CDG - The Costume Designer

Fall 2019

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18 The Costume Designer Fall 2019 International Silks & Woolens 50th Anniversary W orking in the motion picture industry, relationships are everything. At the start of each project, Costume Designers begin with a feeling, a color, and a relationship to costumes through fabric. They search out the rolls of new and deadstock fabrics that are just waiting to be trans- formed into a three-dimensional creation that will embody the character. In 1969, International Silks & Woolens (ISW) opened its doors with global ambitions. Originally formed by four men, Paul Mandel, Marco Markovic, Nay Zimmer, and Salim Israwi (the older brother of Safwat, one of the current owners), uniting perspectives and talents all the way from Poland, the Czech Republic, Lebanon, and America to fulfill the needs of a budding industry that was ready to grow with them. On screen it was the age of freedom, fanciful fabrics, and feminism. The four founders were driven and prepared with experience and passion, ready to supply Hollywood's most prolific workrooms with their fabric fantasies. ISW has become a magical landmark that continues to be the first thought and a one-stop shop for Costume Designers and fashion designers. The feeling inside the 14,000-square- foot facility, with over 100,000 fabrics, trims, and notions transports one to another place, either backward or for- ward in time. This space, when first installed, was situated to have the best access to the studios. Safwat recounts the time when Western Costume (now where Paramount sits), Elizabeth Courtney, Bill Hargate, and Fox Studios were cen- trally located to ISW's location. As the needs of Hollywood changed, so did ISW's offerings. "We slowed down on home sewing, concentrating on small manufacture, and strength- ened our home decorating; and began offering services like custom-made drapery," remarks Safwat. ISW is known worldwide and is considered by the trade to have the best theatrical fabrics in the industry. They also print textiles for small manufacturing runs and home sewing. Every year, Safwat journeys to the jacquard mills of Lyon, France, and the revered silk houses of Lake Como, Italy, to source some of the world's rarest and most beautiful fabrics and trims for his beloved clients. "ISW is every designer's lifeline for everything from a period film where you can peruse their vintage stock to superheroes that need just the right finish and everything in between," says Laura Jean Shannon. "I discovered ISW in 1980, designing my first LA project, and was immediately delighted by their extensive and beau- tiful selections, and equally important—their extraordinary service. Well-informed help when hunting for the perfect fabric, generosity in allowing many bolts of fabric to go out on memo, and great understanding of the time crunch we work under. Forty years later, ISW still feels like a very spe- cial port in the storm," enthuses Shay Cunliffe. ISW is now co-owned by the original owner Salim, along with Souhail and Safwat who carry on the mission of great- ness and excellence that we have all come to count on. Even their art deco logo is a mark of elegance. The Costume Designers Guild congratulates ISW on the occasion of their fifty-year anniversary. Thank you for being collaborators in our art. By Amanda Riley

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