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Arizona Fashion Has a New Home: Downtown Tempe
Tag: Blog • Arts & Culture
Labelhorde/AZ Fashion Source may be the only animal of its kind in the United States and that animal has just landed in Downtown Tempe in the old Tempe Performing Arts Center at the corner of 6th Street and Forest. If you are in the fashion industry, you already know about Labelhorde/AZ Fashion Source and that this is a BIG deal. If you’re not in the industry, you’re about to learn that this is a really BIG deal.
Here’s the what and the how. And the where.
If you’ve ever been inside the old performing arts center, then you may know what an expansive building it is. Not only was it a performing arts center with a theater on the ground floor, but at one time it housed Tempe 11, so it also has video and recording studios in the basement level and a host of offices on the floor above the performance venue. Sprinkle in old dressing rooms and a bunch of odd spaces and you have the perfect home for Labelhorde/AZ Fashion Source.
And who are they and what do they do you ask? THEY are Angela Johnson and Sherri Berry and they are the founders of Lablehorde/AZ Fashion Source and the Arizona Apparel Foundation. Together, they are the headquarters of the fashion, design and manufacturing industry in Arizona. They provide fashion design education, design services, manufacturing, business consultation, co-working space, events and more. Basically, if you want to start a fashion business or already own one, they are here to help you design and manufacture your product. And this is the BIG deal part – manufacturing. As a fashion designer, you start with your sketch or your design and the next step is having a sample made. You’re usually on your own at this stage and it is extremely difficult to find a place or a person to manufacture your sample (and no, not all designers can sew so this is tougher than you would imagine). Then once you get to the manufacturing stage, you usually have to head overseas to find a manufacturer. Well, not anymore. That can now be done HERE. In Downtown Tempe.
They can help you with pattern making (you have to provide that to the manufacturer, so it better be right), sample sewing, Tech packs (all the instructions a factory needs to create a design), sourcing, production cutting and sewing. They have pattern paper, muslin for draping, sewing machines, access to seasoned designers and their expertise and the list goes on and on. Once you have a garment (or hat or shoes or jewelry or whatever you are creating) ready, they also offer fashion marketing and business services to get your creation to market.
Oh, and they also offer lessons in sewing, sketching, CAD, photography and more. There is nothing these two women and their team can’t do. We’re about to witness a fashion storm and I for one can’t wait for those winds to blow.
Angela & Sherri invite you to make an appointment to tour their facility and they are planning a grand opening open house event and fashion show on December 10th. Check out their webpage for more information: http://www.labelhorde.com/
*All images by LabelHorde