When people talk about fashion design involving a lot of problem solving, you probably didn’t think they were talking about math problems. It’s true, though. The solution to some of the problems you run into in fashion entrepreneurship do involve math.
If you don’t know how to measure your fit, then you’ll end up confusing yourself, your factory and your customers. Precise measurements keep your fit and communication consistent and it all starts with being clear on what exactly you are measuring and why.Let’s look at when to use garment measurements versus body measurements.
You might not be ready to work with a patternmaker. For the investment in product development to be worth it, the design needs to be more than just a rough concept. It needs direction and you need clarity. Here’s how to know you’ve reached that point and are ready to work with a patternmaker.
Working with a factory is a big step towards getting your designs made. I find that designers fall into one of two camps when it comes to this stage. They either are intimidated and are scared to move forward on their own or they underestimate what goes into onboarding a new design successfully.
There are many things that can delay a production run, but if you are aware of what can go wrong, you can avoid many potential delays. Here are ten things that can disrupt your production schedule, why they hold up the process, and what you can do to make sure things stay on track.
You don’t want any unwanted surprises in production and your customer doesn’t want any unwanted surprises the first time they pull the garment out of the clean laundry basket. To know what shrinkage to expect and how to manage it in production and beyond, testing your fabrics for the different types of shrinkage is essential.
The modern fashion toolbox is much more digital – and more complicated. What software do you need? What file type is this? Why can’t I open the file the factory just sent? Let’s take a look at some common file types in fashion so you’ll know what you’re looking at and what tool is required.
Finding the right factory for your brand is often not a quick and easy process, so it helps if you are prepared. While each factory has their specialties and ways of working, there are certain things that all cut & sew factories will need from you in order to make your design successfully.
Have you ever heard the term “production pattern” and wondered what that really meant? There are actually clear differences between just any regular pattern and one that is production-ready. Plus, there and reasons why you don’t want to (and sometimes can’t) go into production with just any pattern.
It is pretty obvious that you will get a pattern when you hire a patternmaker – it’s in the name. Working with a patternmaker can benefit your brand in many other ways as well. What you get when you hire a patternmaker is more than just a pattern. Here are some additional things you’ll receive.