according to Goldman Sachs, could account for 20 percent of it by 2021. Take almost any menu–it won’t take long to locate the word “artisanal.” Craft is here to stay and it’s not difficult to understand its appeal when you take into account our generation’s obsession with authenticity and originality.

It’s with these ideas in mind that we present our Craft Issue, where we take a wide look at craft in the fashion industry today, from student entrepreneurs with fashion start-ups (p. 8) to the ever-important role of the “petites-mains” (tiny hands) keeping couture alive amidst the facelessness of modern technology (p.

25). Taking craft into her own hands, one staff writer takes us on a journey to a family-owned embroidery shop in Jefferson Park, where she customizes an adorable white denim jacket. (p. 16).

Craft is even touching the STITCH organization. We’re thrilled to announce that this fall, with the help of Northwestern’s Center for Leadership, we will be launching a new merchandising initiative called STITCHED. We plan to take student-submitted designs and turn them into modern, relevant and ethically-sourced products to sell to the Northwestern community.

As you flip through the pages of this issue, we encourage you to think about your own petites-mains, and hope to inspire you to find out what craft means to you. xx Amber and Rachel Co-Editors In Chief

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Faces + Spaces:

Alice Yang

By Maddy Kaufman Photos by Michelle Yun

Have you ever dreamed of stitching Darth Vader onto a vintage t-shirt or embroidering flowers onto jeans? Alice Yang has made a business of it. Step inside her feminist dream room.

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The freshman English literature major’s room at 1838 Chicago Avenue looks like a pop-up shop for her Etsy store, which she started last summer. Alongside vintage-style maps and hanging stars that line her bed are her prized embroidered hoops with antique flair and sassy messages—not exactly what you would expect from an aspiring environmental lawyer.

Yang has found that embroidery is her outlet for the stressors of Northwestern, allowing her to show off her personal style—made up of mostly mom jeans, Adidas and turtleneck sweaters. Yang taught herself embroidery after wanting to personalize her clothes in a Brandy Melville-esque style. She would buy cheap t-shirts at thrift stores or fast fashion outlets and add her own touch.

While at school, she mainly embroiders shirts as gifts for her friends. “It’s pretty easy,” she says. “I learned from a YouTube tutorial. You make a star pattern and then weave your thread over and under the lines multiple times until it creates a circle.” Even though her Etsy store will not be back up until this summer, she gladly accepts requests to embroider emojis or Darth Vader onto your t-shirt for less than $20.

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No Experience Needed

By Grace Wade

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The process of designing and producing clothes is not how it used to be. Now anyone, even those who lack the skills to sew or sketch, can generate a clothing line. Students at Northwestern are taking advantage of the resources provided by technology to make their designs come alive. From the individual-oriented brand NoFeedback to the spontaneously created line Pseudo, student entrepreneurs are capitalizing on the benefits of modern technology and their own creativity to produce unique clothing. ...

When Arda Genç and Varun Ganglani, sophomores in the McCormick School of Engineering, began designing their clothing brand, NoFeedback, this past fall, the duo aimed to keep the wearer in mind.

The streetwear brand, which has not officially launched yet, features articles of clothing with upside down, handdrawn text and unique, vintage photographs.

clothing one wears should not be subjected to the feedback of other people, but should cater solely to the wearer: hence the name NoFeedback. The upside down text also adhere to this concept.

such as “heartbroken” and “lovesick” are printed upside down in pastel purples and pinks. One hand-drawn design reads “friends” to the viewer, but from the viewpoint of the wearer it depicts the phrase “family.”

“Clothes are for yourself,” Genç says.

“So the designs are reversed because when the customer wearing it looks down, they can read what it says.”

In addition to these phrases in gothic fonts, NoFeedback’s clothing displays compelling, oldschool images on the backs of the shirts and sweatshirts.

“When you wear something you’re happy with, what other people think shouldn’t matter.”

“I like wearing what I want to wear without caring what other people think of me,” Genç explains.

“That’s where the first concept came from for NoFeedback.”

— Arda Genç

The design process begins with hand drawing catchy phrases and then searching for a photograph to accompany the text before translating the designs onto products. Amongst According to Genç, the brand the black hoodies, blue crewnecks encompasses the idea that the and other pieces of clothing, phrases

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“We are into the hip-hop scene, and so we look for pictures of iconic artists with a vintage, underground vibe,” Genç says.

“And now we are going to try and draw the pictures by hand and play around with the designs on illustrator to produce something unique.”

Genç and Ganglani were both inspired by streetwear brands they follow on Instagram. After discussing branding strategies, they decided they could create something special together.

“We found that a lot of young people who are into fashion are interested in anything even slightly exclusive,” Genç says.

“Like Supreme drops.”

Therefore, NoFeedback plans on maintaining an air of exclusivity by releasing limited quantities of each piece.

NoFeedback is currently in the pro-

Photographer: Mai Schotz Clothes: NoFeedback Models: Arda Genรง Creator: Nina Wescott โ ข MAY 2017

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Photographer: Mai Schotz Clothes: NoFeedback, Pseudo Models: Jonah Phillips and Helena Roberts, Gordon Dunbar Creator: Nina Wescott

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cess of designing and ordering sample products in anticipation of its official launch. Within the next couple of weeks, Genç and Ganglani will be comparing the quality, price and service times of multiple manufacturers before finalizing their products. Ultimately, the goal is to create a brand that supports individuality.

idea what we are doing,” Dunbar says. “I think that adds to our clothes. It doesn’t take away.”

For Psuedo the design process is just as arbitrary. The three freshmen attempt to meet twice a week to simply sit down with printer paper and pencils and let the ideas flow. With no formal artistic training, Tambo“I think a lot of people wear clothes rrel, Dunbar and Zhou hand-draw that they are scared people will find the designs that will later be printed funny,” Genç says. “When you wear onto articles of clothing. Even their something you’re happy with, what logo is in Dunbar’s handwriting. other people think shouldn’t matter.

That’s what NoFeedback supports.” “We aren’t great artists, but we get the general idea across, and then make it nice with a ruler,” Dunbar ... says. “That’s something we want Allison Dining Hall is not the to carry with us—that every single place where you would expect design you see on our clothing has to find inspiration for a cloth- been hand-drawn at some point.” ing line. However, that is exactly where Gordon Dunbar, Nicolas Most of Pseudo’s clothing is eiTamborrel and Jesse Zhou came ther black or white, with a small together to brainstorm. Now, after design imprinted upon it in the a mere 10 weeks, the trio has de- inverse color. The simple color palsigned, produced and sold an ar- ette is occasionally broken up by ray of streetwear-inspired clothing. hints of red, light blue and pale pink. While the design may ap“There was no serious thought pro- pear simple, the meaning is not. cess,” Dunbar says. “I sent Jesse a text over winter break and said “It’s never about what would look cool, but what we’re try‘We’re too creative to sit around.’ ing to create,” Dunbar says.

All three of us got together and “We’re trying to play with pretalked about starting a clothing conceived notions about an idea.” line for about an hour and a half, and then we just, well, started it.” For example, one of their designs features the words, “PMuseum of The spontaneity with which the Art,” which makes light of the highclothing brand arose inspired brow associations with museums. the name: Pseudo. According to the dictionary, the word pseudo Another design features a blue and means “not genuine or a sham.” pink kite with the phrase, “all that you need” written below. Accord“Sure, someone might be buying ing to Dunbar, the pastel colors our apparel, but we don’t have any are meant to invoke the notion of 14

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childhood—being young and carefree. The placement of the whimsical phrase beneath a nostalgic symbol of youth evokes the idea that sometimes you need to simply fly away in order to escape reality.

Photographer: Mai Schotz Clothes: Pseudo Models: Gordon Dunbar Creator: Nina Wescott

“I think it’s more of making a statement and capturing it creatively,” Dunbar says. He believes that how one dresses is an outward expression of the inner self, a notion that Pseudo conveys in its clothing.

The team has not thought much about the future of the budding brand. They are simply seeing where it goes. The invaluable experience that comes with building a line of clothing is worth whatev-

er happens, according to Dunbar.

“We learned so much,” Dunbar says. “It would be awesome to have this on the side while I’m in college or maybe even beyond.”

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MAKE AMERICA(N PRODUCTION) GREAT AGAIN

By Mackenzie Broderick

P

art of the implicit promise in “Make America Great Again” is making American industry great again.

An integral part of Trump’s presidential campaign platform was returning blue collar jobs, such as manufacturing, back to the United States. Trump tapped into popular patriotism by championing the cause of "Made in America." The idea is about more than manufacturing; it is about what it means to be American. The phrase may have become more politicized since the election, but most of us attach a certain quality—and a higher standard—to products made in America. The "Made in 16

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China" or "Made in India" labels stitched into our clothes do not stop us from buying them, but there is still some guilt from purchasing cheaply produced, un-patriotic clothes.

"Made in America" is often presented as the better consumer choice — but is it?

To understand "Made in America," we need to understand when most manufacturing moved overseas. Writing for the U.S. Bureau of Labor, Monica Gabor chronicled how several Asian countries—specifically Japan, Taiwan and India— gained a foothold in the global marketplace after World War

II. But when China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001, "Made in China" was born as cheap labor and industry resources allowed the country to dominate production of everything from toys to t-shirts.

However a backlash also emerged as the origins of a piece of clothing became wrapped up in both political and moral spheres. According to the Huffington Post and the New York Times respectively, the lead in Chinese products is poisoning us and the sweatshops are hurting workers.

"Made in America" became a call not only for patriotism, but

“Made in America becomes a call not only to patriotism, but also for doing the right thing.” also for doing the right thing.

The domestic production of clothes, such as with the now bankrupt American Apparel, became a definitive part of branding.

Groups like Made in the USA and Americans Working track products that are made in America and promise “Be American, Buy American” and “When you buy American you save or create American jobs!”

Even Trump himself might be considered a culmination of the "Made in America" brand, a product whose popularity relies on people perceiving it to be the real deal. But "Made in America" is deceptive. The phrase is posited as opposite

of what "Made in China" or "Made in India" represents when it might not be so different after all. It is likely that clothing produced in America is still made in dangerous conditions by an exploited labor force that, for the most part, is not American.

"Made in America" is championed as one way to keep jobs here, but as Amanda Freeman points out in her article for the Garment Worker Center, most workers in American clothing factories are immigrants from China and Mexico. The majority of these garment factories are in the Los Angeles area and many employ illegal tactics that most people are more comfort-

fortable imagining in thirdworld countries, such as locking workers in factories and intimidating employees against forming unions.

Currently, there are estimated to be about 200,000 garment workers in the U.S., but that number could increase. The landscape of manufacturing, with apprel and beyond, is shifting once again. The labor and land that made China a powerhouse is becoming more expensive and some industry predictors such as Boston Consulting Group believe that America will regain some of the manufacturing jobs it has lost. But jobs for whom and under what conditions? Even if we do begin to spot more "Made in America" tags, that is no guarantee for clothing we can wear without qualms. The promise of "Made in America", then, remains elusive.

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She's All That Formalwear may seem synonymous with cookie-cutter bodycons and skater skirts, but formal looks are our playground in this shoot with some help from safety pins, embroidery and vintage tees.

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Photographer: Sam Schumacher Directors of Shoot: Beatrice Hagney and Sarah Spellings Stylists: Nina Wescott, Sage Ressler, Madison Blachard, Hannah Curcio, Christian Maness Models: Holly Hinchcliffe, Anna White On Holly: Ideology grey fur, American Apparel bandeau

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On Holly: Vintage vest, Asos green dress

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On Anna: Asos green dress, Forever 21 earrings On Holly: Re:named purple dress

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On Holly: Re:named purple dress On Anna: Free People overalls, Topshop white tank, Abercrombie green fur, Forever 21 earrings, Forever 21 chunky sandals

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On Holly: American Apparel bandeau, Topshop black midi skirt, Brash black heels, Ideology grey fur On Anna: Vintage red t-shirt, Charlotte Russe tulle skirt, Forever 21 earrings, Forever 21 chunky sandals • MAY 2017

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By Patricia Tang

Big retailers and mega malls encourage fashion conformity.

One writer explores how to take fashion back into your own hands.

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Growing up in the 2000s, I defined fashion as conformity. My middle school dress code was not as restrictive as the unspoken, school-wide style norms.

There probably was not even a need for a dress code, considering nobody would dare show up to school without their skinny jeans, Ugg boots and Abercrombie hoodies. I wish I could say that I did my own thing and refused to follow these trends. I mean, a few people did. Unfortunately, I was not one of these expectation-defying style mavens.

My wardrobe was not enviably unique. Rather, I owned Abercrombie hoodies in basically every color and wore my Uggs whenever I could, even during the summer if it was cool enough. Call it basic, unoriginal, or even a characteristically teenage compulsion to follow the crowd: I just could not help but be roped into the fashion trends around me.

Even though I never deviated too far from the fashion norms that governed my early adolescent life, I still attempted to experiment with style through more subtle means. During my first few years of middle school, I was convinced that the only way to escape the manufactured look of big name brands like Abercrombie was by taking things into my own hands and making my own clothes. This might be because I obsessed over fashion design kits as a child and was enamored by the

idea of becoming a bona-fide fashion designer. I envisioned myself creating beautiful pieces that could wow strangers and stop crowds. And, with that hope in mind, I began to design. My first-ever creation was a “multi-way wrap dress”: an uncut, unadulterated piece of plain purple cloth that I haphazardly knotted into a toga-like contraption and wore over a white t-shirt. I showed it off as my 6th grade capstone project on fashion design and emphasized its no-sew design and versatility, in that one could drape the cloth however they wanted. The piece was not very well received.

Was it because I attempted to pass off a thinner, less modest toga as a novel, revolutionary fashion design? Probably, but I will never really know.

that I wanted a knit bear hat, I immediately found one and bought it on the site. I could trace back every phase I went through in my teens via the graphic tees I bought online.

Etsy provided me with unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that let me show the world who I truly was instead of hiding my personality in the pockets of my Hollister jeans and Abercrombie hoodies, pretending to be like everyone else.

More importantly, Etsy and its community of makers inspired and rekindled my love for creating. Before I stumbled across the site, I assumed that all clothes came from commercial stores in big malls. Such a characterization, I thought, seemed appropriate and unsurprising given that America is the land of Walmart and vast shopping complexes. I imagined small businesses and individual retailers as plants attempting to grow in a concrete jungle: how could they ever thrive? It turns out that, just as plants break through the cracks in the pavement and take root in cityscapes, small businesses and individual retailers thrive and coexist with big-name, mega-mall stores.

It was then that I decided, for the time being, that making clothes was not exactly my forté. So I looked for other ways to show off my individuality. I stumbled across Etsy, a place for makers to sell their handmade goods. On online marketplaces like Etsy, vendors come from all kinds of places and backgrounds and craft a plethora of goods. I discovered that I could order anything and everything According to the U.S. Small I could possibly ever want on- Busines Association, the numline. When I suddenly decided ber of small businesses in

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these sales figures would almost be expected of a largescale retailer like Macy’s or Neiman Marcus, the magic in these numbers is that they are a result of many individual transactions between consumers and individual online America has increased by 49 storefronts. Between eBay’s 25 percent since 1982, and 54% million unique sellers worldpercent of U.S. sales happen at wide and Etsy’s 1.6 million in small businesses. Even though 2015, the e-commerce model the Small Business Association’s definition of small businesses encompasses enterprises much larger than most independent online storefronts, these The statistics still speak to key to an the successes of small individual look lies businesses in America in wearing despite the seemingly unstoppable ubiquisomething that ty of big corporations. holds personal The popularity of e-commerce further aids the growth of small businesses. In 2016, business-to-consumer e-commerce sales worldwide hit $1.922 trillion. It is undeniable that the Internet has established itself as a fertile land where small businesses may flourish. For example, the value of merchandise sold on the online marketplace eBay in 2016 amounted to $79.4 billion.

meaning.

parel were not affiliated with any major corporations: all of them were small businesses, and many of them consisted of just one person operating out of his or her own home.

Though my previous failures in apparel-making convinced me that I did not possess the skills necessary to create anything worth wearing, Etsy’s success really made me think. If all of these hundreds of thousands of Etsy makers could produce their own unique, personal creations out of generic craft store materials, why couldn’t I? When I finally returned to making and modifying apparel after my initial failure, I found confidence in the idea that fashion on a small scale was not completely impossible. I eventually discovered that even though I still was not very good at making apparel, my confidence in my ability to create something eventually helped me become better at it. Since the dark age of 6th grade, I have distressed my own jeans, modified countless t-shirts, sewn skirts and bags and made my own jewelry. The quality of my creations is certainly worse than the products I have bought from Etsy crafters, but still a far cry from my humble, purple sheet-wearing origins.

ensures originality, not ubiquity. Thus, the current unstoppable growth of e-commerce allows makers to thrive and create without limits.

These small online apparel businesses that exist on platforms like eBay and Etsy strike a major contrast to the basEtsy, while a less established tions of the apparel industry e-commerce platform, still had like Abercrombie and Forever a merchandise sales volume 21. The shops on Etsy that I I am embarrassed to say that I of $2.84 billion in 2016. While relied on for personalized ap- am still not confident enough 28

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to wear my creations in public.

Regardless, creating my own apparel taught me the value of the individuality of style. Everything I make, no matter the quality, holds sentimental value and originates from a personal story or experience. And even though I did not create the pieces I bought on Etsy myself, I now see the value of buying unique, handmade clothing and accessories.

Buying, making and wearing handmade pieces is a way to define your style and take it into your own hands. Why go to a store like Urban Outfitters and buy a pre-patched denim jacket with generic patches, when you could repurpose an existing jean jacket and sew on patches that actually mean something to you?

These kinds of unique clothing pieces hold deeper meaning than your run-of-the-mill, pseudo-vintage, big-name store find. They truly define personal style. Individuality in fashion is not any different from individuality in any other field or discipline; it is simply a display of all of the various experiences and little things that make up a person.

aspirations for the future.

Really, the key to an individual look lies in wearing something that holds personal meaning.

Today, with Etsy and other similar services, you do not have to be an expert in crafting or making or even have the slightest clue of how to do so to buy and wear things that mean something to you.

Personal style comes with being unafraid of resisting the shield of stylistic conformity defined by ubiquitous brand names and becoming comfortable with unabashedly flaunting who you are. Success in style does not come with epitomizing current fashion trends; rather, it comes with doing your own thing and being yourself.

Therefore, in pursuing a unique look, it is essential to show others what makes you who you are through meaningful style choices. The pieces you choose to wear could hold fairly trivial meanings, such as my handmade bear hat, or they could be mementos from old times or places, gifts from important people or • MAY 2017

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Collage Creations

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Photographer: Jodie Wei Stylists: Madison Blanchard, Christian Maness, Helena Kaulman, Sage Ressler, and Nina Wescott Models: Ogi Ifediora and Samuel Donnis

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l a v i v Sur ittest F e h of t

By Monty Nelson

The society that we live in can be both energizing and exhausting. Today, we suffer from something much greater than buyer’s remorse: the uncontrollable lust for what is to come with future products. We are no longer satisfied with the objects we buy because we experience an uncontrollable fear of missing out—that in the near future something shinier, sleeker and better will come around and we will be disappointed with the lesser version we just bought.

In an episode of “Keeping up with the Kardashians,” Kanye West predicts that 3D printing will destroy the textile industry the way online streaming platforms have forever changed the music industry, ultimately taking away the power of the human hand and placing it in the hands of machines. While Kanye says he cannot deny the benefits of streaming—as seen through the rise of Chance the Rapper and music 32

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becoming more accessible through channels such as Spotify—an element of artistry has been left behind.

Similar changes are happening in fashion. Core values of this generation revolve around efficiency, ease, speed and high quality. Due to the rise of fast fashion, consumers no longer look for long-lasting garments, but instead for pieces that fit current trends, causing a divide between the craftsmanship of the luxury sector and the average consumer’s desires.

Along with multiple other industries, the technology sector grows at a rapid rate each day, raising the question of whether brands can survive without embracing technology.

Recently, designers such as Irvis Van Herpen, Junya Watanabe and Becca McCharen of Chromat have fully embraced the integration of technology and fashion. These developments have created fasci-

nating designs such as Chomart’s “Adrenaline” dress that moves to the same pace of the wearer’s heart beat thanks to sensors placed within the garment. Proenza Schouler also found a way to weave together the power and innovations of technology with the cornerstones of high fashion, showing the artistry of the design. In their Pre-Fall 2014 show, Proenza Schouler pioneered a new fabric called “flocked velvet,” which is made of a foam material that, as it expands, creates a pattern within the velvet that resembles lace.

Even though designs have begun to integrate fashion and technology in an organic and fascinating way, there is a sense of anxiety surrounding the jobs that will be lost due to machines and whether these machines will ultimately replace everyone in the fashion system except the designer. As I watched the 2014 documentary “Dior and I,” I was

fascinated to explore the work of the ing half the weight of aluminium. ed and fawned over, but it would be petits mains—the men and women Qmilk, a thread made out of sour extremely naive to believe that the within the atelier who, through years milk, is resistant to bacteria and world of fashion can stay the same of practice and apprenticeships, have fire. Designers now have the pos- as technology throughout the multibecome experts on techniques such sibility of making timeless piec- ple facets of our daily lives take over. as dealing with lace and intricate es with these materials, which embroidery. Even when Beyond creating a disthe never-ending wheel tinctive personal style, of creative directors the fashion world canchanges, often leaving not function without the historic fashion houses work of the petits mains. without clear direction, Not only are the petit We are no longer these women and men mains the ones who take are the true heart of the the creative directors’ visatisfied with the objects company, transcending sions from drawings to we buy because we trends, designers and true garments, but these economic downfalls and men and women underexperience an maintaining the integristand both the technical uncontrollable fear of ty of the brand. Technolaspects of a brand and the missing ogy cannot do the same. history of the company.

out — that in the near

It is truly a romantic idea Even in this particufuture something shinier, to believe that the petits larly tumultuous time mains of the leading fashin fashion, where the sleeker and better will ion houses such as Dior creative directors seem come around. and Chanel will prevent to only stay for two to brands from replacing three years—as seen handwork with techwith Alexander Wang nology, especially due to at Balenciaga and Raf cost-efficient technology Simons at Dior—the and the diversity of ideas petits mains are a conit allows for. To young designers, this are cheaper and eliminate waste. sistent part of brand identity. ability to create new fabrics, patterns and silhouettes provides the While the full integration of tech- They provide endless knowledge platform to create an iconic look for nology into fashion has not hit mass and advice to the new creative dithe 21st century, just as Yves Saint market yet, innovations such as the rectors about what the brand is truly Laurent did with the smoking suit. Apple Watch and Snapchat specta- about. For these petits mains, their cles have demonstrated to the fash- fashion houses are their homes and The power of technology has an- ion world that people are open and they believe in the art they create. swered many of the daunting willing to integrate technology into questions regarding economic and their wardrobes. However, it must It is up to the consumer to conenvironmental stability for de- come across in an organic and useful tinue to value the petits mains. It signers. Shrilk, a fabric made from manner. It will forever be important is up to designers to experiment the proteins of shrimp shells and to pay tribute to the women and with new technology, while realthe proteins derived from silk, is men who work tirelessly to create izing there are some things that thin, clear and flexible while be- the pieces of fashion that are covet- technology cannot replace.

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h c t a p

One STITCH writer ventured to a custom embroidery shop in Chicago and left with a one-of-a-kind creation.

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If I remember correctly, the last badge I earned for my elementary Brownie vest was a triangular, iron-on emblem that commended my friendship bracelet weaving skills.

At the end of second grade, both of my Brownie troop leaders quit, ceasing my career as a lowly decorated Girl Scout.

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I wanted to create something completely original.

Now fast-forward almost 13 years and I felt it was time to re-initiate myself into the world of patchwork. I have always been a big fan of Nylon Magazine’s now retired Factory Girl column by Dani Stahl, where she would travel to fashion headquarters, factories and workshops around the globe to take a glimpse inside what really goes into making everything from Essie nail polish to Chanel pumps. STITCH’s Craft Issue seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring the series back in my own right.

Embroidered denim has been on trend lately and while I easily could have found an embroidered or patch-embellished jean jacket at Zara, I wanted to create something completely original.

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I decided to make my canvas an ivory denim Gap jacket I discovered in the depths of my mom’s closet, probably not worn since my Girl Scout days. I’m a DIY aficionado, but I was not about to embroider a jacket all on my own.

After a fair share of cold calling Chicago embroidery shops and equally as many rejections—most embroidery shops do not do their own in-house stitching anymore— Marv Mazzucchelli at Midwest Swiss Embroidery saw my vision and accepted the challenge to help me make a completely custom jacket.

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I arrived at the Mazzucchelli’s family-owned custom embroidery shop in Jefferson Park on a Friday afternoon. The building is extremely unassuming from the outside and it is even further from glamorous on the inside. I assume the inside of a typewriter would feel very similar to the interior of the industrial workshop that Mazzucchelli ushered me into. The long rows of embroidery machines all clicked in unison, cranking out custom names and logos on cotton polos and baseball caps. Right away Mazzucchelli gave my jacket a good look before popping it into a plastic hoop frame that he would insert into one of the idle machines. With decades of experience under his belt, the task seemed to be a mere motor skill for Mazzucchelli.

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I had previously hand sewn a set of winking eye iron-ons from Wildflower + Co. onto the jacket, but I wanted to go even further by branding the back of the coat with some mantra— that would not come off as too cliché. In all honesty, the saying that I ended up using was not completely original, but rather I got my inspiration from a famous mural in Miami that reads, “I’ll See It When I Believe It.” I asked Mazzucchelli if he could also stitch my nickname “Izzy” in script above the left breast pocket of the jacket, because that too seemed like the trendy thing to do.

And with the click of some buttons, the machine began to bedeck the jacket, letter by letter, at 700 stitches a minute. While we waited for the embroidery machine to complete the 24,000 stitch job in baby blue threading, Mazzucchelli showed me around the quaint workspace with brick walls and concrete floors. Midwest Swiss, a 67-year-old family business run by Mazzucchelli and his siblings, specializes in custom projects—anything from intricate badges for sheriff uniforms to colorful library patches for kids’ backpacks.

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After a good 30 minutes of stitching, the jacket looked like it had been pulled straight out of a Wildfox lookbook and was ready to wear. I could hear Prince’s “Party like it’s 1999” anthem playing on the radio which oozed retro vibes as I slipped on the one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I looked down at my baby blue nickname above the pocket and felt instant satisfaction, like a bona fide Factory Girl. Forget about the polyester Girl Scout vest—I had my very own piece of patchwork made in heaven, all in the name of STITCH fashion.

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D OR W ST LA

ROY'S SWEATSHIRT

By Samuel Maude Roy passed away due to old age. And honestly, I barely knew him. I do not know why, but we did not see him that often. I knew him as that Harley guy and that was about it. Yes, I knew he fought in a war, but I have no idea which war it was.

The only people who went to his funeral were my dad and his siblings. When I asked to go, my dad told me to stay home and focus on my schoolwork. That was more important. Along with the funeral came cleaning out my grandpa’s house. Certain members of the family took the things they wanted. My dad got Roy's army medals, which he wound up giving to me.

And yet, those are not the heirlooms that I value the most.

Though my dad was a similar size to my grandpa and thus received the vast majority of his clothing, there was one piece he decided to give to me: a grey pullover sweatshirt with a leather stripe on the front.

It smells like my grandpa’s house and it reminded me of my family history. This single article of clothing, that I never wear, still holds an incredibly important place in my closet and in my life. It is a reminder of my grandparents I understand that it is quite odd that I attribute such deep meaning to a sweatshirt belonging to a man I hardly knew, but it is all I have to connect me to my dad’s side of the family. The only sensory feeling I have toward them is that smell—the smell that reminds me of my grandpa’s cigarettes and tattoos.

He was a Harley guy.

I would never wear the sweatshirt—I do not care for the style—but the story makes it special. When I think about clothing, I tend to think about the stories

that each item holds. Whether it be a sweatshirt from a religious retreat or an American Eagle t-shirt from my middle school days, my closet is filled with memories that help shape my identity.

Around campus students design clothing, give tattoos and share their stories through creation. They spend their time drafting, cutting and poking. They make memories. Perhaps a student will be wearing a t-shirt she designed when she meets her true love or perhaps a tattoo will start a conversation with a random individual that winds up giving her a Clothing, job. Clothing, accessories, accessories and tattoos are and tattoos are personal and that is what personal, and makes them that is what so important.

makes them so

The smell of important. cigarettes and the feeling that the scent gives me make Roy’s sweatshirt something incredibly special. It is a piece of clothing that has meaning.

That meaning transforms it from an old, musty handme-down into so much more. Every spring cleaning, that sweatshirt stays in my closet. I just cannot get rid of it. Clothing has incredible meaning. It is made for the memories.

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“

Fashion is not necessarily about labels.

It’s not about brands. It’s about something else that comes from within you.

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– Ralph Lauren

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