goods to come...

just a note that i'll be updating the anti-factory store with new items this saturday or sunday (whichever day i happen to finish it all up!).

would you believe it takes me an entire day to:
1. photograph all the shirts on the mannequin, with lots of detail shots
2. put 'em on and model them for yet another set of photos. usually done with a tripod and timer setting
3. fuss with them waaaaay too much in photoshop to crop, size, and make sure all the color is correct (used to be a graphic designer so this anal-retentiveness carries on)
4. do the dreamweaver layouts, check the links
5. write the copy and descriptions. come up with a collection name for everything. lots of rummaging around on thesaurus.com looking for neat-o words.
6. take all the measurements
7. make the main page image collage. i swear, this is also a detail i spend waaaaay too much time on.

argh! and this doesn't even include SEWING all the stuff, yeesh! ah, the life of a handmaker lady sewer fashion person girl. nope, it ain't all fun and games, y'hear?

so what's in the pipeline? lots of long sleeve shirts, some sweaters of course, and the best little vintage brown corduroy print with little colorful turtles all over it--score! i used this fabric on the yokes of some of the tops, and it's just so damn cute. argh, i have no photos yet, so sorry ;p

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crochet stand-off

stumbled across pics of the 2002 "Fastest Crocheter" competition in NYC...turns out a little lady by the name of Lily Chin stole the title from her competitor, with a total of 92.5 double crochet stitches made in three minutes. THREE MINUTES! like, I'm a totally fast crocheter, but that is ridiculous! Lord, could you imagine the items this woman could make if only we harnessed her up to a giant yarn spool? anyhoo, i like the fact that it looks like there are like, a total of five really attentive middle-aged women sitting around on a NYC street corner watching the whole thing. and check out Lily's crocheted fringy cardigan and holsters full of crochet needles...

bang bang!

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recycled goodness!

ah! thanks to treehugger i have found a new (to me) furniture designer after my own heart...what i wouldn't give to have a home full of these scrappy remade pieces. well, i guess technically i could make these myself, really, but that's not the point! piet hein eek specializes in furniture made of scrap materials (wood, aluminum, etc) and his website has lots of pics of his work in various settings. sooooo wonderful! they ain't cheap, but you pay for concept, right?

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food coma

...back from a weekend of turkey-induced food coma in san diego. arrr! sitting around on a big couch watching tv and hanging out w/my boyfriend's family. driving to and from sf to southern california (about 12 hours each way!). last night went to a friend's "studio 54" themed party--yow! saw three different andy warhols. wore little vintage mod orange minidress with white boots and tights. slow day now. just recovering from it all. will post pics later. must veg more. slow. tired. sigh.

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RESTOCK: Mumbo Jumbo!

Announcing the November 21 restocking of the Anti-Factory online store...
MUMBO JUMBO! Spells, incantations, and talismanic hoo-doo, all for you :)

Inspired by the spirit of Berkeley writer and poet Ishmael Reed's postmodern tale of hijinx and undercover hoo-doo espionage, this batch of 15 new items channels some drama and alchemy...abracadabra!

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heads up & more items to stores!

I'm aiming to restock the online store by tomorrow, Sunday (if I'm lucky), more likely by Monday sometime during the day...So if you've missed out on the last batch, check back and stay tuned! You can also email me at ssyjuco(at)pacbell(dot)net to join my email list.

Also, along with new Anti-Factory goods at Hobbyhorse in Berkeley, I sent out batches of stuff to: Sodafine in Brooklyn, Emoda in Louisville, Kentucky, and Paper Boat Boutique in Milwaukee. The dispersal has begun!

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anti-factory at hobbyhorse!

live in the bay area? now go see anti-factory items in person at hobbyhorse, the 3-month old boutique that features DIY handmade and choice vintage items. the proprietor, jess feury, has wonderful taste and a fabulous eye (not to mention her own unique line of handmade clothes), and a visit to her store is a visual treat! on the racks are bittersweet genevieve, dear birthday, and more :)

hobbyhorse
2447 san pablo ave
berkeley, ca 94702
(510) 666-0570
www.ilovehobbyhorse.com

below is an image of a cropped wool tweed jacket i dropped off at hobbyhorse...check it out and support a new store!

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anti-Wal-Mart viewing festival

oooooo! i can't wait to see a screening of the new Wal-Mart slam movie, "Wal-Mart: The High Price of Low Cost". For those who haven't heard of it yet, the giant retailer is going through a major public image smackdown not just with their own leaked memo of how they should start discouraging older and handicapped workers from working there to keep from paying medical benefits, to their bad track record of decimating local communities by undercutting small business prices. according to the website, Ebert and Roeper say "two thumbs up".

they also list where you can see a showing in your area (it's a real grassroots thing, showing in small theaters and people's living rooms), or just buy one for $12.95 and support the cause with your cash.

an excellent Frontline documentary that you can also view online (wow!) is called "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?" and examines all the angles: from the arguments of sweatshops laborers, job creation, low wages, and more.

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punks not dead

The IFC channel was showing a really awesome documentary called "Punk Attitude" that chronicled the 70s NYC punk movement and the subsequent British translation of it. What was so great was that it had lots of interviews with the musicians today (Chrissie Hynde, Thurston Moore, Jim Jarmusch, David Johansen, Henry Rollins, members of the Clash, PIL, The Ramones, and even Siouxsie Sioux, to name just a few that feature in it), reflecting back on live concert footage, as well as plugging into the idea of how it evolved into a conscious political form like The Clash. "Punk" as not just a music aesthetic, but a social and political aesthetic. And while it also charts the inevitable commodification (the awful awful awful bands like Good Charlotte, boy crotch-rock like Limp Bizkit, etc), it offers hope by offering that punk as a viewpoint, and not as fashion or even just a music style is an "attitude" towards looking at resisting things in the world: corporations, commodifications, and bad politics.

I'm so used to seeing documentaries (VH1-style) that wrap up a particular music scene in a totally facile way--like, you go through the rise and inevitable fall, and then the "comeback" that is usually so lame that its super pathetic. This documentary shed light on some little-known bands apart from the big ones, and also tied in the punk movement to such seemingly disparate bands as Public Enemy and the early 60s dub and Reggae. And best of all is that it ends on a "hopeful" note--with the possibility of political and social transformation yet to be realized but still perhaps within reach.

Watching the vintage footage of Joe Strummer of the Clash on stage and singing his guts out nearly brought tears to my eyes--how I think we could do with more rock-out politically-motivated smart music these days!

Watch it next on IFC: Saturday, 11/26, 11:45pm

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psst! 4 new items in the store!

As promised, here's a selection of "furtive" items that are sneaking into the store without official email announcement...sneak attack! Included are 2 new tops: one merino sweater with lots of "leaf" appliques, and a jersey top that is like your favorite revamped soft T-shirt.

Plus, I'm starting to make scarves out of all the scrap woollens I have--I have BINS of it leftover from making the sweaters and tops, so I'm putting it all to good use with these "patchwork" looking scarves that will keep you toasty in that Anti-Factory kind of way...

So for all you who've been asking me about making men's wear, this is the first step towards trying it out--after all, these scarves are technically unisex, right? I think some men's sweaters may be in order for the future, too :)

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seven degrees of kevin bacon

Seven degrees, not six! Because 7x7 Magazine in SF has a little featurette on Anti-Factory and none other than Mr. Bacon himself is gracing the cover...What luck! That man really *is* connected to everything. Does this count as one degree of separation for me now? Har!

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Wha-a-at happened?

Whoa, you people are fast! Once again, a few hours after posting this latest Anti-Factory clothing batch, almost everything has sold. My tally says over 500 hits in about 5 hours. If you're visiting me for the first time and wondering "what the hell? where is everything?" you can help blame 7x7 Magazine here in SF, which was lovely enough to have a little blurb on me in the new issue, but resulted in gobs of people signing up for my email list.

Um, please keep checking back! I promise to make more, soon! Actually, i have several things that will go up as individual items (no email announcements), so it's another reason to visit again...

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RESTOCK: Mix It Up!!!

Aaaaaaa! I have desperately been trying to finish putting this new clothing batch online, and it's finally here! Over 20 items are up in the Anti-Factory store and I'm grooving on the mix of patterns and styles...I realize that I get too bored when things start to get too similar, so I threw in a few really wild items to spice things up.

Again, a size note: my size labeling (S/M/L) is approximate! To better figure out if something will fit you, look at the bust dimensions listed in INCHES. Most of my clothing is very stretchy and fits multiple sizes. Many people are surprised when they realize that a "smaller" size will actually fit them! Plus, if it doesn't work out, everything is returnable and refundable (minus the shipping cost), so there's no worries!

Thank you to 7x7 Magazine here in San Francisco who gave me a fabulous little blurb and shot my mailing list requests out the ceiling :D

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le grande silence

I read the paper pretty much every day. Ditto for listening to NPR on the radio for hours on end. I figure I'm pretty ahead of the game in terms of being news-saturated and media savvy. And yet it's a shock that it's been over 13 days of rioting in France (and now in a few other isolated places in the EU) and there is such a big....silence...in general. Don't get me wrong--on day 6 I heard my first broadcast of riots happening on the radio. What? Since then I've been trying to find better coverage on the issues and most of the US media has such meager coverage it's just appalling!

The Guardian UK has good coverage, however, with pictures, too. Color me paranoid and conspiracy-theory laden, but I can't help but wonder if so little US coverage of an overtly race-centered issue is a reflection of America's own embarrassment and willingness to put aside race and poverty concerns after being humiliated with Katrina.

General question: can someone recommend a good French blog (written in English) that is covering the topics on the ground? Hopefully one that is written by a so-called foreigner? It would be much appreciated!

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pssst! restock later this week!

Between you and me (and everyone else we know), I'm gonna aim for restocking the store with new clothing this Thursday or Friday (11/10-11/11). It all depends on how much i get done between now and then...I've been making a lot of items for consignors, which takes away some from the store, but in the end it's a good thing for me to spread the wares :) The new stuff is a real big mix of things--sort of a hodge-podge, little of this, little of that. I get bored really easily and start going in design tangents sometimes. needless to say, i think the ecclecticness should be interesting and provide for good variety!



On that note of mixy-uppy, it reminds me of the traditional Filipino dessert, halo halo, which literally translates into "mix mix" (pronounced "HAH-low HAH-low"). If you've never had one, you MUST--I insist. Find some way to wander into a Filipino restaurant and pray they have one. They are highly addictive and super good! Or, even better, finangle up some ingredients of your own and make one...yeah, good luck! In the past I've bought jars marked "halo halo" and gone from there (it's way easier)...

Halo-Halo Recipe:

--shredded/juliened melon (cantaloupe)
--macapuno (sweetened coconut meat)
--scooped star apple
--cubed mango make the halo-halo a more exotic fare due to their seasonal availability.
--beans such as black monggo (mung beans) and sweet garbanzos (chick peas) are added to the mix, squeezing in with broiled root crops such as diced or crushed camote (yam) and/or gabi (taro).
--colored gelatin (in bright green, red and yellow) made from agar-agar is reminiscent of colorful fiestas.
to further sweeten the halo-halo, kaong and sago (tapioca) in syrup are used
--saba bananas and langka (jackfruit) that are mollified in syrup can be used as flavor enhancers.
--traditionally, a handful of ice (literally speaking, crushed ice is deftly hand-picked and placed into your tall glass!) entombs the ingredients, making halo-halo-eating a somewhat challenging yet fulfilling endeavor!
--about an inch of evaporated milk settles into your long glass.
though most of us are used to evaporated milk in our halo-halo, an older variation can be used to douse the icy treat-- buko (coconut) juice (this I have yet to sample!).
--to crown the almost-ready concoction, roasted pinipig (pounded roasted rice) and ube (yam), or leche flan (a personal favorite!) are placed atop the crushed ice.
a scoop of ube ice cream gives us a more sumptuous alternative.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! :)

recipe from this site
dedicated to the joys of consuming halo halo

and if you're lazy, just buy this:

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h&m marches on...

aw, crap! now this is a real conundrum...my city of San Francisco is going ga-ga over the simultaneous openings of TWO new H&M stores later this month. It's going to be a frenzy since these are the first H&M's on the West Coast, and Stella McCartney has designed some of their newest things which are going to make them SUPER fabulous and awesome. So out of curiosity I did a search for H&M sweatshop practices and of course turned up some...like, how could a company make really detailed runway-ready sweaters and sell them for only $60? why, cheap labor, of course!

argh! why does this have to be? I mean, that's what keeps the prices low, but dang, it really sucks that they make such great things and yet I can't bring myself to purchase anything. looks like i'll have to buy *used* H&M things. I bet that a few months after the grand opening, the thrift stores will be full of 'em...like how you can buy almost any type of IKEA used furniture on every craigslist within thirty miles of one! Har!

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crochet yoda conspiracy (and kiss cats)

Lord, look what happens when I don't check up on craftster.org for a while: a complete yoda conspiracy has happened using the humble art of crochet. total hilarity! notice the "forest" behind each of the "yodas". more hilarity!




oh, and i can't forget the kiss cats...they're tough competition to the yodas...the maker says the gene simmons-kittie tongue is posable, even. wow :)

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upcoming season (& links!)

WOW! would you look at the date--it's already into November...! that means that the winter season is going to be starting up soon, and with it the holiday shopping frenzy. Just wanted to alert everyone that I *am* planning to beef up the site with more clothing in anticipation for the holidays...I will be working like there's no tomorrow trying to fill orders from consignment shops, as well as my own stock for sale.

...time is flying...!

so in the meantime, since most things are sold on my own site, i offer you some links to other makers so you can peruse more DIY:

Polaire has really lovely big roomy messenger bags and other purses of all sizes--sweet!


Goodmorning, Morning! has a mix of scarves and handbag accessories to spice up your season!


Can't stop? Visit my links page to browse even more...!

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donation announcement!

I've been thinking about this for a while now, and have decided to really go ahead and implement it: in every batch of Anti-Factory clothing, I want to donate the proceeds from at least one item to a charitable organization. It will be a regular thing and something I feel strongly about. I know other DIYers do this, and I feel compelled to put more of my money where my mouth is! I already donate to various nonprofits out of my own pocket, like arts organizations here in SF, Amnesty International, NARAL, etc. but wanted to specifically earmark funds from Anti-Factory so that it implicates my customers as well, and gets them used to the idea of contributing.

Given this, I wanted to solicit some opinions/suggestions for doing this...like, would it be better to have a single individual item up where 100% of proceeds of it go to an organization, or should I just say a flat % of each item gets donated? Does it really matter HOW I do it, as long as I just do it? What other makers do you know who do this?

Some organizations off the top of my head: UNICEF (specifically now for Pakistan earthquake relief), Sweatshop Watch, Global Exchange, the San Francisco Food Bank, etc.

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supermodels and blow

Har! What? Kate Moss and cocaine? Huh? I can't believe supermodels do blow...ohmygod!

a super funny
rant on why we look to supermodels to embody the worst in all of us and why Kate deserves her chance to be a bad girl...just let the girl be, dammit!

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