February 5, 2014

hobo inspiration




It is not leather this time. It's wool.  There are some reasons that I decided to make jackets in wool.
One big reason was that I got so many tiny leather scraps after cutting more than hundreds pieces to make jackets that I can not throw away.  So I decided to use these scraps and make something new. It can be elbow patches or  It can be under collar of blazer jacket.  It can be anything!  The other reason is that my friends in fashion industry always get mad at me and yell at me I am the worst sales representative!!  They slap my butt telling me I gotta bang the door of the stores and buyers more. Be pushy!  They always say my jackets are already great and why don't i push more to sell my jackets?   And these sweet friends always give me some tips to sell my stuff.  They recommend me to send out samples directly to fashion bloggers etc and ask them "hey! could you please write about my jackets?"    I've been too naive/ignorant and didnt know those tricks until recently.  It seems a good idea but the thing is I don't really want to send out my samples. The leather jackets are too precious to send out easily for free because everything is hand made. What I am doing is too old school to fit current trend of fashion business.  I would say  that is what I like about what I am doing but, on the other hand, I can't be that laid back to sell my stuff, you know. I have to pay my bills.   And then coming back to this wool jackets idea...."wool can be a bit more flexible!!".  They let me move around a lil more free comparing with leather.   Maybe it is a good idea to make wool jacket once and become flexible to advertise my stuff. Then people will eventually know this designer is making awesome leather jackets, too.  
Moreover, I was a big fan of poets of beat generations especially Kerouac and Burroughs and wanted to make something inspired by these poets.  To be honest this is the main reason to make wool jackets collection.
Hobo originally means "workers" who are wondering to get jobs around 1890.  The way they wonder around eventually translated into the meaning of "vagabond" or "bums" mainly by beatnik poets in 50's  (correct me if i'm wrong.). 
Researching about Hobo, I noticed they always wear big comfy look wool jackets / coats.   
Also poets of beat generation are always taken pictures when they are in comfy big wool jackets.
↓ as long as I remember, Burroughs was always in his tweed wool well tailored jacket in all of his pictures.  Sometimes with a gun. Sometimes with Bowie.




So I researched fabric mill and hit an awesome fabric mill in New Hampshire.  
Got a great navy color camel hair (so light) and tweed chunky wool and I was ready to go!
continue to the next episode! :o)