Skip to main content

Feature: Garnish Apparel

As wholesale manager, I have the opportunity to meet some really fun fashion designers. I grow a business and personal relationship with many and love to support their efforts! One of my (MANY) favorites is Erica Lurie, owner of Garnish Apparel. 


Erica has so graciously accepted the invitation to be featured on our blog. She just finished a new collection, entitled, "White Label Collection." This collection is quite different from her regular line of garments, but still oh so tempting! The best thing about her designs is that everything is Handmade in the USA! Along with a team of talented sewers, they sew the entire line in Portland, OR. The images scattered through this post are part of the White Label Collection. Enjoy and don't forget...support local and support indie design!


From the "White Label Collection" - Spring 2013
What is behind your business name?  
Garnish means to adorn or decorate.  One of the most immediate ways of expressing our personalities is by our choices in how we adorn ourselves.  So our dress has a powerful ability to shape our opinions about ourselves as well as other people's opinions about us.  I like for my customers to feel that when they "Garnish" themselves they put forth an image that makes them feel good about who they are. 
 
What is a typical work day like?  
There is no typical work day at Garnish!  That is what I love about it (and can at times be frustrating!).  When I arrive at work I can have an agenda and at the end of the day, what I accomplished often looks nothing like what I set out to do.   But that keeps things interesting as I hate repetition.  

What made you want to be a designer? 
I love working with my hands and creating things three-dimensionally.  And I LOVE fabric!  I find the challenge of fitting fabric to the body in just the way I want to be exhilarating. 

Did you go to school for fashion? Where?  
I was a Sculpture major and clothing and textiles minor at Montana State University in Bozeman.  Most of my sculptures were clothing in some medium... often metal. 

What do you use for inspiration? 
I find most of my inspiration from my fabrics.  I buy fabrics that I love and that work together and then from there decide if the fabric is most appropriate for a dress, a top, a bottom, etc.  I think I must find inspiration sub-consciously from nature as I love the outdoors and use it to rejuvenate me.

Who is your favorite designer?  
Oh, that's tough.  I'm going to go with Carolina Herrera.

Before you established your own line, did you work in the fashion field? Where? 
Yes, I worked at Adidas.  My boss gave me a 3 month leave of absence to work on my line... pretty amazing!

What is the best thing about being a designer? The hardest thing?
I love being able to come to work and be creative!  I also love working for myself but that can also be the hardest thing... ultimately it all falls on your shoulders. 

Nadira Dress - Designs from Past Seasons - Fabric is from Fabric Mart (No longer available)
Do you have any signature pieces you make every season?  
We have made our Amanda Dresses for many seasons and it's a great all around dress.  But we are feeling like we need to take a little break from it and re-introduce it down the road a bit.

What is your favorite fabric type? 
I can't answer that, I'd be excluding too many wonderful fabrics!  But I do love printed silks- they suck me in every time!

What colors do you gravitate to? 
I try to really vary my palette because different colors work on different people and all colors are so beautiful.  Right now I'm pining for the deep, deep indigo that is popular, especially in Europe.

From the "White Label Collection" - Spring 2013

Where do you go when you need to get away from it all? 
Into the woods...

What is your favorite food?  
All of them.  OK, if I must choose one I'd say lobster (sorry little guys).

Any advice for aspiring designers?  
Be ready to work your butt off if you want to get anywhere in this industry.  But it is so worth it.

What is one fashion trend you love? Hate? 
I'm loving the bold colors this season.  There are usually some trends that I hate, but this season I like most of them. 

From the "White Label Collection" - Spring 2013

How would you describe the type of woman that buys your clothes? 
Independent, confident (but not always when it comes to dressing themselves), often creative in some sense, knows what she wants from her life and goes out and gets it!


Are you are designer looking for larger quantities? The wholesale division of Fabric Mart may be the answer! Contact julie@fabricmartfabrics.com if you are interested in learning more.

Become a Fabric Mart Fabricista! 
Are you a designer or just love to sew for yourself?  If you've used a Fabric Mart fabric, we would love to feature you on our blog! Its a great way to show other customers what they can do with a fabric. For more information, contact fabricmartblog@gmail.com


~Julie

Comments

  1. Love the light-weight fabric which feels very cool and dries quickly. The style is very basic. Looks good, just nothing to get excited about.

    http://www.apparelnbags.com/sport-tek/index.htm

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Liberty Snow Day

Hi everyone! While we’ve been blanketed with snow out here in Southeastern PA, I decided to conquer my fear of button holes and make NewLook pattern N6749. I was able to snag a few yards of the Jess + Jean print Liberty of London Tana Lawn for it. It’s always exciting when Fabric Mart is able to get Liberty fabrics in! I always make sure to grab some.  Cutting into a beautiful piece of tana lawn is scary every time. The fabric is such good quality, I’m afraid to mess it up! I had to be extra careful as this is also the first directional pattern I’ve worked with. But one of my assistants made sure all of my pieces were laid correctly. Something I wanted to try out with this dress was finishing the inside seams using the overlock stitch on my domestic machine. Normally I would french seam, but it was nice to not have to worry about cutting seam allowance in half, sewing, trimming, flipping, and sewing again. Next time I would cut the seam allowance back before overlocking, but I thin...

Made By A Fabricista: Ghostly School Uniform

When Fabric Mart asked me what fabric I wanted for my first project I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to make, Nene Yashiro from Toilet Bound Hanako kun (a weird but cute anime) but as cute as the design was, I knew I'd need to adjust the colors to a slightly warmer tones to better suit my complexion and undertones. For the main dress I was so happy to find an off white cotton/Lycra stretch twill that was opaque enough to not need a lining and stretched enough that I could continue avoiding my nemesis; zippers. I wanted to try out having a seamless center front panel, so I modified one of my existing go-to bodice patterns, and after figuring out what length I wanted for the skirt, was able to have the center front panel incorporated into the center front panel of the skirt. I then had the rest of the bodice as their normal waist length so that I could add an additional panel to the skirt to be able to have enough width to have volume and gather it down evenly around my waist. The hem h...

Made By A Fabricista: The Perfect Birthday Dress - Simplicity 9777

Hello friends,  I’m Byrd, and today I’m excited to share my latest Fabricista project with you.  I knew I wanted something extra special—a dress that would not only celebrate my birthday but also hold a deeper meaning. I found the perfect fabric in Fabric Mart’s Bordeaux Polyester Wool Gaberdine Suiting , and it didn’t disappoint. The Fabric: A Perfect Blend of Beauty and Function This fabric is a gorgeous wool blend in a rich Bordeaux color that exudes elegance. It’s medium weight, making it substantial enough for structure but with just the right amount of drape for movement. It’s one of those fabrics that feels luxurious and versatile—perfect for a statement-making dress. The Pattern: Simplicity 9777 After debating between a few patterns, I settled on Simplicity 9777, an easy-to-sew, one-shoulder dress with plenty of options. This pattern allows you to choose between mini or maxi lengths, different sleeve styles, and even includes side pockets (who doesn’t love pockets?). ...