I Ran Away to Chicago to Seek My Fortune

In 1985, I sold clothing made from upcycled materials at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago with outstanding success, considering it was during the time when recycling garbage was unheard of. The dress on the left was a one-of-a-kind item made from a variety of yarns and strips of fabrics and could not be reproduced exactly. It was included in a show called Wearable Art '85 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. By the time the show opened, my rag knits were quite popular as unique items, so I decided to create a line of artwear that could be reproduced. The clothes on the right are from that line. I used 100% cotton fabrics and fibers that were dyed, painted and constructed by hand and they attracted a lot of attention and sales!

Transportation is frequently a problem with walking my green talk and not a point I am willing to compro

mise. Until the mid-1990s, I could take the Amtrak train to Chicago and return to Indianapolis on the same day, so doing business in Chicago was not a problem. When A

mtrak discontinued the daily service, business in Chicago became difficult. However, MegaBus service has changed all of that. In less

than two years, I have learned how to use social media effectively and open an Etsy shop, so I am naturally curious about what's going on in the Chicago marketplace. Yesterday, I acted on that curiosity and took Megabus to the city with the goal of browsing the Apparel Center at the Merchandise Mart for a

showroom.

My trip was efficient and comfortable and even greener than expected. The vehicles

are engineered for optimum fuel efficiency. During my next trip, I'll remember to take my netbook and adapter because each seat has an electrical outlet and there is WiFi! The bus schedules between Indianapolis to Chicago are convenient for short visits or a full day of business.

The Merchandise Mart is an impressive structure built by Marshall Field at the peak of the pandemonium of the Great Depression to make it easier for the makers of goods to reach

a wider market. It's two city blocks long and has an annex that was designed to be an apparel market. In the 1980's that was packed full of glam and glitz. Since that time Chicago has gone through many changes and so has the building. Chicago is the greenest city in America and the Merchandise Mart itself is the biggest LEED certified existing building in the whole world. That's good green karma!

So I went to work cooking color and researching the information online about the Merchandise Mart, its shows and its showrooms. It just seemed odd that there was just one floor exclusively apparel showrooms. My original plan was to take samples on the day of my trip but my gut told me to check out the situation first. I noticed when the building became LEED certified there was a Green StyleMax show. I couldn't find any subsequent sustainable fashion shows.

I was really hoping to find showrooms that deal exclusively with sustainable design businesses. However, even being America's greenest city is still small

on the grand scale of everything. I've only been able to find 16 retail stores in Chicago with 40% or more green merchandise. and, to be honest, I'd really rather do what I do in my own green way and express my aesthetic and point of view without being too overtly political about it. So I went with an open mind, making

the trip a fact-finding mission instead.

The architectural facelift of the old building was gorgeous and it's so good to know that green and history can work

well together! Not only can old be new again, it can be even better than it used to be. No doubt that green has moved far past its hippie image into the land of luxury!

There is no doubt either that green is a way of business life in this building. Every trash can in the hallways had a place to recycle paper, aluminum, plastic and glass. The ultimate badge of greenness was displayed prominently throughout the building. Here it is at the end of the bridge to the Apparel Center!

However, there is absolutely nothing that could have prepared me for what I found on the other side of that doorway. The 13th floor, essentially the only floor of the Apparel Center still devoted to apparel is a ghost town. It is at least 75% vacant. Showrooms still in business have red banners protruding from their doorways indicating occupancy.

*SIGH*

I did make some great contacts with the showroom tenants that have survived in this environment without going out of business or moving to less expensive locations. It's too bad that Marshall Field's original concept to make business more efficient didn't work very well in the building using energy more efficiently. There was, however, a real spirit of comradarie and cooperation between these wholesalers of fashion I've never seen before and much more openmindedness about the business of fashion in general.

I do have optimism that I will be able to expand into the Chicago and upper Midwest markets soon. It's going to take a somewhat different approach than what I had anticipated. But, change is good. Not only that. Change is necessary. Guess where the people who couldn't be more flexible and forward-thinking are. Gone.

*SMILE*

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Happy Halloween Part Three

The grand finale of the Halloween merriment at Baisebeige Studios is the Bag Lady Bus Tour. This is the second oldest AIDS fundraising charity in the United States and has raised more than $1 Million dollars. This was the 30th anniversary of the event. Click on the link below to see Coby Palmer, creator of the Indy Pride Bag Ladies, recollect about the event.

COBY PALMER ON THE INDY PRIDE BAG LADIES

Coby Palmer is my esteemed client Miss Blossom

who is known on the bus and throughout the entire city as Queen Mother Blossom. You know she had to wear her crown with this year's gown. In honor of the Bag Ladies on the Half Shell 30th anniversary, she chose to wear a blend of creamy whites and plenty of pearls.

This gown was made from upcycling two dresses with additional fabrics added. One dress was a dress so old that it would be considered vintage. The only salvageable part was the section of the skirt covered in fringe and beaded corded lace. The center section of the vintage lace was in good condition and could be removed from the old dress bodice intact. A new dress bodice was spliced onto the reused skirt with overskirt attached.

The overskirt is two layers of identical shape but different volumes of glitter dotted tulle and chiffon. The tulle is gathered into the seam and the chiffon is pleated and gathered into the seam. The skirts were attached to the bodice with the consideration of the overall visual effect dictated by the vertical placement of the original lace. Luckily the lace was almost exactly long enough to extend up to the new neckline. We had some pretty vintage bead fringe on a satin ribbon that perfectly covered the gap. Judging from the overall appearance of the garment, assorted sizes of vintage pearl beads were added by hand to the bodice.

There was a little trickiness to the splice because the skirt was about six sizes smaller than the new bodice. The size difference was corrected by pleats and gathers on the bodice and enlarging the skirt with a gusset at the center back. The zipper already attached to the bodice was reused and extended down into the skirt. The overskirt system has an opening concealed by pleating at the center back. I was able to avoid putting a seam down the center back of the train.

Little bits of elastic helped finagle the dress splendidly together.

The first stop of the Indy Pride Bag Lady Bus Tour is Monument Circle, the heart of Indianapolis, for a photo opportun

ity on the steps of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. It was exciting to see three large tour coaches driving onto the Circle. I can remember the very old days when there was one chartered city bus with the destination sign reading BAG LADIES!

Just like the old days, the interior lights are on so the big hair and sparkling jewels can be seen by on-lookers. These girls like to make a spectacle of themselves!

Here's what $1 MILLION dollars of FUN raising looks like and the party has just begun. Queen Mother Blossom looks just stunning in her gown front and center where she likes it best. That's fine with me because there's nothing I love better than a great idea that makes tons of money and is tons of fun to do. It's also very cool to see Blossom style inspiring the younger Bag Ladies. They have all come a very long way from their shopping bags stuffed with thrift shop dresses. We all dream of a day when AIDS is curable and the Bag Ladies will retire from service but we praise and bless them for being here now.

Here is another view of the dress. I am just al

ways so relieved when the ones that have to fit properly do fit properly. It was also good to see that the actual three dimensional placement of everything was as good as it was in theory. While I was taking these photographs, someone in the crowd was just gushing positive comments about the dress. I couldn't resist and had to say, "I MADE that dress." I got an unexpected hug from a stranger and a sense that one of the attractions of the event IS the wild costumes. This supports my theory that when you know the contents of your psyche and express that through behaviors including dress, you become a more radiant and powerful version of whom you are completely!

THIS STORY HAS A POST SCRIPT!

Queen Mother Blossom was recently spotted at a high society party in Indianapolis and she was wearing this lovely dress! This picture was in the Indianapolis Star Talk of Our Town society news column on (Queen) Mother's Day 5/8/2011! Her loyal dressmaker is thrilled!

Happy Halloween Part Two

Getting my Etsy shop open and getting a clue about marketing an online retail store were the first tasks of the season. I chose to start with my decorated masks because they are familiar and because they connect with the season. I tested my system of connecting the merchandise with a blog post with additional information about the merchandise, created an online source of materials in an Amazon.com store for the convenience of blog readers wanting to try making decorated masks and actually transacted an Etsy sale! I learned how to promote both my product and my content. I even had the unexpected opportunities of being included in treasuries happen.

I feel confident to put my shop on autopilot for awhile and shift my attention back to the sewing room for the annual ritual of costume making. In 1985, Coby Palmer, Indianapolis floral designer, asked me to make his Halloween costume and I do remember saying, "yes" but do not recall saying "until death do we part!" In 1980, Coby founded the second oldest HIV/AIDS fundraising charity in America, Indy Pride Bag Ladies, which was all of the assistance in our state at the time. In the late 1980's the Damien Center opened to provide programs and services designed to empower persons to overcome the challenges encountered when living with HIV/AIDS, so they can remain independent and productive. The two organizations partner to raise funds in October and a new event called, The Grand Masquerade was launched. This image is from, 1988, the first year of this event. This is where you meet my client, Miss Blossom!


Miss Blossom is a true product of Coby's psyche. My client is a flashy, red-haired sassy Southern belle of a babe with definite ideas about dress. First and foremost, she HAS to have the biggest dress at the party! It's a big plus for me that she knows her way around a fabric store. The truly fascinating aspect of her wardrobe is these clothes are upcycled from vintage clothing. This dress was built out from a shift which became the lining of this costume.

The party theme this year was The Sorcerer's Spell and she wanted to be a pink witch. We upcycled a long black dress and maroon cape for the occasion. It looks like she and her girlfriend are having a grand time! But, the party's not over! Next weekend, the Bag Ladies have a very unique fundraising event and you'll get the "low down on that big gown" after that party's over. She has to make an entrance with the element of surprise and, well, I have sewing to do!