Diary of an Atelier

changes to spring 08 collection

2007-11-05T13:51:00.001-08:00

The spring samples have arrived, been sorted, cancelled, replaced and redesigned.
Here are the changes so far:
1. Cancel previous sweater design and replace with a satin-lined sewn to shape sweater jacket. Tentative colours: dark heather grey, golden olive

2. change material and colour for coat dress from loop back jersey knit to woven stripe cotton, in dark grey (with white accents) and black (with dark grey accents)

3. Add a waterproofed cotton raincoat in the same woven-stripe cotton. One run in all black, the other dark grey with black trim. Both styles have a large silver clip buckle and silver buttons at hip pockets and cuffs. New favorite coat?

4. Change colour of jersey loop back knit coat (cancel melon and olive) to "putty" (think a warm grey with a touch of lilac added) and palest grey. Also added D-ring closure to belt and lining to upper body.

5. Add a dress in matching materials and colours to the above:

6. Change colours of kimono sleeve dress. Keep the olive with white trim, add dark grey heather with white trim. The manufacturer put these cute ornate buttons on the original sample (by accident?) which I really liked so the plain plastic ones will be replaced by the accidental cuter buttons.
7. And lastly, add a new dress. I wanted something simple for office to day to night. This one can do it all. It's made of the softest stretch rayon jersey and has a really flattering criss-crossed wrap around the waistline.

Spring 08 samples on the way

2007-10-04T11:28:00.001-07:00

Here is an overview of the line currently in production for spring. The first samples should arrive by the end of the month at which time, I'll be making final decisions on colour and cut.

I decided not to do any separates for this season as it's been harder to convince boutiques to buy these pieces, especially when it means putting an outfit together for a customer. As a test run, I've decided to keep it simple and focus on outerwear and dresses. I'm in the process of designing 3 more dresses and a lightweight coat for summer/pre-fall 08.

Here are some designs I cut from Spring 08.
First, a cropped, ruffle-backed blouse with a skinny belt, double rounded collar and 3/4 french cuffs.

To go with the blouse, a high-waisted A-line skirt with a removable matching sash.

I originally had another coat, this one a waterproofed cotton raincoat.

It's hard to make these decisions. One always wonders, would they have done well. Did I make the right choice? It hurts a little to work so hard on a design that you sort of fall in love with it only to realize it could turn out to be the next dog and you're better off without it. I always hang on to the designs for a year or two, I suppose to break off the relationship gradually. I really do love what I do.

Spring 08 Runway

2007-09-28T09:43:00.001-07:00

While I've been on the road, fashion week came and went in New York, London and Milan. Here are a few of my favorites:

Doo Ri

BCBG

BCBG

BCBG

Bottega Veneta

Proenza Schouler

This is a piece from my spring 2006 line. The colour (olive-gold) seemed to put people off back then but lately I've been getting a lot of requests for it (now that I've sold them all, of course) I'm doing a fine-knit drapey cardigan for spring in this colour and light grey heather.

i love san francisco

2007-09-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

I had a feeling it would happen. Everyone told me I'd love it. I thought, sure, I probably will. I like bridges and redwoods and hippies well enough. But then I finally went and oh my... the victorian architecture, the shopping, the friendly people, the climate, the history....

We stayed next to union square, right on a cable car line.

I soon discovered that the area was packed with shops that I wanted to spend money in.

The coolest china town I have ever seen.

Telegraph Hill and Coit Tower.

The wild parrots of telegraph hill- I saw them!!

We had dinner, not breakfast, at a place famous for swedish pancakes started in 1938 by an ex-circus clown and his wife.

We bought organic concord grapes and enjoyed the ambiance of Haight street.

We sipped $7 lattes and watched the silicone parade in the lounge of the Clift hotel (which had a lot of strange chairs.)

And more shopping and/or drooling. This boutique is called Dish and is located in Hayes Valley.

All in all, a fabulous trip. Thread was a bit of a letdown in this city. Attendance was low, my booth was a mile from any changing rooms or mirrors and the customers seemed to be under the impression that this was an off-price show in the Central district, not the Marina district. I think I may have found a few new boutiques on my day off which makes up a bit for the lackluster show. Still, I can't wait to come back and am thinking up excuses to do so already. The Seattle Thread easily took the lead as the biggest and best in my books. I will be returning for the December show in addition to two other shows in November called UnZipped(17th/18th) and Crave(3rd and 4th).

Whirlwind tour!

2007-09-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm off to San Diego tomorrow for my first thread show.
Next week I go to Kamloops for my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Luckily my sweet pal Ali is going to run the Seattle thread show for me.
The following week, it's back down south for the San Francisco thread show.

As hard as it may be to believe, I've never been to San Fran before. I'm planning to do a lot of road repping while I'm in the south so there won't be a lot of time to sight see. If the shows are profitable, I may return in december for the next ones.
It's a thread whirlwind! http://www.threadshow.com
See ya when I get back-hopefully with my bags full of money- not clothes!

designing for spring '08

2007-08-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'm procrastinating. I have about 24 hours to finish designing for spring and here I am writing a blog. I've decided to narrow my focus even more by doing only outerwear and dresses. I had designs for a high-waisted A-line skirt and a cute belted blouse but I've decided that separates are too much of a liability for my limited budget. Here are a couple of sketches of what I'm working on:

I'm going with a citrus- inspired palette:
olive green, cantaloupe and yellow ochre with cream and grey.
Here's a storyboard I put together this morning to get it into my head:

I should have samples in a couple of months. Can't wait!!

in the throes...

2007-08-16T23:54:00.000-07:00

Wow. Has it really been only a month since that last post? It feels like every minute of my life has been so jam-packed with things to do, things that should've been done, and things that demand my immediate attention, it seems more like 3 months.
The shipment came in just fine. a few snags with customs as I was "randomly picked" for yet another intensive search. Getting the shipment into my place required some serious elbow grease. At one point, I actually thought I might die of overexertion. It took two full days afterwards to feel like I had the energy to lift a glass of water. And that was even after I tipped the truck driver a lot of money to help with half of it.
I've been busy rounding up new shops, tending to old accounts and changing the way I do business with others. to date I've shipped out 130 cardigans, 143 wool coats, 160 dresses.... and still so much more to go. I'm really building a relationship with the postal workers around here.
Speaking of shops, my line is now available online at http://www.petaline.net Be sure to also check out my sweet friend's handbag line, Sabrina Love, on Petaline. Sabrina makes the most gorgeous high-end bags you've ever seen.
Well, as predictable as this may sound, I'm tired and need to go to bed now.

I'm working on my spring 08 line and will post photos of samples as soon as I can.
Here are some shots from the 08 resort collections that caught my eye. Simple. Elegant, Feminine. Love it.

Fall is coming.

2007-07-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well, production went off without a single hitch this season. The samples look perfect, the paperwork looks good, export was a cinch and the boat left on time. The pessimistic side of me is waiting for the bomb to drop but you know, it looks like everything is going to be textbook this year. We hired a new production manager named Yinyin Li who seems to have a really good grasp on sourcing both labor and textiles. She also acts as our export agent. Her experience really shows in the quality of the garments. I've never seen samples look so good. Thanks also to Wenjing, my "partner in crime", who found Li to begin with and is going to China in October to source more materials. She works her little butt off, that girl.
Here are a couple photos of samples I received last week.
Here is the knit cardigan, in cocoa

This is the Biella Wool Trench in black

Here are two possible homepages I created this morning. I think I'll use the second one.

Fall photos

2007-06-07T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some new photos of the Fall collection. I've had to cut nearly half of my designs due to various agonizing reasons. The good news is, I think I've narrowed it down to the best pieces. It's a small line but it's by far the largest order (quantity-wise) that I've ever ordered. We have new manufacturers, four of them to be exact, and each specializes in a specific field. (eg. knits, silks, etc)
Production is going on now and the ship is due to arrive in the port of seattle in mid-august, weather permitting, as usual. I still need to get a photo shoot lined up for this season but am waiting for one last sample to arrive.

my first tradeshow

2007-05-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the UnZipped Show. Technically not my first show but definitely my first time repping my own line. And you know what? I absolutely LOVED it. I was swamped with customers from 10am to close. Everyone in booths around me was so nice, not at all what I'd heard these shows were like. I made lots of new friends with the other designers from around the country. The vendors, buyers, press, shoppers-all really great people. Thanks to everyone for making me feel so at home in this new experience. I'm psyched for the November Unzipped and the next Thread shows.

Kimberly Sun in her new Vignette Coat. Kimberly makes the cutest belts and headbands. You can see her work at: www.kimberlysundesigns.etsy.com

Some other folks you should check out:
Renee and her mom in the booth next to me and their fabulous bags:
http://hardwearbyrenee.com
Lovely Birna across from me with her sister:
http://birnajewelry.com
Carlisia Minnis and her amazing clothes- thanks for the intro to the Ballard lady:
http://macfashionhouse.com/

UnZipped Show

2007-05-04T23:25:00.000-07:00

Daily Candy!

2007-04-30T17:49:00.000-07:00

Lots of news in the past week. Prior warning: I will be using a lot of those dreaded exclamation marks here but I mean every one of them.

1. This week Suzabelle is moving within the same building from suite 303 to suite 305. The new space is much bigger and better than the space I work in now. Hardwood floors, lovely old world moldings and french doors, windows galore. I'm so excited to move in, I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas!

2. Suzabelle was published in the Philadelphia issue of Daily Candy today (a popular US online fashion and lifestyle magazine). My website got over 1000 hits between 7am and 10am and I've been getting phonecalls from PR around the country all day! Fun!
you can visit them at www.dailycandy.com

3. Most of the samples have arrived for Fall 07. They look spectacular! Here are some photos from a quick photoshoot.
I've published a preview for buyers but you can have a look as long as you don't tell anyone...shhh! You can see more styles at
http://homepage.mac.com/skjaberg/sp06/PhotoAlbum53.html plus there are more coats and a vest yet to come.

4. This weekend, Suzabelle will be showing at the Unzipped tradeshow. It was a last minute decision but I think it will be worth the effort, if only to exorcise my fear of tradeshows, practice repping my own line and do a little networking. These things are WAY out of my comfort zone but I always get a kick out of it after it's done. It's an eekyay thing. (eek first, yay later- kind of like the first you successfully rode a bike or went down the big kids slide)
http://www.unzippedevent.com

trend forecast for Spring 2008

2007-04-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

Here is an early trend report for next spring. Unlike some of the others I've seen, this report is quite specific and even shows some design sketches. These things can be uncannily on or terribly off; it's a bit of a gamble for those that look to these reports as the gospel according to Promostyl. Although I do look to them sometimes for a starting point, ultimately, the heart wants what the heart wants and I go my own way anyhow. I do think that I will be more adventurous with colour combinations for this season though. For my own prediction, I think "apricot" will be the next big thing. Hey-I was right about yellow!

Fall 08 Samples- part I

2007-04-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from the manufacturer of the first samples for Fall 08. The blue silk dress will have a black silk sash added. The grey wool sweater has light frosted gold domed buttons. The grey wool jersey dress at the bottom has all kinds of top stitching on the collar and cuffs that you can't see in the photo. Can't wait to get my hands on these.

General News

2007-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

First of all, one of my newest shops, Blu Vintage, is holding a silent auction/fashion show to benefit the American Diabetes Association this Tuesday, April 17th. Visit http://www.bluvintage.com for more information. Blu Vintage is located in Santa Monica, CA.

Secondly, for all those shops eagerly anticipating the arrival of the chocolate silk dresses for summer, I'm sorry to say that they've been cancelled-and not by me. The excuse given to me by the manufacturers was that they were unable to find the material...silk. Yeah right, I say. I'll probably never know why they really cancelled the dresses but it's a shame because I think they would have done well for late summer/early fall.. As of right now, I'm done with that company. It's the same people that put the large labels on the size 2 coats.

I saw some photos of preliminary samples for fall "07 from the new manufacturers. Lots of kinks that need to be worked out but that's completely normal. I'll post photos as soon as I get something that looks good.

Sweetspot Vancouver

2007-04-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here is a lovely little write-up about my current collection from yesterday's sweetspot. (Americans, think dailycandy.com)
Many gracious thanks to Marita for the press! Click on the image below to read the story:

for more style news go to:
http://www.sweetspot.ca
and click on your desired city.

Montreal Fashion Week

2007-04-03T18:28:00.000-07:00

I usually like to keep an eye the Vancouver and Montreal fashion weeks, even if only out of homesickness but in the last two years, Canadian designers have really come into their own. Sadly, down here, it seems like canada doesn't even exist. It's never in the news and you don't hear anyone talking about, unless someone accidently drops an "eh". Lately though, I've been seeing more and more mention of Canadian designers in fashion mags and websites, especially when the topic is outerwear. In my biased opinion, nobody does outerwear better than the Québécois. Here are a few examples...

Rudsak

Rudsak

Telio

Telio

Telio

Nevik

Cimm

Envers par Yves Jean Lacasse

Helmer

As one of my shop owners in Ottawa put it, " C'est cool".

The Fall '08 Collection

2007-03-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Here is the complete collection for Fall. Samples are being made as I type this, a strange thing to realize. I am completely beside myself with excitement, as usual, to see the finished product. Of course, there will be a lot of changes to my designs; some accidents, some things lost in translation and some things not financially viable, as the season draws near. There's nothing more for me to do now than wait and see.

Textured Cream Wool Coat with brown leather buttons

Grey and Black Houndstooth and Pinstripe Paneled Vest with black oval buttons

Black Stretch Wool Blend Pants with contrasting grey tuxedo stripe and removable grey silk sash

Black Rayon Jersey Wrap Dress with teal and light grey silk trim on sleeves and sash

Bias-cut Teal Silk Floor-Length Gown with black silk sash

Black Rayon Blend Cocktail Dress with gold and black lacquer buttons

Grey Wool Jersey Day Dress

Cream Silk Georgette Blouse with black velvet trim

Sweater Jackets in Grey or Brown Wool with brushed gold buttons

Grey Wool Flannel Trench Coat with brushed gold buttons

Blue Wool Parka Coat with cream embroidery and knit hood

Purple Satin Tiered skirt with black oval buttons

lucky press

2007-03-13T09:02:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Kathy Shultz for the spot in the March edition of Lucky magazine. I will be re-making this dress in cocoa brown silk this summer. Another last minute addition is an extended version of the Monaco tunic. This is also a dress, in brown silk with white trim. I chose brown as I love the way the colour looks next to a mid-summer tan and because it will transition nicely into pre-fall. Here is a flat sketch.

new shops for spring

2007-03-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my newer shops. I don't have the time to figure out how to make the links active so you'll have to settle for the old-fashioned cut and paste. Anyways, if you're a local in any of these areas, support your area's small businesses. They are what give a community it's personality and without them, it would be costco and walmart for all!

www.bouncingwall.com of seattle

www.maduzi.com of Los Angeles

www.shopladita.com of Los Angeles

www.sofada.com of Portland, OR

www.delilahcrown.com of San Francisco

Milan/London Fashion week

2007-02-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

Here are a handful of highlights from european fashion weeks. Such lovely ladylike pieces. This has by far been my favorite fashion week season since I started following the industry. Everything is beautifully crafted, feminine yet not at all frilly, flattering and highly wearable. It's not even spring yet and I can't wait for Fall 2008.
Aquascutum:

Aquascutum:

Blumarine:

Burberry Prorsum:

Dolce&Gabbana:

Gianfranco Ferre:

23 boxes of gear on the wall, 23 boxes of gear....

2007-02-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow! I'm surrounded by boxes and boxes of stuff. This is about half of it. They look like shoe boxes above but they're huge, about 40 pounds each. The worst scenario is when I'm putting together an order and realize that I forgot something from the box on the bottom center of the stacks.

2 cubic metres of clothing... I shudder to recall.
Knowing you're stocked for the next half year... priceless!

Fall 07/ Winter 08 preview

2007-02-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of items that have made it into my fall collection. I should have samples by April and will post photos at that time.
My second spring shipment is due to be delivered tomorrow afternoon. 21 cartons! I'll have to build a fort out of all those boxes just to find some room to work around here.

New York Fashion Week

2007-02-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of my favorite things...

Yigal Azrouel's Urban Chic

3.1 Phillip Lim's day dresses

Jill Stuart's cobalt obsession and a realistic take on modernism

Alice Temperley's feminine tops-in defiance of the space age/modernist movement

Derek Lam's gorgeous creative use of chiffon

Ruffian's lovely winter trench coat

Chaiken's easy-going forest green knit coat

Monique Lhuiller's wearable metallics

Maladrino's extensive use of purples and blues

Jose Reyes' tuxedo pants

Lela Rose's beautiful greys with jewel tones

Doo Ri's sweet and sporty mini dresses

Hate to admit it but, Michael Kors super polished, extremely wearable and bound-to-make-him-millions collection...bastard.

oops!

2007-01-29T12:18:00.000-08:00

Communicating with the opposite side of the world certainly has it's downside.

Shiver me timbers

2007-01-25T20:16:00.000-08:00

VESSEL VOYAGE:CMA CGM JAMAICA SG201E
ETD:3 JAN 2007
ETA:18 JAN 2007

Truth be told, I didn't actually go down to the port of seattle to get this shot however, if I had, this is exactly what my ship would have looked like. I love those red cranes. They look like giant robotic giraffes feeding on the ships. Customs was a breeze this time. I didn't even know that the freight was already through and the trucker called me to schedule a delivery. Only one more ship to go and I've got my stock for half the year!

Colour Forecast Winter 2007/08

2007-01-23T14:56:00.000-08:00

According to one forecast company, here are the colours that we are supposed to wear next fall. I'm just wrapping up designing for the season and here are some of the colours that have caught my eye:

1. deep mulberry - fourth on the top row
2. national teal- first on the bottom row
3. dusty sage - last on the bottom row
4. cool clay-second to last in the bottom row
4. various combinations of cool-tone grays and blacks

I had originally been playing with the idea of only utilizing shades from the vast pastel palette but then thought the better of it. After all, what is the point of designing clothes that I don't want to wear? I rather like the idea of shedding off dark layers in the springtime and being reborn in lights and brights.

Next comes New York Fashion week slated for Friday, February 2, 2007 to Friday, February 9, 2007.
If you would like to see some fun and amazing 2007 couture a la "Memoirs of a Geisha", check out this link to Christian Dior's collection:
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/S2007CTR/complete/thumb/CDIOR

(Just to let you know, I've changed the settings so that you no longer need to be a blogger to leave a comment)

Spring photoshoot

2007-01-22T16:21:00.000-08:00

Well, we received permission to shoot at the conservatory greenhouse after all. Many thanks to Ione Shepard, la super model extraordinaire! Here are a couple more of my favorite shots. You can see the whole lineup at suzabelle.com

Conservatory

2007-01-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a new homepage that I created for spring. Ahh, blue.

The line will be shot at the Volunteer Park Conservatory, if Seattle Parks and Recreation allows us in, that is.

It's ALWAYS spring in here!

Spring is coming!

2007-01-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Monaco Tunic, 100% silk

Delphinium Wrap Skirt, stretch cotton with silk stripe trim

Back to work, once again. After taking such a generous holiday break, it feels a bit feigned, but not in a bad way. Currently I'm waiting for 2 shipments to arrive from overseas via those giant flat ocean liners that you can usually see hanging out around ports. They will contain a my spring 07 designs, two of which are shown above.

The Delphinium Skirt was inspired by Diane Von Furstenberg, a designer famous for making perfectly fitted wrap dresses. The Monaco tunic, one of my best selling items at the Atlanta tradeshow, is made with the most luxurious silk charmeuse- a fabric known for it's fluid draping and versatility.

I couldn't name just one thing that inspired me for this season, although I've always had a great affection for pinstripes and felt that as a forward thinking designer trying to stay on top of the trend game, I ought to get pinstripes out of my system once and for all. I love navy blue and feel that it is a colour that hasn't been in the spotlight for some time and most people look good in it... call it the new black. This was the first time I requested that the manufacturer dye the fabric to match a specific pantone; #2758U, the warmest, richest blue I could find.

You can see more of my designs for this season, as well as past seasons dating back to spring 2004 at http://suzabelle.com

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

I can remember sitting in Mr. Bando's grade four class, at Cataline Elementary, the day he asked us to figure out how old we would be and what our lives would look like in the year 2005. Naturally we assumed we would have flying cars and robot servants by then. Some of us would be doctors and lawyers and teachers. I clearly remember thinking that it wasn't realistic to think that I could know what I wanted to be "when I grew up" while still only at the tender age of ten. I did take the liberty of assuming though, that aside from my as yet unknown career, I would, of course, be married, have two children and a dog that could catch frisbees. I imagined that my life would be like a perfect synthesis of "Anne of Green Gables", " Little Women", "Little house on the Prairie", and a few distinct "Choose Your Own Adventure" selections.

In reality, 2005 was the year I officially started "Suzabelle", a Seattle-based clothing company. I proudly sold my home-made re-vamped vintage pieces at two small boutiques in Seattle. In the past two years, I've gone through some huge ups and downs and as a result have learned a lot about this business. It's not as pretty and glamorous as I originally thought- much of my time is now spent on studying the latest changes in import law and tariff codes. I love the unexpected things I've discovered along the way, both about the world and myself. Who knew I'd get such a kick out of financial projections and bookkeeping? And who knew that the scariest part of this business wouldn't be predicting trends, running production on the other side of the world, or even marketing but simply getting the damn product across the border? Not me!

I will use this journal to update my family and friends of the latest goings on in the workshop. Please feel free to comment, be it critique or compliment, as it is the people around me that inspire me the most.
I wish everyone all the best for 2007 and hope to hear from you often!
Love, Suzie Q