National Clothesline

Kevan Hall, a modern couture designer, was the keynote speaker when affiliates of the America’s Best Cleaners organization met for two days in Los Angeles.

Hall, whose designs have graced celebrated socialites and film stars, addressed the ABC affiliates on the need for a better relationship between couture clothing and drycleaners.

He displayed a sample of styles from his collection for Fall ’05: A crepe dress with chinchilla cap sleeves, a pant and top in leather braided fabric, a chiffon dress with beaded encrusted top, and a plaid long gown totally covered in beading — all examples of designs that require special handling.

An exchange of questions and answers concluded that designs of this caliber require distinct labeling and care — more than just “dryclean” labels. It was suggested couture garments carry information such as “when servicing this item consult with an America’s Best Cleaners www.americasbestcleaners.com for best results.”

Affiliates also learned that what is old can be new again, as was demonstrated by Museum Quality, a drycleaning service that specializes in wedding gown and vintage product cleaning and preservation. Meeting the standards of museums such as the Smithsonian and Textile Conservation at the Fashion Institute of Technology, the company offers storage containers that will maintain the original look of items stored for decades.

Specially treated boxes that are lignin-free and buffered in addition to tissues have been developed and tested to meet specifications set by conservation specialists from major institutions. These boxes and tissue papers are now being used by museums and historical societies for the preservation of fabrics by the federal and state governments for historical costumes and by libraries for rare books and magazines.

The meeting also offered an exchange of information from affiliates on business experiences and marketing programs.

ABC is a national organization that strives to locate and recognize the best drycleaning establishments in major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. The organization and its affiliates meet quarterly to discuss new technologies, new developments and new services providing their clients with the best of the best processes for their personal items.