A Custom “Project Runway” Tour for the Home Fashion Designer
Tour New York City with the CEO of Silhouette Patterns
by Tricia Conover
 Are you one of the
millions of people who follow Lifetime’s “Project Runway” every week? Did
you ever see yourself as a fashion designer? Are you ever frustrated by not
having access to the best fashion fabrics and accessories in your hometown?
Then, a tour of “underground” New York City’s Fashion District is the
ticket for you.
Run away with the Peggy Sager, the CEO of Silhouette Patterns. Peggy has
been hosting 30-40 people twice a year since 2004 on a trip to the
“underground” New York City fashion industry. The fashion district is
located between Fifth and Ninth Avenues from 34th to 42nd Street. The tour
stops include companies that source fashion fabrics and supplies. The
supplies are the surprise of the visit, and they include: leather trims,
exotic shell-based buttons and buckles, feather edging.
The itinerary can also feature a field trip to a designer’s
showroom or a tour of a fashion museum. In the past, the groups have
met with an officer of Simplicity Patterns, a previous “Project
Runway” winner, and a Neiman Marcus designer. With the exception of Mood
Fabrics, made famous by Project Runway, all the locations on the tour are
not normally accessible to the public. These locations give high access to
couture fabrics only found in New York City and provide incredible savings
in addition to exclusivity.
Peggy Sager offers personalized advice and her considerable knowledge to
help all the participants assess their impending purchases. She spends the
entire tour engaged with the participants, including special evening
mini-courses at the tour hotel.
Anyone who creates custom clothing knows that the adaptability of the
fabric to the design or pattern “makes or breaks” the resulting garment much
more than the skill of the “sewist”, a newer term for a sewer in this era.
Peggy makes sure that tour members get to the exclusive outlets and select
the right supplies to provide them with the look they have envisioned.
 In addition to a degree
in Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising, . Peggy has a professional
background in apparel and costume design. She has taught college classes in
pattern design and drafting. Her company, Silhouette Patterns, offers unique
sizing and proportionate design patterns, and also offers fitting and
design classes all over the United States.
“Peggy puts together a great tour and everyone seems to have a wonderful
time,” notes Becky Wagner, a heirloom sewist from Valparaiso, Indiana. “
There seems to be a big resurgence in sewing among young people who want to
create their own look. “Project Runway” has helped to make it hip to
sew.”
Leslie Nichols, a former attorney from Denver, Colorado, laments that
there are not enough quality fabric suppliers in her area. But she states,
“With this tour’s fashion fabric access and the new trend in computerized
machines, we are equipped to reach true fashion design level s in
custom home sewing”.
Susan Matney attends formal events in her hometown in Raleigh, N.C. that
require eveningwear. “This tour allows me to make the latest styles and get
access to the same fabrics that couture designers use.”
 Each tour maximizes the
time spent shopping. A private tour bus, lunch in route, and group hotel
evening activities make the trip efficient as well as entertaining. A
detailed itinerary allows participants to join the group at different
junctions if they have other NYC stops in mind or want to stay in a non-tour
arranged hotel.
 Perhaps the most
rewarding outcomes of the tours according to Peggy Sager, is
friendship. “Because sewing is a solo hobby for the most part, I have seen
best friends develop out of these trips. Getting a chance to meet other
ladies who love sewing is a great side bonus to the trip. If the ladies sign
up without a roommate, I try to put them with someone geographically close
to where they live so possibly a new friendship can be formed.”
 Mood Designer Fabrics
remained one of the most popular places to go on this tour. It’s exposure
via “Project Runway” has been worldwide, and the shoppers acknowledge their
curiosity about the store. The variety of fabrics was almost overwhelming.
According to the staff, the store is closed down for filming while
“Project Runway” designer/contestants are in-house. On the show, contestants
are given the instructions from host, Tim Gunn, “you have $100 and 30
minutes to select your fabric and check out”. Although we had more than 30
minutes to shop Mood, all the tour members felt the air of the designers
here more than anywhere we stopped. Even the dog, Swatch, featured in the
show and on “Project Runway” blogs, gets into the act. He’s asleep on his
front chair as the tour group arrives.
 From Mood to Stylecrest
Fabrics to Leather Impact to Marcorp to Super Textile Co, the tour members
run from shop to shop and acquire fashion fabrics at deep discounts.
Peggy Sager states, “At $15 a yard for wool/cashmere! You cannot
beat that. That was my dream as a young sewer.”
Some tour members brought along empty extra suitcases for their
purchases. A few were concerned about airline luggage weight restrictions.
But, all participants stated how this shopping experience was unique to any
in their hometowns.
Peggy Sager sums up the experience, “I know every women who goes on this
trip is changed. They see the industry more clearly and understand the
importance of going to New York. You saw many who had gone more than once
and one pair who have gone on every fall trip since our inception. I
get so many emails after the trip is over just thanking me for the wonderful
experience that they just had and how motivated they are to sew as soon as
they get home.”
It is time to depart for home. No one needs to hear what supermodel Heidi
Klum says at the end of each show on “Project Runway”, when it’s time for
one of the voted-off contestants to go home, “You’re out!” With this group,
everyone is a winner.
About Project Runway:
Hosted by supermodel and fashionista, Heidi Klum, and Liz Claiborne Chief
Creative Officer, Tim Gunn, “Project Runway” is one of the highest -rated
reality shows on cable TV. The new Season 7 begins January 14, 2010 on
Lifetime channel. Budding designers are challenged to design new creations
every week. They win or are sent home. The 6th season on the Lifetime
Channel just concluded with winner, Irina Shaboyeva, receiving a trip to
Paris and funding to launch her own fashion line. In many cases, the
episodes start with a trip to Mood, now one of the most well-known fabric
stores in America.
Project Runway on Lifetime:
http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway
For information on Silhouette Patterns and future tours see:
http://www.silhouettepatterns.com
To Visit Mood:
225 W. 37th St., 3rd Floor
NYC, NY 10018
212-730-5003
www.moodfabrics.com
To Visit Leather Impact:
256 West 38th Street
NYC, NY 10018
212-382-2788
www.leatherimpact.com
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