16 — Sunday, July 7, 1991 — North Shore News FASHION High fashion hits home New designers finding ways to introduce merchandise HOME PARTIES have come a long way since Tupperware and tell-all lingerie. What used to be similar to a bridal shower, pres- enting merchandise that was so predictable as the procession of scrutinizing guests, has grown sophisticated. Carol Crenna FASHION STATEMENTS Today, a home party can be just as entertaining as a party in a home, and the products presented are often high fashion apparel made by local designers. The quality of the clothing is top- notch because the firms have found that specialty merchandise can be sold for a reasonable cost by cutting out the middle men, wholesalers and retailers. The most unique aspect of the new sales device is that these tal- ented designers do not sell the clothing anywhere else and the items are often custom designed for each guest. Color choices, type of fabric and the length of the hemline are the customer’s deci- sion. This means the designs are not available to a mass market as they would be in a store and are more personalized. Some designers who are rela- tively new to the industry, in- troduce their merchandise with limited financing via home parties until manufacturing methods and retail space can be expanded. This implies that eventually garments with the same label will reach Store status, and be marked up with retail designer price tags, confirming that your purchase is a good investment. The North Shore is represented _ by many of the best designer firms which cater to the home party market. ¢Elimar Creations is a North Vancouver-based manufacturer which has successfully sold its soft casuals and sports wear through in-home consultants for more than - 10 years. Designer Ninna Sherwood states that the firm has a sei line of clothing each season which in- cludes approximately 70 different styles, “We make all of these designs available in about 100 different colors ard prints from sizes 2 to 52, The customer also decides the length of skirts, pants and sleeves, '* Sherwood said. The summer collection features a variety of prints including houadstooth checks, positive and negative polka dots, English garden florals and tropical pat- terns. Although the firm's target: mar- ket is a more mature woman who CY Tek A UNIQUE aspect of home party marketing is that items are often custom-designed for eacts guest. doesn’t fike to travel to stores, the line’s updated styting is also worn by younger women. Seven sales representatives work from their homes located in Victoria and the Lower Mainland. Dresses, pants, jumpsuits, skirts, summer tops, cardigan jackets and walking shorts are designed in clean-lined, comfor- tably styled knits. A swing skirt with panels is priced at only $25, a simple dress sells for $60, and accessories such as belts are priced at $12. ® Leigh Morgan Fashions is a firm which has expanded from a small manufacturing area on West 7th Avenue in Vancouver to a design company which has 250 repre- sentatives across Canada to St. John, P.E.!. The firm sells strictly through in-home parties and fash- ion shows. Kendra Bradley of Leigh Morgan says, ‘It's the way of the future because it is a lot more personalized and flexible. Women can shop at their leisure, not just during regular store hours, because appointments can be set up any time, at the customer‘s convenience. ”* She adds that the clothing does not have nearly as high mark-up as it would in a store because the overhead for a representative to set up the business in the home is minimal. The representatives buy the clothing samples and take orders, selling them for retail price. The firm relies on each sales person's regular clients, who are often personally informed when new styles arrive. The work to weekend separates are combined in a full 40 page catalogue issued for spring/ summer and fall/winter, which representatives avail to prospective clients. Customers are usually ag- ed 35 and older, though many of the styles also appeal to a younger market. The designs are created by sev- eral members of the staff in a col- laborative effort, and everything except the Hong Kong-made sweaters are manufactured in Vancouver in cotton interlock and silk. Wool will be introduced in the fall line. Cotton separates are from $30 to $40 and silk jackets are just over $100. The summer collection includes a wearable silk noil grouping in jade, peach, burning rose, prairie blue and bright navy. It features a single-breasted, unstructured blazer with a one-button closure and welt pockets. It has matching city shorts which are cut just above the knee in a draping style with a cuff, skirts in a variety of lengths, pants and blouses in silk noil. * Komori-Thorpe Designs is a small Vancouver design company which specializes in limited edi- tion, fine quality handwoven fash- ions made from a range of fibres including qivuiq (muskox hair), alpaca and mohair. The intricately constructed pieces, which are described as “the high end of home sale items,’ are woven by Diane Thorpe and designed by Vicki Komori. . This young firm started selling through fashion presentations and in-home parties two years ago, when designers Thorpe and Komori sold the fashions through their homes. The line is now rep- resented by four distributors living in North Vancouver, Vancouver, Richmond and White Rock/ Surrey for the fall line. It will soon have representatives ‘in Co- quitlam and Victoria. The fall collection, which will soon be available, includes seasonless separates in light wool crepe and silk chamois, which co- ordinates with the handwoven Pieces combining rayon, wool, muskox, silk and mohair yarns. Jackets and pullovers are hand woven, with matching skirts, tops and culottes in wool fabric and blouses in silk fabric. All gar- ments are couture finished, and jackets are lined in rayon. The Pieces are described as ‘‘very light weight and easy to wear, with quiet distinction.”’ The handwoven pieces feature a kimono jacket in a relaxed style for $348, a single-breasted jacket with flap front pockets and rolled cuffs for $435, and a structured suit that combines wool crepe fabric and handweaving. A long, over-sized sweater shape is woven with a detachable wrapped shaw! collar which can be worn as a searf for $325. The coordinating crepe separates include a narrow skirt with a front knife pleat and a kick pleat in back which is 25 inches in length or longer. Culottes are loose with a folded stripe of fabric down the leg and covered waist buttons, They are cut to the ankle or just’ below the calf. A long sleeve or short sieeve silk blouse are shown with a wrapped front. Separates are $98 10 $195. The customer can have the combina- tions of colors changed, even in the handwoven items, and can alter the length of the skirt or pant hems.