Knitting Pretty

The March 2006 W has an interesting article about the women who knit and crochet for knitwear designers. As far as I can tell it's not available online, so pick up a copy at your local bookstore.

When you're looking for a fashion tip: Grandma knows best. Just ask a new generation of cutting-edge European knitwear designers who are employing a far-flung network of grannies. Equipped with skillful fingers and age-old knitting know-how, these venerable ladies are tackling designs that exude more contemporary cool than tea-cozy appeal.

Take actress-cum-novice crochet designer Anat Fritz, 32, from Berlin. She used to sell so many of her handmade "Oliver Twist-meets-hip hop" hats to strangers right off her own head that she decided to go into production – of a sort. "I put ads in the paper and found a bunch of old ladies who had been crocheting all of their lives," says the Romanian-born Fritz.

It's nice to see these artisans get a bit of recognition, though I must admit to a bit of discomfort with one part of the article.

But if there's one common thread linking today's knitwear pioneers, it's an ethical, or as Fritz says, "fair trade," relationship with their employees. Fritz says she pays her knitters anywhere from $7 to $12 to make a hat that retails for about $110 in wool and $280 in cashmere. They receive $120 for more involved items like a swimsuit, which can take up to 15 hours to knit, and which retails for about $365.

$120 for 15 hours of knitting comes to $8/hour. This seems a little low for hand knitting.

The issue also features an article about TSE designer Tess Giberson. I wish the line would come out with a hand knitting kit designed by Giberson (rather like Paco Rabanne's disc dress kits).

technorati tag: fashion

Comments

[megan]

I too heart W but my March issue was swiped by a crazy homeless guy. True story. Now imagine the conversation I had with W to get them to send out another issue.

[PUnKrAwkPuRL]

awhile ago there was an ad on craigslist (bay area) offering to pay a whole $10 to knitters for knitting an entire sweater, to be sold in a boutique shop. wtf?!!

[Amy]

Call me a pinko commie if you will, but that's ridiculous!

Megan: What?!?!? That is so bizarre! I think you need to blog the call you made to W.

[Oiyi]

That is the sad part about the fashion industry, the low pay for the actual people who make the pieces. It doesn't surprise me because that is how it is in the jewelry industry, too. As apprentices, people get paid $6-$8 an hour making jewelry pieces that sell for $50,000 and up. It's a labor job and the conditions are like sweat shops.

Tess was a close friend to my ex-boss and she and her husband use to come by the studio a lot. I thought that her early work was quite interesting, but I haven't kept up to date what she makes now. My cousin told me that she gets a lot of free labor for her fashion shows.

I met Anna Wintours once when she came by my ex-boss's studio. She was nice and polite and properly dressed. My ex-boss was one of the finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Grant and she came by to interview, plus we were being filmed for the Douglas Keeve film, "Seamless". I often wonder if I ended up in the film because I had to sign a waver. Maybe my hands are in it because they kept filming my hands while I was working. It was very uncomfortable.

Oh, the juicy gossip my boss use to tell me about the fashion world would make your hair curl!

[Amy]

Would that I could hear some of this juicy gossip!

It's so funny that you mentioned Seamless. I just watched that film last week. I'm glad I didn't return it to Netflix yet, because I'm going to have to watch it again to see if I can find you in it!

I know the labor practices in the fashion industry are pretty questionable in general. It's pretty sick, not to mention shocking, that people are paid $6/hr. to work on things that retail for $50,000. I don't take as much exception with the free fashion show labor you mentioned. I've known people who worked for free on films/videos/commercials, just so they could get something on their resume. It worked out well for some of them (rather like an internship).

[andrea]

thanks for posting that, I must check it out. Well I do have to say I am not surprised about the labor wages for knitting. That is exactly why I decided that I did not wish to sell finished knitted items. From a business standpoint, laborers always get the smallest piece of the pie, while the largest chunk goes to retailers. So a $50 dollar hat might wholesale at $25. Breaking down the costs $8-10 for labor, $5-7 for material (quality of material is still questionable at this price point, they may even opt for something cheaper) and $10 for porfit more or less. See how ridiculous the breakdown is and at the expense of the laborer! That is why I started a business that encourages people to knit their own. I even fell uncomfortable about selling my knitted samples to people I know because of the price I would ask for it.

Fashion industry relies on free labor for its fashion shows and production, don't I know it. Don't let big names fool you about that either. It exists in all end of the market. Exactly why I choose not to join in.

[Aimee]

I agree with you that does seem like low wage. I don't know what people ask for when they are commisioned to knit something for someone. I would hope that it's a lot more than 8 bucks an hour!

[yahaira]

that's pretty sick to think of, though it's pretty common in a lot of industries. photo assistants are pretty lucky making that rate.
my fave part is "found a bunch of old ladies ", so was her ad worded that way? lol

[Melissa]

Minus the part about the pay, that's a neat story! Missed reading your blog while I was away!

[carrie m]

oh, that makes me sad. i hope they at least have pensions or retirement, cause that ain't a living wage.

[snowdrop]

my mom was knitting for a store, and they paid $100 for a sweater, and even tho she's a quick knitter with many years of experience, it still works out to 5 or 6 dollars an hour, 8 at best... the sweater sold for a minimum of $350. it's hard to make a living unless you sell yourself. and have access to discounted yarn.

[Amy]

Fascinating--I'd love to find a copy of that magazine... Thanks for the post!

[Beatriz Medina]

You should see what they pay to professional crocheters here in Brazil: 4 dollars for a lacy shrug (circa 15 hours of work) sold in the malls for 40 dollars or more.

[Amy]

That's shameful! I always wonder when I see things sold inexpensively and marketed as hand crocheted.

[lori]

i'm a big fun to crochet.and i want to learn more.sorry for my english.i am from Albania(Ballkan).i like any kind of models

[liindajune]

Several years ago I knit my husband a sweater specifically for camping. I spent every break and most of my lunch times, before and after work, all weekend. Basically every minute I was awake and not working was spent knitting not to mention almost $100 in wool. We ate out a lot. It took me a month. A woman at work wanted me to knit her a sweater. She was apalled when I told her what I'd do it for. "But it only took a month and Old Navy has sweaters for $40!" I suggested she go to Old Navy. Since I've retired I can do two sweaters a month without strain, but I only knit for love-not money.

[Lois Jones]

I'm not surprised at the information supplied in this article. I knit, I have a sister that crochets and I have a friend that puts my knitting to shame and we all have come to the same conclusion.
When someone has admired your handiwork and wants you to make the same for them, we tell them our price for the work and tell them they are responsible for supplying the yarn and other materials. Usually when they find out the price of the yarn (of their choice) and our price for just making it, they usually reconsider the offer. I have confined my work to knitting for those I love and very special friends.