Making it in LA

Now that we've gotten time to reconfigure the line, and launch the new site, and shop, it's time get into boutiques.  When we debuted in Chicago we got picked up by Chassallah on Oak street, which meant DEPT728 was hanging next to D&G, Cavalli, and other top lines.  In LA, we need to target similar boutiques.  First stop is Melrose Avenue.  I'm looking for cutting edge spots with a good staff who can help customers decide between the standards and V-fit tees.  Since we want to be exclusive once we get picked up in an area we will stick to that boutique, so that makes this a very important decision for us.  Stay tuned to our website dept728.com for updates on stockists.  

Mid vs. West

Going back to visit the Midwest gave me some insight into why the athletic fit clothing didn't start flying off the shelves immediately: men in the Midwest have learned that boxy is the status-quo, and that is what they tend to wear. As a whole we look to the coasts (NYC and LA) to get our new trend information (would Von Dutch have been big if it started in Indiana? I don't think so). Having been an LA transplant for almost 3 years now I have noticed that a far more fashionable set of men lives near me now than I ever saw in Chicago. Except for a few very well dressed friends I have there the general population knows little about fit in clothing. While I will always be a Midwestern girl at heart, my vibe is way more California.

Splitting time

I had a full six months to do nothing but develop DEPT728 in the very beginning, back in 2006. Following that time the economy fell, I was hit by a drunk driver, and I needed to go back to work full time. It was really tough to put aside what I was doing, and concentrate on work. For years I kept the project alive, but I didn't have the time to really push the clothing like it needed to be. In a few months I will be out of a job. The company I work for has taught me a lot, and I really loved working, but my location is closing, and I will be a manager with no store. The one good thing it means for me is that I will finally have the opportunity to see what DEPT728 is really made of. LA definitely has a more health and fashion conscious customer which should love the athletic fit menswear. Hopefully this time around the world is ready for us.

All a twitter

I was mindlessly checking my phone last week as I waited at the bank. It was a random thought that I tweeted from @designerDEPT728 to @mrjoezee: you need a tee that says 'you may not think so now, but I will be right by the end of this episode.' Mostly because as the mentor of Sundance Channel's All on the Line, Joe Zee has amazing insight into the fashion industry, and also because the designers that don't listen to him wind up paying for it in the end (who goes into a huge buyer appointment, and wants to come out of it without an order, seriously!). As luck would have it, Joe Zee saw the post, retweeted it, and replied! I was super-excited! So I figured the least I could do is actually make him the tee. I had to do a little research to get his office address, and I guessed the size, so let's hope it fits, and he likes it (I'm crossing my fingers).

Inspiration

I was wandering around the flea market and found some vintage stamp numbers. The original DEPT728 logo was made from a stamp, so this seemed like a logical way to work in a print. I'm going to keep stamping away, and hopefully an interesting textural print will emerge for a new collection.

I love rediscovering pieces that DEPT728 made, and can be reinterpreted. I'm incorporating the negative stencils onto the back of a drape back top for the women's line. Somewhere along the way the spray bottle I was using for the paint mixture got clogged beyond repair, and I am going to take this opportunity to find some new spraying options. Perhaps there's a way to get multiple effects. I'm excited to get all "McGyver/Martha Stewart" on this tomorrow.
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Work Ethic

I have a renewed enthusiasm now that the direction of the women's collection is clear. The wrap coat sample fit well, and will be perfect now that I have made a few changes. The final coat is cut. As soon as the "negative stencil" detail is dry I can get sewing. I'm getting goose bumps just thinking about it...
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