I was talking with a founder recently about her upcoming collection and she said something that made me see my work as a patternmaker in a new light: “I want to leave room for your creativity in this process as well”. It stood out to me because, the thing is, I’m not a designer. I’m typically the one bringing the technical to the process, not the one bringing the creativity. As I’ve been thinking about her comment ever since, I’ve realized that there actually are ways a patternmaker brings creativity to product development – and even design.
Problem-solving creativity
The creativity I bring to projects is very solutions-oriented. It is not the expansive, world-of-possibilities and inspiration type of creativity. I’m not here to tell you what to design or what it should look like. It is the scrappy, what-can-we-make-out-of-what-we-have-here kind of creativity. I’m here to figure out how to make what you’ve designed and how to make it fit in whatever sizes you want to offer. In order to best do that, I sometimes suggest making slight changes to the design.
In past projects, I’ve suggested design changes that preserve the original design as much as possible, but serve a functional purpose. For example, I’ve suggested adding a center back seam or reducing the width of a full sweep by an inch or two in order to use the fabric more efficiently and significantly reduce the yield. I’ve recommended adding a dart or style line (usually at the bust) to make the fit more inclusive. For some styles, I’ve tested the option of moving certain seams in order to reduce bulk or balance tension. I’m not redesigning anything, but thinking of creative ways to elegantly accomplish your design vision.
Technical design creativity
I also bring creativity to technical design. How can we construct this in a way that displays your brand voice as well as the factory’s craftsmanship? The design has to get sewn together somehow, so why not make the functional elements part of the design aesthetic as well.
Most designers start with the outside and focus their creativity with the overall look. I complement that creative direction with a focus on the inside of the garment and the small details that enhance the final product. Whether it is a neck facing bound in your brand color, fun linings, or seam types that match the sensory softness of your fabric, there are many ways that the technical can be just as creative as the concept.
With my understanding of production sewing, I often recommend creative ways to simplify production and make it easier for your factory to produce high quality garments. Things like where to understitch, when to use a flatlock machine, or how to avoid changing thread colors needlessly. Even small creative technical design decisions like this have an impact on production costs and feasibility.
Fabric creativity
Patternmakers have a keen understanding of fabrics. We’ve studied and made enough garments to know how different fabrics affect the fit, construction, and resulting look of design. While I’m not usually responsible for sourcing materials for my clients, I do advise on what types of fabrics would work best for their design. Fabrics are the medium in the art of fashion. There are so many ways that you can be creative with fabric to shape it into the design you have in mind.
At the foundation, the fabric has to be appropriate for the design and product type. Beyond that, though, there are so many creative ways to use the properties of the fabric to your advantage. I’ve helped my clients get creative with the materials they are using to simplify their sourcing, reduce production costs, and create distinctive designs that delight their customers.
Your design shouldn’t fight your materials. As a patternmaker, I use my understanding of fabrics to help you creatively pair each design with a fabric that brings out its best.
You might not have thought of your patternmaker as a creative partner before. Honestly, I hadn’t really either until the conversation I had with this designer. A patternmaker isn’t going to come up with your product concept for you and I don’t think it is the place of a patternmaker to tell you what to design either. However, if you include the creativity of your patternmaker in the process, they can offer you creative options that enhance your design and make the final product even better than you’d hoped.