The Price of Fashion

Hi Happy New Year!! It's my 1st post of the New Year and I'm excited.. I'm REALLY trying to get into this blogging thing for you all.. SO todays post is about the cost of custom pieces and how much $$ time it takes to make a piece. So many people come to me wanting a piece but they don't want to pay the right price for it. It gets on my nerves because of the following: 

 #1. I was some big name designer you'd pay no problem.

#2. So many designers lower their rates for a sale that people don't understand its true value; and lastly but not least. 

#3. Garments and product that is massed produced will 99.999999% of the time be less expensive because you are paying a bulk rate by the quantity that was ordered using fabric and what not that has been already paid for and put aside for this purpose etc. etc. 

For New Years Eve I made this fab sequin skirt and I want to share with you how much I would probably charge if I sold it to private clients outside of a collection price. Take note at the Price of Fashion....

This maxi skirt was inspired by a tutorial put up by Mimi G (www.MimiGStyle.com) So I started by making the pattern which after taking a few easy measurements took me about 20 mins to make. For pattern making I charge $30.00 p/hr (If less than a hour is used you are billed for one whole hour). 

Next I had to buy the fabric; The heavy sequin is $25 per yard. The skirt was lined and the lining fabric was $4 per yard. To find the amount of yardage needed I had to do the following math: length of the skirt in inches x 2 (front & back) / by the height of the roll of fabric (36'') = I came up with 3 yards of fabric needed. In total I spent $87.00 on fabric. I paid $1.00 for a yard of elastic. The total on fabric and supplies is $88.00 

I spent about 3.5 hours cutting fabric and sewing. I charge $20 an hour for cutting and sewing. That totals $70.00

So with no inflation this maxi sequin skirt would cost $188.00 if requested by a private client. Sequin is no easy fabric to work with nor is  it inexpensive so this is why for a custom sequin skirt it would be almost $200.00 

A lot of people might not say it's worth it but why is it not? It's custom made for you, made by a skilled hand with sourced fabric by your request. If my name was Galliano people wouldn't blink at spending $200.00 on a full length sequin skirt. I don't understand why so many people wont do the same for small business' and emerging fashion houses... 

What say you Fashion Lovers?

Fashionably Yours,

ImaniLia