The Design Process in 9 Simple Steps
So what is the "design process"? This is the process for every garment from idea to production. Of course, there may be some extra steps along the way for specific styles or in some cases steps may even be skipped for an established brand, but let's keep it simple. Remember, every company is unique, so you can take these steps and morph them into whatever works for your brand and you.
1.) Moodboard/Ideation/Inspiration
2.) Fashion Illustration/Sketches
3.) Technical Sketches
4.) Tech Pack
5.) Sourcing
6.) Sampling
7.) Fit & Review
8.) Design Approval
9.) Production
Moodboard/Ideation/Inspiration
Some guidelines for moodboards:
Your layout should reflect the aesthetic of what you're designing.
Your inspiration should not all be fashion images! Use interior design, nature and other elements that represent the feeling behind your design.
Any size is fine, but give yourself room to create!
Step 1: Collect Inspiration
Step 2: Compile Ideas
Step 3: Create a Moodboard
Your designer will compile a collection of inspiration into a moodboard that represents the aesthetic behind the design. In order to create a cohesive design, you must first organize your ideas and inspiration into a moodboard. Taking the time ot organize your ideas will result in a cohesive and successful final garment.
Fashion Illustration/Sketches
Responsibility of the Designer: your designer will use a croqui to begin sketching out the ideas for your garment based on the finished moodboard. Don't worry about getting it perfect just yet, this step is all about getting your ideas from your head onto paper. Try some unique combinations, you never know what's going to spark those transformative design ideas! Continue this until you've created a design that you love. Once you have narrowed down your final design, you can draw this "final" design as a formal fashion illustration with color and movement. If you have a specific fabric or material in mind, be sure to attach a swatch or example of it.
Technical Sketches
Responsibility of the Tecnical Designer: next, you will probably create a CAD of your design. CAD, Flat Sketch, Technical Sketch, Technical Flat - are all names for the flat, techincally accurate drawings of your garment. Your technical sketch is the blueprint for your design, so it's important that the sketch reflects the correct construction of the garment.
Tech Pack
Responsibility of the Technical Designer and Sourcing: your technical sketch will then be used to create a tech pack for the garment. The technical designer will use the silhouette and design to determine the construction details and specs. They will work with the sourcing agent or developer to come up with fabric and trim options. Once the details have been finalized, the tech pack is sent out for factory and fabric sourcing.
Sourcing
Responsibility of Sourcing/Developer: once your style tech pack has been created, you can send it out to source the different elements of the design.
Things that you'll want to source are:
Manufacturing (where it's assembled)
Trims (supplier)
Fabrics (supplier)
Labels and Packaging
In some cases, you may find a full service factory/supplier who can do all of these for you! Or your factory may work with an agent to help you source.
Sampling
Responsibility of the Factory/Manufacturing Facility: now that you've sourced your factory and materials, you can update your tech pack to reflect it and send the tech pack to your factory for sampling. Your samples are made in a separate room at the factory off of the production line until your garment is ready for production. Your factory will work from your tech pack specs to develop an initial pattern. Depending on the favric and trims you've chose, your factory may substitute with a close match. This is true especially if you are developing unique trims/fabrics. The factory will go ahead with substitutes for sampling to nail down the fit while your fabric/trims are being developed. This cuts down on development time and may save you some cost on sampling. Not that your samples may come in with wacky colors too! This again, is just because the factory is using what is available. Your final sample should be 100%f to spec.
Fit and Review
Responsibility of the Technical Designer and Development Team: when your samples come in, the technical designer will need to review the sample and adjust the tech pack as necessary. There's quite a few steps involved in reviewing your sample; you will continue this cycle (tech pack to sample to review to update tech pack to send) until you are happy with the final prototype.
Design Approval
Responsibility of the Development Team: now that you've finished up the sampling process and love your design, it's time to approve it! You'll want to double check all the details and make sure your tech pack is 100% accurate and updated.
Approve the design and request a TOP (top of production sample) and/or PP (pre-production sample). If there are no further changes you're ready for production!
Production
Responsibility of the Factory (Manufacturer): your garments will be produced on the factories production line. Once the design has been approved, you and your factory will agree on a target ship date (if you haven't already). If you've specified it in your tech pack, your garments will be tagged/packed and sent to your distributor.
Once the garments have beern received, inspected (QC), repackaged/tagged (if necessary) they are ready to be distributed to your retailers. Need help finding factories, suppliers, packaging or other fashion resources? Look out for additional directories...