[caption id="attachment_4001" align="aligncenter" width="378"]
Phyllis and our Guide Tony stop to take a picture with a Shopkeeper.[/caption] Visiting the famed fabric market in Guangzhou, China is always a highlight of any design trip and today was no exception. It is said to be the among the largest of the fabric markets in Asia and despite going dozens of times I have never seen the entire thing. (Never will - it stretches for what seems miles!) The weather is perfect, sunny and close to 60 degrees, as our guide Tony and an energetic Fashion Team starts out just after breakfast. I am on a fashion mission to find new fabrics for special occasion dresses that are still in the earliest stages of design. In a few cases, I have created preliminary sketches. But nothing inspires the creative process more than finding the perfect fabric - or trim - and then creating a design fit around it. At the first stop in the vast lower level of the Accessories building, I discover pastel beads that will work perfectly for the soft palette on the drawing board for Prom 2015 dresses. In a nearby aisle, pretty rows of pre-beaded pearls jump out as perfect to decorate a waistband on a wedding gown. At one of my favorite stalls, I uncover romantic rhinestone pins perfect for Mother of the Bride or Mother of the Groom dresses. All that shopping makes us hungry. Tony suggests we head to the super sized McDonald's within the market. Everyone agrees fast food fits our ambitious schedule. No one wants to waste a single minute sitting down to a real meal! [caption id="attachment_3995" align="aligncenter" width="389"]
Quick lunch at McDonalds[/caption] After lunch, the focus is on finding laces and print chiffon. We head to one of our most reliable suppliers on the first floor where I am never disappointed in the selection of floral chiffon fabrics in smaller scale patterns. Finding the lace I want proves to be tougher. I insist it be a stretch so it better fits our curvy customers. The Fashion Teams wanders so long and far that even our guide and translator gets lost. But it pays off. By chance we stumble on an aisle of lace vendors with just what I wanted - and was having trouble finding! [caption id="attachment_3994" align="aligncenter" width="378"]
Just the right lace for our Curvy Customers[/caption] One last stop: a meeting with a supplier who will create a custom border net design for a new Holiday 2014 party dress. Before The Teams knows it, our shopping bags are bursting with swatch sample cards. Our feet ache, and our heads are dizzy with all the textiles and trims we've soaked up over the last eight hours. It's time to get a taxi for the short ride back to our hotel. We need a good night's rest. Tomorrow we take the train to Hong Kong for the next leg of the Design trip. Be sure to check back for our next posting to find out what happens when we visit this great fashion city. Be sure to check out the gallery below or visit our Around the World with Sydney's Closet Pinterest Board. [gallery ids="3988,4000,3999,3992,3998,3997,3991,3996,3993,3990,3989"]
Phyllis and our Guide Tony stop to take a picture with a Shopkeeper.[/caption] Visiting the famed fabric market in Guangzhou, China is always a highlight of any design trip and today was no exception. It is said to be the among the largest of the fabric markets in Asia and despite going dozens of times I have never seen the entire thing. (Never will - it stretches for what seems miles!) The weather is perfect, sunny and close to 60 degrees, as our guide Tony and an energetic Fashion Team starts out just after breakfast. I am on a fashion mission to find new fabrics for special occasion dresses that are still in the earliest stages of design. In a few cases, I have created preliminary sketches. But nothing inspires the creative process more than finding the perfect fabric - or trim - and then creating a design fit around it. At the first stop in the vast lower level of the Accessories building, I discover pastel beads that will work perfectly for the soft palette on the drawing board for Prom 2015 dresses. In a nearby aisle, pretty rows of pre-beaded pearls jump out as perfect to decorate a waistband on a wedding gown. At one of my favorite stalls, I uncover romantic rhinestone pins perfect for Mother of the Bride or Mother of the Groom dresses. All that shopping makes us hungry. Tony suggests we head to the super sized McDonald's within the market. Everyone agrees fast food fits our ambitious schedule. No one wants to waste a single minute sitting down to a real meal! [caption id="attachment_3995" align="aligncenter" width="389"]
Quick lunch at McDonalds[/caption] After lunch, the focus is on finding laces and print chiffon. We head to one of our most reliable suppliers on the first floor where I am never disappointed in the selection of floral chiffon fabrics in smaller scale patterns. Finding the lace I want proves to be tougher. I insist it be a stretch so it better fits our curvy customers. The Fashion Teams wanders so long and far that even our guide and translator gets lost. But it pays off. By chance we stumble on an aisle of lace vendors with just what I wanted - and was having trouble finding! [caption id="attachment_3994" align="aligncenter" width="378"]
Just the right lace for our Curvy Customers[/caption] One last stop: a meeting with a supplier who will create a custom border net design for a new Holiday 2014 party dress. Before The Teams knows it, our shopping bags are bursting with swatch sample cards. Our feet ache, and our heads are dizzy with all the textiles and trims we've soaked up over the last eight hours. It's time to get a taxi for the short ride back to our hotel. We need a good night's rest. Tomorrow we take the train to Hong Kong for the next leg of the Design trip. Be sure to check back for our next posting to find out what happens when we visit this great fashion city. Be sure to check out the gallery below or visit our Around the World with Sydney's Closet Pinterest Board. [gallery ids="3988,4000,3999,3992,3998,3997,3991,3996,3993,3990,3989"]