Category: Designer Notes

The Designs:

This is a great example of wearing an Ivey Abitz jacket as a shirt. The Blanchefleur Jacket in the Pewter Hand Woven Silk becomes a lighter weight piece that can easily be worn indoors. The curves in its bottom hem tie in beautifully to the curving movement along the bottom hem of the Addy Skirt.

The bias cut insets made of striped silk on the Addy Skirt make it the featured piece within the ensemble. The Leo Frock, gently peeking out at the bottom hem, makes an airy base for the look. It gives the ensemble depth without unnecessary bulk. The look is finished with a substantial Lucia Scarf around the neck to counter the wispy netting of the base frock.

The Palette: 

The Pewter hues here are wonderfully ambiguous. The Pewter Puckered Striped Silk and Pewter Hand Woven Silk have black threads going through the yarn dyed weave, even though it’s not easy to tell upon first glance of the fabrics. This makes it very easy to mix in black hues into the ensemble. Black shoes and accessories are very easy to wear with these Pewter hues, which is one of the most common colours in a wardrobe. This makes it so easy to blend these versatile pieces into your IA wardrobe.

The Pewter Washed Cotton Velvet is a dip-dyed fabric, so it has a wonderful variation of hues in it. The fabric gives you light and dark Pewter hues, as well as warm and cooler hues.

See Holiday Look No. 3 at IveyAbitz.com.

Design Line-up: 

The Designs:  

This Holiday 2011 Collection ensemble features the new Holkham Hall Jacket, Trelawny Frock, and Lucia Scarf. An Elliot Shirt and Jacket in Onyx French Netting is worn with the Trelawny Frock for coverage on the arms. It gives the ensemble a lovely combination of a lighter, airier, feel alongside the more substantive cotton velvet.

The Palette: 

Look No. 1 is subtle with a striking addition of the Lucia Scarf in the Emerald Textured Striped Silk. The scarf can be worn outdoors or indoors, allowing this pop of colour to be worn throughout the day with the ensemble.

Fabric Feature: 

Our Pewter Washed Cotton Velvet is perhaps the most subtle show-stopping choice of the collection. The variation of grey hues in this dip-dyed fabric lends itself well to mixing and matching within many ensembles. This fabric is featured in the Holkham Hall Jacket.

Another subtle stunner worth mentioning is the Onyx Hand Woven Silk in the Trelawny Frock. It can be dressed up or down with simply changing your shirt/jacket and accessories. It’s an all-season weight that can be enjoyed year round.

 Design Line-up: 

This week marked the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York City. On March 25, 1911, a fire swept through a sweatshop and killed 146 garment workers. They either burned to death or jumped from the flames to their deaths. Most of the workers were young girls between the ages of 14 to 23.

The workers could not escape the building because the managers had locked the doors to the stairwells and exits. This was to ensure that workers stayed on the job and did not steal anything at the end of the work day. The fire led to demanding improved work safety standards for garment workers. It also made New York state one of the most progressive states in terms of labor reform.

This 100 year anniversary is a profound reminder of how special our relationship is with our seamstresses at Ivey Abitz. Our “Made in USA” label is more than a label to us. It is a promise to honor the laborers of history that struggled to set our nation apart from the rest of the world.

Without our beloved seamstresses, we could not do what we do. Our mutual respect and admiration for them is reflected in each and every garment that we create. We look forward to introducing you to them along the way. (They may be a bit camera shy, but we think some portraits of them at work is in order so you can meet them.)

With deep respect and admiration for those who lost their lives 100 years ago…