Miss Penny: Hi, I'm Miss Penny from KidVision Pre-K
and we're here today with a fashion designer. Shawn Boyer: Thank you so much. We're so happy to
have you here. My name is Shawn Boyer, I'm one of the co-founders of Anatomie Sportswear. So we are
what we call a fashion hybrid, so we are taking traditional silhouettes of women's fashion and
men's fashion and we're using these super high-tech fabrics to make them more modern
and unique for today's active individuals. Miss Penny: How did you start in fashion design?
Shawn Boyer: So I was a competitive bodybuilder from Cleveland, Ohio,
and I could never find anything that fit, and I love fashion, so what I did is I taught myself
how to sew. My great-grandmother had passed away and I took the sewing machine back to my room
at college. I started sewing my own shirts and pants. So I guess the love for fashion
and necessity got me into the business. Miss Penny: It's exciting. And
how did you end up here? Shawn Boyer: Yeah, I got to Miami
in 2004. I met my wife, who was also a designer with her own collection. She was doing women's
active wear. I was doing men's athletic wear. But we realized that we had a talent and
we had the resources, so we were going to build our own brand. Which is,
it's a very difficult thing to do, but it's very rewarding. So fast forward, now
we've built a brand and we're selling all over the world. So it's exciting that we
started in a one bedroom apartment here on 36th Street and now we're in 7,000 square feet and
we're outgrowing this place as well. Miss Penny: Wow, it's come a long way.
Shawn Boyer: Yeah. We're with Anatomie, this brand, since 2005. We started off as a designer
active wear company, but our customers say that it's too nice to work out in,
so they liked it for travel and for their upscale weekend wear, their upscale casual. So we've
really attracted an amazing group of ladies. Miss Penny: Well, it's been wonderful to
hear your story, now let's take a look around your warehouse.
Shawn Boyer: I would love to show you the process and how we start from a concept to a finished
product, so let's go. Miss Penny: Okay.
We're at the beginning. This is where you start. Shawn Boyer: This is right. So what we call this
is the concept stage and how the concept stage works is we start with a mood board.
What is a mood board? The mood board is something where we take all of our ideas,
it always starts off wide and a little messy. So it could be something from a magazine,
a fashion magazine, this is something from the internet. Okay, so we like the colors. We start
with colors and the textiles and then we say, "Okay, what are the best silhouettes?" So what I
mean by silhouettes would be a style. So this is a jacket, so we're thinking how would this work
into this collection? This collection here has something to do with transparencies, and
laces, and you can see through the fabric. So this is actually perforated leather,
so even though it's a leather jacket, it's still light enough that you could wear it in Florida.
Miss Penny: Yeah, it's nice. Shawn Boyer: So it gets cold inside, in the movie
theaters, the grocery store. So this is something that you can wear it all year long. So...
Miss Penny: It's beautiful. So where do you get the idea for this?
Just from looking at fashion around the world? Shawn Boyer: Yes. So I start... So my favorite
designers are Italian, the European designers, so I usually take some ideas either off the runway or
stuff that I see when I'm shopping in the market. I like to personally go to Italy or France because
I like to be where it all starts. So when you see the craftsmen and what they're doing,
you're inspired to do stuff. So even though we're very different in our approach to fashion,
it's great to see what the world is doing. Miss Penny: It is and I love
the feel of the fabrics. Shawn Boyer: Right. So these...
Miss Penny: So this is fabric or textile? Shawn Boyer: Yeah, this is what we call a textile
and this is a knit. So this comes from Lake Como, Italy, but this is very easy. So our customers,
they don't want to dry clean, so they want something they can wash and wear.
Miss Penny: Wash. Shawn Boyer: And they can ball it up
and it doesn't wrinkle, or fade, or peel. Miss Penny: It travels easy.
Shawn Boyer: It travels easy. Because today's ladies, they don't want to go to
the dry cleaners and they want something that's going to last, so we focus on it.
Miss Penny: I so agree. Shawn Boyer: All
right. Very good. So we're on track. Miss Penny: Well, this is very exciting and I'm
anxious to see the next step. Shawn Boyer: All right,
let's go. Miss Penny:
Where are we now? Shawn Boyer: So right now this is the
pattern table. We have our mood boards. We have a couple... We have a drawing of a jacket. I have a
pant pattern here because it's easier to show, not so many pieces. So what we do is... The tools that
we use when we're making a pattern is usually a, what they call, a dotted paper. So this is one
inch by one inch, it has numbers and letters. And what it does is let you balance the pattern. So
the way all pants and jackets works, there's a balance line, so there's a center. This is the
center front of the pants. And then we know where the high hip is, a low hip, and then we balance
the pant pattern so it fits perfectly, there's no, what they call, whispers or there's no wrinkles in
their front. We want everything to be nice and flat and stretches in the right places.
So the tools that I have here, this is a regular curve. So this is what they use for
the armhole. They also use it for the curve, so this is for the seat of the pants.
This is the front rise of the pants. E very fashion garment you're going to find these curves,
whether the armhole, something for the zipper fly. And these ladies, when they're sewing,
they go fast. They go super fast. Miss Penny: And I wanted to ask you,
so this is from your season? Shawn Boyer: Correct. Yeah.
Miss Penny: Currently. Shawn Boyer: So this is a fabric from the
new collection. And we have some pins in here. Miss Penny: Yeah. I was going to ask
you why you keep the safety pins in it. Shawn Boyer: Right. Okay. So we put it on
our fit model and then she'll say, "Hey, I think it's tight. I think it's too loose." This is how
we... These pins are saying that this pattern is balanced, so that we're going to bring the
shoulder seam a little bit forward and this is the area. Also these pins here are to show the button
placement is wrong. So all these things are going to the perfect fitting shirt. So it's a process.
So first it's here, it's the first sample. After the first sample, then we do a fitting. We make
all the notes, what's good, what's not good, if we want to make it longer or shorter, if we
want to make it larger. And then we make all these adjustments. And then we get the second prototype
and then we fit it. And so when it's perfect, then that's it, so we go into production. And
then we try it on every size lady to make sure that it's the right fit. So that's how we do that.
Miss Penny: So you get real humans. Shawn Boyer: Yeah. It's nice to be high-tech,
but the best part is trying it on real human beings because they can talk.
Miss Penny: Right. Shawn Boyer: This doesn't
feel good or this is amazing. So that being said, this is the way we do it around here.
Miss Penny: And I see this jacket. Shawn Boyer: Yeah. So this is part of the
spring capsule and we're going to have you try this stuff on in the front
so that we can see the new collection. Miss Penny: I love that.
Shawn Boyer: Perfect. Miss Penny: That's terrific. And so
this jacket went through this whole process. Shawn Boyer: Yes it did. Yes that's right.
Miss Penny: From concept board to... Shawn Boyer: Concept. Yep. To pattern,
to spec'ing, to the first fit sample, to the one you're going to try on now.
Miss Penny: And ladies have tried this on. Shawn Boyer: Yes. Well, you're going to be
one of the first, other than the first fit model, you're going to be the second one.
Miss Penny: Yes. Shawn Boyer: Yeah, that's it. That's it.
Miss Penny: Okay. Shawn Boyer: One of the first, a pioneer.
Mrs. Penny, come on out. Let's see what you have there.
All right. Bravo. Well done. Well done. A lot of love goes into each garment, so that's translated
from the beginning all the way to the end. So we saw the whole process. We saw the mood board. We
saw the color story. We saw the textile selection. We saw how we make the pattern for the pants, so
the pants fit perfect. So tell me what you think. Miss Penny: It feels comfortable. It feels
casual and beautiful all at the same time. And I feel like I could wear it anywhere.
Shawn Boyer: This is navy blue and white, so this capsule is more very nautical. So
this is perfect for that nautical feel. So navy blue and white is fantastic for
summer and you can wear it together as an outfit, or you could just wear white jeans and the blue
jacket, or a white top and the bottom. So it's all about transformable fashion, that's our
whole specialty here at Anatomie. And we also are very packable because of the lightweight textiles
we use. You can put three outfits in one small packing cube, so for travel we're number one.
Miss Penny: Well, this is fabulous and it's wonderful to be wearing your clothes.
How do people see your clothes? Shawn Boyer: So we, of course,
we have a website. And speaking of our website, we just did a really fun photo shoot with a famous
photographer by the name of Steven Lippman. So he shoots famous companies and brands
in Los Angeles, and he flew over here with his team and we did an amazing photo shoot
with some Brazilian models. They flew in from Brazil. These ladies are beautiful and we had a
lot of fun. So that's part of the job that I love, is creating the look and the feel of the brand.
Miss Penny: It's wonderful. It's such an exciting field to be in.
Shawn Boyer: Yes, it's a tough field, but you have to love it too. Fashion is one of those fields,
you can't fake it, you have to love it because it's a very tough industry, but when you get
it right, it's very rewarding. Miss Penny: I feel so special.
Shawn Boyer: Thank you. Miss Penny: I really
do. I am thrilled to be wearing this. Shawn Boyer: We're thrilled to have you.
Miss Penny: And thrilled to meet you. Shawn Boyer: Thank you so much.
Miss Penny: And it's been just wonderful to learn what a fashion designer does.
Shawn Boyer: You're welcome anytime. Anytime. Thank you so much.
Miss Penny: You may see me again. Shawn Boyer: All right.
Credit card on file. Miss Penny: Absolutely.
Hi boys and girls, it's Miss Penny. Put on your thinking caps,
it's time to learn a new word. Dressmaker's curve. A dressmaker's
curve is a curved ruler that helps the sewer measure and cut arm holes, hips, and neck lines.
What was that word? Speaker 3: Dressmaker's curve.
Miss Penny: Good job. Fashion designer. A fashion designer is a person
who creates clothing and/or accessories with a specific look that is unique to the designer.
What was that word? Speaker 3: Fashion designer.
Miss Penny: Good job. Photo shoot. A photo shoot is
an occasion when a professional photographer takes pictures of a person or persons in the same place.
What was that word? Speaker 3: Photo
shoot. Miss Penny: Good job.
Textiles. A textile is a type of cloth or woven fabric.
What was that word? Speaker 3: Textiles.
Miss Penny: Good job. See you next time.