Blue is the New black. Susie Breuer
more people to take this route into the industry.
About this book
Fashion is a multi billion-dollar industry. It is not just about sketching an outfit, it is about selecting fabric, developing buttons, sourcing a factory, negotiating prices, making patterns, seeing to the final launch, and selling garments. It is a multi-faceted industry that is exciting, enigmatic and endless.
With many fashion schools now recognising the importance of including technical modules to their degrees, this guide is the perfect accompaniment to the relevant modules with its vocational a to z approach of what happens in the workplace, including how to build and maintain key business relationships.
People who buy Blue is the New Black want to know how to create a collection. They want to roll up their sleeves and do it, but they need practical instruction on the different stages. They don’t want to read about data management systems or new thread developments; they want to understand what a range plan is and how to review a prototype with a factory.
Written for fashion graduates, fledgling entrepreneurs or those in entry level positions within the industry, this book demystifies the process of how to make a fashion collection, making it accessible for all levels. It is a reference guide, a buddy, and an overview of who, what and where.
The Workings of the Fashion Industry
This book is written specifically to deal with the functions and responsibilities of the developer and the production coordinator. It is aimed at anyone who wants to break in to the industry in these roles, but also for those currently working for a brand, whether alone or in a team. The roles of the developer and the production coordinator are fundamental to the creation of any collection as they work closely alongside every team in the brand, ensuring that the collection is created, priced, constructed and delivered at the right time and to the right place.
THE ROLE OF THE DEVELOPER/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
If you are a developer or a production coordinator you usually need to anticipate problems and have the solutions ready before they arise, and to be that problem solver, you need you need to be analytical and organized.
You don’t have to be a total number cruncher to succeed, but you do need to be comfortable with numbers, understand their relevance and how to use them. With so much information changing through every stage of the creation, you must have an organized mind to cope. Make plenty of lists, spreadsheets and tables with filters to keep on top of everything. Working with creative teams and factories can be exciting as well as infuriating. Learning how to negotiate with people as well as prices is an asset. Negotiating with a designer to keep the cost price of a style low whilst maintaining his vision is hard but rewarding. Colours, garments and fabrics change almost every day during development, so be flexible about change and open to new ideas and ways of working.
Last but not least, have an eye for detail. In both development and production, looking at every small detail of garments, prints and fabrics is key. It is your job to notice the flaw in the fabric, the shade difference in a colour, or the fact that on a sample one sleeve is longer than the other.
OTHER ROLES IN THE TEAM
Every fashion company is different when it comes to job titles, but there are certain key roles in every company that are needed to develop a fashion collection.
In general, a brand is made up of four areas of expertise:
> design,
> development,
> production and
> merchandising.
In short, the designer designs the collection, the developer is the link between the designer and the factory, the production coordinator makes sure the collection is made and delivered, and the merchandiser is in charge of the financial part of the business.
In order to understand in detail the parts played by all these in the creation of a collection and how their roles relate to each other, here is a short overview of their interrelationships.
DESIGN
The designer designs the garments, prints and embroideries for the collection. Together with the developer, he will also select the colours and fabrics for the garments and he is involved in the sample reviews. Once the collection has been made, the designer assists in creating the selling tools to help the sales team sell the clothes. The various job titles in different brands that deal with these tasks are: design director, design manager, junior designer, graphic designer, print designer and design assistant.
Some companies have dedicated concept designers whose job it is to define the design direction most suitable for the range, brand or company. Their specific job is to research the brand to form a new direction for the new season’s collection. This means following trend forecasters, fabric mills, music trends, lifestyle trends, previous catwalk shows and current street fashion. If it isn’t financially viable to have a specific concept designer, the designer can define the concept.
DEVELOPMENT
The developer in a fashion company is the link between the designer and the factories that will mass-produce the garments. From the start of the season he helps the designer in selecting fabrics and colours, while also keeping an eye on the financial side of things with the merchandiser. When the designs are ready, the developer conveys the designer’s wishes to the factory so they can make a sample. The developer and the others in the brand review this sample and give their feedback. The factory can now adjust and improve the sample until the developer and designer are happy with the end result. When all samples for the collection are finalized, the developer’s job ends with helping to organise a launch, where the samples are presented to sales teams.
Within the area of development functions the various job titles in different brands can be: development director, product development manager, product developers, development assistant, fabric manager, senior product manager, product manager and category manager.
PRODUCTION
The production coordinator works closely with the developer to take the collection from launch through production to when the garments leave the factory. She arranges production fittings and production planning and manages the final pricing, order quantities and bulk lead times with the factory. During production she will travel to the factory to check the quality of the garments and packaging. Functions that deal with the production of a fashion collection are production director, production / sourcing manager, production coordinator and quality control assistant.
MERCHANDISING
The merchandiser is in charge of the financial part of the business and works together with both the developer and the production coordinator. He sets the pricing structure for the collection, makes sure the brand makes a profit, and makes adjustments to the collection according to feedback from the sales teams. When the samples are approved, he works with the production coordinator and the factories to finalise the prices and delivery dates of the garments and then issues the purchase order. The various job titles with this responsibility are: merchandise director, merchandise manager, merchandise and buy manager, merchandise and buy planner, merchandise assistant.
Three other roles you might encounter in the industry are the pattern maker, the members of the sales team and the branding manager.
PATTERN MAKER
Pattern makers are technically trained designers who create paper patterns from sketches. Their job is to translate the sketch of the designer into an actual garment by applying the base measurements and calculations. Throughout the stages of development and production they also work alongside the factory, development and production team with the garment fittings. Pattern makers can also be called fit technicians.
SALES TEAM
The members of the sales team sell the finished collection to their customers, who can be international buyers, large department stores or small