Anti-Factory at Paper Boat Boutique, Milwaukee

I just sent off a selection of items to Paper Boat Boutique in Milwaukee (home of breweries and Laverne and Shirley fame!), so if you're in the Wisconsin area, stop by later on this week to peruse 'em! Photos of a few are below...

Paper Boat Boutique
2367 S. Howell Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53212
414-483-8462

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spotlight: Minnie Wilde

In my efforts to shine a spotlight on local and small-scale fashion makers, here's a shout-out to Minnie Wilde...A sassy two-girl San Francisco fashion design team that opened up shop a few years ago and has skyrocketed to much local acclaim. The gals opened up a second shop in the Mission district (along with their first Hayes Valley store). Chock-full of fabulously well-designed hip items (seriously, I could wear *everything* that they make), you should definitely stop in if you're ever in town. Otherwise, visit them online, but it looks like they haven't updated their website with fall/winter items yet...Oh well, check back and just dream on for now.

Below are a few items from their (unfortunately) sold out lines--I really have to score me a jacket from them...sigh!

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where's the goods?

Yep, I know...I've been getting a bunch of emails lately from new customers coming to my shop and saying "hey, where's all the goods? everything's sold out!". In answer to the question "when will you restock?" I say about twice a month (sometimes 3-4 if I'm lucky!). During the early part of summer I lucked out and posted once a week (!) but since I'll be out of town most of this week (Aug 30-Sept 2) it will probably happen at a later date. Stay tuned for more of the "speckle top" series, plus lots of soft and comfy lambswool/wool sweaters like the Seven Seas Sweater below to keep you toasty for the upcoming chills. Just a reminder for folks to join my email announcement list to get the latest updates!





(the above clothes say in an Arnold Schwarzenneger-like voice: "We'll be baaaaack")

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Black Market in Seattle

I've been super busy lately--I'm leaving on Tuesday for Seattle for a few days to install my solo show at James Harris Gallery...If you're in the area, stop by and say hi! I'll be showing photographic prints, sculpture, and a video projection all dealing with issues of cultural and economic "black markets"--unauthorized and resistant buying, selling, and shopping between the First and Third Worlds. "Body Double (Platoon)" uses edited video footage from the Vietnam War movie "Platoon" to literally block out all the scenes of the American war to focus in on the landscapes and backgrounds (shot in the Philippines, my place of birth, it becomes a metaphoric "home movie" of sorts). You can view the works at my art website, if you can't make it to the show!

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Stephanie Syjuco
"Black Market"
solo exhibition at James Harris Gallery

September 1 to October 1, 2005
opening reception: Thursday, September 1, 6-8pm

James Harris Gallery
309A 3rd Ave. South
Seattle, WA 98104
206-903-6220

http://www.jamesharrisgallery.com
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"Black Market (Vending)," 2005, Chromogenic lightjet print, 34" x 40"



"Body Double (Platoon)," 2004, DVD projection, 120 minutes, looped

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Le Train Bleu

God, Le Train Bleu never ceases to amaze me--this store is quality all the way and they have impeccable fashion taste...Make sure to poke around all areas of the shop to see the fashion shoots, links, and current inventory. Luscious. Pure lusciousness.

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andale andale

Geez louise, you people are fast! I wake up this morning and *bing bing bing* my email box is full of payments from this last batch of Anti-Factory items (it's been, like, 12 hours!). I think it's all you East Coast people who wake up 3 hours earlier than us West Coasters and snag all the goods for yourselves...I posted 15 new items and have only i think three left. Yow! The long sleeve items were a hit and I'll be making more, so watch out...

I'm sending bunches of stuff to consignors/boutiques in the next few days and will post where they're available--so if you're in their area you can go shop in person!

General request: does anyone out there know how to program website databases??? If so, would you be interested in a trade to help me set up a way to automate my site so it will automatically register sold items as sold instead of me having to sit there and update them manually? When I go to bed at night and wake up the next day with 3 people buying the same thing, I'm sure it's no small irritation to have to be told something is not available and I'll have to refund their money. It's like being promised an ice cream sundae, and then having it taken away and given to someone else even after you've ponied up the money--eek!

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RESTOCK! *woodland wonders*

It's almost midnight and I've *just* restocked the online store with new items inspired by the upcoming fall season! Check it out...



Some notes about this batch:

more sizes!
As mentioned before, I'm trying to accomodate more large sizes, and am slowly incorporating making a wider variety. For now, I have available an XL/1X size item (cowl speckle top) that is for the larger-sized gal, and several L sized tops. FYI, if it's marked an M/L, that means it should fit an L, too--to be sure, double check th measurements. Remember that lots of my items are stretchy!

model shots!
I took photos of myself wearing some of the tops just to give an idea of what they look like on an actual body. Although I love my little dress mannequin, sometimes it's hard to get a picture of what they really look like and how they hug the curves, how long the sleeves are, etc. I shot pics for some of the smaller sizes--if I modelled the bigger ones, it would just look a tad ridiculous as they'd be too big. But I think they help, right?

patterns patterns patterns!
Ahhhh, patterns! How I love thee. The grey "nubby" speckle knit fabric reminds me of pebbles at the bottom of a stream or chunks of granite rock. It looks like there's teeny tiny little cotton balls all over it and is a super fall fabric.

long sleeves
Hooray for chillier weather--I myself prefer fall and winter where you can wear more clothing and show off more fashion. I have a few long sleeve tops in the mix, with more to come down the road...

details details
Appliques, buttons, and "leaf" pieces attached to necklines...love them details and I'm glad to see 'em back!

photos anyone?
If you have any photos of your pretty selves wearing Anti-Factory, PLEASE send them in to me so I can start a happy gallery of them out in the world :) Admit it, you wanna see yourself in lights, don't you?

Rock on people! Here's some highlights:

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restock on tuesday (not monday)

Yep, it's not gonna happen tomorrow. I have been intending on restocking the store tomorrow (Monday) with all the brand new goods I've been making, but I will *not* have enough time to take all the pics, do all the measurements, and write descriptions, make the web pages, etc. Since this is a one-woman operation and all, it can be hard to stay on schedule and sometimes it's a bit of a lot of wishful thinking to do things faster! Hence, it will all come to pass on TUESDAY (August 23)

But if I do say so myself, I *love* the new designs...I found a batch of this awesome textured "pebbly" speckled knit fabric that I've been using and it's going to feature heavily in the next round of items. Of course I had to keep 2 for myself, but you'd be surprised how a maker of clothing has surprisingly little made for her own sake :)

PS--my b-friend bought us a Tones on Tail (started by an ex-Bauhaus member) compilation CD and we've been listening to it nonstop now. It's bringing me back to my high school days in the late 80s and my old gothic self. Ahhhhhhhh! Here's to black lipstick and pancake makeup!

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link day

Isn't the internet great? Like a treasure chest of goodies waiting to be unlocked...

Some new hot links to share:


Supernaturale
If you haven't visited yet, I must implore you to go to Supernaturale. A consortium of DIY-ers got together to make a fab website where they post links to other sites and little featurettes on how to make moss graffiti (!) and other projects that will inspire and make you say "hey!". It's like the step-sibling of the extreme craft blog which is also supercool.

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Tired of paying astronomical prices for art school? Yuck! Back when I was in undergrad, it was 40% of what it costs today. I remember tons of folks being "casual" students and dropping in on seminars and classes, pretending to be enrolled but getting a "free" education in the process. Taking the definitions of teacher and student back to the people itself is the Independent School of Art, started by 2 people I know here in SF, artists Bob Linder and Jon Rubin. Both of 'em are furious practitioners of what has been dubbed "social sculpture" or, more recently, "relational aesthetics"--artmaking that is more about the connections and social relations that happen between folks than it is about gallery production and specific object making. The Independent School is a free-floating, nomadic organization that holds seminars and classes in exchange for barter or trade from its students. Radicallity to the max! Is this how the New School for Social Research started?

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Finally, torn from the pages of the Supernaturale site (thanks!) is a photo essay by Elena, the self-styled "Kiddofspeed" motorcycling through the Chernobyl "dead zone"--the area contaminated by the meltdown and traversed by a woman on a hotrod. a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Truth? Fiction? Who cares, it's both horrifying and edifying and will make your jaw drop.

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horrors!

eeek! i feel so lame--my last post about stealthissweater had all *wrong* links and was sending people to dead ends and a christian website! no, this is not my secret attempt to proselytize. anyway, it's all fixed right now (and just as i post her website link, lisa ann auerbach's site goes down into oblivion--what a stroke of luck)...i promise to do better about checking my links to avoid all the stupidity ;p

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stealthissweater.com

DUDETTES! I am enraptured! I stumbled across Lisa Ann Auerbach, who is an artist from LA doing a residency here in the Bay Area at the Headlands Center for the Arts and her website stealthissweater.com (argh! her website is temporarily down--will update as soon as it goes up...). In the meantime, check out her blog at: stealthissweater.blogspot.com.

It rocks! Check it out NOW...as her motto goes: "Get all cozy and radical. Stop making scarves. Start making some trouble."

Below are photos I have rampantly downloaded from her site. It makes me wanna whip out that old knitting machine I have (ten times smaller than hers, however) and knit like a maniac...

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free trade?

Depending on where you stand, the term "free trade" either conjures up images of happy producers and manufacturers across the globe enjoying larger markets for their wares and creating a global village of inventory, or, if you're like me, sends a shudder up her spine as she contemplates how in the world workers in both the "first" and "third" world will be able to keep stable jobs.

With that said, there's been a lot in the news lately of textile trade barriers being lifted between China and the US (an artificial cap had limited the number of Chinese-made garments could be imported every year). Now that that has been done away with, many businesses are heralding this as a time for celebration--clothing prices will go down and US consumers will enjoy a plethora of cheaper manufactured goods. But wait! (pauses for dramatic effect)...Who really benefits?

Clothing becomes cheaper so that American families who's pocket books are stretched by rising gas prices, higher health insurance and medical costs, rising college tuition, and skyrocketing real estate can see some relief in clothing costs. The argument is also that those unlucky enough to live in poorer countries can enjoy the benefits of capitalism because they're getting good jobs--that it's really like a form of economic aid. But from the books I've read, it's really a "race to the bottom" in terms of how the clothing industry works: in search of ever cheaper labor, manufacturers pressure their contracted factories to have more output with less expense, or they can easily contract with yet another country/factory/area that is more desperate for work (and cheaper). Thanks to economic globalization and the lifting of "trade barriers", that is. And if you push the concept further, cheaper imported clothing actually *subsidizes* the high prices we pay in gas, etc., in that it pushes politicians to alieve everyone's pocket books by pushing for fewer trade barriers, rather than do something about health care and the oil industry. It's simply easier to scapegoat.

A really good book to read is "Making Sweatshops" by Ellen Israel Rosen (pictured above) as it gives plenty of background on these issues and how almost no one benefits from this form of unfettered capitalism.

I've been thinking a lot lately about living wage issues and the decency of being able to provide for oneself off of the items that they make. For me, it's been really important being physically involved in every Anti-Factory item I sew. I worked as a graphic designer for almost 10 years, making "non-stuff"...Sure, there were physical printed items in the end, but for the most part it was a lot about style and knowing the right design programs. My artmaking is an even more rarified form of production, as when items are shown and sold through galleries, they get caught up in a very specific and insulated world of "art", most of it unaffordable to the average person. Anti-Factory seems to satisfy the part of me that wants the "general audience"--the folks like you and me who like to look at things, enjoy aesthetics and colors, and then choose to pay a "fair" wage for it.

So very little is made by just one person these days. Factory made is still technically "made by hand"--actually, MANY hands on an assembly line. The truth is, there's nothing wrong with factories. It's just more a matter of how they compensate and treat their workers. Let's not forget that those factories are made of real people, not machines. And when you see cheap clothing, either at the mall, outlet store, or chain store, you should become very very suspicious, perhaps even scared when you see how low the prices are going. Because someone, somewhere, is definitely getting *screwed*.

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thank you!!!

A great big *THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU* to all my wonderful customers who have made this past week a fabulous one for online store sales. The first batch of fall season items has pretty much sold out, leaving only a few lovely tops available. Again, I am incredibly grateful for everyone's support in my endeavor and the resulting artmaking it funds!

To answer some questions that some people have been emailing me lately:

LARGER SIZES
I hear the call! You ladies want a wider variety of larger sizes and I'll do my best at providing :) FYI, the fall and winter tops will be mostly made out of really stretchy lambswool, and my M/L sizes have a tendency to fit even bigger due to that stretchiness...When in doubt, check the measurements for your bust size in inches and do a comparison. People have been happily surprised that they may fit after all!

WHOLESALE/CONSIGNMENT
I'm presently filling about 5 orders for consignment stores, and unfortunately am backlogged and not taking on new consigners for a while. I do apologize--it's not for lack of interest, I just have to make sure I stay on top of what I've already promised. Please check back with me in a few months and we'll see how it's all going.

RESTOCKING THE STORE
Finally, I'll be attempting to add new items by next Monday (August 22). Sign up for my email list so you'll be officially notified, if you haven't already done so (ssyjuco@hotmail.com)

Over and out!
xoxoxox

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yes, sweatshops STILL suck!
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real estate pornography

Eeek! Boy was I in a bad mood last night ;p That's what happens when you stay up late and ruminate on things too much.

Actually, for the rest of the night I amused myself with my new form of internet pornography: online real estate. Since it's absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to even consider buying property here in San Francisco, every now and then I amuse myself by going online and looking at fabulous houses in cheaper cities. Lately it's been Portland, Oregon, where a slew of Bay Area-ites have been colonizing/relocating and probably pissing off the locals by raising housing prices. But when you see amazing 3 or 4-bedroom craftsman or victorian homes for, like, $350,000 you have to ask yourself what's not to love! Crappy homes in SF are now well over $600,000. Can you believe it? Over half a million dollars for total *shit*. This city is keee-razy. People talk about a real estate bubble happening over here and I will be oddly happy when it finally pops...

Has anyone out there been to Portland? What cities/towns/places do you consider great to live in and have housing prices that are not completely offensive?

I dare anyone to go on craigslist and look at some of the home prices in SF! It will give you heart attacks...

Below is a pick of my heart's desire...not! :) ha ha, funny!

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s-w-a-m-p-e-d

Lordy, you know you have a problem when you look around you and realize that you have neglected too many things and have forgotten to write people back emails, answer phone calls, and just generally have become sort of out of it. I'm not sure what happened this month! And here it is--midnight on Monday--and I'm trying to catch up on old emails and am surrounded with a pile of papers and *crap* lying all around my little office room. Too many things going on! Too many things to juggle and it seems I'm not quite finishing up everything to my liking ;p

Ugh, yes, this is a complaint rant thingie, I guess. I thought getting out of school in May would mean freeing up all this time to do the things I didn't have time for before, but it seems like my days are like black hole time-sucks...I mean, where does it all go? I've been working in my studio literally EVERY DAY on deadline-related artwork. Oh, except for yesterday. Yesterday I spent the entire day going through my 2004 tax year receipts and I *still* had to file an extra extension to file LAST YEAR'S taxes because I couldn't finish in time...When does it end?

On the good news front, it looks like I've been hired to teach a Sculpture class this fall at the California College of the Arts (CCA, formerly CCAC), which is fabulous because it can be hard getting college teaching gigs right out of grad school! Technically, it's the rival school to my alma mater, the San Francisco Art Institute, but these days, it's had a really good upswing in great faculty and lots of funding. My class will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-7pm and I'm looking forward to writing up a syllabus and just generally immersing the students in discussions on contemporary art and art practices, as well as teaching studio skills. My skillset, apart from sewing, runs the gamut from woodshop, casting, and lots of "alternative processes" (basically, whatever it takes to make something happen!). I never learned how to weld, however...Anyhow, I'm fast realizing that the semester starts the first week of September and I have to go through new faculty orientations and figure out a project schedule, fieldtrips, etc. Eegads, more timesuck!

OK, serenity now. Serenity now.

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further clearance!

A few online store items have been reduced even more for further clearance!
==> go shop!

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tokyo-a-go-go

I'm having all these fantasies of Tokyo lately...I think it's because for some reason I've been stumbling across all these blogs of folks (ex-pats, mostly, but not all) based in Tokyo and all their photos of the city streets and eenie-weenie itsy-bitsy well-designed items are giving me flashbacks! I used to live in Tokyo (Chofu-shi, by the Tsutsujigaoka station) from 10 to 12 years old, and it was soooooo fabulous. My folks decided to move us there sort of on a whim (back in the 80s everything was "turning Japanese" and all new wave, remember???). They taught English and I went to the American School in Japan. But we lived in a Japanese house in a regular neighborhood (unlike other classmates of mine, who were mostly ambassador's kids, army brats who lived on the military compounds, or the brood of wealthy corporate exec types). The smell of the tatami mats is still something I miss, not to mention the heat of the summer, the snow falling in the river in front of our house, and the sound of crickets and semi (cicadas) in the trees.

One blog I've been looking at: pinku belongs to Katherine Mok, someone who just bought a top from me...I feel like I'm sending an article of clothing on a vacation in lieu of myself!

Damn! i've got to figure out how to get back there again and make the time for a trip...maybe next year???

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RESTOCK: Fall's A-Coming!

Yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaawwwwww!

All i can say is...finally! By that i mean it's taken me a whole *month* to post new items to my store, and for that I'm so sorry. But hey, it's here now, and 20+ new items are awaiting your perusal...for those who are waiting for consignment items, I just want to reassure that you are on my list and I haven't turned into the biggest flake in the universe (ulp!). My income has been a bit spotty lately since getting out of school and being swamped with the money pit that is called art, and I'm working hard to remedy that with sneaking in time for anti-factory!

Again, i'm super excited about the new fabric patterns I'm working with: keep in mind that I try hard to buy vintage/recycled fabric, and most if not all of the patterned fabric I use is limited run in that I find them in small batches--I have to be ever watchful, yes...and the woolens. oh, woolens, how i love thee. i have hoarded boxes and boxes of woolens and it is time to start taking you out...

xoxoxox
-s

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meet jufran

Just for kicks, this will be the first of my "odd product endorsement" posts, where I extoll the virtues of little-known items that tickle my fancy...



Item #1: JUFRAN BANANA KETCHUP
99 cents and up

Yes, it's super yummy, goes good on over-easy fried eggs, and can be found at most Asian grocery stores nationwide (providing they stock on Filipino foods). Believe you me, once you've done Jufran, you will never go back to the vinegary-tasting "plain" ketchup you Westerners live by. Add a dash of fruity-flavored goodness and bring home a taste of the tropics to your refrigerator now!

(I am not kidding, this is not a joke--Jufran rocks!)

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dog days of summer...

I forgot to post images of my last camping trip (last weekend) up in the Lassen National Forest about 4-5 hours north east of San Francisco. It was totally beautiful despite the fact that what we really planned on doing was a hike-in wilderness camping situation for about three days. You know, the kind where you lug in all your food and water for the entire time and pretend you live in "ye olden days" like pioneers. What really happened was that about 45 minutes from the nearest town on a lonely stretch of alpine-like mountain, Kurt's new-to-him car (whom we had christened Kevin--yes, Kevin, the 1998 Jeep Cherokee) started emitting a white smokey cloud from underneath that freaked the hell out of us. We limped to the nearest campground which happened to be really great (amazingly) and decided to do car camping instead of the original plan.

Needless to say, Plan B was beeeeeauuuutiful and even included finding swimming holes next to streams, buck deer jumping past us as we played cards into the evening, and home-made strong brewed coffee. Oh, and beers at night--he he!


note my favorite woodland scent: Eau d'Off!

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Anti-Factory summer clearance sale!

Yup, all my items in current inventory are ON SALE! I'm trying to make way for the upcoming fall items, and up for grabs are tops and bolero sweaters reduced for the season...Part of me thinks I should hold on to some, as they would also work *great* for the fall weather, but hey, them's gotta move on out!

xoxox
s

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hot links

Tired of cute yet? Well, it's not like it's totally devoid of cuteness, but Blood is the New Black has a bit more edge than those deer and birdies floating around the DIY scene...(just what is up with the current craze for forest animals, anyway?). Right now they've got T-shirt designs by 2 artists and have a fab graphic quality--VERY hot. Not to mention the white-haired model is sporting a super cute mod 'do!

==> Blood is the New Black




Have you heard all the whispering about American Apparel not being as "labor-friendly" as they make themselves out to be, and supposedly busting union-building amongst their workers? Not to mention their new pornographic-esque photo campaign they've been plugging (do we *really* need a wet T-shirt contest? Geez, talk about alienating your fan base...). In light of these completely questionable tactics, rocking my world is the No Sweat website, which promotes sweatshop-free clothing and is out to prove that you *can* pay a living wage and still have affordable clothing. Check out their version of high-tops, which come guilt-free....pass the word on!

==> No Sweat

ps--if you know more about this American Apparel fiasco, do share with me!

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