Steps to Production Series - Style Development
Launching a brand can be overwhelming, where do I start? What steps do I take? In this blog series, Anna breaks it down in a simple step by step process to get your brand off the ground and into the hands of your consumers!
Finally! The fun part, you’re ready to start designing! Thanks for your patience while I took you through the preliminary steps of building a brand, I promise it will pay off.
Remember that moodboard I had you create in the first blog? Time to pull that back out. Having this close will help be sure you stay focused on who you set out to be when it comes to sketching.
Sketching
Don’t know how to sketch? That’s ok too. I have sat with plenty of clients wanting to start a line that aren't able to sketch and we’ve built them together. Kinda like police sketching, you tell me as I go what to draw and if I am going in the right direction and I do the sketching. So, don't worry, you don’t HAVE to be able to sketch in order to be a successful designer.
Important to note that fashion illustrations and flat sketches are different. While fashion illustrations are beautiful they don’t always show the details needed for the pattern maker. What I am referring to is flat sketches, these are what helps develop the pattern. Illustrations aren’t ever needed in the development stage. The flat sketches should show seams, darts, zippers, buttons and the details of the garments as best you can
If you do want to create your sketches, there are tools like croquis to use as the body formation that have seam lines that you draw your sketches on top of to help. We have croquis for women, men, children and I even have croquis for dogs!
When you are sketching you will want to create at least double that you plan to launch with. Like if you want to have an 8 piece collection, draw up at least 16 then eliminate down to the best 8, or the 8 that make the most sense together. I like to remind designers you’re not killing these designs forever, but putting them on hold. You may find you want to use these designs next season, so hold on to them!
Spec Sheets
Spec sheets do not have to be too involved but they need to include all seamlines, zippers, details in the stitch work and any measurements that are important to the garment. Do you know how long you’d like the sleeve? Then add that, but if you don’t you can figure this out in the fitting process. The important measurements to include are the body measurements this garment is to fit that I will talk about in my next blog post. Later, when you have complete samples you’ll need to create full tech packs (more on that later) but for now, simple spec sheets are sufficient enough to work with most patternmakers domestically. If you plan to develop offshore, then full tech packs should be created first.
The sketches you start with do not have to be amazing if you plan to work with a technical designer to create these spec sheets.. Once you’ve gotten them to the best you can, then your technical designer can create the spec sheets and tech packs off what you have drawn. I’ve worked with sketches on napkins, drawn with crayon! So, don’t worry about it as long as you plan to either hire someone to help turn your sketches digital or have the ability to yourself. But, it’s important this is done prior to handing off your designs to a pattern maker. You will save money in the prototyping if your patternmaker was given specific instructions. So while it may seem like an additional cost to work with a technical designer, it’s less expensive than creating multiple prototypes and samples.
Once you have your final collection together and spec sheets complete, it’s time to assign style numbers. Even if you plan to make your own samples, you’ll need style numbers (not style names! Those are for the consumer but not the development process!) Again here, there is no standard way that you have to do this. But I suggest having something that represents the season, the garment that makes sense to you..
Like this:
S1004
S - meaning Spring
1004 - meaning pants (maybe 1003, means top, it’s doesn’t have to be rocket science, just something that makes sense to you)
I also suggest having at least 3 numbers, this gives you room to grow your styles without having to add more numbers later. This way you can create 999 styles without breaking the system you set up.
Now, to note, if you have the same style with two different colors of the same fabric, this is the same style number. If you have the same style (pattern) but you’re making it in a different fabric all together, it’s a different style number. Like if you make one out of tweed and one out of wool you’ll need to identify them differently in the style numbers, I suggest adding a letter to the end of the style number to represent the different fabrics.
Like this:
S1004-W
S1004-T
The reason this is important is once you introduce a new fabric, it’s safe to assume the cost of goods and even cut and sew cost might change so they will need to have different sale prices. If you use one pattern and cut it in cotton and then silk, the silk one will cost more in the cost of the yardage as well as be harder to sew, so the cut and sew of the production will be higher.
In short, sketch your designs (double that you plan to launch with), create your spec sheets and assign style numbers and you’re good to go! You’re one step closer to seeing your garments IRL! Stay tuned.
