Tag Archives: handmade

New in store!

Posted on by Melanie

harem pants

For the last couple of months, I’ve been cracking my head experimenting and getting the right fabrics for this Harem pants which is a favorite of mine. And now, I am so glad to finally have these Harem pants launched officially. There will be more to come. Do stay tuned. 🙂

I wanted to say thank you to everyone for supporting everything I do and for truly being happy for me. Your support means the world to me and motivates me to keep moving (slowly). For the guys out there, you are not forgotten. I am trying to figure out the cuttings of Iyengar yoga shorts that will suit you guys well. Please be patience with me. So much to thank… thank you.

Here I wish everyone on earth good health and may your day be full of joy!! Namaste

The making of Harem Pants

Posted on by Melanie

harem pant the making

I have been dying to make Harem pants since I started wearing it.

There are a few names for these pants. Harem pants, Aladdin pants, Baggy pants, Hippie pants, Gypsy pants, Balloon or Parachute pants. It was popularized by M.C. Hammer in the late 80’s and became known as Hammer pants. Do you know who M.C. Hammer is? Hah!! Check this out if you don’t. You can’t touch this. Deng, deng deng deng. 😀

Ahem… attention back here. Traditional harem pants are extremely large and baggy, very roomy, super loose fitting, with drop down crotch almost to the ground and with elastic waist band and at ankles. Harem pants are very popular among backpackers from all over the world. It can be worn as beach and summer wear or even pregnant suit, dancers, wanderers, yogis, and everyone in between.

My style kinda changed bit by bit into something comfy and ‘lazy’. Harem pants is my favorite where I can simply pair them with flip-flop or sandals and simple tank for a effortlessly stylish and comfy look.

In my first attempt of drafting this pattern, it was such a headache. I can’t find the logic. Not at all. I then seek help from my mom. We both teamed up with lots of logical thinking, trial and errors. So much fun and moments we had. Of course we finally made it and I am very happy with the cutting.

Fabric selection is extremely careful in order for the fabrics to drape elegantly. The type of fabric really does matter as it can make or break this look. I have tried and tested with different type if fabrics. And yes, Rayon that it is. Sewing it is definitely not a problem. I enjoy it to the max.

Harem pants will be in the store on July 2, 2014.
I hope you will like it.

Namaste.

100% Handmade Iyengar Yoga Shorts.

Posted on by Melanie
17 Mar

Drafting, cutting and sewing.

The idea of hand-making the yoga shorts came from my very first yoga instructor, Shammee. She introduced me the shorts she bought from India and asked to duplicate this shorts for a performance about 3 years back and one for her.

It was kinda weird wearing the yoga shorts for the first few times. And not long after, I felt in love with it especially when I start Iyengar yoga. The elastic cuff keeps the shorts close to the skin especially during inverted poses. The Diamond shaped gusset allows me to move freely during the practice. Loose fitting increases mobility and comfort.

handmade_shorts

Now, here I am working passionately with Gopako. More ideas and new things to come. I sincerely hope that Gopako will have all of your continuous support.

~ Namaste.
Melle

The making…

Posted on by Melanie

We are so happy to see some improvement in GOPAKO.
Say, the labels for example.

We started off with this… not too bad right?

labels_handmade

And we did silk screening after that… fun !!

labels_silk_screen

And now !! Tada…

labels_emb

We have finally got what we wanted for quite some times. Now we have proper labels for our customers and it’s a super proud thing when we got them sewn on every single piece of shorts/pants. We will not stop silk screening. We will be doing it when the time comes. Namaste ~

About GOPAKO…

Posted on by Melanie
06 Mar

Namaste everyone~

GOPAKO started in March, 2013 which was a week before I left for Kerala, India.
And what it is about?

Here is the story about me and Gopako…

When I was a kid, I spent most of the time alone because of the age gap between my elder sisters and me. I had always leaned towards the creative side ever since I was 4, playing in a big laundry basket while my mum does her seamstress stuff. Many a times the drone of the sewing machine lulls me to sleep. 😀

Being attracted to the simplicity of crafting and the hours of amusement it brings me, made me look at paper, cloth, wood and other medium in a different light. I made cute little bookmarks for friends in school. When my mum got me a Barbie doll, it had only 1 miserable outfit. So I scavenged for cloth scraps and did the needle and thread magic. That was my first taste of being a fashion designer. The closest I have been 😀

As I got older, I dabbled with my mum’s industrial standard/sewing machine. My first creation was a batik skirt with waist band. That got me started to modifying my own clothes, which was a process of trial and errors and with most of the errors stuffing up my dustbin or, banished forever in my dark closet.

I have always had something that I would love to do. Or at least try. There’s painting, dressmaking, handcrafting, yoga, baking and etc which somehow fogs up my vision and path. I have tried but always lost interest in it after a while. One fine day, out of a sudden I confided my 5-year old dream to my hubby half expecting him to tease me as always.

In it, I was the popular and endeared yet shy fashion designer. Throngs of people waits as I step out on to the red carpet from my private limo. As my right heel graces the carpet, blinding white lights flashes left and right accompanied by deafening cheers and shrieks of GOPAKO. What a rush it was.

I felt the rush even when I woke up from it. The name stuck and I did a quick search. It meant a cowherd in Pali language as the one who guards or takes care of. A field-watcher. An elephant’s keeper. The groom of the royal charger. There was a river by that name too in Philippines. GOPAKO also meant ‘five hundred dollar’ if loosely translated in Hokkien dialect.

The dream of GOPAKO is no longer a dream after hibernating for 5 years. I know it took me years for my dream to come true… but I believe that, just because something is not happening right now, doesn’t mean that it will never happen.

Crafted with love,
Melle

Mission?
What I want to achieve with GOPAKO is very simple. It’s a channel for me to share my love for yoga and passion for handmade goods, which has long been my dream.
Description
GOPAKO is the name for our handmade Iyengar yoga shorts, cut and sewn in Malaysia. We sourced the material and hand-picked the patterns and experimented with different design and cuttings. Each yoga shorts is handmade, down to the labels where we silkscreen (back then) but now we have embroidered labels and proudly sew them on. We have lots of interesting ideas that we would like to share with the yoga community and we hope to have your support.