Designer Pamela Levenson of Popina Swimwear

 

A few weeks ago I wrote about my latest Made in the USA find, Popina.  The designer and co-owner of Popina is Pamela Levenson.  She recently answered a few questions for me about her design career and the influence of the past on what she creates.

1.  Were you interested in fashion as a child?  Did it ever enter your mind that you would grow up to design swimsuits?

I have always loved fashion and dreamed my whole life of having my own line and boutique.  I never really dreamed that my outlet would be swimwear, but a lot of weird coincidences kept pushing me to spandex.  For example, I worked at a swimwear boutique that cut and sewed swimwear to order in college (never dreaming of doing it on my own) – but drawing on that background proved to be helpful!  I also randomly worked at a company that sold swimwear fabric when I first moved to Portland and bought an industrial serger from a customer.  When I could not find a suit I loved in Portland in the wintertime, I had the materials, the machine and the basic know how and that was my start.

2.  Do you sew? 

I do sew, I originally did all of the Popina production myself and I still sew up all of the prototypes.

If so, when and how did you first learn the skill? 

I first learned to sew in high school and in fashion school it was required to sew.  To learn pattern making, I took a pattern making class and refined my skills as I went.

3.  What is your fashion background and experience?

I graduated from Brooks College in Los Angeles and most notably worked for Guess as well as a handful of smaller manufacturers.

4.  How was the idea for Popina formed?

Basically I could not find a swimsuit I loved in October in Portland, Oregon so I stayed up all night before a trip to Mexico the next day.  From there I got compliments, made some for friends, then sold consignment and finally took the leap to get a 250 sq ft brick and mortar store.  I now have two boutiques; one that is 1,800 sq ft and one that is 3,000 – making us the largest women’s boutique on the west coast – I never dreamed that would happen in my wildest dreams.

5.  So many of your swimsuits are vintage-inspired.  What are the direct influences of the suits you create? 

I really look to styles of the past and look to update them with help of modern construction and materials.  I love looking at old vintage photos and current styles to make the classic styles fresh.

6.  I’m really attracted to the fact that the swimsuits are made in in the USA.  What are the benefits of manufacturing your product locally?  

The principal advantage is that I can drive 15 minutes and talk directly to my production people.  That greatly improves communication it also allows us to do smaller production runs.  We have not looked very hard at doing production out of state or overseas for that matter, we hope we never have to.  Our life is complicated enough as is, it is really nice to have a straightforward production process.

My thanks to Pamela for taking the time from her very busy schedule in order to let us have a glimpse into her world of design.

Photo copyright Popina.  Do not copy, pin or tumble!

Made in the USA – Popina

I’m always interested in finding clothing that is manufactured in the US, and I’ve gotten pretty good at finding US made items in many categories.  So I was surprised that I’d not somehow run across Popina in my search for US made garments.  Okay, the truth is that I’ve not shopped for a swimsuit in 15 years, and the thought of it was too hard to even consider.

But when I got an email from the people at Popina, asking if I’d like to try a suit in the privacy of my own home, I took a look at their site, and then said yes.  The line is very much inspired by  vintage swimwear with the one-piece suits being reminiscent of the swimwear of the 1950s.  They also have a selection of tankini suits and two-piece suits.

The Popina line is designed and made in Portland, Oregon.  As a nod to their city, they also carry Jantzen swimwear.  Jantzen was one of the great Portland companies that, unfortunately, is no longer made in the city.  They are, however, still in the swimwear business, with quite a few styles that are based on their designs of the past.

I chose the suit shown above, which Popina calls The Grace, from their retro swimwear collection.  When it arrived, I tried it on, and surprise of surprises, really liked the way it looked.  The fabric is nice and substantial, for a lack of better words.  At any rate, it is not thin and flimsy like so many of the swimsuits I’ve looked at in stores in recent years.  And the front and side seaming seemed to give a bit of a corset effect without feeling constraining.

The interior of the suit features a shelf bra. The front of the suit is fully lined, but the back is not.  I felt like the bra gave plenty of support, and added to the flattering line.  I really can’t say enough nice things about this suit.  It’s pretty, flattering, and well made in the USA.

If you live in the Portland area, there are two retail locations, and a new one will be opening next week.  Details are on their facebook page, along with a link to the newsletter (where you will find a 20% off coupon code good until March 13).

Soon, I’ll be featuring an interview with Popina designer and co-owner, Pamela Levenson.

Photos 1 and 4 are copyright Popina Swimwear.  Suit for review provided courtesy of Popina Swimwear.

Marge Crunkleton Mannequin Heads

I recently had the opportunity to visit the mannequin head workshop of Marge Crunkleton.  Many of you who are in the vintage business will recognize her name and her work.  Marge makes reproductions of vintage head mannequins, and is known as one of the best in the business.

The heads are specially molded from vintage mannequins, and then Marge paints each according to what is era appropriate.  It was fun seeing the unpainted heads along side the finished ones.  And Marge is happy to work with customers on specific colors for hair, eyes and lips.

Marge herself is a hat collector, which she has displayed throughout her workshop.  And the little people are her creations as well, and she also molds and creates dolls.

You can see the full line of Crunkleton Heads on her website, Crunkleton.com.  If you are interested in ordering a head, don’t hesitate to call Marge, and she can work with you on your order.  She normally sells her heads for $175, but will sell you one for $160 if you tell her Lizzie sent you!

And now, a bit of a question from Marge.  She has the hat above, with the blue crown and a very pale blue horsehair veil.  Do you suppose this was for a bride?

UPDATE:

Here is the hat after Marge has spent some time working with the floppy brim.  She says that she could have raised the brim even higher, but that she can tell that it is going to sag again in time.  Still, one can better tell how the hat must have been worn originally.

Made in the USA – The Cat’s Pajamas

I really am thankful for pajamas, because pretty much the only time a woman of 57 can get away with wearing a pink and black Scottie dog print is when she is at home and visitors are not expected.  The same can be said, I suppose, for prints with puppies and cupcakes, cats in trees and miscellaneous cocktails.  These are the sorts of prints for sale at my latest made in the USA find, The Cat’s Pajamas.

When it comes to pajamas, I’ve been a Bedhead devotee for the past ten years or so.  That’s when I bought my first pair – a pair I’m still wearing, by the way.  But I came across a recommendation for Cat’s Pajamas and decided to give them a try.

First, the fabric prints at Cat’s Pajamas are very whimsical and brightly colored.  I like that in a pj.  You can let your inner kid come out when dressing strictly for your home.  On the negative side, though the pajamas are sewn in the USA, the fabric is imported (from who knows where) and to be honest, it is not quite as soft as I’d like.  Still, after four washings, it has softened up without any color loss to the print.

Another plus is that they offer a variety of styles in most prints.  I’m short, so I ordered the capri length which was just right for me.  Some of the prints are available in both flannel and poplin.  And they have plus sizes.

Time will tell whether they hold up as well as Bedhead does, but for now, I’m very satisfied.  This pair was on sale, and the shipping is a reasonable flat rate of $5.

And if they would find a US supplier for the fabric, I’d really love them.

Nice packaging that includes a cute eye shade.

Whiting and Davis Bags and More

After finding a Whiting & Davis bag at a thrift store recently, I went on a reading binge to learn more about the company.  I’m happy to report that this old American company is still in business and is still making their products in Massachusetts.

Whiting & Davis actually started in 1876 as Wade, Davis and Company as a maker of jewelry.  In 1880, a 16 year old Charles Whiting was hired as an errand boy, but he rose up through the company to management by 1890, and in 1892 he made the first mesh handbag for the company.  During the early years of production, the bags were made by hand by women who made them in their homes by linking together the tiny metal rings that made up the mesh.

In 1896 Whiting became a partner in the company, and the name was changed to Whiting & Davis.  In 1907 he became the sole owner of the company.  By this time the cottage industry workers were barely keeping up with the demand for the purses, and Whiting must have realized that in order to grow he would have to mechanize.  In 1912 they developed an automated mesh making machine, and the industry was changed, and Mr. Whitings fortune was made.

Over the next few years improvements were made to the machine, and other types of mesh were developed, including the product most associated with Whiting and Davis, spider mesh, or armor mesh.  The nice thing about spider mesh was that it was easier to paint designs on than was the older, Dresden mesh of just the interlocking rings.  In the early days of production, most Whiting & Davis bags were made of sterling silver, but the faster production of the machines allowed them to experiment with other, cheaper metals.

By the mid 1920s, a mesh bag was a must-have accessory, and to meet the demand the Whiting & Davis grew to have 500 mesh making machines.  But styles change, and this could have been the end of the Whiting & Davis story, but the mesh proved to be adaptable to other purposes, and the company was willing to switch over from the chain handled bag of the 1920s to the more popular clutch style bag of the 1930s.  In the late 1930s they had an association with designer Elsa Schiaparelli, in which the bags were advertised as being based on Schiaparelli designs.

Click to see the details. Note the different types of mesh that were being produced in 1937.

The company also began producing other products such as mesh safety gloves.  This glove was produced after a mink farm went to them seeking a glove to protect their workers from bites.  The gloves proved to be valuable in other jobs, including that of garment cutters.

During WWII Whiting and Davis helped produce radar equipment, but when the war was over they went back to handbags and other accessories such as wallets and belts.  During the 1950s they also returned to the production of jewelry.  Their next big fashion moment was in the 1970s, when Whiting & Davis made mesh jewelry designed by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany and Co.

In 1979 Whiting & Davis went through a series of ownership changes.  Throughout that time handbags were still produced, but by the 1990s the company was steering away from handbags and jewelry and was developing more industrial safety products.  In 2010 the French owner of the company  decided to close the Massachusetts mesh making factory.

But this story has a happy ending.  The company was bought by plant manager Darrin Cutler who then set about to return the company to its roots as a handbag and jewelry maker.   Today both are made, along with other mesh products such as curtains.  And they will work with companies to develop mesh products to meet their needs.

To see photos of the mesh being made, there is an excellent article from  Boston Magazine.

I was surprised when I realized how many of these pieces I own.  Besides the two 1920s bags I have a belt, probably 1940s, a 1950s wallet and change purse and a 1970s neck piece.

The interior of the black and white bag, where you can better see the mesh construction.

Back and front of belt.

Antic Red, or Oxblood by Any Other Name

It’s all over the internet – Fall 2012 is the season of oxblood.   It’s kind of a moody alternative to burgundy or maroon, deep red with a touch of something else.  Or maybe it is a chestnut brown with a touch of red.  Either way, it is the color buzzword of the season.

I try not to think too much about high school, but sometimes I come across something that just takes me back to the early 1970s.   Oxblood leather, or more precisely, Etienne Aigner handbags, would be one of those things.  Sometime in the late 1960s or early 70s Aigner bags overtook John Romain as the must-have accessory at my high school.  Logo mania was years in the future, but the little stylized A that marked a handbag as being Aigner was all that was necessary to prove to one’s peers that you were “with it.”

Etienne Aigner began making belts and handbags for the Paris couture after World War II.  In 1950 he went to New York, and for a time designed handbags for an American manufacturer.  After losing his job he began making belts in his apartment.  Because his finances were in such a bad state, he could afford only one color of dye, which he called Antic Red.  He was able to get several high-end department stores to carry his finely crafted belts, and soon he was also making handbags in his signature Antic Red.  By 1959 he was so successful that he was able to open a showroom in New York City.

I didn’t have an Aigner handbag in high school, and I don’t recall wanting one.  They were quite expensive – way beyond what I could afford – and by that time I was making my own bags in art class.  So when I found this one several weeks ago, it was the style that sold me on the bag, not the name.  But I’m really impressed with the quality, so I can say that at least the daddys of those girls who had Aigner handbags were getting their money’s worth.

Made in Canada – Kamik Rubber Boots

I’ve been wearing the functional but plain black rubber boots that were given to me by a local church during the clean-up after the hurricanes of 2004, but I’ve been wanting a pair that might not make me look like I’m on my way to shovel muck from a barn.  I saw these on a fashion blog (sorry, but I can’t find it and there are 1000s of them) and followed the links to Amazon where they were for sale.  To my great delight, they were reasonably priced and made in Canada.

The brand is Kamik, which was a new one to me, though according to their website, the company has been in business for over 100 years.  The company is headquartered in Montreal where many of their boots are made.  Others are made in assembly plants in Ontario and New Hampshire, with 70% of Kamik products being made in North America.   Their factories are hydro-powered, and they use very little fossil fuels.  And their rubber boots are recyclable, which you can do by sending the used boots back to the company where they are reprocessed.

You know how I love a manufacturing video?  They have one.

There is not a sales feature on the Kamik website, but they are readily available on Amazon, Zappos, R.E.I. and Nordstrom.  Their rubber boots are made in North America, but some of their other styles are made in Asia, so make sure you know the origin of the boots if this is an important issue to you.

The style name of my boots is Christina, and they do come in other colors.  I’m not a lacy type of girl, but I thought the Gwyneth boots were rather cute.

An interesting side note:  I was in Wal-mart recently and went by to glare at the made-in-China boots.  To my surprise, there were quite a few styles, some very similar to mine, that were labeled Made in the USA and Made in Canada.  At $24.95, they are worth checking into if you are needing a pair of rainboots.