Looking for a pattern maker

[Yan]

All sorted.

[Chinorlz]

Yan, you gotta learn how to do this yourself! It's not too hard, just takes patience my friend :)

once you can pattern yourself, you can push the design envelope quite a bit more. Certainly I do understand though that you've got a time constraint at the moment. Good luck in your hunt!

[Yan]

Yan, you gotta learn how to do this yourself! It's not too hard, just takes patience my friend :)

once you can pattern yourself, you can push the design envelope quite a bit more. Certainly I do understand though that you've got a time constraint at the moment. Good luck in your hunt!

Yeah Albert, you are spot on. There is a great resource I have joined in London called Fashion Capital, which is great for new designer. For a fee of £200 I get an e-shop, boutiques space, Access to their sampling and production facilities, trend forecasts and most importantly training. I just need to reach my deadline then I really do need to go to school and I am really looking forward to it, because doing it the way I am at the moment is killing me financially. :)

[Chinorlz]

that group sounds pretty neat!

I hear you on the financial aspects of your own line in general though. The leather alone for some of the pieces I'm working on now cost over $200 per garments-worth. Doesn't even account for the silver hardware and fabric aspects. Leather is where costs get brutal!

Good luck mate!

[Yan]

Yeah it sounds really good. For me, materials are expensive and labor is expensive. The cheapest piece in my collection costs over £100 to produce making the retail a lot higher than it should be. I am going to have to go to school and maybe start a studio myself if it takes off.

[zamb]

that group sounds pretty neat!

I hear you on the financial aspects of your own line in general though. The leather alone for some of the pieces I'm working on now cost over $200 per garments-worth. Doesn't even account for the silver hardware and fabric aspects. Leather is where costs get brutal!

Good luck mate!

glad you said this, some people often think its some kind of cakewalk to do collections........ but there is alot of work involved, its not easy and takes alot of time, effort and money........... hopefully it pays of in the long run.

Yan, I offer a pattern Making and sampling service in my studio,
except I am in NYC.
Maybe you can PM me if you are interested and we can work something out.

[eat me]

some people pften think its some kind of cakewalk to do collections

sad but true.

I am going to have to go to school and maybe start a studio myself if it takes off.

Where are you planning to go? Remember, schools are different; some bring out your creativity, some teach you the business basics, but none does 2 successfully and at the same time.

[Yan]

sad but true.



Where are you planning to go? Remember, schools are different; some bring out your creativity, some teach you the business basics, but none does 2 successfully and at the same time.

Well, in between juggling 2 business, 3 children etc....I am going to have to have one to one training to fit in with my timetable. I think maybe at the Fashion Capital workshop I think. I need to get a grip on sewing and pattern making which I know is pretty damn basic, but I've been stuck in corporate land for a lifetime and my fantastic wife has given me the opportunity to do something that I have always wanted to do. I spent a week at LCF on a short course which I loved. It would be so nice to have the last 20 years back.

[zamb]

Well, in between juggling 2 business, 3 children etc....I am going to have to have one to one training to fit in with my timetable. I think maybe at the Fashion Capital workshop I think. I need to get a grip on sewing and pattern making which I know is pretty damn basic, but I've been stuck in corporate land for a lifetime and my fantastic wife has given me the opportunity to do something that I have always wanted to do. I spent a week at LCF on a short course which I loved. It would be so nice to have the last 20 years back.

there is no point in trying to wish for the last 20 yrs ............ or even the last day back............ you are where you are now and all you have is today and the hope of tomorrow,
Maybe I can help you, as you are at a stage where I was and I am very knowledable about and always willing to extend a helping hand.
Unless you really want to make some connections (which can be done otherwise) I would suggest forgetting about school......... it would be better to volunteer as a apprentice to a tailor or patternmaker for free, you get to learn alot of really good stuff that way and you dont have to pay for it............if you really want school, take some patternmaking classes, there is where the real essence of designing lies, in patternmaking, it is the most significant link between having an idea in the mind and realizing it in a tangible form.

Also dont be unwise to think that sewing and pattern making is easy........I sew very well and it took me years to get to this level and even now there are still aspects of sewing, and certain kinds of fabrics that I struggle with, what I have done is to find ways to use/ work around my weaknesses or use them to my advantage
Patternmaking, as good as I am, after twenty years of making clothes I am still learning and teaching myself new things. the foundation of patternmaking lies in Math, and there the possibilities are endless.

[Yan]

Zamb. Lets talk.

[eat me]

Well, in between juggling 2 business, 3 children etc....I am going to have to have one to one training to fit in with my timetable. I think maybe at the Fashion Capital workshop I think. I need to get a grip on sewing and pattern making which I know is pretty damn basic, but I've been stuck in corporate land for a lifetime and my fantastic wife has given me the opportunity to do something that I have always wanted to do. I spent a week at LCF on a short course which I loved. It would be so nice to have the last 20 years back.

I might be un-nice, but it's my personal belief that you can't do more than 2 (and even that...) things at once really good, if you're making them yourself. If you want to just have ideas and let someone else take care of sewing, designing properly, worrying about manufacturing, PR, fabrics, buyers, etc. etc., then it might work out. But if you seriously want to do it, you need to drop one or all of the businesses. As zamb said, it's a big mistake to think that pattern-cutting is pretty damn basic. I mean, really, when you'll start getting into it, you'll realize there''s is a LOT behind it. Of course, depends on the level you want to go, but still, it's like saying being an architect is easy, "you just draw a house". So you need to think whther you'd like it just as a hobby sewing basics once in two years, or you want to make it you career/life.

[Yan]

I might be un-nice, but it's my personal belief that you can't do more than 2 (and even that...) things at once really good, if you're making them yourself. If you want to just have ideas and let someone else take care of sewing, designing properly, worrying about manufacturing, PR, fabrics, buyers, etc. etc., then it might work out. But if you seriously want to do it, you need to drop one or all of the businesses. As zamb said, it's a big mistake to think that pattern-cutting is pretty damn basic. I mean, really, when you'll start getting into it, you'll realize there''s is a LOT behind it. Of course, depends on the level you want to go, but still, it's like saying being an architect is easy, "you just draw a house". So you need to think whther you'd like it just as a hobby sewing basics once in two years, or you want to make it you career/life.

I in no way think anything is easy. My family of course come first and if I can make a serious go of things then of course I will drop the stuff I currently do to make a living. My belief is that it is preferable to have some great people alongside you and I have been actively seeking these. I come from a very poor background and I assure you I do not take anything for granted and do not think anything is easy. Nothing comes to me unless I work hard. I am not blessed with much in the way of luck, apart from my family.

[zamb]

I in no way think anything is easy. My family of course come first and if I can make a serious go of things then of course I will drop the stuff I currently do to make a living. My belief is that it is preferable to have some great people alongside you and I have been actively seeking these. I come from a very poor background and I assure you I do not take anything for granted and do not think anything is easy. Nothing comes to me unless I work hard. I am not blessed with much in the way of luck, apart from my family.

Luck is opportunity meeting preparedness. and sometimes you have to pull off the impossible by getting yourself prepared and then creating your own opportunity.
Some are born poor, some are born rich.......... but all have a chance to become great. hopefully your family is 100% behind your decision, you will have to think long and hard about what you really want and then be smart about how you want to proceed. there was a time when I used to throw myelf at my work with reckless abandon, now while I am still working very hard I have to be much smarter because I am married now and have a wife and future kids to think about. Maybe its a little easier for me because when I met my wife I was already a designer and she know what manner of man she was getting married to. now its seems you are making the transition with a family..........more difficult but not impossible, and sometimes even better because of already having a support system in place.
From your vantage point you will have to think somewhat in commercial terms than from an artistic stanpoint. I dont mean in the sense of creating purely commercial clothes, but to know that you cannot wait four seasons and $200k in before you start seeing some returns......be careful to not spend money in areas and on things you dont need example,
1. Dont order fabrics for production before you confirm an order,
2. Dont try to do a fashon show with your own money beforwe the line starts selling
3. Do smaller more interesting collections that reinforces the unique identity of the line than a big collection
4 do not spend money on ridiculously expensive fabrics now, just because you like them
5. the more you can do yourself now the better it will be for you in the long term
6. do not turn away private clietrs that may be interested in the line, they will pay retail (especially with a discount) and help to broaden your customer base
7. think carefully what area of the market you want to be in..............this will drive alot of your decisions in terms of fabrics, stores designs etc.



gotta go, will say more a next time. I did get your PM and will return one later tonite............

[C'est Fini]

the retail market is very very tough now im afriad.
Dont take this harsh but i think you should probably wait a little while longer.. you could hone your skills a little further meanwhile.
After reading this, the pictures from your collections make more sense to me. The clothes do need a lot more work! But this shouldnt stop you wanting to do better.