Roles, Designer constraints/considerations Flashcards
What is a Garment Technologist?
- Responsible for ensuring clothing is manufactured to required standards
- Skilled in pattern development & garment construction
- Work for retailers and manufacturers
- Checks design feasibility - rigorous testing
- Checks fit for purpose, conform to health and safety
- Choosing appropriate components for price and quality
What is a Buyer?
Responsible for keeping up to date with latest/future trends
- Trade shows, designer shows, trend predictions, decipher what to buy
- Important decision, retailer needs right stock - brand image, and right quantities
What is a Merchandiser?
- Responsible for Stock planning, management and control
- ANalyses what is selling well, feeds back to store and buyer to improve future decisions
- Distribution and allocation to stores
- Coordinates between buyer and retailer
What is a Visual Merchandiser?
- Responsible for store displays, window displays and creative themes throughout stores
- May be part of a team in a big store
- Work freelance for independent stores
What should buyer consider when buying new products/ranges?
- Budget
- Time scales
- Range/function
- Corporate identity
- Fashion influence/trends
- Fabrics
- Finishes
- Colours/patterns
- Safety standards
- Suppliers and lead times
- Sustainability
- Competitor’s collections
What are the constraints for a designer?
- Wholesale product prices
- Fabric properties
- Aesthetic appeal
- Pattern repeats
- Size/scale of pattern
- Colourways
- Fire safety standards
- Time scales
- Exclusivity
- Supplier availability
- Manufacturing processes
- Transportation
- Sustainability
What are the benefits of branded textiles?
- Brand names are a way of marketing to the consumer
- Gives assurance of quality/value
- More likely to reflect latest trends
- Freely available in number of outlets due to modern production and distribution systems
- Part of coordinating range
- Will have a stong marketing/advertising campaign so consumer is aware of the product in the market
Reworking clothes - benefits and drawbacks
+ Reduction of environmental damage by avoiding landfill and use of new resources
+ Ethical considerations
+ Individuality of new garments
+ In keeping with current attitudes to fashion (ethnic, vintage etc)
+ Low cost materials
+ Generates income for craft workers
- Irregular supplies, availability of suitable fabrics
- Cost of one-off manufacture
- Poor conditions of some garments
- Difficulties working with unknown/differing fibre content
