Today's Bacchanal ....

Imported Costumes

http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/2008/09/costume-conundrum-part-2.html

oh gosh saucy, it was a nice post!! u aint know what bachannal dat is there yes. i say the only way we can take a stance is by not rushin to buy costumes, make them sweat! instead of running n sellin out bands in 3 days n thing

wha allyuh say?? for C2k10?

Great editorial Saucy. As always, you're way ahead of the game.

Mimi, I could not agree with you more. However, I doubt it'll work. Like everything else in T&T; we moan and groan about the price of this, that and the other but, at the end of the day, we still go out and purchase. If 100 people decide to make the bands sweat, there will be 200 people out there who'll purchase costumes.

And I forgot to add that when the costumes ent reach on time or stuck in customs is a next drama.

Yup we all complain this year and ready to pay more next year.. self included

Das allyuh yes, I getting de contact in China to do my boots for me!

Diva long time no see!

mimi wrote:

oh gosh saucy, it was a nice post!! u aint know what bachannal dat is there yes. i say the only way we can take a stance is by not rushin to buy costumes, make them sweat! instead of running n sellin out bands in 3 days n thing

wha allyuh say?? for C2k10?

That and God face mimi.

As a costume designer and producer, I have mixed feelings about this topic, I usually just keep quiet when people bring up this topic but I feel like posting today. I done business with a few vendors that manufacture the costumes for Trinidad and other carnivals in China. And I am torn on this subject because I can see both sides of the fence.
This year one of the vendors made costumes for a band in Trinidad, they brought in their own prototype to be duplicated. The mas band decided to cancel their order and produce the costumes locally after the vendor already started production on these costumes. Leaving the vendor with 250 costumes that was not going to be used. The vendor decided to sell the costumes to different carnivals to offset the cost of production. (Remember that Trinidad is probably the only place where one section is 250+ people). One of the carnivals that he sold the costume to had larger women than what was requested for Trinidad. I should him a way to make strips of the materials that was used on the imported bras so that the mas camp can decorate the bras them selves using the same materials. (This is the reason why I don’t fault the importing of the costumes to bra issue. Most section leaders get extras of the materials for these same reasons. I know that one of Saucy’s favorite designers get extras of her materials just in case.)
As far as time lines are considered, I also know that some of tribe costumes were in production before the launch even occurred. So please do not use timelines as an excuse. Once you have the money to purchase, the costumes would be made accordingly. This year my crew and I made the costumes ourselves and I did think about having the costumes be made in China next year because it was time consuming and stressful. I know that some people have a lot going on so they rather take the easier and safer route out. Also, think of it this way. I also experienced an episode where costumes were supposed to be made locally and the person made only 200 out of 1000 costumes. I think that section leaders feel safer using these importers because it’s a business for them, where as some of the people that I have encountered in Trinidad has a different mentality. When my daughter did not receive her costume this year by well renowned Carnival Designer from Trinidad, he turned and told me, “All of this is part of carnival”. When I paid my money months in advance. Thank goodness that I know how to bend wire and make my daughters costume kiddie’s carnival morning. It is time for local designer’s to get serious about their craft and stop with the nonchalant attitude , then maybe costume designers would play their part.

Thanks for that insight Divaz!!! No wonder we see costumes showing up in other Carnivals!! Never knew that some designers could be so unprofessional as to cancel an order already in production!


What about the costing of the costumes? Do you think the pricing is fair seeing as the cost given by Pekar was 45.00US max? Do other producers charge more money? What about producing locally, is that more money?

Pekar’s price is due to many factors.
A- Cost of living for where he is located.
B- is he manufacturing all of the materials locally or is he exporting
C- the number of costumes being produced.
It cost approximately $80USD for 50 costumes where the same costume can be $35 for 150
D- Quality of the materials being used.
E- the timeline on when the items are needed. (Longer time span is less money)

To produce a costume locally it may be slightly more money because of the same factors. A bra may only cost you $1USD if you purchase all of your materials from that vendor and is assembled locally. Where a bra made by hand in Trinidad can cost you $3-4 because of the cost of supplies plus labor in Trinidad. Minimum wages, cost of living, and child labor laws are different in certain countries. Therefore, materials will vary in price.

saucy_diva wrote:

Diva long time no see!

I was taking ah time out with my schmoopie. I saw you some time last wk in some chinese restaurant

Stalkers

LOL you sure it was me? I cannot recall being in a Chinese restaurant last week... hmm

Ok, so i have been thinking about the best way to make this point and i hope i am clear.

I am also very concerned about this issue, esp when it comes to child labour and sweat shops and loss of income for local ppl etc. But i must agree with Squeezle, in that (1)I think the average masquerader grossly underestimates the cost of producing a band and (2)demand drives market practices. If you want fancy ting and yuh willing to pay for it, then mas-makers will seek it out for you. If the source is international they will go there because of market pressures etc. Nobody enters into a business to lose money intentionally. These people are smart businessmen. If we as consumers are willing to pay the price, you can't vex with them for asking for it. I don’t see anyone angry with Oprah for rolling in the big bills. I don't see people vex with Russel Simmons.. yuh still buying Phat Pharm. Who is angry with Bill Gates? How many of us really buy local - Meiling, Radical Designs, Claudia Pegus and many many more. How may of us are prepared to pay the possibly higer prices for producing this type pf costumes locally?

It baffles me that some ppl seem to be so angry with Bandleaders for turning a big profit! Why is the cost of their car an issue? Why should they not live in a big house if they want? The fact is a product/service was offered for a certain price and we agreed to pay it. You can’t be angry with the smart businessman after the fact. If ppl cannot make money, do you think Carnival would survive? Numerous bandleaders lose plenty money on this love for the culture that they have. That is not fair. Yes, i am all for preservation of culture etc, but be real, times have changed, and I seems as if people have this notion that bandleaders must be scruntin to produce a lil mas. Why? If we can make our culture bigger and better then let’s do that. Let us lobby for the government to implement incentives for people to set up businesses with the equipment necessary to produce the intricate and high quality costumes that we crave. Let Trinidad and Tobago be exporters of costumes. Let us design for the world!

I hope you get where i am coming from. I am in no way supporting price gouging, but i feel that the root of the problem is not as simple as bandleaders trying to get rich (for some it might be, Lord knows there are always greedy ppl out there). We need an overhaul of the way we view our culture. We have a choice to accept what can be reasonably done locally and support ourselves, or continue to make other demands which cannot be met locally at this time.

*ok, getting off the soapbox now* :-D

saucy_diva wrote:

LOL you sure it was me? I cannot recall being in a Chinese restaurant last week... hmm

who knows, maybe it was your twin dressed in all black with hair pulled back and glasses...

no new bacchanal???

Plenty Bacchanal.. where you want to start ???

saucy_diva wrote:

Plenty Bacchanal.. where you want to start ???

whts with the costume conundrum... anything on that....any bandleaders giving you any proof that they dont import.

Hell no! They do import.. I heard I am now INFAMOUS because of that.. they (the bandleaders) were not pleased .

saucy_diva wrote:

And I forgot to add that when the costumes ent reach on time or stuck in customs is a next drama.

Yup we all complain this year and ready to pay more next year.. self included

This is EXACTLY what happened to me last year playing with Evolution for the first time. Apparently the feathers for our costume was stuck in customs...only to find out THE ENTIRE SECTION, costume and all was stuck...when did they tell us this? CARNIVAL SUNDAY AFTERNOON!!!!!

What upset me most was the unprofessionalism. They had told us to pick up our costumes on Thursday. We went Thursday, they said they weren't finished to come back on Saturday. Went Saturday, got the same story and was told to come back on Sunday. When we went Sunday is when they felt to tell us this foolishness. I think the story should have been told from the start instead of lying to the client. I tell everybody and they mummy not to bother with Evolution again!!!!

browneyeztrini wrote:

saucy_diva wrote:

And I forgot to add that when the costumes ent reach on time or stuck in customs is a next drama.

Yup we all complain this year and ready to pay more next year.. self included

This is EXACTLY what happened to me last year playing with Evolution for the first time. Apparently the feathers for our costume was stuck in customs...only to find out THE ENTIRE SECTION, costume and all was stuck...when did they tell us this? CARNIVAL SUNDAY AFTERNOON!!!!!

What upset me most was the unprofessionalism. They had told us to pick up our costumes on Thursday. We went Thursday, they said they weren't finished to come back on Saturday. Went Saturday, got the same story and was told to come back on Sunday. When we went Sunday is when they felt to tell us this foolishness. I think the story should have been told from the start instead of lying to the client. I tell everybody and they mummy not to bother with Evolution again!!!!

They imported from Pekar India... the whole costume.. except headpieces. Did you get a refund?

The importing business is crazy.

Why is it that a certain band has been black listed for getting their merchandise from a certain vendor. Now merchants are afraid to speak up or say anything becuase they need the business.

Also another band is causing all this drama about deadlines that was givin to them, have not even out down a deposit to start production.

This thing is getting serious.

with that said a couple of Tribesection and any sections being done by Richard and Anthony productions are either complete or soon to be completed.

saucy_diva wrote:

Hell no! They do import.. I heard I am now INFAMOUS because of that.. they (the bandleaders) were not pleased .

they were not pleased because they were EXPOSED. period. i'm sick of these people trying to rape my pockets every year for carnival & it's about time this story came out (Thanks Saucy!) to shed light on the foolishness they are really doing. let's see who has to change their ways for Carnival 2010