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How Your Patternmaker’s Creativity Can Enhance Your Design

Costing, Fashion Design, Patternmaking, Tech Design

I’m typically the one bringing the technical to the process, not the one bringing the creativity. However, a recent conversation with a founder made me realize: there actually are ways a patternmaker brings creativity to product development – and even design.

7 Things To Look For In a Fit Model Beyond Size (and Why These Matter For The Fit of Your Brand)

Fit

Finding a fit model for your brand isn’t something to just check off the list. It is a strategic decision that shapes the fit of your entire product line. Asking an agency for models in size 8 or matching someone to the bust, waist, and hip measurements on your size chart is not enough.

Do You Actually Have a Tech Pack or Is It a Design Spec?

Fashion Design, Tech Design

There is no universally accepted, standard format for tech packs. I’ve seen anything from a two-page overview to a 20+ page industrial process document called a tech pack. Within that spectrum, I think there are really two types of documents: design specs and tech packs.

How To Know If A Fit Issue Is A Problem With The Pattern Or The Grading

Fit, Patternmaking, Sizing

As you review the samples, you notice something isn’t fitting quite right. The samples meet the spec so it isn’t a sewing or cutting issue. It must be something with either the pattern or the grading.
There are signs you can look for to uncover which it is.

What Happens To The Fit When You “Grade Up” A Pattern? Let Me Show You.

Fit, Patternmaking

Somebody has probably told you that you can’t just size up small patterns into plus sizes. Maybe you’ve been warned that grading up a pattern won’t produce as good of fit. It is true. But what does that actually mean? Technically, you can grade up a pattern endlessly, so why does it not fit as […]

How To Try Out A Design Before Investing In Developing It

Fashion Design, Product Development

Wouldn’t it be great to try on your apparel design before spending the money to create it? This is the dilemma designers face. How do you know exactly what you want when you can’t see the final garment yet? Reference samples, in a way, let you try before you buy – even as a fashion brand.

The Continuing Mission (Celebrating 8yrs of Alison Hoenes Design!)

Fashion Business, Mindset

If you called me a nerd, you’d be right. After eight years in business, this is my continuing mission.

Designing First Impressions For Your Garments

Fashion Design

I distinctly remember when it first caught my eye. I was walking down the sidewalk of a quaint Michigan town. We had just finished our blue moon ice cream (northern midwesterners, I know you know) and were on our way to the boardwalk with the family. There, in the window of one of the boutiques, […]

What Ready-To-Wear Fashion Can Learn From Bridal

Fashion Design, Fit

Have you ever wondered what makes brides so stunning? I think the clothes have something to do with it. The things that make bridal fashion so special don’t have to be exclusive to bridal, though. Ready-to-wear brands can say yes to the same approach and create clothes their customers will fall in love with.

How To Keep Your Garments From Looking “Homemade” (Even If You Are Producing In A Home Studio)

Production

When someone says something looks “homemade”, it often implies that it doesn’t look professionally made. No brand wants their garments to look unprofessional – including brands who do produce their pieces in a home studio. So how do you avoid a homemade look and instead imbue a garment with polished quality?

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