san andres milano

San Andres Milano

by Anna Tomita

It has been about 3 weeks since I have started my internship in Milan, Italy, with San Andres Milano. Everyday has been busy a busy day for everyone in the studio, and my 8-hour work days come and go like it was nothing. The summer months, May, June, July, and August are one of the busiest times for fashion designers. Not only the production of Fall/Winter 2010 are in full throttle, but while the production is taking place, the designers themselves must start designing the Spring/Summer 2011 collection and have it ready for presentation by September 2010 for the Women's Fashion Week. In a bigger company, the designer would delegate the work load, with the production team and the design team working simultaneously, but in a smaller company like San Andres Milano, everyone must do everything all at the same time.

            While Andres is sewing the coats, I am under stitching the other garments or putting on buttons or hook and eyes on them. While that is taking place, another person is cutting the fabric for the next look, and someone else is staining a sleeve on the ironing board because sometimes simple technology like an iron fails. It is chaotic to say the least, and having Madonna's album set on repeat somehow increases our work performance. Some days I would be sent out to 20 different shops to take photos of current trends and colors, and the next day I would be expected to have a clean presentation of my findings. The following days, the design team would sit all day and just sketch. A collection consists of 30 different looks, half of them being daywear and the other half eveningwear. We produce different sketches of certain silhouettes that was decided, and at the end, we would have around 80 sketches. From there, Andres would take time off from the production team to choose and express his opinions on certain looks. After that, some of us would keep sketching, and the others would start on making the prototype, or a sample of the outfit using a cheaper material. From there, we make the adjustments on the pattern to make it fit right.  For the 30 different looks, there will be about 20 prototypes to make and perfect.

            Needless to say, one must love fashion to be able to do this season after season. The product must be a perfect union between creativity and demand, and must be worth the money. Just like everything else in life, a garment must have balance in all the aspects of design. Over designing something will take more time in production, or will not be wearable for some clients. Under designing something will make the garment look like everything else on the market. The perfect balance between everything is the key to a successful collection. 

Fwd: milano part 2

Milano part 2

            Fashion week in Milan attracts many important figures in fashion and in the commercial industry from all over the world.  Some include world famous photographers, models, editors, and buyers. Although their schedules are packed with activities, from fashion shows to invitational parties down to every second, some take time to grace the devout fashion followers with appearances open to the public. One was Ivan Rodic, A.K.A "Facehunter" (facehunter.blogspot.com). His first book, self titled, "Facehunter" by publisher Thames & Hudson, just launched all over Europe, not long after another street photography book by the Sartorialist (sartorialist.blogspot.com). Ivan is a street fashion photographer who travels all over the world, gaining a reputation to have an eye for stylish-everyday-people. He focuses on style of people in different countries, who are neither editors, models, nor designers. The result is a collection of stylish, innovative, and creatively dressed people from all over the globe, who are just like ourselves.

            At Ivan's book signing, all of us Hawaii girls were graced with his genuine interest of fashion in Hawaii. Unlike many industry people who seem to think of barefooted locals and palm trees and huts, Ivan was curious about the fashion in Hawaii. To that question, my friends and I (whom are all affiliated with the study of fashion in Hawaii) came up with the answer that the inaccessibility of the industry and the inspiration encourages all of us to try harder. We must strive and dedicate more time and energy to research, and innovation with everything in our lives. Some of my classmates know the most cultish and interesting websites and magazines dedicated to fashion, and have the keenest eyes when it comes to style, dressing, and designing. The inaccessibility taunts us. It makes us work harder to know, to experience, and to live the life that we all imagine and wish to live. And of course, a relaxing and calm beach house is the perfect location of sewing and designing for long hours.

            All in all, Milan fashion week was the dream of the dreamers. The busy days went past us so fast, and after a weekend, we all returned home to Florence with a suitcase full of goodies and memories and magazines and stolen past invitation cards to fashion shows. I would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone. Italy is a friendly place full of passionate people, and we just have to remember that even Anna Wintour and Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs and Tim Gunn was in our shoes before, dreaming the same dream and obsessing over a similar pair of Prada heels, their faces smudged against the glass window display.

Photo Credit: Ivan Rodic group photo (Tori Nyberg)

Photo credit: Signed book (Anna Tomita)

you and me

Here is the sound that photographs make
When I see them
When I hear them
I see regions of sharp precision
Over abundance
Over indulgence
Tied together with rope and twine
Stuck together with paste and glue
Two old planks of knotty pine
A couple of nails that poke right through. 

-"knotty pine" by the Dirty Projectors

milano part 1

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anna Tomita <annaiscereal@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 22, 2010 at 2:13 AM
Subject: milano part 1
To: paularath@aol.com

Milan Fashion Week: Part one 

By: Anna Tomita

            Milan fashion week was simply the best fashion experience for someone who lacks the accessibility to high fashion. Everywhere you go, you see editors, models, and press dressed in amazing clothes that you see in magazines and blogs. Unlike NY fashion week, the crowd is very limited and events are less publicized and the paparazzi minimal. It is really to tend to a limited group of buyers, editors, and bloggers who are already well involved in the fashion cult community of Italy.

            My friends and I arrived in Milan, and received show schedules from one of the girl's aunt who is a buyer in Boston. From there, we found the areas and just made an appearance before the given show started. The venue would be packed with fashionistas and recognizable faces from magazines and websites, just lounging and chatting, taking photos and jotting notes down in their moleskins. A world that seemed so far away, tucked between the glossy pages were suddenly right in front of our eyes.  Compared to places like NYC, Milan seemed to lack the amateur followers of fashion, hence, we were mostly the only ones without privileges who was just there for the experience.

            I was fortunate to have been invited by my possible internship label, San Andres Milano (www.sanandresmilano.com) to attend their fall winter 2010 presentation that took place in the Mercedes Benz Fashion Center. Right as I arrived, I was bombarded by people taking photos of me by the entrance. It was a strange feeling, because I was a nobody, but the fact is that in the industry, anyone could be anyone. Especially today, where a 13-year old blogger occupies the front row of a Dior Haute Couture show, it is hard to tell who's who and who's what in the industry. Once inside the building, different vendors or magazines, modeling agencies, and companies engaged the crowd on the bottom floor, along with a photo exhibition by Cannon. I was then lead to a private room on the same floor which housed San Andres Milano's newest line, with live models and refreshments. I met the designer, the bag technician, and the publicity manager while the Max Mara show was going on right above my head, on the second floor which of course needs an invitation card to enter. The overall experience was quite overwhelming. Fashion was all over me, even in the air that was quite hard to breathe. Scent of various perfumes, the flashing lights, and the constant glances of people who are wondering or even trying to figure out who you are near by.

            The rest of our visit was even more filled with excitement and constant inspirational moments. We were able to enter the Max Mara stage after the show, and actually walk the runway and look at the construction of the show. We repeated that at a later Icerberg show.

…to be continued… 

oh NO oh NO my first MILAN SHOW!

can you believe this? because I can't!

Firenze in B&W

my first few compiled prints from the first 3 rolls of film.

Thank you Honolulu Advertiser...

I hope to use this to my advantage and for the best of everyone's hopes.

I'm from Hawaii, you Milanians(?)!!!!

travels

The second weekend of my stay, I visited Rome over the weekend. I love Florence, Florence is my hometown, but Rome is undoubtedly beautiful also. People also dress a bit more edgier. Its also a tourist town, but the monuments being close to each other makes it a lot easier to see everything in a short amount of time. The inspirational moment was when we went to mass at the Vatican and heard the Pope speak out of his bedroom window, greeting everyone in 7 different languages. I thought I would be so concentrated on watching how people dress on the streets, but once I enter a museum or a church, everything flies away. And that, as a designer, is an inspirational moment. When clothes itself do not hypnotize you, but art and creation in different forms just give you that jolt of energy, and the skill kicks in when you can translate how you felt, how it made your eyes dazzle, into garments. And you couldn't possibly think of any other way to describe that energy flowing through you. 

from jakandjil blog

sometimes i feel like this. 

FIRENZE 1/31/2010

Oh goodness. theres so much to see, so much to do, so many streets to get lost on. My body is still getting used to the cold weather, but that doesn't make a style hungry girl blind. For those of you who follow global fashion weeks, the men's have just finished, and now the couture shows are up and running. It's hard for me to decide if I should go walk around and freeze or to stay indoors and indulge in the sweet, comforting world of... youtube. I suppose a good balance will do.
Here in Florence, fashion is everywhere... like how it's everywhere on the Waikiki strip. I am still in the process of elimination, to distinguish the tourism traps from the real Florentine fashion. As for street fashion, I've seen so far:

Puff jacket (in many colors with fur or knit trims)

very very extravagant fur coats

Florentines have no shame in wearing fur or mink, where in the US one would probably get egged by a PETA maniac. Leather, fur, and anything animal is a sign of wealth and fashion. In that sense, the older florentines have better street style with a more classic look. As for proportions and silhouettes, there are none yet. People are bundled up, and I can't tell where their neck starts and their shoulder ends. Time will unveil, or more like undress.

Something in Florence makes me feel like some styles are timeless. Unlike the US, where fashion is change and trends come in and out, something makes me feel like I would see a similar style every year during the winter season. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. Because if a garment is good and well made, it should last you a lifetime.

ciao bella,
Anna Tomita

SF

Here I am, in the middle of sf airport, at 530 in the morning. I have
a layover till noon and just noticing little things like the clean,
smooth, unoccupied floor at the main terminal. I took some film black
and whites, I still can't focus the camera too well but hopefully it
came out okay... Now what to do for a couple of hours... My number one
on the list is to watch the sunrise with my travel buddy Feliz. We
shall take it from there.
Much love to everyone, I finally made it out of the rock.

Panini

Really delicious panini at nordstrom cafe :)

Seaplane

Sometimes when I see a seaplane I get overly excited about life.

I see red and I want to pain it black

I don't know why but I love this. The color of the couch, the hat, and
the pillows against the color of johnny's shirt... A mini
inspirational moment!

Happy new years

Smoked an illigal cuban cigar on nye. Honestly, it tasted like horse
doo doo... P.s Ryan is wearing a shirt I made for him! It's just a t-
shirt with a blue zipper straight through. So 2009 with the decorative
zipper, I know. He has a blog too. www.alohafixed.com