Making kilts for others

[Piglet]

I wondered what some other kilt makers thought about making kilts for other businesses? Do you prefer to only make for your own label, or are you quite happy to make for another? I'm discussing making kilts for a designer, but feel a little funny about not having any way of customers knowing that they are my kilts on the peg? But maybe I'm being silly and should just take work when it comes. Any thoughts?

[tulloch]

A fine garment is like a book. Many can write a travelogue about going on a Disney cruise or rafting down the Danube but everyone will have a different style. Each will get a reputation based on their work. You will find yourself wanting to read the ones by Mr. C. Dickens even if they are about some place you never thought you wanted to see because you really like his descriptions. On the other hand you may see pieces written by this guy Tulloch and you will avoid them unless they are right on point something you have a great interest in.

If your work is going out through some reputable vendor it should, in my opinion, have some indication in the labeling. If you go to their shop and work by their guidelines then their lable only. If you provide your independently created works then for you and for them it should show somehow in the affixed label.

Good luck! May you be prosperous and sell great gobs of great work.

[artificer]

PM sent.

[Mike_Oettle]

Not being a kilt maker, Libby, I have no background in this, but I would think that a label indicating you as the maker would be entirely proper.
Possibly the supplier should be consulted about it, but it seems to me it would be polite of him/her to allow it.
Regards,
Mike

[Piglet]

Good point from you both thanks - I guess I'd have a few more questions to ask before deciding if I want to agree to it, but I think you are right, that I want to build my own reputation, not somebody else's with no link to my label.

[piperdbh]

If you make a kilt with a label that says something along the lines of
"This kilt made by Piglet for the Tigger Scottish Shop"
(or whatever the real names are), then if there's a problem, the shop will know whom to blame. If your name is nowhere in the label, then the shop will have to bear all the criticism of your work and wonder who made the kilt in question.

[Chas]

If you make a kilt with a label that says something along the lines of
"This kilt made by Piglet for the Tigger Scottish Shop"
(or whatever the real names are), then if there's a problem, the shop will know whom to blame. If your name is nowhere in the label, then the shop will have to bear all the criticism of your work and wonder who made the kilt in question.

As far as I know, the larger the kilt making shop, the less likely you are to find out who actually is making any one individual kilt. Most of the makers are not on site and work from home and for all anyone can tell, the maker could be anywhere in the world. And if someone were to ask, who the kiltmaker is going to be, the most one would be told is that is Mrs MacSomebody or Mr MacOtherperson. It would be totally irresponsible of the kilt shop and possibly illegal to tell the customer where the maker lived.

The moral of the story being that if you want to get a kilt made by a known maker, you have to go to a known maker.

Piglet - if you want to be known under your own name then you will have to keep making kilts independently, (if your contract with the shop allows it) because the shop will not advertise for you.

Regards

Chas

[Piglet]

Thanks Chas - i don't fancy making kilts for any of the big kilt shops, but this was a small run of kilts for a designer shop in England and so not really crossing into my normal territory (eg the material would be their own rather than tartan). I thought it might be useful practice in making kilts out of different fabrics ( just to see what I thought really) but there would definitely be no problem with a contract stopping me from making kilts in my own name as it woukd only be a small run for one season.

But at the same time, maybe I'll just try some in other fabrics off my own back. I've done pink kilts for a breast cancer charity event before but actually was a lot more work in some ways cause of the thickness of the material.

[sutherland]

Hi Piglet, if you cant get your name on the label, sign and date the canvas, not much compensation but at least you know its there . Regards Sutherland.