Archive for candice thompson
August 5, 2008 at 4:05 pm · Filed under dance, designers, candice thompson, CANDICE, design, LOLAstretch
Finding this image yesterday was an “aha!” moment for me. Often patterns can be really dangerous, especially when put on a leotard. But here is an example of how to do it right. Thanks Pucci! You can expect to see the influence of this when my new fall colors for LOLAstretch are announced on Friday. Maybe there will be more than just a fabulous pumpkin or jade……
{Gymnast leotard designed by Pucci for NY Times Magazine shoot. They are a design house famous for prints, as evidenced!, for those who might not be in the fashion know.}
Don’t you wish the American Team was really wearing this in Bejing, instead of the rhinestone dusted usual?
Recent Posts by candice thompson
July 28, 2008 at 5:13 pm · Filed under dance, candice thompson, CANDICE, costume design, costume
Recently, I have been working on some ivory long unitards for Morphoses. I am not the costume designer, I am just assisting in putting some of the construction together as there is not a formal costume shop. So what I mean to say is, they will be more than just ivory unitards. This is just the base from which the costume will be built on.
But looking at yards and yards of beautiful ivory fabric on my cutting table got me to thinking about the ambivalent nature of the relationship us dancers have with this seemingly simple material. Ballet in general, is white. There are the “white” ballets. Often white is the first color of leotard any child is required to wear. Princes must wear white tights! We should be so used to it and so comfortable with our signature color…….so why does it often inspire such dread?
Obviously, there are the issues of body and presentation. The fear it will make us look bigger. But white, while unforgiving, can be slimming in its own simplicity of so clearly showing line and definition. How do you feel about wearing it? Are you one of those dancers who is more comfortable in nude than white? If you have been wearing it forever, do you still sigh and think about it before putting on those white tights or that Apollo dress?
I would love to know and also set the record straight as I see it. Ballet uses white (and ivory) often for a reason: it looks beautiful onstage and in general, really does flatter all. So embrace it if you get the chance!
Recent Posts by candice thompson
July 16, 2008 at 9:50 pm · Filed under dance, project, candice thompson, CANDICE, chris wheeldon
A regular Wednesday pit stop for me is the Spandex House, if I have not already been there every other day of the week searching for something essential; new colors for LOLAstretch or specialty spandex for costumes. Today I was swatching some fabric for a new Christopher Wheeldon ballet, for which I have been contracted to make some unitards. I am so excited about this new project and hope at some point I get to meet my fellow winger!
If you have never been there, here is the thing–there is just so much to choose from…..there are two floors that are literally overflowing and often difficult to navigate in a skirt. Does anyone remember when Project Runway went there last season for the girls wrestling challenge? And before that, the ice-skating challenge? And of course there was swimwear. Those episodes often made me feel like “hey, I should be on this show!” since stretch is my area of expertise and most often overlooked by fashion designers. There seems to be a gaping hole there, but if I were to fill it, it would mean I would definitely need to brush up on my tailoring tweeds and mens suiting skills:-)
Speaking of Project Runway, it is starting again tonight! Yay! Do you think there will be a ballet costume challenge this time? So far it seems to be the vital task they have been avoiding……
Recent Posts by candice thompson
July 14, 2008 at 4:08 pm · Filed under dance, website, candice thompson, CANDICE, LOLAstretch
July, for me thus far, has been a month of serious housekeeping and structural reorganization for LOLAstretch. I made a decision to put the custom ordering features on our website on a summer vacation. This was all for the purpose of catching up with some delayed orders and making plans for how to make custom orders run more efficiently in the future. (I am setting up a new manufacturing process right now, the details of which I will bring you very soon–it is all very exciting!)
So have I really been on a summer vacation? Absolutely not! The idea for a little summer holiday was mainly a good way to focus on selling some of our current stock and giving us the space to do some serious ground work for back to school/work ordering. But what I didn’t imagine was that when it got down to the nitty gritty of cleaning and organizing, I would be devoting so much time to updating my website. As it turns out and as anyone who has a website knows and is currently nodding, the work of keeping your site updated and current is never done.
So here is a view of my world which, for the moment, is basically being tied to a desk.:
This is my most prized possession when I get to work in the a.m.– a hand painted coffee mug from Ireland that keeps my morning staple piping hot. Thanks Suzanne!
And this is where I am currently at, updating the feature Candice’s Closet, where we feature what we have in stock. It is a rather involved process as even our stock tends to be quite custom. I can’t just put in a product and say how many are available. Each one is a different combination of colors and fabrics, so I have to add a separate description for every entry. Plus, there are constantly new things coming and going, so it is ideal for me to check in as often as I can to be sure it is accurate.
After this, I will move on to other databases and spreadsheets that keep vital information and start planning the budget for my new designs and upcoming photoshoot. (The idea for the photoshoot hit me yesterday and I have been obsessed by it ever since. I could barely sleep last night. I will show sketches as soon as I have some!)
As much as I would love to be waking up in a cabana on the beach this morning, I have to say there is something nice about getting down to business at a time when business in general is quiet and everyone is still groggily coming back from a weekend away.
Recent Posts by candice thompson
June 16, 2008 at 4:09 pm · Filed under dance, costumes, candice thompson, CANDICE, costume design, creative arts studio, LOLAstretch
To borrow a great phrase from my favorite and only tv show I have watched in the last few years, Project Runway. Tim Gunn would be proud if he only knew of the almost 70 costumes I designed and made over the last few weeks for eight different classes at the Creative Arts Studio for their annual showcase at Brooklyn Museum. Some were for my own ballet students, some were for other classes like Hip Hop.
It was insanely stressful but in the end the two shows this past Saturday and Sunday came off without a hitch and it was a successful end to the school year for the students and teachers, who all worked as hard and intensely as I did.
Here are some backstage photos I took on Sunday, letting you into the nerves and excitement that are present when kids are the stars of the event:
Two of my advanced students, Elizabeth and Olivia, getting ready to perform on pointe for the first time ever!
Another advanced student, Sean, getting her pointe shoes on. She has been injured and performed rather stoically and beautifully through the pain just as a professional would, which of course, had all of the teachers incredibly on edge.
My Ballet 2 students in their “Fall” costumes, showing me backstage that they were ready to perform. And perform they did, I saw some jetes I had never seen before in terms of height and felxibility!
A couple of Ballet 1 students, in butterfly leotards of mine with attached “wings”, went around giving tired teachers shoulder rubs. I got in that line quick!
More Ballet 1 butterflies waiting to go onstage, bubbling over with nervous energy on top of their usual high energy.
Miranda, of Ballet 2, waiting in line for the final bow at the end of the show.
A few of the hip hop students in nutcracker short unitards I made. The theme for the entire show was The Four Seasons. It was the end of the show and as you can see, the girl on the left is losing one of her gold stripes. One of the biggest goals of mine was to create costumes that could be worn by the students in their classes after the show. The parents spend a lot of money and it seems a shame to get only one wear. So pieces like the gold stripes were tacked on at the last minute for easy removal, and all of the skirts were separate from the leotards, which were all based on my LOLAstretch designs.
My advanced ballet had the final piece of the show to Vivaldi’s Summer. Here is a photo I took, like a proud parent, from the audience. The were in champagne chiffon empire-waisted dresses.
Congratulations to all of the students at CAS! You were beautiful!
xo
Candice
Recent Posts by candice thompson
June 9, 2008 at 5:06 pm · Filed under dance, research, candice thompson, CANDICE, LOLAstretch
A few months ago, I started writing more frequent blogs with the intention of leading you all on a daily journey with me as I work on and grow LOLAstretch. But the stress and pace of the last few months has made that near impossible. We have had a huge growth in sales in the last year and some manufacturing delays as well as shipping debacles to boot, so in my oft frenzied state, it has been hard to distill moments lately.
I am, however, at a crossroads with the company and I must make some very pivotal decisions about the future. As I try to decipher which direction to take it, I have decided that the most important thing I can do right now is gather information from people in business, big and small, who have more experience and expertise to offer.
I have been lucky to have encountered many small business owners in NYC in the last few years, but few have been as generous and knowledgable as Joel and Barbie Christoph of Yogabela.
I met them when I sold them an industrial sewing machine for their workroom back in December. I had just made a full switch to a manufacturer and had not really ever figured out quite how to get it calibrated. As delays with my current manufacturer have persisted, I began the search last month for alternative ways to see to it that my customers receive their orders on time. And when you are a small company without the heavy hand of leverage, that can be a tall order. And it has been.
So, in addition to contacting large factories, such as the one I currently use, I decided to get in touch with anyone and everyone I know who produces in a smaller workroom. I was lucky enough to be able to pick the brains of Joel and Barbie, two of the collaborative designers and makers of Yogabela, on Saturday afternoon. They produce high quality yoga wear in Long Island City in a sunny workroom atmosphere which grants them greater control over their product and inherent problems/delays. It is a rather compact space and the atmosphere of the place is more like that of a design room than a factory. That being said, it is a huge endeavor– just to employ 3 sewers requires large consistent sales numbers, and comes with a great deal of responsibility. Not to mention it requires so much creativity and passion, not just for the product but for the overall operations and systems of production.
Joel and Barbie showed me around their space and explained how they operate. The knives for cutting, ordering/storing fabrics, storage for stock etc. In addition, Joel was kind enough to explain how he operated when the company was smaller and through each period of growth. He detailed similar experiences of delays and shipping problems they had before they started self-producing. Boxes of goods disappearing en route, products arriving in incorrect sizes or colors. I got a very clear idea of the pros and cons between using an existing factory and starting your own, there being long lists for both options.
Here is a photo of one of my favorite items they make, a short short with ruffle around the leg. They are so cute and flattering and are perfect for that bikram yoga class or hanging out at the pier on an obscenely warm day such as today.
The meeting left me with these great shorts in hand and a lot on my mind. The one thing I hear quite consistently is the warning tale of companies that grow too fast. So for now, it is keeping up with my customers for today and more research for tomorrow. The pros and cons lists have been started.
Many, many thanks to Yogabela. Click here to see check out these adorable shorties and more!
And many, many thanks to my customers who continue to enjoy LOLAstretch through this period of growth and change!
xo
Candice
Recent Posts by candice thompson
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