Sweat Shop Paris

Book excerpt: The Sweat Shop Book brings the namesake Paris Sweat Shop founded by Martena Duss and Sissi Holleis to North America with more than 50 DIY fashion and home projects, including instructions and more than 200 helpful, inspiring full-color photographs. The first "cafe couture" sewing shop in Paris, the Sweat Shop was named to highlight the questionable nature in which store-bought clothing is sometimes made. Instead of rewarding dubious labor practices, the Sweat Shop and The Sweat Shop Book inspire crafters to make something unique with their own sweat equity and creativity. Crafters meet at the cafe and share ideas while renting equipment by the hour. In addition, classes teach novices how to sew, knit, crochet, and much more. Translating the Sweat Shop experience into book form, The Sweat Shop Book features experts in the Parisian fashion industry as they offer "master classes" to share their secrets and techniques. With help from experts such as Madame Vava Dudu, who creates looks for Lady Gaga, and fashion stylist Sonia Rykiel, crafters of every skill level will learn how to mend a seam, make a dress from a pattern, and design and create something from scratch inside The Sweat Shop Book. Additionally, the book includes recipes for cafe fare, Duss and Holleis's Paris picks, and a French and English glossary. Bring Paris's couturiers home, learn secrets from the pros, and rediscover the joy of handmade, homemade fashion with The Sweat Shop Book.