A Peek Into The Work-Life Of Peter Hoe...

In the 

Sound Of Music,

Julie Andrews

sang

"Let's Start At The Very Beginning

A Very Good Place To Start..."

I've often been asked about

my buying trips to exotic

locations around 

Asia.

Many people

seem to think 

it's a whole lot of

 fun 

& 

a great way to holiday.

Words like...

"glamorous, exciting, jet-setter",

often get thrown into the conversation.

In reality,

it's 

half of that 

& 

the rest is a great deal

of 

hard mental-work.

So...let me take you on a recent 

journey 

to

India,

where I was planning our

next collection.

And yes,

you do start at the very beginning as this 

photo shows. 

This pile of hand-screened

textiles, was ordered 5 months prior

to my trip.

With the textiles ready,
I send my design specifications
a few months in advance
&
through emails
the factories exchange data
on my requirements
for the collections.
In this manner,
some samples are ready
upon my arrival.
Hence, the internet
has helped speed things
up tremendously.
One note-the factories we
work with are legitimate.
Meaning, good working
 humane conditions.
As far as I can see, 
no visible signs 
of kids anywhere!

My car pick up starts at 10 am,

after a hearty breakfast at the hotel.

It's a general rule that I do not lunch at the factories

for I'm unsure about the source of the meal.

As with all my visits,

since I've only 2 days to work with this one factory,

we head straight to the work table

to examine samples.

On the drive out

you see life

up close.

People living by the roadside,

cooking, washing, talking.

In a country like 

India,

the "less-fortunate" take what they can get

because 

there are no other options.

Often,

it's a hand-to-mouth existence.

Upon arrival,

first things first,

I further sketch out

more items for sampling.

Within the initial hour

&  

viewing the entire range of 

30 to 40 prints,

I'm immediately inspired

to develop more samples.

And these are rushed to the sampling department to be
cut, matched
&
stitched
into the first piece of what may ultimately
end up in our store.
Meanwhile,
I review the pieces
which are ready.
Any changes & mistakes
are remedied via
re-sampling.
A team of very
eager & enthusiastic,
what I consider professionals,
work with me
to meet our dateline.
These 6 individuals have a complete
understanding
of my requirements
&
 we work in 
tandem to minimise mistakes.

Good communication skills
are vital.
Not to mention
a pleasant nature that inspires others,
is crucial to get things done right.
We are all aware of production
lead time
&
 these samples are the 
starting point 
of
the entire process.
I enjoy working directly with manufacturers.
Since I design everything,
we ultimately end up with 
merchandise that's 
unique to us
& 
no one else!
This is the challenge that I live for!!

When I'm in the factory
&
we're busy sorting out the collections,
I'm in my element.
This is my
"private Idaho"...
my raison d'etre,
my paradise!
As the hours go by
&
more samples appear,
the collection begins to take a
more definite shape.
In my mind's eye,
I begin to style everything into groups.
This is what's call the
 "Eye"!

But I do stop to smell the flowers
&
admire the view...if there is a view!!!

I basically try to
work out
a story line for each
collection.
In this case, it's a link of colour
 that
ties the prints together.

At this point,
I'm already pretty clear as to
what I need
&
what is most likely trash.
There are no grey areas
nor
doubts.
It's either a
yes or no
&
the decision
must be made now!

It could be quite stressful
for the
uninitiated.
You're dealing with
 200 meters of fabric
for each print...
that translates into quite a chunk
of currency.

This is where
 experience
&
creativity
comes into play.
And you delve into your
vast
bank of experience 
to
come up with good
decisions,
while your creative skills
assist in designing
items that are
 unique & special.

Moving along...now comes a crucial part of 
the buying process!
Specifying how
each
 &
 every item
is made.
This is a very important part of
the entire manufacturing 
process.
How each piece is put together...
construction!
And this sets us far apart
from others.
Every
 seam, stitch or zipper
&
even lining,
is there for a reason.
What's inside
is simply as
important
as the outside.
My production expertise is also
part of our strength!

My first trip to 

India

was more than 15 years ago.

I remember the

culture shock that hit me

upon arrival.

The sheer number of people

everywhere.

The cleanliness issue.

The smells!

Since then,

I've found my own system

to deal with

this over populated

country with such diverse

history & religion. 

AN advertising campaign from 

India years ago hit it right...

"India 

is

 not out of the way,

it's 

out of this world!"

The 
Gods 
play a 
vital role in everyday life.
And everyday life revolves around the
Gods!

Nowadays,
I enjoy coming to this unique 
sub-continent
where 
cows 
are revered
&
there are 
22 languages
recognised in the 
constitution.

The trick is always to remain
 relevant & fresh
in all that we do.
This is the hard part.
So a part of me
has to be on the constant look out for
the
" new & the different!"

This bundle of 
beautiful prints
will be the
inspiration
that will turn
fabric into product.
And the details
that go into the production,
will provide
the extra
"WOW"
factor.

After cups
&
cups of tea
&
coffee,
I have enough fuel in me
to visualized
merchandise for
an
 entire store!!!

A sample in the final stages
of completion.
And the expert hands that
execute
the task.

This factory is well
 lit & clean.
I continually provide feedback to
the owners to improve on
the
facility & production.

By now,
everything has to be
catalogued
&
filed up,
ensuring that all relevant information
is
clearly marked & recorded.

Fabrics all lined up 

& 

ready for inspection.

Fortunately,

I work very fast,

otherwise it'll take a week to sort

this out.

From this selection of 

textiles,

I further execute more samples

to complete the collection.

The production specifications ensure that

everything is manufactured

according to my directions.

The trimmings that will accentuate each product.

These accessories add

the final touches to any product.

Finally,

all the samples are ready

 &

lined up!!!

From here, we go through 

every single item

to 

identify 

fabric, accessories & production

specifications.

This takes time 

but

here is where the

 deal is signed 

&

hopefully delivered.

In

4 months time,

these samples-turned merchandise

will arrive into our stores.

From here,

I close my note book

&

my work is done for now.

As I exit from the factory

at 7 pm after

non-stop 

intensive

communication,

the sky is already a

darker shade of night.

All around,

workers are rushing home

to close the day.

For some it may be 

to prepare the evening meal

&

 others

to wash away the days toil.

For me,

during the drive back to the hotel,

I'm already contemplating 

my designs

for the next factory!

" Life Is A Song "

indeed !!!

CAMBODIA...The Magical Angkor!

The story of 

Angkor

began at a time when life was

perhaps  

gentler, kinder 

& 

graciously elegant.

Historically,

this sets it 

at around

 900 AD.

The

 Khmer empire

was at it's peak

&

over the next 300 years,

produced what was described in

Wikipedia,

as the

"worlds most magnificent architectural masterpiece !"

Personally,

I think what is magnificent is that

it survived the

 test of time!

My first trip to the quiet hamlet of
Siem Reap
 was about
12 years ago.
I was travelling with my good friend
Elsa.
Armed with little more than bits of
information gleamed from
 scattered conversations,
we made our way to
the sleepy town 
bordering on this
ancient site
via
the capital city,
Phnom Penh.
Not knowing what to expect is perhaps a good thing.
High expectations could be disappointing.
And disappointed we were not.
It was simply 
awe inspiring...
&
left us both pretty much speechless.
We were seasoned travellers with
 international viewpoints,
but the site left us humbled ,
under the 
shadow of the magnificent ruins.

Nowadays,

Siem Reap

is no longer a sleep hollow.

The proximity of

Angkor

has yielded

much fortune

in the form of 

mass tourism.

As we drove from the airport,

rows after rows of

budget hotels in all

manner of 

shape & size,

lined the dusty streets.

5 star properties

are all clamouring to get 

into the tourist market.

While sitting in the 

"limo",

our chatty driver delivered

his version of 

Cambodia

in a nutshell.

I guess everyone 

has an opinion!

This time around, we stayed in a

a charming French managed 

boutique hotel,

which

was fortunately a little away from

the main town.

Birds instead of traffic

offer a much better 

soundtrack.

Our first day was spent lazing by

the

 turquoise pool

under the shade of an

 immense umbrella.

The sun,

a 

bright & intense

ball of life-giving source,

created playful shadows on the sparkling pool.

Such was life indeed,

where the only worry was

where to have dinner!

Apparently,

Angkor

is a vast 

1000 square kilometres!

It was noted as the largest

preindustrial city in the world!

We set out early on the morning of the tour,

hoping that we would beat the

onslaught of eager

tourists on bus-loads.

By the time we arrived at the gate to 

purchase our passes,

hundreds of the aforementioned 

holiday makers were already there,

dressed in

various manner of colourful

holiday gear!

A convoy of all sorts of
modern-day transportation
crawled over a
statue-lined
bridge, led us onto the grounds of 
Angkor
proper.
This is the outcome
of
having close to
2 million 
visitors a year!

Angkor Wat,

that most photographed 

Hindu temple,

which was later transformed into

a Buddhist site,

 is still a wonder

to behold.

Built along the lines of ancient Hindu beliefs,

with a central

"peak"

 to resemble a mountain,

&

circled with galleries 

& 

a moat which represents

the ocean.

How can something so old

sit comfortably among us today?

Here, there & everywhere

are 

intricately carved scenes 

of

 Khmer life from

centuries before.

Stories unfold in stone,

leaped from wall to wall

affording us a quick-study

into a culture that is long forgotten.

The predominant palette is 

stone grey,

shiny in some parts and dusty in others,

these bas-reliefs are a testament

to a skilled hand from

a once 

proud & powerful nation.

It probably began with a 

dream  

&

 a vision.

To conjure up these

incredible structures

without aid of any modern instrument

is by no means an easy feat.

Determination and steadfastness

brought everything into perspective 

&

a work force willing to execute the scope

of

building,

gave us the legacy that is 

Angkor.

In the evenings,

we sit in quaint restaurants in

downtown

Siem Reap

feasting on 

cuisine 

as 

international

as the patrons.

These establishments

are serviced

by young 

& 

enthusiastic

Cambodians

intent on showing off 

their command of the

English

language.

When the Khmer 

civilisation was at it's peak,

King

Jayavarman II

proclaimed himself the 

universal monarch.

And enforced unity in his people.

A superb & intelligent form of

irrigation, brought much needed water

to the plains of 

Angkor.

Stone carving is a thing of the past.

Instead, 

oil on canvas or wood 

is a much favoured

form of art-medium.

You gaze in wonder at the

hand-work & creativity

 of

these people from ancient times.

I stand in awe...inspired,while

I ponder upon the imagination of such splendour on this

gigantic scale.

My emotions are swept up

high, floating between the stone towers as

birds sweep 

in & out 

in playful flight.

Today, the ruins stand eerily silent
on the plains of this remote part of 
Kampuchea 
as it's known
in the Khmer language.
The long corridors of the many galleries,
dark and damp,
echoes life from the past,
with 
vaulted ceilings
&
fantastically carved pillars.
You feel the pulse of
this
great civilisation,
etched & hammered,
on every surface.

Dancing Apsaras

are all around,

casting a magical spell on us.

While natural light stream in 

wherever possible,

 illuminating

the scene like some 

Hollywood 

movie set.

I chanced upon this youth,

executing his artistic skills

on paper.

The impossible made possible.

Fresh fruit to quench your thirst...

an escape from the 

heat & the dust...

...and suddenly around a remote corner,

you come across another

wonderment!

There's so much to absorbed and take in.

A visit to 

Angkor,

is a walk-through of a well preserved historical site.

A guide may be a good idea

but

one could easily manage

it with the help of a driver

& 

a detailed guide book.

The night is just as interesting as the day!

While the day could be an
exercise in patience!

Life is after all about

 balance & harmony.

If 

Cambodia

is serious about 

conservation & preservation,

they should start now

& 

act fast.

Short term gains,

as we all know,

has no longevity.

The fruits of 

mass tourism

are definitely 

sweet & sour.

From what I see,

their only legacy is being trampled upon, 

without any consideration to damage.

How do you repair something

so old 

&

 fragile

&

 not from our time?