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Thursday, May 27, 2010

FASHION INDUSTRY TOUR: A few of my favorite companies





Lombardo Custom Apparel

Lombardo is a Custom Apparel shop that offers some of the best customized apparel in the world for both men and women. It was founded by Jay Lombardo, son of former Elle model Patricia Lombardo; his shop is located in Dallas, TX. Custom Apparel is known for its customization of suits to fit, they do that by helping their customers dress in accordance to the special event that they will be attending.
I was blown away as we walked into the store, being a person who loves men’s suits, I was awestruck. The place was really clean and tailored to a specific target market. While you are inside, it is easy to feel at home especially if you are one of their customers. They designed the place specifically for their customer; with a men’s showroom, a women’s showroom, a lounge, runway room and an espresso bar.
I loved the Italian influence, the espresso bar room had words in Italian on the wall, one that stuck out to me was “la famiglia e tuto” showing that they are a family owned business and it also made me relate. Our tour guide was owner Oscar Pinero, we also got a chance to meet and talk to the founder, Jay Lombardo. It was a great place, the environment was inviting and it seemed like they had creative ideas on retaining customers and increasing the customer experience. I would definitely consider working for Lombardo Custom Apparel, I feel I would learn a whole lot and could also offer the company my knowledge and skills.



Master Hatters of Texas

Master Hatters is a hat making company located in Garland, Texas. Master Hatters makes and sells quality westerns hats to the western trade industry. It makes its own quality straw, wool; fur felt hats and accessories in its location in Garland.
The facility was massive, with different sections for the hat making process. With their one of a kind hat making machines, they are able to make and deliver cowboy hats “just in time.” I enjoyed seeing the process of making the hats, although the hat makers made it seem faster than it really is.
The first step in the hat making process is to form the hat; the hat is formed by putting the skins in a hat oven, upon cooling they are cut. After the cutting and trimming, they are shaped; to shape them they go through a steaming process and then finally the hat belt and sweatband are added. At the end, the hats are put in their own individual box and shipped off to the retailer.
The workers at Master Hatters were very nice, they also worked extremely fast. I felt the energy and drive as I watched the workers, most of them had even been with the company for years; it was inspiring getting to see the passion they have for their job. Just by watching them, you wouldn’t think that the process takes that long. The making of hats had never crossed my mind, so seeing the way they are made was amazing, and such a great experience.



Allie-Coosh

Allie-Coosh is a clothing boutique owned by designer Paulette Martsolf; it is located in Dallas, Texas. Everything in her collection is ready to wear; she has a work staff that assists in making the garments. Paulette Martsolf got the name Allie Coosh from her Canadian background; she told us a childhood memory of hers when her mother would tell her in French “allez-couche!” meaning “go to sleep.” That inspired her to make pajama nightwear, and then later make her own clothing.
Paulette Martsolf was really kind to us; she was very genuine and was happy to answer any questions that we had. She told us to be open and learn everything because in the creative field one has to be open to “change.” For Future designers, she said it is important to “keep your aesthetic” and to utilize talent and not let it go to waste. She also told us not to let anyone tell us that we cannot do something because with the drive you can do anything.
She explained to us that she does testing for the different fabrics that she uses for clothing, one thing that she said that I thought was funny was that she runs over the fabric with her car. I personally asked her to tell us of her daily routine as she walks into her store in the morning; I was somewhat surprised. She said being the owner; she has to know how to do everything so that she can train her workers. Her morning starts with her checking on her couturiers and making sure everything is going smoothly. Then she comes back and checks on the shop, with a few errands here and there and a few bills to pay.
She was also asked if she had made plans for someone to take over her shop in the event that she passed away, she gladly replied that she had someone in mind who’d been working closely with her and also attending school nearby.





Clothes Circuit

Clothes Circuit is one of the nation’s top designer retail shops, it is owned and operated by Irene Mylan and is located in Dallas, Texas. They describe their customers as “socialites, garment industry professionals and women who can shop with abandon.”
Irene Mylan told us that it takes determination, drive and energy to be able to run your own store. This little store carries some of the top name brands in the country, from Gucci to Prada and Louis Vuitton; she spoke of researching to find out how to price their items. She said one has to be aware, know the trends, what people are buying and how much it is going for. Then with that information be able to translate that into resale language and find the price for the merchandise. Some of the ladies who drop their clothes off do not even keep their clothing longer than a year because that it the lifestyle that they live. So as the merchandise comes in still brand new, the price they are sold for depends on whether they are items that are wanted by many.
Being aware of your customer and knowing the latest trends helps in figuring out what you will buy back from a customer and actually sell in your store, so it is important to be aware of trends. The ladies were very kind; they advised us and also asked us for advice on different things to do to stay in style. Before we left, I go Irene Mylan’s e-mail address and have also e-mailed her, so I think I will keep in touch with her and who knows, I might just end up working at Clothes Circuit.



Panhandle Slim

Panhandle Slim is a private western wear clothing-wholesale company that produces men’s and women’s gear in Fort Worth, Texas. Panhandle creates clothing to fit every person in its target market through its different collections. From the edgy cowgirl and cowboy to the traditional wear, there is no one left behind. Their merchandise is sold in different areas and retailers all over the country.
I enjoyed touring with the representative and getting to speak with everyone from the different departments. They were all so welcoming, and wanted us to get the most out of being there. We were taken to different departments and every representative gladly answered our questions and showed us what they were currently working on. It was nice to know that they work with students and also help in sponsoring events, they donated a few jean coupons for FashioNation’s fashion week goodie bags.
We were also able to learn a bit about the CAD system; it was nice to see the CAD system in use, designing graphics for clothing is definitely something that I am interested in. Being advertising major, I love creating a making things whether video, clothing, and writing or art, so this was a great experience. We were able to see two of the employees working on the computer using the system. If I am fortunate enough, I will get the opportunity to learn how to use the CAD system and maybe put it to use in the future making my own designs.



JCpenney

JCpenney is one of the nation’s best companies, it was established by James Cash Penney in 1902 with a clothing and dry goods store called The Golden Rule, as the industry changed so did the company’s name, it is currently known all over the country as JCPenney.
We got the opportunity to visit the JCPenney lab, distribution center and headquarters in Plano, Texas. Their environment looked professional, while we were at the headquarters I thought to myself “I could definitely work here;” the environment resembled that of a movie. Everyone looked busy, moving from one direction to the next. We even started naming the differences between the employees, considering some were professionally dressed while others were dressed casual.
I did not like the way some of the workers or representatives portrayed JCPenney. It has a great environment and feel but I disliked the fact that one of the representatives seemed careless of the world. When asked about the disasters that happen when trying to deliver merchandise, his comment was a little impolite. It seemed as though they were not quite prepared to answer our questions as they should have been. Other than the representatives making the few mistakes they made, I liked the company, it was clean and professional.




Haggar clothing Company

Haggar Clothing Company offers quality affordable apparel clothing for men; it was founded by J.M Haggar and is located in Dallas, Texas. It produces casual pants, dress pants and suit separates for men within the 30 plus age group and sells them in different department stores.

I enjoyed touring the Haggar headquarters with designer Francisco Flores; I also getting to speaking with the representatives from some of the departments. If I had to pick a favorite, I would pick this company because I felt the spirit as I walked in. from the receptionist greeting as if we were her long lost friends to the Amy and Francisco’s hospitality. It was very clean and professional; the company fits its aesthetic very well.
I also loved being able to see all of their work laid out for us to see; it was great being able to feel the work environment as it is. I like natural things, so being able to see the work atmosphere without any sort of cleaning made me even more excited because it showed me the amount of work that goes into what they do. I feel it is important for students to know what they are getting themselves into before they actual do it, so seeing their workplaces made me relate a little bit more to the company.




Stanley Korshak

Stanley Korshak is one of the nation’s upscale stores located in uptown Dallas, Texas. Stanley Korshak carries men and women’s apparel including accessories, cosmetics and fragrances. With its size and many departments, it offers the haute-mode for its target market depending on personal styles.
I do not feel I can just describe it as a department store because it is more like an experience. It looks like a miniature chateau from the outside, but as you walk in you notice that it is an actual store. We were taken to a conference room, where marketing representatives spoke to us on the company and getting in the fashion industry. Something that I learned was that in the fashion industry you must not “burn bridges” because though it is a huge industry, it is actually small for the fact that everyone knows one another and word gets around to the other side of the country fast than one would think.
They also made a packet for us with some of the different works that they have done over the years; included in the packet were different quotes and suggestions that they have gotten from different industry people. I loved getting advice from Elaine Reffel, who is actually doing something that I see myself doing in the future, art directing. Over all, it was a wonderful learning experience, because they did not just present to us; they gave us beneficial life advice.



Kalogridis International

Kalogridis International is a company that produces and manufactures custom carpets for aircraft industries worldwide. It was founded by Georges Kalogridis and is located in Dallas, Texas. They produce mostly aircraft and yacht carpets and are now the world’s premier suppliers of carpet.
Kalogridis was one of my favorite companies that we toured, even though it was an industry a little different from what we are used to, I really enjoyed the environment and seeing the creativity and hard work that goes into making the carpets. We toured the whole facility and got to see the design and making of the carpets, it wasn’t just any carpet either, the carpets were enormous. Seeing the dedication and details that go into making them was really heartfelt, they were beautiful and well made.
The designers and owner seemed excited to have us come visit, they were friendly and engaging. One of the designers was English and was really thrilled to talk to us; he was flirting a little since we were a group of girls but it was great talking with him nonetheless. I loved it, because it was different from what I am used to; it was an experience that I will not forget. To add on to everything, we got to see the design and actually touch one of President Barack Obama’s carpets. This is definitely a moment and place I will never forget.




Global Fashion News

Global Fashion News is owned by style editor and producer Gianna Madrini, it is located in Dallas, Texas; GFN is known for “documenting the world of Fashion." I enjoyed getting to speak to her about the Public Relations and Advertising industry and getting some advice and feedback from her as well.
It was a small building; the front area was made from glass; Gianna Madrini came and greeted us at the front door, the inside was very clean and creatively decorated. The paintings and room patterns were very artistic and colorful, they were fun and lively. I was the first one to enter and right away I complimented her on her pearl necklace. Although it would have been better if we toured the building, I liked listening to her life experiences. I have a passion for video making, so it was easy for me to understand some of the processes she spoke to us of.
One of the things that stuck out from what she told us was “you can never have too many friends; you can never have too many skills.”I could definitely relate to this statement, because I love people and enjoy meeting new people whenever I can. I believe that you can learn so much from every person that you meet and you will need every single one of those people in your life sooner or later. It is important to build relationships because those relationships formed are the ones that get you that extra push in your life.



American Leather Company

American Leather Company manufactures custom leather furniture for the furniture industry; it is located in Dallas, Texas. It was founded on the idea that “custom leather furniture could be made and shipped in three weeks or less.” American Leather makes furniture in leather and fabric; it uses mass customization with different technology and manufacturing systems, making it one of the best in the country.
We were taken to a conference room as we arrived and were introduced to the company. During the presentation, we were shown the design process of a sofa and how it is created to best suit the customer. After the introductions and Q&As, we were taken to the work facility. It was very spacious and there were different workers for every department, each doing something different. The men were doing the handy work, while the women did the creative parts; in the end together, they were able to produce something amazing
The place was also another one that I did not really know of the processes. When we arrived, just from seeing the name, I was thinking of the poor animals that were harmed in the making of the fabrics. I was glad that there was no bad odor whatsoever, the leather and fabric were thoroughly cleaned. It was amazing seeing the different leathers dyed in different colors as well as the cutting and grading of the fabrics.



Mary Kay

Mary Kay is one of the United State’s largest cosmetic companies. The first stop during our Fashion industry tour was at the Mary Kay Manufacturing Plant in Dallas, Texas. As most people know, Mary Kay is produces makeup, but most people do not know of the work that goes one behind the scenes.
We had the opportunity of touring the Mary Kay Manufacturing Plant and see the making and research that goes on behind it. It was a great way to start the day, as we toured around the facility I kept noticing that most of the workers were men; that was an interesting thing that I noticed. It was also great to know that the items are put through a testing lab and also inspected for quality before they are sent off to be sold.
Although we arrived during lunch time and did not get to see the machines working, it was great just knowing that filling the product containers is not done by hand. The workers we were able to see were friendly and they also worked fast to meet their deadlines. It was great to see and in some way experience the side of cosmetics that we are not shown on a daily bases.
Most people take for granted what they have available without knowing the hard work that goes into making it. This place was among one of the places that made me appreciate and understand the industry.


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