Clothing With a Conscience | Couture Sweatshop Free Baby, Infant & Toddler Clothes
By lisa | September 21, 2008
The garment industry has evolved over the centuries, but has anything really changed?
This has been on my mind for a while and I had to take the time out of my busy production schedule to put it in words and then send it out into cyberspace, like a little message in a bottle, drifting along some current in the sea. If you’re reading this, you found my bottle, and I hope you uncork it, read my message, and keep it with you.
I am a partner in a baby clothing and accessories line that is on the verge of major recognition and a new stage in growth. The potential for success on a mass-produced level is huge, and with that comes many choices that will have to be made. I want to make the right choices.
The world is full of sweatshops- dark and dingy places where the air is filled with the deafening hum of industrial machines spewing out cookie cutter clothes that are for the masses. Those clothes end up on the racks in your local super store. They have witty sayings on them or a Halloween theme, and they’re only 6 bucks, so it’s easy to toss it in the red plastic shopping cart along with your pre-packaged dinner and glossy gift bag for that baby shower you’re going to this Saturday. Do we ever stop to think about the people who made those clothes?
…I do.
I am the grand daughter of a woman who spent her entire life in the garment industry in Los Angeles. She started out on the production line in a sweatshop. She was fast, and she was good, so naturally, she was promoted to a head seamstress position. She was the woman the sweatshop owner came to when he had a new job. He’d hand her the sample garment, and she would estimate how much time it would take to produce it, and how much money he should charge.
When my grandmother retired, it was with hearing loss from being around the sewing machines, a hump on her back from being bent over in the same position for hours, and gnarled, arthritic fingers from the constant, repetitive motion. Her boss let her have her circa 1940’s Industrial Singer 400w21 sewing machine when she retired, and I remember watching her with fascination as she whipped up clothes for me and my cousins. Her sewing machine was so loud, but I loved being around it- it sounded like it meant business, but it didn’t frighten me because her sewing room was painted a lovely robin’s egg blue, and the shelves full of fabric were soft to the touch, and her threads and notions were displayed in neat rows. My passion for sewing and design grew in that room.
Grandma passed away two years ago. She had Alzheimer’s, and we had to take her sewing machine away from her because she kept taking her pairs of track pants and hemming them shorter and shorter until they were booty shorts, and when she sewed through her finger, we had to make a decision to keep her safe. I got the sewing machine, and I hid it in my garage. Every Sunday when I visited grandma in her care facility, she would say things like, “I’m not going to name any names, but somebody took my sewing machine, and I want it back!” I would cringe and quickly change the subject.
That Singer sat in my garage for two years. I’ve been sewing for 25 years, but always on portable home machines. When I met up with the owner of Infamous Baby I knew it was time to bring the black beast to life. I cleared away the skateboards, hockey sticks and all the other childish stuff clogging my garage, and tentatively brushed away the cob webs. The power cord looked more like a cobra poised to strike my hand as I slowly reached for it and plugged it into the outlet. Feeling like Dr. Frankenstein, I flipped the switch on the bottom of the work table, and the motor immediately sprung to life…”It’s alive!” I murmured to myself. I downloaded a Singer Instruction Manual and got my husband and a neighbor to lug the entire machine and worktable into my dining room, and I fired it up and have been running it ever since. It’s a beast of a machine- quick, efficient…and dangerous. It was made before the era of OSHA but I use it at my own risk and never when I am tired or distracted because one slip, and I’m a wounded warrior, shedding blood for the sake of fashion.
I know grandma is looking over my shoulder from heaven, and is chuckling to herself as I stare puzzled at all the odd attachments and gadgets that came with her machine. I know she’s thrilled that I am using her machine and in a way she never could because she never had the chance. She was a sweatshop laborer for so many years, and now her granddaughter is a designer. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.
Her legacy is in my hands. What will I do with it? Knowing how hard her life was working in the sweatshops, and knowing how I feel after putting in 15 hours bent over that very same machine, what choices will I make when it comes time to hire a cut and sew house to manufacture my skull hoodies or applique the flaming heart dresses?
I want to do more than set the pace for the baby clothing trends of celebrities, I want to set the standard for clothing with a conscience, and be part of a movement of designers who won’t sacrifice their ethics for the sake of a few more pennies to add to their profit margin. Sewing is in my blood, and passion for designing edgy punk rock baby clothes is what drives me. I am living my dream right now, and I want to make sure it doesn’t become a nightmare for a woman or a child in a sweatshop. That’s why all of the clothes we make are made in the USA, and sweatshop free. Everything is manufactured by us, except for our onesies and T-shirts,which we purchase wholesale from American Apparel and transform them into cool baby onesies .
So, that’s where Infamous Baby is today. Where we are tomorrow is anybody’s guess, but how we get there matters to me, and I hope it matters to you too, and that the next time you see a cool baby blanket or a posh car seat cover, you see if it’s made in the USA and sweatshop free.
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Punk Rock Baby Shower : Get the Cool Baby Shower Gifts, Skull Onesies, Punk Diaper Cakes and Gift Registries!
By lisa | September 6, 2008
Attention all you expecting Punk rock mammas! You don’t have to settle for cheesy lame onesies with balloons and hearts, or another baby blanket with a bear on it! Trust me, we’ve been there, and you’re probably dreading what you might think is a last resort- registering for those gooey cutesie baby clothes and accessories at one of those big chain baby superstores. Do that, and you’re well on your way to suburban soccer mom mediocrity.
Here are some easy ways to get the cool stuff you want by helping your friends and family find great baby shower gifts that fit your style and that will make your baby stand out as the coolest baby in the play group!
1. Ask for a Punk Rock Baby Shower. You can order a Cool Punk Rock Diaper Cake as a centerpiece for the buffet table, and instead of handing out crocheted baby sweaters for guests to pin on their shirts, try a crocheted sugar skull that’s really so cute your great aunt won’t mind. If you really want to take it to the edge, ask your guests to dress up in their punk best.
2. Register on a Punk Rock Baby Shower Gift Registry and be sure to include the gift registry in your invitation, or if you’re one of those people who are shy about those kinds of things, tell your hostess to have the registry site ready if anyone asks where you’re registered. Find a site that carries a variety of clothing and accessories like Skull Bjorn Carrier Covers and cool baby blankets that you won’t mind letting your little rocker dragging around everywhere you go.
3. Choose a variety of baby clothing sizes. Your little punk rock baby will be grown out of his cool skull onesies so fast that you’ll be bummed they had so many of them so young, and then now they’re all too small! Choose a wide variety of sizes, even all the way up to toddler sizes. Think ahead to special events where you’ll want your little rockin two-year old to wear a cool toddler bowler shirt instead of a lame plaid button down shirt, or your punky princess to have the cutest skull ruffle socks that will add style to any outfit. Choose sleeveless toddler skull dresses with an a-line cut that can be worn one year as a dress and the next year as a tunic over leggings or paired with shorts.
4. Last of all, babies are expensive, so if you don’t ask for the luxury baby gifts now
, you’ll be wishing you did later! Those pacifiers, sippy cups, and baby bottles can be picked up at any old grocery store, so pick things made to last and guaranteed to stand out, and you’ll still be cool, even though you’ll be slapping your favorite band stickers on the bumper of a used mini-van and smelling like spit up!
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Infamous Baby Rocks ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas
By miranda | September 4, 2008
Infamous Baby will be at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas this upcoming week for the first time. We know there’s a lot of competition, and a lot of new companies there, but we think we’ll stand out because we have our finger on the pulse of today’s children’s apparel industry trends. We have many unique baby clothes , punk toddler shirts , and luxurious baby accessories that have a look and feel that says quality and style. The ABC Kids Expo Las Vegas hosts over 800 exhibits, with thousands of buyers there to check out new products and place orders. Infamous Baby will be showcasing their new winter line, with adorable skull dresses, baby and toddler skull hoodies, sweatsuits, and lots more cute boutique baby stuff, such as their line of cool diaper cakes. For all the stores out there going to Las Vegas ABC Kids Expo to check out our cool baby clothes and place orders, Infamous Baby will be at booth # 3922. Please come check us out and talk with us about how we can add unique baby gifts that will satisfy your in-the-know customer’s demand for upcoming baby fashion trends such as punk onesies skull baby blankets rockabilly bowler shirts retro style toddler dresses and so much more!
Order our Micro Cord Swing Tank Dress with Appliqued Flaming Heart at the ABC Kids Expo Las Vegas
to your store. We can’t wait to see everyone!
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Infamous Baby, Christy Kane “Tales of the Sisters Kane” “Callalilly” at Paris to the Moon and Paris Underground Costa Mesa Friday September 5th 2008 7:00pm
By lisa | September 4, 2008
Paris Underground Costa Mesa isn’t just a store. It’s a journey into the avant-guarde. You will find exactly what you’re looking for, and things you never expected to find. That’s why Infamous Baby is honored to be part of Friday night’s Halloween Season Kickoff. Stop by and get into the holiday mood and visit our table, and bring your Christy Kane book to be signed by the artist herself. Her new short film “Callalilly” will be featured with a repeat screening throughout the evening. To get just a little taste of what Infamous Baby will be offering to satisfy your craving for hand-crafted baby and toddler couture, and punk baby blankets so soft but edgy you’ll wish we made them big enough for grown-ups, visit our on-line store. Do you like what you see? Well, if you stop by Paris Underground this Friday, you will get a sneak peak of our new Winter Line, or you can purchase one of our limited edition hand appliqued Halloween tank dresses for your little princess that will be sure to have all the other moms begging to find out where you got it.
Don’t miss what is sure to be a good time and a new shop to keep on your short list.
See you there!
Lisa
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The Coolest Infamous Baby Photo EVER!
By lisa | September 2, 2008
OK, I just couldn’t wait and had to post a few pics from the photo shoot we took last Sunday night for our Winter LIne at Infamous Baby. My cousin Joanna of Joney Photography is a fashion and beauty photographer and she was kind enough to squeeze us into her hectic schedule and I am blown away by the results! The photos she shot were better than I could have even imagined, because she GOT IT. She looked at our punk baby and toddler clothes and just knew what we were going for, and she captured the essence of what Infamous Baby is all about- cool, edgy clothes for babies, toddlers and kids that are durable enough to withstand the playground, the washer, the dryer, and a guarantee that any kid who wears our clothes will be the coolest looking kid on the slide or the swingset! And, yes, I love the photo of my little guy that’s featured here, but wait till you see the photos of the boys modeling our toddler and kid skull bowler shirts!
My Infamous Max. This is not a tatoo, I swear! He has to wait until he's 18!
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Infamous Baby at Paris Underground Paris to the Moon Costa Mesa
By lisa | September 1, 2008
I am so excited! Infamous Baby has been invited to show our clothing line at Paris Underground Costa Mesa on Friday, September 5th 7:00 pm! This is to kick off the Halloween season with an “evening of mischief, mayhem, and a bit of the macabre”, will feature unique artists and designers from Orange County and beyond, and will also have a repeat screening of Christy Kane’s short film “Callalilly”, who will also be available to sign books. You can check her out at: http://christykane.com/
You can get a bit of an idea of how cool the shops are at this blog:
We’ll have a selection of skull onesies baby and toddler Halloween dresses skull baby blankets skull ruffle socks and much more.
Hope to see you there!
Lisa
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Skulls and Crossbones oh my! Working on my Winter line!
By lisa | August 27, 2008
I just thought I’d take a minute to write about the cool new Winter line for Infamous Baby. I’ve shown off a few of the pieces to some friends and so far the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and they can’t wait to get their hands on the skull hoodies for the boys, and the leopard swing coats for the girls. I’m especially excited about the leopard coat, because it is definitely inspired by the dressy a-line coats that little girls used to wear in the 1960’s with bell sleeves and over-sized buttons, but I’m giving this coat a modern-day twist because…IT’s MACHINE WASHABLE! That’s right fellow moms, you heard that right! At last there’s a great coat for your little rebel princess to wear that not only covers her entire dress (don’t you hate spoiling a perfect outfit with a waist length puffy jacket?) and you don’t have to worry about her getting it a little dirty.
I’m also making adorable little circle skirts with coordinating knit tops, and I’m loving on the whole micro-corduroy look for dresses. Everything, of course, features the same quality appliqued work that is creating such a buzz, especially at the recent fairs and concerts we’ve attended.
Anyhow, I’m back to my trusty sewing machines to kick out some more designs that I am sure you can’t wait to get your hands on. Until then, you can check out the store and see whats available right now.
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Welcome to the Infamous Blog
By webmaster | July 21, 2008
Thanks for visiting us!
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