we don't have a 80% off sale

Hi :)

and Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American customers!

Chances are this is your first blog post NOT advertising a Black Friday sale (Or your first newsletter NOT advertising a Black Friday sale).

We think that's cool. Yes, that's right. We're NOT having a sale. We pride ourselves to be individualists. That also means we like to have sales when others don't. We certainly won't have them because everybody else has them. And to be frank, we could not afford to sell our clothing at 80% off - no way!
You heard right. Going sale percentages are 50%, 75% even 80% off... as witnessed by IDILVICE herself recently at a mall on 34th Street in Manhattan (header image). A 10-15% off sale or even 25% off won't do any longer.
Have you asked yourself why in the world are they offering you such low prices? Duh, the economy! But it's the economy because most items on local shelves nowadays are imported from China and from other faraway places, not made in local factories, which employ your neighbor or maybe yourself. That's why. But you already knew that. Yet, you keep buying those cheaply made items, which do absolutely nothing to save your beloved world and your beloved America. In the contrary, you are aware that the little money you spend will keep China afloat but will eventually bring America down. If that's what you want...?

 
Instead you could save that small change and make it become a larger sum, which will allow you to buy a quality American made product, which supports your dream! Or, do something altogether different with your money. Don't buy anything, give it to someone in need.

This way, you will soon see your favorite American products on sale again in an economy that's booming...

Here's a little history on Fashion Made In America: More than 3 years ago, The New Yorker Magazine published an article (with newly elected First Lady Michelle Obama - herself a noted supporter of American Made Fashion - on its cover), which focused on 'Made In America' products. IDILVICE Fashion was mentioned in it along with the few local designers, such as Oscar De LaRenta and Anna Sui, left being manufactured in New York City. Read the article now! The writer and publishers already saw back then were we would be with this in 2012 and beyond. Designers like Oscar De LaRenta, Anna Sui and IDILVICE, do not have 80% Off sales in 2012 and neither will they in 2013.

In 1950, nearly a third of employed Americans worked in factories. In 2009, it was about ten per cent. I suspect today it's less than that.
No time for sadness. Are you with us? The best times are yet to come!



And in the spirit of always ending on a good note, what are we looking up to when we are not as strong as we would like to be? Heroes and heroines. Love. Family. Although this is not the latest Hollywood release, we think Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games embody the perfect heroes for times like these, ridden by super storms and financial crisis. May their strength and love for each other bring you hope this season! 

As always, new items are added daily! Check out the New Arrivals

category!

So remember what we've talked about and what it actually takes for bringing America back. It's all in our own hands and every time we buy, we vote for what kind of America we want to have. With these thoughts, we are sending you into the beautiful holiday season and are certain that the best is yet to come!

Happy Holidays!

IDILVICE Fashion
IdilVice.com


 

IDILVICE fashion is made in usa

Just a reminder that IDILVICE fashion is made in USA. This is important in a time when American jobs are scarce, we need every job to stay right here and IDILVICE has been and will be made locally. We are pioneers. We are the future. So whenever you can, buy American. The job you save may be yours...

fourth of july style

I am currently at the pool and planning a day at the beach... In my bag are lots of sun lotion, a bottle of Moet, hair bands, pins and coconut cream (for my planned braided hairstyle), a ton (yes, too many) red, white and blue bangles and this Barack Obama Dress for the firework BBQ tonight... what are you wearing?

... Barack Obama Tribute Dress ...

hippie summer fashion

Yes, I said I was real busy lately and had no time to write... je m'excuse! Nowadays in this economy it's no joke and if one wants to survive he or she better invests a damn large amount of time and sweat into the business. This blog is part of that business, but I admit: it's not priority. I just really love to write and talk about my business so I do want to continue posting when the time allows...

So, right now 2 of my main Bernina sewing machines are in for a tune up (as always in Spring, but one of them has an issue most likely bigger than a regular service can take care of, so I am just hoping my mechanic can take care of it sooner rather than later :/ and weirdly still today, after all these years, I am shocked to see empty tables when I walk by the sewing work space. I am simply not complete without these incredible tools. Well, hopefully there won't be any pressing fashion matters before Memorial Day... But, it's not all bad, because I do have some time to blog now!

I wanted to show you some of the images from our new Spring photo shoot. You'll see, my hippie inspiration continues... Jimi Hendrix on a fringed kaftan and a super hippie Madonna on a woven jacket! O.K. here we go: a couple new pictures from our Spring campaign:

NYC model Jessica Calle in the Madonna (Celebration) Woven Jacket, photo by Carl Posey.

Jess with guitar rockin' out in our purple Jimi Hendrix Kaftan Dress, photo Carl Posey.

So all you really have to do is slip on one of these, turn on the music and relax. Enjoy Summer time! If you are more into skirts, you'll digg our One-Of-A-Kind pleated minis or our fabulous floor length hippie patch work skirts... their all in our New Arrivals category.
O.K. guys and girls, stay tuned for more hippie treats this Season!


And "pssst", I 'm not really supposed to tell you yet, but in one of the next posts, I'll put the spot light on Zimmermann & de Perrot, a Swiss theater troupe which is really good. They had their US premier here in NYC earlier this month. Because Zimi (Martin Zimmermann) and Dimi (Dimitri de Perrot) are both friends and we were roommates in Zürich more than 20 years ago, I was invited. So you'll get the inside scoop and you'll see some images (with ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov) from their NYC photo shoot with photographer Carl Posey.

best of elvis

...elvis photo heart pillow...

Happy Birthday Elvis! To celebrate The King of Rock 'N' Roll's special day, I'll dish out the best IdilViceFashionRocks Elvis Clothing designs that I've done in the past few years. A retrospective of Elvis tribute fashions and accessories of sorts - Elvis galore - in one exclusive post - with photography by Carl Posey - heya! - That's gonna be a lot of fun!

...elvis/levis logo stretch satin bustier top worn with elvis dance graphic slacks, photos by carl posey...

You're in Memphis? Step by Graceland and pose in front of the famous gates! Or anywhere else in the world? Enjoy the Elvis Fashion Show right here: "Ta taaa!" As an additional tribute and to get you in a swingy mood, I added my favorite Elvis song to the IdilVice play list this week, enjoy!

...elvis portrait satin dandy baseball jacket (worn backwards), elvis dance graphic slacks...

Now that's how you celebrate the king! I have a feeling you can't get enough of Elvis - who can?! - just stop by the Elvis Clothing Category or gaze over some Elvis sketches and drawings for more inspiration. But now, a little less talk and more fashion please!

...elvis dance graphic slacks worn with elvis/levis logo stretch satin bustier top...

...elvis rockabilly petticoat skirt, photos by carl posey...

...idilvice wearing the elvis portrait sweater and moschino wool slacks, photo by carl posey...

...elvis photo portrait silk satin fringed opera scarf/wrap...

...elvis hawaii gown, photos by carl posey...

...one of a kind elvis us army photo gold lame dress (private collection), photo carl posey...

...elvis skinny stretch satin rouched pants, photo carl posey...


...elvis day glow gipsy dress (left), elvis green portrait skirt (right)...

Elvis lives in my pop art photo fashion line. Read more Elvis posts.

ready to wear

It's always a nice feeling of accomplishment when the last touch is put on a garment. Finished! Ready to wear.


Now of course as long as this jacket is not sold and in my possession you can't keep me from adding something else. I was thinking to add this patch to the front... the order is placed, it just has to get here...



Don't you think it would give it the seal of approval of the hippies ? Of course it already has a hippie vibe without it (the colors, the texture of the woven fabric, the patch working, top stitching, the classic jacket pattern, etc.), but considering that the print depicts Madonna, some may be confused and hesitant to label it hippie.

I was very fortunate to find those sequin lined brass buttons! They really make the coat. Sometimes a garment does not come together until that last crucial detail is added. Read the beginning of how I got inspired to go ahead and make this jacket.

The creative process to get to something great in fashion is a constant tip toeing around in the unknown and uncertain. You've got to become open minded, self conscious and bold, make decisions, know when it's time to stop and when and where to make the cut. You bet, this can all go wrong, but when it's right, then there's that deserved feeling of accomplishment, which is so neat!

lady gaga raw

After her performance last night at the AMA, Lady Gaga has my vote. When I first heard of this glam rock lady who got her name from the Queen song "Radio Ga Ga", I thought she was a new talent from England, judging by the techno dance music she was known for. Little did I know that she's a New York kid! Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, from Upstate NY.

While I simply adore her produced persona, I thought it was interesting to show this performance from NYU, years back.

Lady Gaga Raw. Great voice. She looks nothing like the produced persona that she is now, but if I may point out that she is barefoot on the piano, that may give away a little bit of where she would head later down the road. Great!

...lady gaga performs at bazaar restaurant at an early stage in her career...

wedding in las vegas, part 1

Just so you know: What happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. Never ha, ha! Of course not, because people talk, people take pictures and before you know it, the whole wide world knows what you did in that town!

But whatever. You are in for a treat! Let me explain. Most people dream of a wedding in Vegas. Some people are lucky enough to get married in Vegas and some just get to go along! Yessssha! - I was a chosen one! It sounds like cookies and cream to you, but it was not that easy. I took an assignment.

I was to design and tailor a wedding dress for the bride and the outfit for the groom. I got paid. And I was going to soon go on a really nice ride, but first, I had to do some work!

So what were Mimi's dreams of the dress for that most special day in her life? I flew to Switzerland for a meeting to try and find out. I showed her some ideas and we brainstormed around a bit. The same ritual, except shorter and much more focused went on with the groom, Greg. He pretty much knew what he wanted: something cool, with special details, tailored but easy, maybe with a hat. He mentioned that he wanted to wear his sneakers. O.K.!?

The next step here would be the drawing table and it was. Many sketches later I snatched the O.K. to go ahead. Sourcing the actual material from an idea (mirrored sequence?! White on white embroidered silk?!) can be tricky but in NYC's Garment District you can find pretty much anything. And so I did!

Before I go further, I would like to ask this question: Why is one of the most important parts of fashion, it's process needed to exist and come to life, its production so invisible? Who do you think makes these outrageous looking Haute Couture creations??! The good Samaritans? A Magician? No, you can't just shove all the ingredients into an oven and expect them to come out done... they have to be assembled. Meticulously, patiently, stitch by stitch, with a lot of sweat and sometimes even injuries, like small cuts and strains, etc. but let's not go there!

Let's for once, very unglamorously put a spotlight on how these garments and yes, even pretty wedding gowns are made:


My Bernina Artista sewing machine helps!

...all photos by Carl Posey...

O.K. so let this marinate for a while and soon, in one of the very next posts, I will reveal the finished product! And guess what? You are going to go on for the ride with me: A Wedding In Las Vegas! Stay put!

photoshop disaster

Ah, ha! I should mind my own business, but since I just bitched about the shabby baggy Ralph Lauren denim overalls, that were absolutely nothing new, it's only natural for me to wonder why do his models need to be this skinny? To fit those baggy pants?!


You think I'm kidding but I'm not: This is the brand new Ralph Lauren ad. Ralph admits that they did go a few steps to far in Photoshop retouching. Obviously!

Boingboing.net who commented on it: "Ralph Lauren opens new outlet store in the Uncanny Valley. Dude her head is bigger than her pelvis!" got in trouble and sued by RL.

What a world! But you didn't think you could believe what is said nor what you see, did you?

ahead of the game at last?

It's always difficult to move on to the next post if I happen to like the current one. You can see I have been hesitant to shove down The New Yorker cover for nearly a week now. But the time has come, where I must do the inevitable, if I want to keep the readers (you) interested in this feed that is.

But before I move on to a completely different subject, I would like to say how much I appreciated Patty Marx's article and the fact that she mentioned me in it.
Love the cover too! At first I thought it's the artwork of Love and Rockets comic book artists Los Bros Hernandez, Gilbert, Jamie and Mario Hernandez. I was wrong. The illustration picturing a few (!) Michelle Obamas smoothly modeling some garments down the runway is credited to Jean-Claude Floc'h.

Interesting that Floc'h puts emphasis on Michelle's unique color choices - of which I have been talking about in my previous posts - of the outfits along with some key style elements that the first lady is getting known for: classic sheath cuts, decorative waist belts, layering, etc. The only thing missing was something sleeveless.

While Michelle is wearing American made designs, she is - like all of us - sporting lots of China made wear (J.Crew) these days. It's therefore fitting that Patty's article, which dissects the history of production in the U.S.A, is a cover story of the style issue.

I am Swiss. We Swiss are very proud of the label "Made in Switzerland" or "Swiss Made"- if not obviously - and for good reason. Just look at the watch market, anything worth your time and money is Swiss Made, the same goes for chocolate sweets and sewing machines (Bernina), not to mention the fabulous St. Galler Kinderfest Bratwurst, which I am missing every day. The "Swiss Made" label is of quality.

So when I moved to New York in 1992, I did not care about anything but me, sure....

Then I started realizing that I am now producing an item made entirely in the U.S.A. At first I did not embrace that fact and lamented that I would love the Swiss made label instead. However, since I was now living and working here, I started to get friendly with the Made in USA label and I made sure it was known to the customer, via hang tags.

...imports once felt exotic: now homegrown goods seem special...
illustration silja goetz, the new yorker

Little did I know that in the year 2009 I am one of the very, very few left that is actually producing in New York, in a city where originally in 1910 something like over 70% of woman's wear was produced. I learned that today it is a mere 10%. Over 300'000 people worked in the garment industry in the 1950's, today the number is 20'000 and stagnating as we read. If you read The New Yorker article you already know that.

Little did I know. For me it was not really an option to out-source. As a small business, I wanted to keep production as close to home as possible, so that I could literally smell the oil burned by the industrial sewing machines. Sure in the early 2000's I considered, in order to lower the prices, producing elsewhere. There was Turkey, where my cousin (yes, I am half Turkish) was head of a production company. I made a couple of attempts to find a production managing company in NY. But after checking out my options, there was no way that I was in the position to move manufacturing. At that point it would have required a huge amount of money to add jobs (in a foreign country), which I did not have and did not care to look for. So I kept on producing my line in the fashion district just about a mile from my studio. It just made sense to me.

While more and more big companies are shutting down altogether, I have a strange feeling that I am, at last, ahead of the game. Able to sustain an economic downturn, because of the size and local of my business and the uniqueness (not mass produced) of my product, made entirely in the U.S.A.

...always close to the production facilities... day and night...
photo by carl posey

the new yorker

On newstands worldwide now:


Read the article Patricia Marx, On and Off the Avenue, “Made in U.S.A.,” The New Yorker, March 16, 2009, p. 64 featuring Idil Vice's collection "Fashion Rocks".


ABSTRACT: ON AND OFF THE AVENUE about buying American. What does the label “Made in the U.S.A.” mean, anyway? According to the FTC, it designates that “all or virtually all” of the product and its components were made in the fifty states, D.C., or any American territory or possession. Where else to begin the search for indigenous stuff but at Lord & Taylor, the first major emporium to spring up on Fifth Avenue? The retailarchy Bloomingdale’s has yet to go multinational. Mentions St. John Knits. What could be more American than Early American furniture? Shakers who can’t afford Shaker can acquire dovetailed pieces for their meetinghouses at Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers (699 Madison Ave, at 62nd St). Simon Pearce’s eponymous emporium (500 Park Avenue, at 59th St) has for decades specialized in glassware, ceramics, and sundry other breakables, most of them handmade in the company’s workshops in Vermont and Maryland. In 1950, nearly a third of employed Americans worked in factories. Today, it’s about ten per cent. Mentions Sephora, Guitar Center, Kaufman’s Army & Navy, American Apparel, An American Craftsman, Etsy.com, American Girl Place, Anna Sui, Oscar de la Renta, Fresh Meat, Lingo, Idil Vice, Jacques Torres, Kee’s, The Container Store, and Dave’s New York.

"If you can't be a rock star, you can at least wear one on your chest. A Swiss-born New Yorker named Idil Vice designs cotton jersey clothing silk screened with large images of pop icons. They are cool, but do you dare to have David Bowie staring out from the front of your strapless dress? Or Elvis on your high-waisted skirt, with tulle and petticoat attached? Or Billie Holiday posed on your goth bell-bottoms? (idilvicefashionrocks.com: $98.95, $400 and $269.)"

fashion rocks catalog 2009

It should have been done by the end of 2008 but I am glad to announce that our catalog is finished!! Just came hot off the press and it frankly smells like it: Fresh. Thumbing through it makes me happy. All the work that went into it seams worth it.

That colorful accumulation of pictures will be sent out to wholesale customers as well as anyone who is interested in having it.

Here is an exclusive preview...

shoebamania

Hey, I just designed this shoe...



...made from my pictures taken during the day of the election November 4th, 2008 and you can be sure: more will follow! Especially the ones matching all of the Fashion Rocks clothing pieces... exciting isn't it?

copyright idil vice fashion rocks, 2009.

obamania

While the country/world finds itself in disarray and in a huge financial downturn, I thought it would be nice to remind everybody that in less than 2 weeks, on January 20th, Barack Obama will finally be sworn in as the new president of the United States.



My Ron English art piece (Abraham Obama) is finally framed and posted up on the wall in my office and I am impatiently awaiting this sticker pack to go on sale again:




A truly astonishing amount of art has been created since Obama has started to conquer more and more hearts and votes and then a decisive win. Someone even created a new alphabet in order to spell change. There are times when I feel I have an Obama overdose, but there is no way that one can ignore what is happening and so I wanted to take this opportunity to show you some of the art created and uploaded to a website that my hubs discovered... have fun!



Amazing! Which one is your favorite?