Summer Update and 'Yes Sir' coat, $370AUD

The past few month's that I haven't been on here have seen the end of Winter and  with it, the end of my three month's at the Spacebar Gallery in Hobart.  With the season warming up and not as many garment's ready to go I thought it might be wise to get myself better organised for six month's time.  The feedback that I received from the gallery was really positive and I had more sales than I could have hoped for!   Am finding it hard to believe that people love my coat's as much as I do and have a housemate that can vouch for the number of times I  'ooooooh yeah'd' a stupid dance around the living room when I heard one sold.  Very encouraging and motivating for the next couple of month's!  I am hoping to get through some of the fabric I've already got (trust me, there is a lot!) and give the metres of wool, linen, cotton's a new lease on life in the coming garment's.  Have made an effort to get myself organised and have three day's in a  row each week to make a garment from start to finish.  It might be a little optimistic but we'll see how we go!

I have half a cupboard full of garment's waiting to be photographed and as I slowly get through that I will be posting each one on here.

(Below:  "Yes Sir" coat, Miss Size 08. $370AUD) Main:  100% wool.  Lining:  100% silk.

I've also got a few top's a dresses which will be put up as well.  Will also try and organise photo's of the dresses I've produced and sold in the last couple of weeks.

At this stage garment's will only be available on here as I haven't got any immediate plan's for another retail space till possibly the end of next March. So please comment or contact me if you are interested in any of the garment's and I will be more than happy to help you out!

sg.

Cut and Paste a New Season

The time of year has come again, when the Melbourne sun decides to peek through the clouds and lull us all into that false sense of spring time and every year I think that it hasn't come soon enough.  Don't get me wrong, as much as I love the cold winter months (of which I am probably the biggest cheerleader) of layering and hot chocolate, it is always fun to pull out the bright patterns of spring and summer and bask in the idyllic scrap of sunlight even if it is only for 5 minutes while the jug boils.  

Today I spent the morning in Fitzroy trawling through roll's of fabric and then lugging home the four large bags of linens, cotton's and silk's I've ben coveting for the past month but haven't bothered to purchase yet because the weather's been so dreary.  But...with Spring creeping up in a little over two weeks time (I know,  I'm already behind schedule for Spring/ Summer, will endeavour to catch myself up as quickly as possible) I thought, why not!  So with my purse a lot lighter than when I left the apartment earlier in the day and arm's dragging on the ground from the sheer weight of the fabric, I traipsed home and spent a few hours admiring and showing off my purchases (there were a lot of 'oohs and ahhs, all from me).  Then decided it was time to throw together a mood board or two for the impending season and get cracking on some serious design brainstorming. 

So courtesy of a scissor happy day and loads of magazines I've put together three board's for my small Spring/Summer coat's range and now just need to start on the pattern's and toilles and encouraging you all to consider getting a funky, bright, fun coat for summer!  

Colour me BRIGHT

I've paid attention recently to a few comment's friends have made on the muted tones I tend to lean toward's with my coat's.  Hang on, muted tones, ME?!  I was quick to disagree, thinking of the coat's I have myself and the fabric's that I usually go for and the clashes of print and colour.  Then I went back through some of the photo's I've posted on here and proved myself wrong.  They were right.  Majority of my coat's are in the muted tones.  So I thought I would pop up a few pic's (ok, only three) of a coat I made a few year's ago and gave to my sister (that's the little red velvet number)  and the other is one I've made recently for a customer in Hobart, you might recognise the 'Peter Pan Trench.'  Just to show that I love a burst of the bright as much, if not more, than the next person and will endeavour not to fall into the trap of using lovely plain fabric's all of the time.   

Wool Shrug $250AUD

I thought today I would share my easy to wear cardi/shrug that see's the light of day most day's, every winter.  Because it is so COMFORTABLE!!!  

I'm not one to really dress up unless occaision  call's for it, so the less hassle it is to throw together an outfit for the day, the better.  This usually get's thrown on over a pair of tights and a daggy t-shirt but you wouldn't know it when I get to the city and have the collar brooched and draped nicely and all you see is a fabulously cosy knit.  For the day's when it look's like there might be potential for some sunshine and I don't want to wear a large coat this is the alternative.  Plus it's a little thicker than an ordinary cardigan which is nice.

Wander by the Spacebar Gallery in Hobart and have a look, there are a few waiting for a new home there (although I haven't put pocket's on those as I found they added bulk to the wrong area's on most body types, so the sleeves are long enough to be folded down to protect cold hand's.) 

Tessuti Linen and Lace Award's

As you may have seen in previous post's I have dabbled in making a few top's and dresses.  The latest one, suprise suprise, is again a little linen number but this time it required a bit of lace detailing as well.  The Tessuti award's run every year and this will be the second time I have entered.  Previous year's have seen the competition run as  a 'Little Black Dress,' which alway's manages to trip me up,  when it comes to designing a garment in black I inevitably hit the brick wall.  Yet I live in Melbourne, go figure, the city is renowned for it.  Give me white any day!

Soooo, after a few day's at home measuring out folds and ironing and re-ironing and sewing and ironing (when there's linen involved you have to alway's have an iron at hand, because it creases in front of your eyes) and fusing.  The end result is below.  If you like it, please head to tessutiawards.com.au and vote for me as there's a fabric voucher up for grab's which I would love to get my hand's on!  

GEHRICH now stocked at Spacebar Gallery in Hobart

YES!  The time has finally come to get organised with a retail space and now it has happened, right here in Hobart.  Head down to the Spacebar Gallery (www.spacebargallery.com.au) located in the Salamanca Art's Centre and have a look at the small collection of GEHRICH coat's and shrug's available. The ladies are lovely and are more than happy to help you out.  It is well worth the look as there are a number of other local designer's of all crafts (millinery, jewellery, photography, fashion etc.) to check out too.

 The past six week's have been a chaos of fabric's, pattern's, tag's and label's trying to get everything together before heading down to Tassie and it has all come together in the end. There will be some old faithful's there that have been featured on the blog previously, so it's an excellent opportunity to see my work for what it is.  Please pop in and have a look and let me know what you think!

You've Been Tagged

Minor lack of finances has dictated some quirky little handmade swing tag's for all of the coat's.  But how cute are they!

Pirate's, Love and Ice-Cream Top, $150 AUD

It it is often said that you look upon your clothes as old friend's and I believe for me that this couldn't be more relevant.  They're there with you for every coffee, interview, gig, date, holiday, catch up with old friend's, . And every time you pull it out of the cupboard you bring with it a triad of experiences tucked away in all of it's innocent detail.  

The little play blouse above in the cream cotton voille will forever remind me of pirate's, love and ice-cream.  It is yet to be finished, the sleeves still need a small bit of hemming done, but I found it accidentally this morning when I was pulling out some other roll's of fabric from the depth's of my wardrobe, it had fallen down the side and been temporarily forgotten.

If you are somewhat of a dreamer then this is the top for you.

sg

Double Layered Linen Smock Top, $180 AUD

Linen and Organza Play Top, $220 AUD

Peter Pan Cropped Jacket (sample) , $180 AUD

Shorty Short's, $139 AUD

Cropped Lace Bodice with Button Up Back, $119 AUD

Floaty Floral Single Button Vest, $120 AUD

Styled on mannequin with leather belt at waist.

White Cotton Three Quarter Sleeve Dress, $180 AUD

My Favourite

I was looking through old folio work this morning and found this little picture tucked away amongst it all. This was an outfit I made in my second year of study and to this day, it is by far my favourite coat ever (though in saying that, there is one I have sitting quietly in my sketch book at the moment that I'm hanging out to make, that will probably equal this one in like-ability.  New coat's are always exciting!)  Every winter it's dragged from the back of the cupboard, dusted down and hung out to air, ready for a new season.  I was going to pop it on this morning and photograph it but the weather has done a complete 360 here and it's too warm at 27 degrees to be throwing on a winter coat for a happy snap (so keep your eye's peeled in future for a show and tell pic.)

Jacket's and coat's are my darling's.

If I could wake up one morning in ten year's time and be able to put on my CV:  "Freelance Coat and Jacket Designer" and have a well established name for quality and style, then I will be happy!

sg

Top's, Top's, Top's

The Great Wall of Fabric Challenge

Here it stand's and here it begins.

I have twelve month's to get this fabric all sewn into wearable garment's and sold.  

There are numerous different fabric's, print's and meterage's, all which have been collected along the way from Tassie, to Sydney to Melbourne, all waiting for a new life.

 I will be posting pictures of the projects as they are being undertaken and upon completion. All work will be available for sale.

The sizes will range mostly between a womens 8-10 (xs-m).  Please keep checking for updates.

The challenge starts now!

sg

Pea Coat with Cropped Sleeves and Tuck Detailing at Centre Back, Sample, $150 AUD

I was having a play with flare from the yoke of this pattern to see how much fullness I could achieve, taking it from only one point on both the front and back.  In this instance I didn't take into account the life of the fabric I would be sewing in, and as a result the flare kicked out too aggressively.  

HOWEVER ... after a bit of playing around with some tucks and a pleat at the back, the jacket looks like it has come into a personality of it's own, and is fabulous!  It is designed to sit closed, there are no buttons or 'do-up's' and as the fabric is quite similar to a quilted cotton, it is both light but warm.  The jacket is fully lined and has small shoulder pads to level out the fullness of the hemline.

sg

That Races Dress, $320 AUD

Inspired by the monumental Melbourne Cup, this 100% linen dress features a double Peter Pan collar, tucked sleeve, gathered skirt with said featured detailing and a button up centre back.

Worn below to the 2010 Emirates Melbourne Cup Day, it was a finalist in the race day Fashions on the Field.

 sg

Dusty Pink Pull On Jersey Dress, $220 AUD

This little pull on jersey knit dress I made one afternoon when the weather had turned cold (as quite often happens in Melbourne during the summer months).  I thought it could be perfect in autumn with some tan ankle booties, or in winter with black opaque tights, knee high boots and a pea coat over the top.   It also looks quite cute cinched in with a belt at the waist.   

Pop on a little pink blush and lippie and you're ready to brave any of the four season's.  

Both the stretch lace over lay and the thicker jersey underlay were fabrics I purchased last winter from Tessuti Fabric's on Flinders Lane in Melbourne.    I get a lot of my fabric's from them, especially for evening or event styles, as a lot of their fabric's are sourced from Europe and their price's are quite reasonable.  

Please take note that the garment's I put up are all individual as I buy limited meterage of fabric's.  So it will be first in best dressed.  As I do the pattern's myself however, if there are any requests for styles that may follow, that sell quickly, it would be a matter of requesting the style, and me seeing what fabric I have available at the time.

sg

Projects of Old

"Story For The Dreamers."

This was the image for my graduate collection which was completed November 2008.  It was one of seven outfits and I think, one of my favourites.  The criteria for that semester (just our final collection) we had to set for ourselves.  

Mine, I wrote as follows:

* Successfully produce a range which reflects the softer side of the natural environment, in colour, drape and silhouette.

* Create a collection that demonstrates the transition between the daydreamers imagination and the functional aspect of modern culture and fashion.  

The Objectives:

*  Evoke an emotive response from the audience i.e. 'I could fall in love in that dress.'

*  Create a collection of elegant serenity that makes the audience feel they are experiencing a part of the imagination which has been forgotten.  The collection must look at home both in a high fashion setting and in a misty mid morning, sun just creeping through the tree's, environment.

I'd like to think we are all romantics at heart.

sg

The Beginning

No, none of these above pictures are mine.  They are images I found in a folder labeled 'Inspiration,' which was tucked nicely away on my desktop.  As a 'designer' I stand very much within the box.  Whilst my imagination may keep me entertained for hours, when it comes to design I have never found it in me to push the barriers and create from the unknown.  Which is why I found the above looks so alluring.

I like the motto 'keep it simple,'  and think that in applying it to fashion, you can create beautiful garments that are not all about clutter and glitz.  Clean, classic silhouettes with attention to the inner detailing are mostly what I admire and hope to emulate.  Though, there may be the odd design that will come from left field after a few glasses of red and then the idea to create, which will always keep it interesting.  

I suppose we should start at the beginning.  My background in the space of a cup of coffee...

I am the oldest of four children, raised for the most part, on a small hobby farm in country Tasmania.  I moved to Sydney in 2005 to study and graduated with a Bachelor of Design, majoring in Fashion and a Graduate Diploma of Fashion Design at the end of 2008.

After a short stint as a junior designer for an Australian label at the start of 2009, I packed up and moved to Melbourne and have been here since. 

I found work for a small company which had two retail spaces and worked both in the shop and as a design and workroom assistant.  The job taught me a lot. Being someone that had wanted to one day own their own boutique, working closely with the owner and seeing the business go through the GFC and also the everyday trials of a small business, made me, for the moment, think twice about it. The frustrations of dealing with off-shore manufacturing in China and the realities of local production also were a bit of a wake up call and after a year I decided to take a step back for a moment and reconsider my career.  Did I want a job that had me at a computer from 9-5 sending email after email to suppliers and not actually have anything to do with the design?  Did I want to work towards someone else's dreams and ambitions?  I think I hit the reality of life after study; having a job that required I only submit a design through email then the rest of the job being done somewhere else, out of my control.  I didn't like it one bit.  After 12 months there I made the decision to leave and find something new.  The fashion industry is fickle at the best of times and here in Australia where there are limited resources to begin with, unless you have an established 'in road'... goodluck to you.  

I wanted it all, and still do.  The allusive 'finger in every pie' theory of being in total control of the project from start to finish.  The challenge of a scribbled design that only you can really see completed before it's even begun.  Being able to draw that jacket, create the pattern and manipulate it till it sit's as you wish and then constructing an actual item of clothing...yep, it's going to be a long road.  

The need to pay rent and bills led me to my current position as a casual retail assistant, which for the most part I enjoy and it has also taught me a lot.  I have learnt the art of the salesman. How to manage staff and how to achieve results as an individual and as a team.  And how to listen with both eyes and ears to the consumer, as at the end of the day they are the one's who hold the purse strings. 

So now you find me, a retail assistant, trying to start a label from nothing, no great capital to start me off and float me through, no partner in crime and no amazing technology to cut the time needed in half.  Instead you find me armed with my trusty Husqvarna and Janome, Doris the dummy (mannequin), a good supply of biscuits and coffee and a shelf full of fabric to get through.  That's the reality, so let the challenge begin.

sg