MADE TO ORDER — TIGERBOB BY GOSSAMER ROZEN

TIGERBOB MADE-TO-ORDER FASHION

2022 - Ongoing

Statement

In line with Tigerbob’s commitment to sustainability, the manufactured made-to-order fashion line thoughtfully scales up my apparel and accessory designs. These designs are initially sampled myself on my knitting machine and/or designed with hand drawn concept sketches. Made-to-order also offer a chance to mirror the scarcity of artwork I already make myself. I design clothes for myself first and everyone else next.

The clothes we wear and the items in our homes are objects that allow us to find and express ourselves, to connect to other people and traditions. In this context, a brand is more than just a logo — it’s a set of values and associations and a statement about who you are. My artwork is about expressing my identity, and the clothes I make drive this message home.

Background

Clothing has always been a huge marker of my identity. I wore a uniform for 9 years during Catholic elementary and middle school. I had the agency to create my own identity as a teenager, and this opened a pandora’s box of complex internal relationships with my heritage, upbringing, and who I desired to become.

From the clothes I wear, the choice of tattoos on my body, to the items in my home, these seemingly small choices make a huge impact on how I provide comfort for myself and how I invite that same comfort and care to others.

Production

The made-to-order line began production in 2022 with Brooklyn, New York-based Tailored Industry. Tailored Industry’s 3D knitting and seamless construction (Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT) create virtually zero waste while maintaining the highest quality knitwear on the global market.

Knitwear produced by WHOLEGARMENT machines flow across the body unrestricted by seams, allowing for ease of movement and superior draping. The lack of seams also reduces the wear and tear you’d normally expect with a cut-and-sewn garment, that naturally occurs at the weakest points (seams).

Tigerbob’s partnership with Tailored Industry exemplifies my commitment to the "buy local" ethos, with practices that honor environmental responsibility, fair labor, and quality craftsmanship produced in Brooklyn which was once a hub for knitwear manufacturing.

The made-to-order approach eliminates the need for inventory and storage, producing the exact amount of pieces needed while ensuring exclusivity and rigorous quality control for our low-edition collectible garments.

Material

I focus on cashmere yarns because I want my work to be produced from the finest raw materials available. I am not only producing clothes, but I am also designing fabric, and I am careful to source materials that are not only high quality but also are ideal for the products I am producing.

I introduced the brand with a 30/70 blend of cashmere/merino for fall and winter in 2023. The following year,  I introduced a 15/85 cashmere/cotton blend for spring and summer months. For 2025 collections and beyond, I am working on a 48/53 cashmere/cotton blend, which combines the best of both worlds.

Tools for Creative Freedom

Most knitwear is manufactured with flat bed machines, where each piece of the garment is produced separately and later sewn, or seamed, together. Because each garment must be constructed in one piece, Shima Seiki WHOLEGARMENT machines are limited in color work design techniques. I am limited to two or three colors at most, and jacquard or intarsia designs must be produced with the stranded yarn (fair isle) technique.

This involves complex calculations with tension between floated yarns and knit in stitches. The limitations presented here have informed my textile designs and therefore the finished aesthetic presented in the work.