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Product Development Steps in Fashion Design

The document outlines the 7 key steps in the product development process: 1) defining the target customer, 2) conducting industry and market research, 3) developing theme and inspiration boards, 4) designing product concepts, 5) selecting fabrications and materials, 6) creating specification sheets, and 7) determining costs and production elements. It provides details on the types of information and artifacts that should be considered and created at each step, such as customer demographics, trend forecasts, inspiration images, sketches, swatches, measurements, cost sheets, and quality control planning. The overall goal is to take a line from initial concept through production and marketing.

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14 views17 pages

Product Development Steps in Fashion Design

The document outlines the 7 key steps in the product development process: 1) defining the target customer, 2) conducting industry and market research, 3) developing theme and inspiration boards, 4) designing product concepts, 5) selecting fabrications and materials, 6) creating specification sheets, and 7) determining costs and production elements. It provides details on the types of information and artifacts that should be considered and created at each step, such as customer demographics, trend forecasts, inspiration images, sketches, swatches, measurements, cost sheets, and quality control planning. The overall goal is to take a line from initial concept through production and marketing.

Uploaded by

ghosh7171
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Product Development

Where the rubber meets the road

Karen M. Videtic
Virginia Commonwealth University
Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising
Step One: Define your customer.
• Demographics
– Average age of purchaser
– Income
• Psychographics
• Fashion attitude or buying
behaviors
– VALS and GeoVALS
• Average purchase of apparel in
both units and dollars.
• Cultural Influences or
implications
Chicos
• Who is their target
customer?
– 35 -55 years old
– Feels young
– Active
– Travels a lot
– Doesn’t want to wear
her daughter’s clothes
– Casual and a little
“funky” or has attitude
Step 2: industry research
• Market trends vs. fashion trends
• Scope and Size of your segment of
the industry
• Trade Shows
• Key brands and your competition
• Wholesale price points and retail
price points
• Product Expectations: quality,
fabrication, fit, craftsmanship,
labeling or branding.
More research
• Sales trends
• Technological trends for your
market
• Leading manufacturers of textiles
and location
• Market condition for labor
• Newest finishes, colors, treatments.
• Newest styles and preferences
• Product requirements: fit, price
constraints, celebrity endorsement.
Step 3: Theme and Inspiration Boards
• Let’s begin here:
– Review the research into your decade
– Review the forecasts for the fall 08 season
– Determine how you might interpret the
future.
• Only uses images
• Do not draw images yet
• Just get your inspiration.
• You could also use a movie from the same
decade.
– For the workshop, just “tell us about your
inspiration”.
Here’s my inspiration:

• 1940’s
• Audrey Hepburn’s
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
• A little “punk” bug with
pearls and diamonds
• The graphic look of the
glove.
Step 4: Design and Concepts Board

• Transition from the inspiration to the


product line concept.
• Beginning of the visualization or
blueprints.
• Remember that your customer should be
the center of your focus.
• Sketches or flats would be included.
• Think details, price points, fabrication and
details.
Step 5: Choosing the best fabrication,
findings and trim
• If this was a classroom project
with more time:
– Shop for fabric swatches and
learn the names and properties
– Find special finishes like denim
– Shop for buttons and trim
– Discuss sourcing and the import
laws.
– Look at labor costs and discuss
“fair labor wage”.
Step 6: Develop a Spec Sheet
• Time to make a calendar so
students can see the time
involved in planning and
developing a line.
• Students can pull apart a
garment and measure all of the
pieces and record the
measurements.
• Deconstruction helps students
understand the parts and pieces
and sizing of a garment.
Specification sheets
Step 7: Costing Sheets and Size Spec
• Labor costs
• Fabrication, findings, finishes,
etc.
• Grade each garment for a size
run.
• Freight and landed costs
• Labeling
• Hangtags
• SAMPLE
– Testing for quality control issues
Cost Sheet
Labor Costs
Pre-Production and Production
• Quality Control
– Laundry, strength, durability,
• Ethical and responsible
manufacturing
• Scheduling production
• Meeting deadlines
• Follow-up
Detail and Size Spec Sheet
Marketing the new line
• Product, Place, Price &
Promotion
• Public Relations
• Advertising
• Art Department
• Visual Merchandising
• Trade Shows
• Sales

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