BLUE IS THE NEW BLACK
Chapter 1: the workings of the fashion industry
Developer/ production coordinator: Anticipate problems and bring solutions. Be able to use
numbers. Negotiate with people and prices. Have an eye for detail. Be flexible.
Designer: designs garments, prints and embroideries. Select colours and fabrics. Assists in
creating the selling tools to help the sales team sell the clothes. Define the concept when there
isn’t a specific concept designer available.
Developer: the link between the designer and the factories that will mass-produce the
garments. Helps the designer selecting fabrics and colours. Keeping an eye on the financial
side. Review samples and give feedback. Help organise a launch.
Production coordinator: works closely with the developer to take the collection from launch
through production to when the garments leave the factory. Arranges production fittings and
production planning. Manages final pricing, order quantities and bulk lead times with the
factory. Travel to factory to check quality and packaging.
Merchandiser: in charge of the financial part. Sets the pricing structure, makes sure the
brand makes profit, makes adjustments according to feedback. When the samples are
approved finalise the prices, delivery dates and issues the purchase order.,
Pattern maker: Create paper patterns from sketches. Apply base measurements and
calculations to translate sketch into actual garment.
Sales team: sell the finished collection. Inform the merchandiser about seasonal shifts in local
sales trends.
Branding manager: develops new labels, buttons and badges for the brand to use on their
garments. Work with account managers.
Business models
Wholesale lines: bought by department stores or small independent shops throughout the
year who sell it to the general public. Between 2 – 6 collections a year. The brand will design
and make the collection at scheduled times of the year.
Retail lines: for retail outlets only. 2 – 6 collections a year, but the chain stores or brands add
new styles and stock into the stores every month. The development process can be shorter and
more reactive to the shop customer.
From concept to production
Starting point for fashion collection: concept. = foundation. At the same time as the concept is
created, the merchandiser and developer construct the range plan: a document listing all
garments the collection will need to include in order to make profit. Then the designers start
designing the collection. Designer and developer select fabrics and colours. At the start of the
design process the developer starts making the development matrix: the working document
that is used to manage the development process from start to finish. It catalogues all the
information relevant to the garments. Around 10 weeks into the process, the developer can
start putting technical packs together (detailed documents that tell the factory exactly what the
garments should look like). When the creation of the garments is in progress, the designer and
developer start looking at the branding. (branding = buttons, labels, hangtags, print artworks,
embroidery designs). Factory brings prototypes. The whole team reviews them. Then: either
another prototype or develop more detailed production samples. More reviewing. Then the
launch sales teams start selling the range to different outlets.
Chapter 1: the workings of the fashion industry
Developer/ production coordinator: Anticipate problems and bring solutions. Be able to use
numbers. Negotiate with people and prices. Have an eye for detail. Be flexible.
Designer: designs garments, prints and embroideries. Select colours and fabrics. Assists in
creating the selling tools to help the sales team sell the clothes. Define the concept when there
isn’t a specific concept designer available.
Developer: the link between the designer and the factories that will mass-produce the
garments. Helps the designer selecting fabrics and colours. Keeping an eye on the financial
side. Review samples and give feedback. Help organise a launch.
Production coordinator: works closely with the developer to take the collection from launch
through production to when the garments leave the factory. Arranges production fittings and
production planning. Manages final pricing, order quantities and bulk lead times with the
factory. Travel to factory to check quality and packaging.
Merchandiser: in charge of the financial part. Sets the pricing structure, makes sure the
brand makes profit, makes adjustments according to feedback. When the samples are
approved finalise the prices, delivery dates and issues the purchase order.,
Pattern maker: Create paper patterns from sketches. Apply base measurements and
calculations to translate sketch into actual garment.
Sales team: sell the finished collection. Inform the merchandiser about seasonal shifts in local
sales trends.
Branding manager: develops new labels, buttons and badges for the brand to use on their
garments. Work with account managers.
Business models
Wholesale lines: bought by department stores or small independent shops throughout the
year who sell it to the general public. Between 2 – 6 collections a year. The brand will design
and make the collection at scheduled times of the year.
Retail lines: for retail outlets only. 2 – 6 collections a year, but the chain stores or brands add
new styles and stock into the stores every month. The development process can be shorter and
more reactive to the shop customer.
From concept to production
Starting point for fashion collection: concept. = foundation. At the same time as the concept is
created, the merchandiser and developer construct the range plan: a document listing all
garments the collection will need to include in order to make profit. Then the designers start
designing the collection. Designer and developer select fabrics and colours. At the start of the
design process the developer starts making the development matrix: the working document
that is used to manage the development process from start to finish. It catalogues all the
information relevant to the garments. Around 10 weeks into the process, the developer can
start putting technical packs together (detailed documents that tell the factory exactly what the
garments should look like). When the creation of the garments is in progress, the designer and
developer start looking at the branding. (branding = buttons, labels, hangtags, print artworks,
embroidery designs). Factory brings prototypes. The whole team reviews them. Then: either
another prototype or develop more detailed production samples. More reviewing. Then the
launch sales teams start selling the range to different outlets.
