There is a branding exercise called “20/20/20”. Twenty words, twenty questions, twenty answers. To get to know Tammi Anne Barker, and what we stand for, here is our 20/20/20.
20 Words
Connection
Vintage-inspired
Construction
Playful
Vivid
Ethical
Transparency
Details
Functional
Natural fibres
Structured
Wearable
Time-honoured
Authentic
Clean
Artistic
Collaboration
Inclusive
Cohesive
Passion
20 Questions & 20 Answers
Why Connection?
It starts with people. When I design I have a muse in mind. When I put out a collection I have an audience I’ve created it for. When I put clothes in a store I keep the store owner in my mind through the design and production process.
Why Vintage-Inspired?
The brand is rooted in mid-century modern; 1945 to 1969. It pays homage to classic dressmaking and tailoring. Vintage inspired does not mean vintage reproduction. I play in the space but I’m not restricted by it.
Why Construction?
Construction is my stake in the ground. I’ve been a seamstress since I was ten. It’s what I know and ultimately what I love. I’ve been told my clothes can survive a nuclear apocalypse. I won’t accept any less from a factory. Being trained as a master tailor means that I make patterns from scratch. For me everything centres around that. My design process begins with flat pattern making.
Why Playful?
More than ever, the world needs lightness these days. When I create I have a youthful spirit and remember things the way that I want to remember them. I have fun designing and creating my looks and I want the wearer to have fun too. At my last show two of the models who were married ran off in their clothes. We had no idea where they went. They danced off into the sunset and had a night on the town wearing them, celebrating their anniversary. It was spontaneous and beautiful and totally on-brand.
Why Vivid?
I love bold, confident colour; prints and solids. I like to disrupt colour with piping. I like to juxtapose to create impact. The core of my design is simpler silhouettes with bright colours. Even the people I gravitate to are vivid and bold themselves.
Why Ethical?
In this day and age, sustainability and ethical manufacturing are crucial. The fashion industry is a big, hot mess. As an indie designer I can set my own rules. I use scraps and off-cuts for things like strip-quilting and accessories. I get to know the people that work alongside me building the garments, and all throughout my supply chain.
Why Transparency?
The fashion industry is notorious for keeping “trade secrets”. I don’t buy it. I let people behind the curtain to see how my processes work. I help other independent artists and designers where I can and share knowledge; we’re all in this together. My models get excited when I send them behind-the-scenes process pics of their looks being designed and built. I let my customers know that behind their garments are real people. I want them to know the blood, sweat, and tears that went into their clothing. It matters.
Why Details?
In menswear, details are everything. A quarter inch extra for a collar totally changes the look and feel of a shirt. I appreciate menswear and apply the same principles to my womenswear. Pocket placement, tabs, epaulettes, carriers, piping, closures, hardware; these are the features that elevate a piece. Also, I’ve learned that women are f’ing obsessed with pockets.
Why Functional?
At the end of the day, it’s clothing. It has to function as clothing. A raincoat has to actually protect you from the rain. If I design a bowling shirt, you should be able to bowl in it. A circle skirt needs to be light enough so that it twirls. Details are important, but for my brand they shouldn't be just for show.
Why Natural Fibres?
I love working in cotton and other natural fibres. They’re comfortable. Breathable. Tailor well. Easy to lay up. Easy to sew. Colour block well. Easy to dye. Easy to care for. They’re also sensitive to the era I work in. In the mid-1900’s there wasn’t much innovation in knit technology. Even polyester wasn’t used much until later on.
Why Structured?
I enjoy it, and it plays to my strengths in pattern drafting. The way I design, the pattern is a blueprint of the body shape. Through darts, tucks, pleats, gathers, and seaming I architect silhouette. Many body types need more structure built into a garment. The width of a waistband matters. The membrane (inner core) of a garment matters; it needs a foundation. Weights of interfacings and interlinings matter. They’re crucial to the look and feel of a vintage garment. Structure reinforces polish.
Why Wearable?
It’s hard to be playful if you’re not comfortable, if you’re tripping over your hem or your fabric doesn’t breathe, or if your piece twists and shifts, or if there’s too many layers. If the design aesthetic is interesting but you can’t properly move or function, then it doesn’t fit with my brand. Clothes need freedom of movement, especially in the vintage-inspired space. You have to be able to dance in them. Natural fibres, fit, structure, all help to make a garment wearable.
Why Time-Honoured?
I come from the love of the craft, because I was taught by tailors who also loved the craft. It’s tradition, and that means something to me, and to my customers in the vintage space. It sparks memories of another time, when things were hand-crafted, repaired, and cherished. Things lasted because people cared. It was better to have a few really nice things than many cheaply-made things. If you’re going to go out of your way to build something, why build a cheap thing?
Why Authentic?
If you can be authentic, you can communicate a story, and the story is believable because there are facts to back it up. If you call a dress 1940s but the silhouette is from the 1960s, or if you use a 21st century spandex for a 1953 bustier, I have a tough time with that. I’m a person who fact checks, and my customers in this space fact check too. If I’m going to deviate from the truth, it should be in a deliberate and purposeful manner, and I should be able to back it up.
Why Clean?
To quote Utada Hikaru, Simple and clean. I learned the basic design principles of line and form and colour and shape, and they stuck with me. I play a lot with style lines, but keep inside the box. Tailoring has a very rigid space, and I love that about it. Collars should be crisp. Darts follow rules.
Why Artistic?
I’m a technical designer, but I’m first and foremost an artist. I need the art, and to be able to express myself. To communicate my ideas and comment on what is going on around me. If I had to design a purely commercial product I’d be very unhappy. There’s something about my brand that communicates to other artists and creators, and I love that.
Why Collaboration?
Collaboration is an integral part of who I am. I can’t create in a vacuum; I need to inhale to be able to exhale. I am so inspired and feed off the creativity of others. We learn from each other and become better artists. We can invade each other’s dance space. We can show each other a different perspective. We can encourage each other to take risks and push the envelope, but in a safe environment. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Why Inclusive?
Because it’s 2023 and it damn well should be. Anyone should be welcome, regardless of size, colour, shape, height, physical adversity, whatever. If you are a size 2, you’ll look great in my clothes. If you are a size 22, you’ll look great in my clothes. I let people in, which is why connection is #1 on this list of words; it goes hand in hand with inclusivity. Community and belonging are important to my brand, and I want everyone to feel that they deserve to be a part of it.
Why Cohesive?
Everything in a piece needs to work together and be harmonious. Those pieces need to relate to other pieces to create looks, and those looks need to make sense within the group, collection, line. My collections are showcased together when possible to celebrate that cohesion. They’re strongest when they’re all together, or mixed and matched in new ways. Everything is there for a purpose; there's a strategy behind it. Fabric types, prints, colour ways are all there to create cohesion and strengthen the narrative. The look goes beyond the garments themselves. It is supported by accessories, hair and makeup, and especially the personality and attitude of the person wearing it.
Why Passion?
I don’t know how to do it any other way. I’ve wanted to do this for as long as I can remember. I learned to hand-sew when I was six, machine sew when I was ten. I love what I do and I’m grateful every day that I get to do it. My studio is filled with vintage sewing books. I read and collect and absorb. The clothes have soul because they were built from excitement and late nights and a lifelong love of learning. Why passion? Because I get to share it.