About this project
Hello Everyone!
My name is Charlotte and I have a small knitwear label called isobel and cleo (www.isobelandcleo.com) that I founded in Glasgow, Scotland in 2008. I started the label with accessories, but I have slowly branched out to include women's clothes. I've gotten a lot of attention from Etsy and numerous fashion blogs (http://www.isobelandcleo.com/page7.htm) which encouraged me to apply as a competitor in the Emerging Designers Competition at Charleston Fashion Week (http://www.charlestonmag.com/fashionweek/main). Towards the beginning of the December I found out I had been selected as one of the 16 semi-finalists in the competition and have now been invited to show in Charleston, SC March 22-26th. The contest was open to all residents of the eastern states, so it's AMAZING to have been selected!
You can check out my application video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch...
I'm using Kickstarter as a way to raise the some of funds necessary to finish my collection and get to CFW. My expenses fall into 4 categories: Yarn ($4000), Production and Knitting Equipment ($2000), Travel ($500), and "Oh Crap" ($500).
Yarn expenses include:
- The yarn AND woven fabrics that I anticipate needing for the final garments
- All accessories and shoes that I need for each of my 12 looks.
Production and Knitting equipment expenses include:
- Outsourcing to seamstresses/knitters
- Garter bar, sponge bar, spare machine knitting needles, steam iron etc.
- Pant Form
Travel Expenses include:
- Round Trip airfare to Charleston, SC
- Excess baggage fees incurred transporting the collection by plane
"Oh Crap" Expenses include:
-Anything that starts with the words, "Oh Crap," ie: "Oh crap, I just cut this pattern on the wrong side of the fabric, now I need more chiffon." Or, "Oh crap, I can't believe I didn't order enough yarn for this sweater, it's only got one sleeve!" and because I'm sure I'll say this, "Oh crap, I forgot Kickstarter and Amazon was taking a percentage of my goal!" Etc. Other people may refer to this section as MISC.
Why I'm doing Charleston Fashion Week:
I founded my label to accomplish two things. First, I wanted people to know that knitting is COOL!! It's more than a trend that comes into fashion because a celebrity was snapped with a set of needles on a movie set. I feel like knitting gets a bad rap, some people think it's a crafty and antiquated hobby and do not realize its potential. Still some only associate it with finds on Regretsy, but it's incredible what you can do with a set of needles (if you don't believe me, check out Sandra Backlund, my favorite knitwear designer, www.sandrabacklund.com). My second goal was to fill a void created by the fast fashion chains like H&M and Topshop. Perhaps I'm a romantic, but I miss the days when you could go to a dressmaker to have something tailor made to fit you and only you. Or when you'd have a hand made garment created stitch by stitch lovingly for you, and it became a family heirloom. isobel and cleo is just my way of bringing fashion back to the 1st degree, keeping it an interaction between the maker and the wearer, or at the most, an interaction between the maker, the store, and the wearer. I wanted to create an alternative to the disposable fashion culture that exists today and start a something that celebrated the quality and longevity of its products. Showing at Charleston Fashion Week will not only get my label out there, but also the message behind why I do what I do.
A note about my rewards:
You may notice that many of the rewards include a donation to Heifer International. This organization uses charitable gifting to purchase livestock for families around the world. Part of your reward will go towards buying an alpaca, a llama, a sheep, and an angora rabbit, the very animals whose wool I'm using in my fashion week garments! I thought the Heifer aspect was a great way to tie in my knitwear project to the very animals and people who help create it and help continue the process! You can read more about your reward donation here: http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.6329407/...
FAQ
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59
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$4,700
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on February 21, 2011.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
An Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers and an Isobel and Cleo handmade, knit embellished thank you card.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · Pair of blank handmade knit embellished note cards similar to: (http://www.etsy.com/transaction/23956114), but with real knitted fabrics · $1 toward the purchase of a Knitter’s Gift basket at Heifer International. Read more at the end of the project description or on the Heifer site here: (http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.6329407/?msource=kwa9)
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · Set of 4 blank handmade knit embellished note cards · $3 gift from “the supporters of Isobel and Cleo” toward the purchase of a Knitter’s Gift basket at Heifer International · A CD of music that helped inspire my Charleston Fashion Week Collection
Pledge $50 or more Pledge $50 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · Set of 4 blank handmade knit embellished note cards · $5 gift from “the supporters of Isobel and Cleo” toward the purchase of a Knitter’s Gift basket at Heifer International · A CD of music that helped inspire my Charleston Fashion Week Collection · Limited edition handmade Deloopa necklace, similar to: http://www.etsy.com/transaction/23956112
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · Set of 8 blank handmade knit embellished note cards · $8 gift from “the supporters of Isobel and Cleo” toward the purchase of a Knitter’s Gift basket at Heifer International · A CD of music that helped inspire my Charleston Fashion Week Collection · A Limited Edition Isobel and Cleo Pendant Flap Necklace, similar to: http://www.etsy.com/listing/36214793/flap-pendant-necklace-with-antique-key (Pendant object is unique and based on what I find in antique shops!)
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · Set of 8 blank handmade knit embellished note cards · $10 gift from “the supporters of Isobel and Cleo” towards the Knitter’s Gift Basket · A CD of music that helped inspire my Charleston Fashion Week Collection · Your name listed at isobelandcleo.com under list of supporters · Limited Edition Isobel and Cleo’s Wrap it Again Sam Scarf. Similar to: (http://www.etsy.com/listing/43065598/wrap-it-again-sam-circle-scarf-in-rusty)
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · Your name listed on the website under supporters · Choose one of the following: Set of 12 blank handmade knit embellished note cards OR a signed original sketch from the CFW collection · $25 gift from “the supporters of Isobel and Cleo” towards the Knitter’s Gift basket at Heifer International · A CD of music that helped inspire my Charleston Fashion Week Collection · Massive Plait (http://www.etsy.com/transaction/39996782)
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · Your name listed on isobelandcleo.com under supporters · A CD of music that helped inspire my Charleston Fashion Week Collection · Choose one of the following: Set of 12 blank handmade knit embellished note cards OR signed original sketch from the CFW collection · $50 gift from “the supporters of Isobel and Cleo” towards the Knitter’s Gift Basket at Heifer International. · Limited Edition Isobel and Cleo’s Triangle Blanket Wrap (Similar to: http://www.etsy.com/transaction/26356285)
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
· Isobel and Cleo e-letter with updates and special offers · A ‘Thank You’ to your name/business listed on the front page of isobelandcleo.com and a mention on our lists of supporters · A CD of music that helped inspire my Charleston Fashion Week Collection · Set of 12 blank handmade knit embellished note cards · Signed original sketch from the CFW collection · A choice 2 of the following isobel and cleo accessories: Deloopa, Wrap it Again Sam Scarf, Triangle Blanket Wrap, or Massive Plait (http://www.etsy.com/transaction/39996782) · An original garment from the Isobel and Cleo CFW collection · $100 gift from “the supporters of Isobel and Cleo” to Knitter’s Gift basket at Heifer International
Project By
Charlotte Hess of Isobel and Cleo
Last Login 04/15/12
Connected as Charlotte Hess (650 friends)
I'm a knitwear designer currently living in Philadelphia. I founded isobel and cleo in Glasgow, Scotland in December 2008. Experience includes positions at Blake Standard in Chicago, Karen Walker and Nom*D in New Zealand, and Free People in Philadelphia. Though I returned home to the US to work as a designer for a large corporation, I continue to design and produce the isobel and cleo line both my Philly studio and with a little help from my friends in Glasgow.
