From Couture to Reality

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Marjewell designs blog from couture to reality

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Published November 3, 2024 by Marjewell Designs

The purpose of this writing is to dissect the fashion process, from couture to reality. In the following paragraphs we will discuss the origin of couture, historic highlights, the journey of high fashion to more accessible, wearable designs, and the design process to production.  I hope you are as excited as I am!  Outlining the design to the production process takes center stage because don’t we love a finished product?

First let’s define couture.  Couture extracts its meaning from design and creation of luxe, custom-fitted fashion, exclusive garments that are often made by hand and measurements made to fit an individual client.  The characteristics of couture designs are usually artistic details that embody the designer’s vision.  Materials are fine and there is unique detail such as hand beading, embroidery, or lacework.  Lastly, garments are mainly tailored to client specific body measurements for an absolute perfect fit.

Couture or haute couture started in 1858 by English Couturier, Charles Frederick Worth established the first haute couture house in Paris.  Le Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture was established as the metric by which high fashion would be judged.  Designers had to earn their right to label themselves a couture house, specifications were later clarified in 1945.  1908 the term haute couture was officially coined.  Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ collection, also called ‘Corelle’, debuted in 1947.  World War II left France’s fashion industry restricted and ravished.  His collection signaled France returning to leading the way back to couture.  The design's silhouette was a flower, with tight waists, structured petticoats, and flowing skirts.

Coco Chanel and Christian Dior pioneered expanding the concept of a fashion brand to include a variety of lifestyle products.  Chanel’s No. 5 perfume was introduced in 1921.  Yves Saint Laurent’s vision earmarked a shift in the fashion landscape, he was the first to launch a ready to wear line in 1966, self-entitled ‘Saint Laurant Rive Gauche.  In the same year he also opened the first free standing couture boutique.

1947, Dior launched ‘Miss Dior’ and then began licensing his brand in late 1940’s to 1950’s for luxe accessories such as shoes, jewelry, and handbags.

Couture houses were unable to stay open, from 1946 to 1970, the number dropped from 106 to 19.  Le Chambre Syndicale de La Haute Couture’s rigid conditions were to blame, shrinking consumer market, and the aftereffects of mass-production to cope with war.

The 1970’s, many designers started entering licensing agreements with manufacturers, this allowed them to offer more products while expanding the consumer base. Revolutionary collaborations between couture designers and mass-market retailers such as Halston, a famous American luxury fashion designer and JCPenney initially began 1983.

H&M and Zara adopted high fashion designs into economical clothing.  This trend was introduced in the late 1990s and early 2000s, ushering in the ‘fast fashion’ era.  True to its name, access to runway fashions moved at lightning speeds with a cheaper price, and voila accessibility was now open to a larger audience.   The exorbitant number of choices lead to clothing becoming disposable.  Presently, sustainability is a focus due to environmental changes to our precious landscape caused by pollution and overexploitation.

Let's clear up one more thing, the elaborate fashion shows are a showcase and remain loyal to the elaborate history and traditions of haute couture.  Private clients view the collections and then are custom fit for runway inspired designs.
Marjewell designs blog from couture to reality design to production process


Now let's move onto discussing the design to production process, we’ll list these out for you.

1. Concept Development
 
  • Inspiration and Research:
    • Gather inspiration from trends, mood boards, cultural references, or past collections.
    • Research the target market, competitors, and emerging fashion trends.
  • Theme Selection:
    • Decide on the theme or aesthetic for the collection, including colors, textures, and motifs.
       
2. Design Phase
 
  • Sketching:
    • Create initial sketches, either hand-drawn or digital, for various garments in the collection.
  • Color and Fabric Selection:
    • Select a color palette that compliments the collection theme.
    • Choose appropriate fabrics, considering the design, functionality, and budget.
  • Technical Drawings:
    • Produce detailed technical sketches (flats) of each design with front, back, and side views, including sewing details.
       
3. Development of Prototypes
 
  • Pattern Making:
    • Develop patterns for each design, which can be done manually or with software (e.g., CAD).
  • Sample Making:
    • Sew initial samples (prototypes) to bring sketches to life.
    • Adjust designs based on fitting, balance, and appearance.
  • Fit Testing and Adjustments:
    • Conduct fittings with models or mannequins to evaluate the fit and make necessary modifications.
    • Adjust patterns to refine the garment.
       
4. Sourcing
 
  • Material Sourcing:
    • Source fabrics, trims, buttons, zippers, and any other necessary materials.
    • Establish relationships with suppliers to ensure quality and on-time delivery.
  • Manufacturing Vendor Selection:
    • Identify suitable production partners or factories based on cost, quality, and production capabilities.
       
5. Production Planning
 
  • Production Sample:
    • Develop a final sample, called the "production sample," that will be used as the benchmark for the manufacturing process.
  • Tech Pack Creation:
    • Create a technical package ("tech pack") that includes all garment details, such as specifications, materials, stitching, sizing, colors, and finishing touches.
  • Costing:
    • Calculate production costs, including labor, materials, packaging, shipping, and overheads, to determine the final cost and pricing.
       
6. Manufacturing
 
  • Production Run:
    • Begin full-scale production once all samples are approved and materials are ready.
    • Regularly communicate with the manufacturer to ensure quality standards are met and timelines are followed.
  • Quality Control:
    • Conduct quality checks throughout production to ensure consistency and adherence to design specifications.
       
7. Post-Production
 
  • Finishing:
    • Finish the garments with pressing, tagging, labeling, and adding any final trims.
  • Quality Assurance:
    • Perform a final quality check to ensure that the garments are free of defects.
       
8. Distribution
 
  • Packaging:
    • Package the finished garments for shipment.
    • Consider branding elements like custom boxes, tags, or inserts to enhance the consumer experience.
  • Shipping:
    • Ship garments to distribution centers, retailers, or direct-to-consumer, depending on your sales strategy.
       
9. Sales and Marketing
 
  • Marketing Campaigns:
    • Develop a marketing plan to promote the collection through social media, advertising, and collaborations.
  • Launch and Sales:
    • Launch the collection via your chosen sales channels (e-commerce, retail stores, or pop-up shops).
    • Engage in post-launch promotional activities, such as influencer marketing or events.
       
10. Post-Launch Analysis
 
  • Customer Feedback:
    • Gather customer feedback on the fit, style, and quality of the garments.
  • Sales Analysis:
    • Analyze sales data to understand the success of the collection and inform future designs.
       
This outline represents a streamlined approach to taking a garment from an initial idea to a finished product ready for market. Each step is critical to ensuring that the final product meets the designer’s vision, customer expectations, and quality standards.

In my experience costing is an imperative part of the process, to ensure your clothing is priced appropriately.  Errors can derail production.  Market research and sale analysis top the list as stages that deserve focused attention, target audience, knowledge of what styles and sizes will be most popular will prevent overstock.  Overstock in the wrong sizes will leads to a necessary price reduction to move sizes and loss in profit.  My favorite part of the design to production process is inspirational/research and the design phase. I’d like feedback on what is the most favorite part of the process.  Please comment below!
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