I often talk about how fabric sourcing happens at the beginning of development because the pattern and fit depend on the fabric. However, it is possible to start sourcing fabrics too soon. There are a few decisions that need to be made before it makes sense to start sourcing.
As much design goes into the inside of a garment as the outside. The biggest decision about the inside is lining. Does your garment need a lining? Perhaps. Let’s take a look at the inside surface of your garment and talk about the reasons to consider adding a lining and reasons to leave it unlined.
Size-inclusive fit doesn’t just begin with grading more sizes of your pattern. It starts far earlier in the design stage. Size-inclusivity starts with how you think about your customer, conceptualize your designs, and consider each detail for different bodies.
In episode 97, Patternier founder and designer Heather Rose Rauscher gives us a tour of the intricate layers of her innovative artwork and business. Working in the industry for over a decade, she’s learned the rules of textile design. Now, with her own brand, she breaks them. Her luxury fashion and home pieces juxtapose vintage […]
If you use deadstock fabrics, you’re going to need to take a different approach to designing and developing new styles. Knowing your fabric is important for development, but when using deadstock, the process looks a bit different. Let’s break it down.
Labels create a first impression of your product and brand. Don’t leave labels as an afterthought, but instead take care designing your labels as you do with your garment. Choose the best type of labels for your apparel product based on the look, feel, and function of the overall design.
In episode 85, design agency founder and intimate apparel brand co-founder Kristen Anderson reveals the inner workings of the lingerie and swim industry. Kristen speaks from her experience as an in-house designer, freelancer, intimate apparel design agency owner of KRSTN NDRSN, and co-founder of the intimates brand Iteration sharing the lessons she’s learned and the […]
I recently read a report by the Hot or Cool Institute, Berlin titled Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable: Resizing Fashion for a Fair Consumption Space. The report got me thinking. In today’s post, join me on a thought experiment about what fashion businesses would look like if customers could only buy 5 new clothing items per year.
Not every fashion designer is good at drawing. So, if you can’t draw, how do you communicate your fashion design ideas to your team, patternmaker, or factory? Luckily, there are other ways to describe your vision visually that don’t require art skills.
In episode 80, Joie LaFrentz shares all the thoughtful decisions that go into designing for Jola, her line of colorful basics with a twist . Learn how she balances design, production, sales, and admin for her business all from remote Iowa. Joie LaFrentz was born and raised in Iowa and has always had a love […]
