{"id":3779,"date":"2009-07-06T17:22:35","date_gmt":"2009-07-06T22:22:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=3779"},"modified":"2010-03-20T22:15:57","modified_gmt":"2010-03-21T02:15:57","slug":"multiplication-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2009\/07\/multiplication-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"Multiplication Rock*"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the ’80s, a designer named Sandra Garratt had a concept for modular, one-size-fits-all, mix-and-match clothing. She did two lines based on that idea: Units and Multiples. I particularly remember the Multiples accessory pieces that you could wear as a scarf or belt or top or whatever else you could invent. I hadn’t thought of Multiples in years, until I looked around the Francis studio and noticed attractive arrangements of multiples everywhere.<\/p>\n

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Paint<\/p><\/div>\n

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Thread<\/p><\/div>\n

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Fabric<\/p><\/div>\n

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Dress forms<\/p><\/div>\n

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Ladies wearing identical skirts<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

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When I looked for more information on Garratt<\/a>, I was amazed to find out she’d gotten her start as a design assistant to my favorite vintage designer, Ossie Clark<\/a>. There’s an interesting New York Times article on Multiples from 1988 here<\/a>, in which Donna Karan compares the Multiples concept to her own work:<\/p>\n

”Multiples and I are like kissing cousins,” said Donna Karan, the designer. ”The first fall collection I did was a tube skirt with a roll-down cuff waistband in black jersey. They’ve made a business, a brilliant business, out of a few wonderful pieces that work.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

People Magazine also wrote about Garratt’s booming business in 1988<\/a>, as did Inc.<\/a>, but just a year later, Garratt sued<\/a> the company that bankrolled Multiples, wound up losing her rights to the line and filed for bankruptcy protection<\/a>. As far as I can tell, Multiples exists primarily in the fond memories of customers<\/a>, though Sandra Garratt is still working with the modular theme on a smaller scale here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Speaking of hot trends from days gone by, everyone my age learned their multiplication tables from Schoolhouse Rock<\/a>. I swear, “I Got Six” is a catchy tune. Enjoy!<\/p>\n

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*A version of this post was originally published on my now defunct Francis blog<\/a>.<\/em> <\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the ’80s, a designer named Sandra Garratt had a concept for modular, one-size-fits-all, mix-and-match clothing. She did two lines based on that idea: Units and Multiples. I particularly remember the Multiples accessory pieces that you could wear as a scarf or belt or top or whatever else you could invent. I hadn’t thought of…<\/p>\n

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