NEW YORK — Oh come all ye tired of the holiday shopping fray. There is respite from overpacked stores full of edgy, last-minute shoppers and hour-long checkout lines. Those seeking a simpler winter wonderland can indulge in a little DIY gift-giving — besides, nothing says “I care” better than something handmade. But those wary of giving carb-loaded fruitcakes or homespun candles can, instead, try their hand at couture created at the kitchen table.
At her downtown Manhattan studio, Sheila Walker is giving those of us with the can-do spirit the know-how to make a dress, a coat or a skirt from scratch. And sure, she takes the idea one cheeky step further, punctuating the workshop name “Knock-Offs and Rub-Offs” with the slogan, “Everyone in the industry does it. You can too!” Which means, of course, that we at WWD did.
In the name of investigative journalism (and the allure of gift ideas-made-easy), my colleague Mayte Allende and I decided to delve into the world of knockoffs.
Tucked away in TriBeCa, Walker’s studio is part production facility, part classroom and part home to a lingerie and swimwear line she designs herself, named She She New York. From the start, Walker, who formerly taught at Parsons School of Design, distances what she does from the counterfeit cloners of Canal Street.
“It’s a totally different game,” she said. “We’re not producing a product for the mass market and trying to sell it as an original,” adding that she encourages students to personalize their projects. To wit: Two students re-created their own Fifties-style vintage dresses — one bought at Bond 07 and the other in Japan — but changed the fabric, print and neckline. A third knocked off her favorite cardigan to prolific effect; by the end of the class, she had no fewer than four reproductions in different colors and trims. As for Mayte and I, we tackled reconstructing a vintage skirt that had, sadly, seen better days. Counterfeiting cops, rest easy.
What Walker offered was a course in making what you love, be it a vintage piece of unknown origin or something off the runway. Class convened for six weekly three-hour fashion labs, for $475 (not including materials), which she plans to continue every semester. The class itself, however, ended up being more about camaraderie and creative refuge in an arts-and-crafts atmosphere.
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The first day, Walker outlined the basic methods for knocking off a garment: taking it apart at the seams, measuring the panels or doing a rubbing to create a pattern. But after that, we students were on our own, plotting patterns, creating test samples out of muslin and sewing, sewing, sewing. Walker made the rounds, nudging everyone in the right direction. “It’s a relaxing and enjoyable environment,” said Patricia Kriz, 23, a student who by day works as a sales associate at an investment firm. “A lot of aspects in your life, especially if you’re in New York, are always busy and it’s nice to get away and add a little variety to your routine.”
Although there are other workshops in the city where one can get away from it all, Sheila Walker’s are those that play the catchiest and most amusing tune. For example, other classes in her fashion stable include “Subway Crochet,” “Survival Sewing for Men” and “Thong Love and Boy Shorts Too!” whose course description quips, “Why should Victoria be the only one with the secret?”
By the sixth and final week, we were all in the last stages of our garments. Kriz, for her part, had completed her dress early and was busy reproducing a minimal curtain for a friend. “Well, this is a knockoff class,” Walker remarked of the sales associate’s decor-centric ambitions. “They can knock off anything they want.”
To those who criticize her unabashed attitude, Walker makes no apologies. “I guess I am the only one gutsy enough to do it,” she said. “It’s the fashion industry’s way of operating. If you want to get down to it, this is what’s going on. So why keep it a secret?”