TegTalks

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” -Coco Chanel No “Influential Women Who Changed Fashion History” tribute would be complete without paying homage to the queen bee of them all, Coco Chanel. As we sing her praises, please forgive us if we sound a little giddy and star struck over her unparalleled influence on our industry. In this, we are not alone. In fact, Mademoiselle Coco is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Her early childhood and young adulthood is worthy of a Dickens’ novel. Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was born on August 19, 1883 to Eugénie Jeanne Devolle, a laundry woman, in a charity hospital for the poor run by the Sisters of Providence in [...]

Music and fashion have always fed off of each other, and there are few finer examples of this than the punk movement of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. During this time, rock music was dominated by big arena shows; complete with polished and packaged bands strutting the stage with big hair, tight pants, and huge egos.  Punk was an underground reaction to this excessive spectacle; a stripped down angry sound with a distinctive distressed look and a distrust for authority. It became one of the most unique and lasting subcultures of the 20th century.  In fact, the term “punk rock” was originally coined by American critics to describe the garage band culture that was rising at the time, a sound that served as precursor to what we now know simply as [...]

No two decades have had more of a lasting impact on current fashion trends than the 1950s and 1960s. And that’s not just our humble opinion, fashion historians often agree as well. Fashion in the ’50s was influenced by the post-WWII era of the late 1940s and heavily featured new materials like nylon, acrylic, polyester, and spandex. The end of the war also welcomed the return of couture fashion. Christian Dior (and his seminal “New Look” collection), Cristóbal Balenciaga, Coco Chanel, and Hubert de Givenchy (with Audrey Hepburn as his elegant muse), all had a major impact in the style of the decade. It was glamorous, well-groomed, and put-together, even for more casual stay-at-home looks. And it was emulated by women everywhere. In the mid-1960s, fashion began to take cues from Swinging [...]

It’s no surprise that Hollywood and pop culture have long had a strong influence on the fashion industry. And while it may seem like that influence is even stronger now more than ever thanks to social media (we see you Harry S. and Zendaya), flip back through the pages of fashion history and you'll find that the cult of celebrity has always been there. This article is an homage to three women who rose to fame (and infamy) in the ’50s and ‘60s - Brigitte Bardot, Jane Berkin and Bettie Page. Each of these women, in her own way, made an indelible mark on the fashion landscape. Brigitte Bardot, aka “B.B.” Brigitte Bardot (born September 28, 1934, Paris, France) is a model and actress who graced the cover of Elle magazine at [...]

While you may not have heard the term “lab dip” yet, stay in the fashion industry long enough and you will!  Lab dips are created when a dye house or color lab dyes a few small swatches of your actual fabric or textile trim to learn which dye formula creates the best color match for that particular fabric. Okay, that was the official definition of a lab dip. Allow us to explain it in layman’s terms. Let’s say you have picked a grayish-lavender for three different garments in your collection. And you want them all to be the same shade, tone and tint of that particular grayish-lavender. However, all three garments are made from a different fabric type. (As an aside, you can learn more about the difference between shade, tone and [...]

"The best color in the world is the one that looks good on you." - Coco Chanel Artists and designers have long been aware of the psychological impact of color. Just think of Claude Monet’s most famous works. Monet loved to paint within a high key (light colors). Instead of dark black and brown shadows, he opted for more colorful and serene options, such as blues, greens, purples, pinks, and greens. That said, how does Monet’s work make one feel? While it’s obviously not the same for every single person, the predominant feeling one gets when viewing his extraordinary work is one of relaxation and peacefulness.   From Very Well Mind, “Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain [...]

Second only to the beautiful designs you’ve created, your fabric and trim choices are absolutely vital to the success of your collection. But many emerging designers simply don’t give these components the consideration they deserve. In other words, fledgling designers are often so enamored and distracted by their designs that fabrics and trims are moved to the bottom of the “things to be concerned about” list. We’re here to tell you, not so fast! Case in point: You’re shopping (either in person or online), and you spot a garment that you like. But upon closer inspection, you see the fabrics and trims are not appropriate to the design, or the garment is simply over-priced. As a consumer, what do you do? You walk the other way, leaving this beautifully-designed garment destined for [...]

For most people, a fabric trade show would be, at best, an interesting diversion full of fairly undifferentiated textiles. For an aspiring designer, however, they’re equal parts intimidating and incredible. The sheer array of fabrics on display is a lot to navigate, even for experienced shoppers. If it’s your first fabric trade show, the variety can be completely overwhelming. We’d rather you enjoy the experience, so we’ve channeled our years of fabric-sourcing expertise into this handy guide. The five key steps we outline below are a map that will guide you through the potentially overwhelming world of your first fabric trade show. With proper planning now, you’ll be able to focus on finding inspiration in the nearly-endless variety of gorgeous fabrics, textile innovations, and new technologies you’ll discover at the show. 1. [...]

Here at the studio we’ve recently noticed a distinct trend: a renewed interest in the development and production of lingerie and intimate apparel. Which is great! If developed and produced correctly, it can be a very rewarding - not to mention, lucrative - clothing category. But before you jump in, we need to have a discussion about what it means to do it right. So What Does Your Customer Want, Underneath It All? Starting an intimate apparel brand is no different than any other category. The first thing you need to do is identify your market niche and then determine what is missing in that niche. In other words, market research is job one. Here’s a bit of info to give you a headstart. Business Wire says, “The intimates market is poised [...]

Last month we offered up a discussion about Denim Washes and Techniques. We hope you enjoyed it and learned some useful tips and tricks you can use for your brand. That conversation got us thinking and, out of the blue, something interesting occurred to us.  There is no single fabric that has had more of an impact on the fashion industry than denim. From its very humble beginnings it hit the market strong and has only gained momentum since. Better still, this is a market that shows absolutely no sign of fading anytime soon. The global denim jeans market is forecast to be worth around $76.1 billion U.S. dollars by 2026, up from $64.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. We hope our lighthearted look at the history of denim inspires you to [...]