Because of our location in the Short North, a walking neighborhood,  and our large front window to the world we get to bear witness to random acts of kindness every day.  One day last year we were on the receiving end of one of those random acts of kindness. A neighbor who lives in the building just across the street from us dropped by to give us an entire bolt of gorgeous amber colored dobby cloth.

The first thing you notice is the color. It’s vivid and modern but in a pop vintage sort of way. It has the natural mineral-like quality of amber gemstone. When you touch it you are surprised by the softness and can surmise it contains a touch of wool, most likely cashmere. But you quickly stop trying to determine the fiber content because you become intrigued by the texture of the weave.  It’s a weave of squares within squares so small, that from a few feet away all you notice is a luster from the light on cloth.

The beauty of the amber dobby gift inspired a collection.  The introduction of other warm and cool tones give this fabric a diverse playground.  Silk lining, tea dyed muslin, recycled silk sari patterns, repurposed tee shirt knits with hand stitching all unite for a celebratory revival on the latest soft pant silhouette, fitted flirty dresses and cropped jackets.  All compelling garment design starts with great fabric.  With this gift we knew we had to create something special.

Something special it is.  It’s the first collection that we’ve dedicated more than 4 weeks to producing.   We learned late last year when we moved the design studio into the front window of the store, the spectacle of the design process on display slows down our productivity.  So this year’s in-house produced Design Lab Collections™ will unveil quarterly instead of monthly. The longer stretch between unveilings gives us time to make the collections larger with more tailoring and clever touches.

On the evening of March 31st, with sweet anticipation and the sense that we’re making good of a thoughtful gift from our neighbor, we will unveil our 2010 first quarter Design Lab Collection™, The Amber Dobby Revival. This first 2010 collection, made here in the store, is our best ever and deserves a formal collection stage. The format will honor the pieces in a gallery like setting with still and live models allowing our visitors to get up close and personal with the craft.

Please join us  on Wednesday, March 31st from 7-8:30pm for the unveiling of our 2010 first quarter Design Lab Collection™, The Amber Dobby Revival. We’ll have a champagne toast to celebrate our 4th year at 783 North High.  We hope to see you there.

- Christina