(rhythmic music) - What's up, it's Ladylike, and this week we're gonna
be making our own clothes. - I've never done anything
remotely close to this. I don't know how to sew. Don't know how to thread a needle. - Well, my mom's kind of an avid sewer. She always hemmed my garments growing up. I can thread a needle. I can fold over the fabric at the bottom,
that you're supposed to hem. - I love having a little sewing kit. I feel pretty comfortable with a needle and thread in my hand, not so much with a sewing machine. - I've never used a sewing machine. Those things scare me a lot. - I was seventh grade. I was a straight-A student
except for the one C that I got in Home Economics. She gave me three tries
to correct my pincushion. I couldn't do it. - We're here today at
Ashton Hirota's showroom. His brand is called Ashton Michael. He's like, a really, really,
really good fashion designer, and somehow agreed to help
us make our own clothes. Hi Ashton. - Hi everybody, good morning.
- [Girls] Hello. - Welcome to my studio. - [Girls] Thank you.
- [Safiya] It's so cool in here. - Thank you, thank you for coming in. - How did you get started
designing and sewing? - I've been sewing since I was a child. I think my mother always kinda raised me with a fun, artistic outlet. And my father's mother sewed, her sewing machine's actually
the one in the front, from the 1930s. - [Chantel] Oh...
- [Freddie] Wow... - I'm also a very huge
fan of Project Runway. I'm not saying that I would
be a good fashion designer, but I definitely have the desire. We'll see about how it turns out. So do you remember, like, the first piece of clothing that
you sewed by yourself? - I do, it was terrible. It was a T-shirt, and, I bought a patch from
Michaels Arts & Crafts, put it on the front, it
was just a piece of suede. It had nothing to it, and I thought, this is so (laughs) amazing.
(girls laugh) Sleeves were crooked, nothing was right, but I was so proud. And I wore that shirt for a good day until it fell apart. - I don't have a goal; my
goal is just to make it through this week with some sort of fabric that can hang on my body. What piece of advice do you have for me? I don't know how to do anything. - Be patient, let's (chuckles) let's start with that, I mean,
- Okay. - I'll take care of ya, I promise. (laughter) I will thread your needle for you. (laughter) - What would you say is, like, the hardest thing about designing and constructing your own clothes? - You're gonna find out very soon. (laughter) I think the hardest
part is taking a concept from a drawing to reality,
'cause a lot of times, that doesn't translate the exact same, whether it's the shape of
the body you're working with, or the fabric draping improperly. - Yeah, my goal this week is to not poke myself too many times. - I've learned over the years that you can't fight it. There's always, like, we
call them the fashion gods. Like, if something's not working, it's not supposed to work, like, just go with it, change
it, and like, adapt. - Ashton's gonna take us to
his favorite fabric store, he's gonna help us pick out a pattern, he's gonna help us do everything. So we are very lucky novices. - I'm gonna take you guys to our local spot, Michael Levine's. It's gonna have all your
fabric and notion wonders. We're gonna just kinda play. That place has buttons, and zippers, and trim, and everything you can kind of creatively imagine. - It very much feels
like Joanne's on crack. (Ashton laughs)
- [Freddie] Yeah. - Super steroided Joanne. - Where do we begin? What do we do first?
- Well, we're going to start - With your fabric choices. So,
- Okay. - pick a few options, and then we're gonna go get patterns. On top of all of the fabric sections, you'll see what it is. So, like,
- [Safiya] Okay. - eco-friendly, the knits, the woolen, and then on the other side
there's dead-end knits, swimwear,
- Ooh, swimwear. - lace. - When you said eco-friendly,
my interest piqued. I do think about how I would want certain garments to fit differently. So I do have a bigger chestal area. I would like for garments to be kinda, you know, smaller in the torso, but just to have more
room for The Marshas. - Especially for using a knit, we're gonna be able to
have a lot more freedom as far as fit goes, because it doesn't have to be as precise. - I have a very particular style of dress that I really enjoy, that is actually pretty hard to find. I really like mod style dresses that are just straight down, and short. So I definitely want a pattern. - Clearly. - Yes.
(Ashton chuckles) If I had to describe the type of dress that I wanna make in three words, it would probably be, sixties, mod, style. I like this one. - Hey, that's good. - Do we like this?
- I like this. - Okay. - This is really pretty, though, and I think that,
- Yeah. - it's gonna translate to the era that you want, but it also, it's gonna
be really comfortable. - I always think about
how I would want things that I get from the store
to be slightly different. I often tell my boyfriend, I'm like, if only this had a hood. And he'd be like, "why
would you want that?" I'd be like, I do. I just want, like, a Jedi
hood at all times, you know? Is there one of these
that is kind of opaque? 'Cause, like, I like this feeling of it, - Yeah.
- But I would definitely be like, whoo, what's this? - Like a heathered jersey,
- Yeah. - which is really pretty though. - I kind of like that.
- Still sort of sheer. - It is kind of sheer.
- Which is nice. But it's nice.
- Yeah. - I think also, this really gives you your vibe right now. - My sunglasses are working, I think. If I had to describe the thing that I want to make this
week in three words, it would be, hooded, swirly, cape. Still on the move. Excuse me as I (laughter)
sweep about. - How many is, a dress that fits? Four words, that's what I want. A dress that fits. - You kinda just pick out an idea that you like. Preferably one that has, like, the least amount of, like, additional design lines,
and seams and whatnot. - This week we are going to
be sewing mostly on our own, which will be an interesting situation. I think that I'm going to do this one. Plus, the Jedi hood, minus the lace. - Or, this could be your look. - Just go full Jedi (Ashton laughs)
with the robe and everything. - Full commitment. - Let's do it, I'm excited. Because I really do plan
on wearing this dress. Grocery store, work, home, the cat gonna see it. So I'm doing pattern B. It's a pretty simple mod cut. Mid-thigh, long sleeves, pockets. It's all a girl needs. - So we've landed on this pattern, and then Ashton said that
he's gonna help me do cold shoulder cut-outs, and
then adjusting the collar, so that it's to my liking. I don't want Ashton to
be disappointed in me. - We've set up sewing
stations around the office. Mostly in meeting rooms. - I think we should start with a sewing tutorial first, truthfully. And you're gonna--
- Oh my God, it's so tiny. (Ashton laughs) - It's also important
that you lick the thread. If the thread will stop breaking we'll be in such better shape. - So just start? Or do I have to do this? - You're gonna start, and simultaneously, you're gonna go for a
little bit and push that. And then it's gonna do a
little back tack for you. (sewing machine whirs) There you go, there you go. There you go.
(sewing machine whirs) - [Freddie] She's like a pro. - She's doin' it. - [Safiya] Yeah. - [Woman] Sounds like a copy machine. - Gotta get it to the end.
(sewing machine whirs) Kay.
(laughter) - I feel like I'm truly learning something
- Me too. - And I haven't felt that way, actually, in a little while.
- That's amazing. Mkay. We only have one pattern out so far. I was also, like, petrified
at this tissue paper. Like, oh my God. And we're gonna start by cutting out along that indication line. - I have a problem. - [Ashton] I do too, what's yours? - I'm realizing
(Ashton laughs) I was cutting on the wrong line. - I think the hard part is for me, is just gonna have patience. - I'm almost done cutting out... - The single piece. - The single piece of the wrong size. (Ashton laughs) - And then, in a week's time, Ashton will reunite with us, and we'll see our hopefully
finished garments. Hopefully. (comic music) - [Safiya] Freddie, hard at work. On the table, knee on the table. (Freddie laughs) - My cutting is getting
worse and worse as I'm going. Usually, things get better, but I think I'm just
getting really nervous about the sewing portion. The pattern cutting has been okay, the fabric cutting has been okay, but I have no clue what these are. - [Safiya] No idea. - No idea, Sof said something
about maybe the collar area? - That was my best guess. Freddie's almost done
cutting her pieces out. This is 3 of 10. For me. - So I think this is kind of,
like, the turtle-neck part. I wasn't going to adjust the
pattern because right now, the dress is, like, folded
over, and I don't want that. - Oh.
- So I'm wondering if I should just do, like, half of it? - [Safiya] If the fashion gods are pulling you in that direction, then you should just do it. I'm watching YouTube videos right now to figure out how to thread
the machine by myself. I'm making some progress. I'm trying to figure out
how to wind the bobbin. Bobbins are a thing, apparently. (sewing machine whirs)
Oh, that was too fast. Things are happening, but they're happening very slowly. - Okay. - [Safiya] Chantel, you gotta
make a cut at some point. - And a pin. Okay, okay. - I'm super frustrated. I just spent the last hour and a half trying to thread the
stupid sewing machine, and then as soon as I started
trying to do stay stitching, then it just, like, sucked my fabric down, and it was just like (sighs)
it's a frustrating night, but hopefully we'll be able
to get this done on time. You guys, it's pretty
early in the morning, and I came in early to try and sew, and I've messed my fabric
up so badly last night, and it's because I forgot
to put the foot down before I started sewing. I feel like such an idiot. See this is just a piece of scrap fabric, and I finally figured out
how to sew a stay stitch, and this is my first step in my pattern. This is June. She's our friend, she's gonna help us because we need help.
- Sweet angel June. - It's gonna be alright. - [Safiya] It's not going that well. June did say, though, that after all of the
YouTube that I watched, I did mostly thread
this machine correctly. So I've learned something. - I was fumbling trying to get the bobbin into its
little silver hole there, and my hands got to
shakin', and then it fell. The actual bobbin fell on
the ground, and unraveled. - Nothing's sadder than dropping a tray full of bobbins on the ground. - [Safiya] This is the back of my dress, and then here is my first seam. - I am attempting to sew the front darts. - [Safiya] Freddie's needle has broken, and we're trying to
get it out with pliers. - [June] That's how it's supposed to work. - [Everyone] Yay! - [Safiya] Broken needle's out. (cheering and clapping) (sewing machine buzzes)
- [Safiya] Yup. That's it. - I think something happened. It's not going. - These pieces were
supposed to be together. I was supposed to cut them on the hold. So, gotta recut. - [Safiya] June's heading out. It's 7:00 p.m. - It's gonna be great. These dresses are gonna be so beautiful. - [Woman] What time is it, guys? - 7:55. - [Woman] And what are ya doin'? - We're sewing away. - [Woman] How long you've been sewing? - Since, like, 4:30? - Yeah. Since, like, 4:30. - Yeah.
- [Woman] So you guys have, like, a whole dress done? - [Chantel] I was sewing
from 8:00 a.m. to 11, and I want to get back so bad. I just want to finish this thing. I'm actually kind of close
to finishing the top part. I'll be kind of like
the bottomless wonder. - [Safiya] This is our mannequin, Sasha. She's wearing the pieces of my dress that I need to sew together. Sasha's my new friend. Oops, we're very friendly. We're very close. - Keep realizing that I
cut some pieces wrong. Luckily this one's a small
piece that I can correct, but I need a professional at all times. - [Safiya] We're gonna see Ashton today. - Thank God. - Okay, I just finished
re-cutting out the sleeve. (sewing machine whirs)
We're doing okay. Spirits are higher than
they were last night, that's for sure. - We've returned to Ashton. - We are back. - You actually are, way more far along than I anticipated, truthfully. - Even though the show's tomorrow, you thought we'd be worse off? - I kinda did. - Show.
- Only because the battle of this is kind of dissecting a whole new, like, craft. So we're gonna go with... 22 inches is your hood. It's these pockets, and then, voilà. And then you're gonna flip it inside out. - [Safiya] Alright.
- [Ashton] You wanna get positioned, get nice and square with the machine. And, as soon as you go, it's gonna pull that fabric through, so you don't wanna, like, fight it. (sewing machine whirs)
- [Safiya] Ooh. - [Ashton] There you go, good.
- [Safiya] Oh, wow. - [Ashton] We just upgraded
you to the big leagues. - I accidentally sewed the front and back of my dress together. (Ashton laughs) (Freddie laughs) Oh my God. (upbeat music) - So close. And yet, so far. (sewing machine whirs)
- [Freddie] Oh. - Okay, Ashton's gonna be
here in, like, 10 minutes, and we're just putting, like, the final finishing touches on everything. So we really gotta make this work. - [Freddie] I mean I've kind
of just accepted the fact that I lot of my visible seams look like the Rocky Mountains. - That's great. - I think it's gonna go amazing. I have no doubt that
these girls could deliver. There all educated, and
smart, and passionate, and they all wanted to learn, so ultimately, I think this
is gonna be a great show. - Yes, I think the show's gonna be great. You know, working up to the last minute, but the girls did such an awesome job. I'm really proud of them. - I'm most excited for them, truthfully. I think this is such a wonderful moment of a new craft and a new
task for them to conquer. So, I'm excited to support them, but ultimately to see the expression on their face
once they finish everything. - I'm in. - [Safiya] Your makeup still looks good. - [Freddie] Yeah.
- It does? - [Safiya and Freddie] Yeah. (electronic music) - [Freddie Voiceover] This week, I learned how not to be afraid of sewing machines. I also learned to pay really close attention
to pattern directions, and if not, use Google. - [Ashton] Attitude, come on, pockets. - I would do this again. I really like long skirts, so I would probably stick
to the skirts arena. There are no sleeves, no collars, it's just kind of just, you know, flow and go. - (laughs) Yes. Yes (laughs) - I learned everything. - Ahhh. Bodycon on. - I (laughs) I had no
idea how to do anything. - It's so cute. - And I now know how to sew. I now know how to choose
fabrics a little bit better. Like, I think I could sew and create a simple dress by myself, which is crazy to say,
'cause I never thought that I would be able to claim that. - We made something, which
I think is really cool, and I think we don't do enough of it. I don't think we do enough of, like, making things with our own hands. I'm in love with my hood. I am glad that this week is over just because the time
frame was pretty stressful. But I'm also thankful for that feeling of learning something new. Lady-tested, lady would try again, but might not for a while. - Hodad. Yes! - [Chantel] The most rewarding part was just to see Ashton's face, just seeing the shock and smile on his face. You know, and that he was proud. I was like, oh my God, yeah, I did this. - And kick and step. Get it. - I will say I'm glad it's over, but I could see myself making a skirt or two in the future. - Well, how'd we do, fashion dad? - I'm gonna say, amazing, but I wanna say how do you think you did? I'm gonna flip this on you. - It's a little bit tighter
than I originally planned on. But (laughs) we're going with it. - I thought that I was
being cute in the beginning, when I was like, oh I'll
just double-layer the front, and the skirt, and then
put it sheer in the back, and then it'll be like a bodice, and then we'll add a hood, but I did all the things that
I said I was going to do, - Yeah? - It didn't come out exactly
like I thought in my head, but I still like it. I love the hood. The hood is by far my favorite part.
- I just feel like you were really trying to
come for my look today. (girls laugh) - Okay, so, Ashton was helping me cut the
length of my dress last night, and he had it like, longer, maybe here, and I was like, let's
make it a little shorter, 'cause I'm trying to be
out here in these streets, and then, now I'm a little too out here. - Artistic expression,
(Freddie laughs) just own your mistakes, and
then sell it to everybody. They won't even know. It's beautiful, and you should be happy you can actually wear this. This is what's so great, is
that, you guys all have items that you can wear. - Excuse me for one second. (laughter) These are for you, fashion dad. - Aww.
- Fashion. - You are so busy, you
have really long days, and you took a lot of time out to help us. - [Ashton] Aww, you guys.
- So much time, and you let us use all of your things. - I love that, this is so
sweet and so wonderful. I loved the entire experience, and I loved working
with you guys as people, and as associates, and just
kinda having fun with it. - We would be absolutely
naked without you. (laughter) - [Girls] Oooh. - [Ashton] Watch the back, watch the back. - Thank you so much for watching Ladylike. - If you'd like to see more of us, click there and subscribe to our channel. - Or take off these covers 'cause none of us are wearing pants. - Aye. (upbeat electronic music)
