Made in Haiti, Haiti’s first honorably produced Knock off fashion brand showcases its Private Label Women’s Apparel.

Los Angeles 13 May 2011 / Made in Haiti, Haiti’s first honorably produced fashion brand premiers its Knock off women’s apparel, on the streets of Chicago. The collection featured Made in Haiti’s in vogue range of skirts, vests, wrap dresses and blouses. “Dress by Occasion” is the official theme for the this group of mix and match garments, produced for private clients, who are looking for garments you won’t see on the rack at H&M, Forever 21, or the GAP.

 

The Made in Haiti private label, features of Fit, Fashion and Fabric, and understands and delivers fashion for the successful creative post modern, multitasking career woman. The range presents targets towards the brand conscious ‘Alpha female’, who doesn’t seek peer appreciation. The collection befits the growing generation of individuals who carry a keen sense of what, when and how to wear. Speaking of the brand, CF Bazile, CEO: MadeinHaiti09.wordpress.com, said, “Most leading Haitian fashion brands are producing t-shirts, and attending trade shows.  However, with this new line, we are bringing a new fashion conscious American woman to Haiti.  This is a huge untapped market and Made in Haiti is getting first mover advantage. As for the products, we promise once the fit is correct, you will have a lifelong affair with the Made in Haiti brand in your wardrobe. We don’t just sell great merchandise, we create experiences, and craft memories.”

 

 

 

 

Made in Haiti reports losses, for 2011

Its annual report states that sales feel and also projects an operating loss for 2011.  CEO CF Bazile says Made in Haiti’s situation isn’t as bad as it seems, predicting a ‘recovery year.’

January 21, 2012 By Andrea Change, Apparel News Watch

 

Made in Haiti said it’s Pop up Shop sales declined and it lost money in 2011, and it warned that several risk factors this year could force it to seek finical protection if business doesn’t improve.

 

In it’s 2011 annual report, filed Thursday the Los Angeles / Port Au Prince repurposed clothing company- reported sales of $3500 last year, a 4.6% decline from 2010.

 

An up swing in sales occurred in December 2011, a record number of purchases by Haitians, at the Ghetto Biennale Pop up Shop.  Customers purchase a garment for twenty goudes (same price as a bottle of water) and about twenty-five cents US.  Customers were lined up before the shop opened, Made in Haiti takes this as a hopeful sign demand will continue.

The road to recovery in quake-ravaged Haiti is paved with treadle sewing machines.

Associated Textile Press –

By Christen Pepe – January 12, 2012

 

While much of Haiti is still struggling to lift itself from the rubble left in the wake of the earthquake, the tailors studios which dot the landscape of Port Au Prince, are piecing the city back together with mending, altering and construction of school uniforms.

 

Hope in Haiti can be found in Haitians like Jonas La Baze. The 44-year-old tailor is at work in his studio on Rue St Honore, off the Grand Rue in Port Au Prince. He sits at his machine, thinking of the day when he will open his own tailoring school in his hometown of Leogone, the epicenter of the earthquake, which ravaged Haiti in January of 2010.

 

Today Jonas is working to produce repurposed over-all backpacks, camera cases, aprons, and other items for the brand Made in Haiti, an ethical textile company for the American market.   He is dedicated to the possibilities of his treadle machine to rebuild his future and that of his country.

 

As Haiti develops plans to rebuild, the entrepreneurial spirit found in the small tailoring shops like Mr. La Baze’s are worth investigating and investing in.  The other options for jobs in Haiti are the Caracol manufacturing complex.  Caracol is part of the “Haiti is open for Business” campaign, supported by Bill Clinton, special envoy to Haiti.  This 608-acre manufacturing complex will generate thousands of low paying; sweat shops jobs, owned by non-Haitians. Is this economic development or foreign occupation and slavery?

 

Hand Made Holiday Sale

Collections / Fall 2011

Associated up cycled news.

Perhaps there’s something to be said for not trying too hard. Sometimes it’s okay to allow a up-cycled men’s dress shirt, which has a distressed neckline, a stain, and maybe a Ralph Lauren Logo going on somewhere in the chest zone to form the basis of an entire collection of shirt dresses, aprons and new hand dyed tees.  At the center of Made in Haiti for fall— the t-shirts are repeated in many hand stenciled or dyed variations, it is completely in line with the spirit of the reduce and remake from previous collections. This is exactly the kind of thing Made in Haiti customer’s love, so why mess with success?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The collection concludes with the I Love Haiti T-shirts, develop for the tourist (not aid workers) that will some day return, this shirt is 100 % made in Haiti, and it’s not the cheep Chinese version you can find on line.

 

Made in Haiti Celebrates 2 Years

of “good for garment workers production”

National Repurposed Apparel News

Celebrating two years of Haitian production and US sales, Made in Haiti hosts a series of POP UP SHOPS.  Make your guilt free purchases of the latest trends in repurposed garments and accessories: messenger bags, lap top covers, coin purses, back bags, hand stenciled and dyed t-shirts, dresses, skirts and shirt.    These one-time shops will be in the following locations:

Hands on 3^rd
Saturday Nov 19 and Sunday Nov 20
11 am – 6 pm
8377 West 3rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90048-4312
323-655-0515

 

Hand made holiday market at Telharmonia (a downtown studio in the flower district)
734 San Julian St, Los Angeles, CA 90014.
Sunday Dec 4, 1- 8 pm
714.615.7706 

 

Ghetto Biennale
Port Au Prince, Grand Rue,
December 11-17, ask at the Hotel Oloffson for Directions
9 am – 5 pm

After the phenomenal opening of its flagship factory and store at the Ghetto Biennale in the Grand Rue, of Port Au Prince in December of 2009 MADE IN HAITI (MIH) has become a style destination in the repurposed garment market, POP UP SHOPS have appeared in West Hollywood, California, Madison Wisconsin, and Portland, Oregon. MIH is a grass roots garment and accessories production company, based in Grand Rue of Port Au Prince Haiti. Founded in December of 2009, by Frau Fiber textile worker and activist and currently operated by CF Bazile.  MIH addresses the global rag trade by repurposing Pepe (second hand garments) into dresses, t-shirts, aprons, lap top covers, messenger bags, back packs, employing honorably paid labor of Haitian tailors and artisans. The recent opening of the Etsy store in has established it as one of the most successful repurposed apparel lines, employing two tailors, translator / manager and 5 t-shirt artists.

https://madeinhaiti09.wordpress.com

Made in Haiti Opens Joshua Tree Pop-Up Shop

Made in Haiti; CF Bazile, Chief Finical Officer

LONG BEACH, May 16, 2011 — /clothingnewswire/ — Last weekend, May 13 Frau Fiber, launched 48 hour destination boutique in Joshua Tree Camp ground.

Located 2 hours east of the downtown Los Angeles Garment district, the 64 square foot store showcase primarily Made in Haiti 2009, 2010 and 2011 collections.

The store’s design, conceived by CB Bazile, was inspired by the Pepe vendors in Port Au Prince, making due with an existing frame, cotton rope was strung and cloths pins were used to highlight a spectacular display of larger than life stenciled t-shirts, by Londel, Claudel and Junior.

“Joshua Tree Music Festival goers loved our brand and what we do.  Joshua Tree is one of the hottest spots for summer shopping, featuring some of the world’s most celebrated antiques and nick knacks. Widely known for being a trendsetter, Frau Fiber’s name is synonymous with creating some of the most iconic remade trends in the world.

CF Bazile attended conference in Madison WI

From apparel news sources

Wednesday April 12, 2011

MADISON – Social Entrepreneur and partner of Made in Haiti with Frau Fiber attended The Mid America American Studies Conference at the University Wisconsin Madison.

CF Bazile was seen throughout the day, conversing with Dr. Hanna Rose Shell, filmmaker and historian and the co-produce for the film, Second Hand Pepe. CF Bazile attuned two panels, Assemblage, and the Legacy of Work: Technology, Craft and DIY, featuring speakers from around the United States.

CF Bazile’s visit concluded with attending an exhibition where MADE IN HAITI, was premièred to the Madison, WI community.  MADE IN HAITI was well received, and several pieces were sold.  She’s quoted as saying “I’m glad there’s such enthusiasm,” and, with a project like MADE IN HAITI, “Each of Us Can Change the World.”

Dr. Hannah Rose Shell wearing her MIH apron.

CF Bazile, speaking with local press

MIH at the Joshua Tree Music Festival

Sample Sale of  new Made in Haiti, garments and accessories at the Joshua Tree Music Festival.  There is a limited stock, and this is the only sale on the West coast this spring.    To attend the Festival at a discounted rate, purchase tickets which support the art.  Cut and paste this link – or click on the link in the blog roll.  http://www.romancart.com/cart.asp?storeid=24245&itemcode=product62

 

 

Sewing in a Red Zone

Tucked away in a corner of the Grand Rue, (US Government has defined as a red zone, because of saftey concerns) next to a make shift tire wall, you will find Jonas the tailor and Frau Fiber, working from 8 am-4 pm.  The set up is simple, one treadle sewing machine, two tables, one for cutting and one for designing and two pieced together chairs.  The two textile workers are greeted by people in the neighborhood, some stay for a while, some just say hello.

The worksite has had some challenges, non of which have been any problems with violence.  Made in Haiti was hit by a summer storm, which stranded Jonas, Jr. (translator) and Frau Fiber, for about 30 minutes at the end of a workday.  At the conclusion of the storm a shallow pool of water had surrounded them, and like the children of the grand rue, they happily splashed their way through to get to dry land.