Blue is the New Black: The 10 Step Guide to Developing and Producing a Fashion Collection - Softcover

Breuer, Susie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9063693400 ISBN 13: 9789063693404

Publisher: BIS Publishers, 2013

Synopsis

Written for fashion graduates, newbie entrepreneurs and those in entry-level positions in the industry, Blue is the New Black demystifies the process of how to make a fashion collection accessible for all levels. It’s a reference guide, a buddy, and an overview of who, what and where.

About this title

About the Author

Over the past 23 years, Susie Breuer has worked in all areas of the garment industry from shop floor to development and production of a luxury brand. Present: Co-Lab54: Founded a consultancy to facilitate project collaborations with fashion companies, in addition tocoaching and teaching workshops on product development, planning and strategy. Past: - Production and Development Director for TH Collection; Tommy Hilfiger Europe BV. - Production and Development Director K Karl Lagerfeld. - Design Manager Pepe Jeans London/Spain/Amsterdam. - Published writer; LECOOL Amsterdam, website and book. Specialties: Product development, project management, planning, strategy, sourcing, range planning, mentoring, coaching and writing.

From the Back Cover

Written for fashion graduates, newbie entrepreneurs and those in entry-level positions in the industry, Blue is the New Black demystifies the process of how to make a fashion collection accessible for all levels. It's a reference guide, a buddy, and a bible of who, what and where.

Fashion is a multi-billion-dollar industry. It's not just about sketching an outfit, it's about selecting fabric, developing buttons, sourcing a factory, negotiating prices, making patterns, seeing the final launch and selling garments. This multi-faceted industry is exciting, enigmatic and endless. With many fashion schools now recognising the importance of including technical modules to their degrees, this guide is the perfect accompaniment to the relevant modules with its vocational a to z approach of what happens in the workplace, including how to build and maintain key business relationships. In that respect, it fills a gap in the market of books that give guidance for professionals embarking on or preparing for a career in the fashion industry.

People who buy Blue is the New Black want to know how to create a collection. They want to roll up their sleeves and do it, but they need practical instruction on the different phases. They don't want to read about data management systems or the latest developments in polyester thread; they want to understand what a range plan is and how to look at a prototype in a factory.
Understanding the three profiles of her readers "first jobber, creative entrepreneur and creative graduate" as the author does, she realized that the publications currently available would alienate them and ignore their needs. Seeing this gap in the market, she wrote it herself, to the benefit of a million young professionals and students aspiring to enter and get ahead in the fashion industry.

This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in the world of fashion" - Sir Paul Smit

"Breuers 10 Step Guide distills core industry knowledge into an easily digestible format - Fred Gehring (CEO Tommy Hilfiger)

" A must for anyone wanting a career in fashion" - Arts Thread

"Sheds a clear light on what it takes to create a collection, how to build a brand and also key business relationships" - Superfuture

"This book is an absolute must-read for everyone working in fashion or with ambitions to do so." - Mariëte Hoitink

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Blue is the New Black

The 10 Step Guide to Developing and Producing a Fashion Collection

By Susie Breuer

BIS Publishers

Copyright © 2012 Susie Breuer and BIS Publishers
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-90-6369-340-4

Contents

Foreword, 
Preface, 
About this Book, 
1. The Workings of the Fashion Industry, 
2. The Concept, 
5. Range Planning, 
4. Fabrics, 
5. Development and Production, 
6. Branding, 
7. Factories, 
8. Review, 
9. Launching and Sales, 
10. The Future, 
Inside Perspective, 
Key Dates Calendar, 
Holiday Closures, 
Glossary and Index, 
Useful Sites, 

CHAPTER 1

The Workings of the Fashion Industry

This book is written specifically to deal with the functions and responsibilities of the developer and the production coordinator. It is aimed at anyone who wants to break in to the industry in these roles, but also for those currently working for a brand, whether alone or in a team. The roles of the developer and the production coordinator are fundamental to the creation of any collection as they work closely alongside every team in the brand, ensuring that the collection is created, priced, constructed and delivered at the right time and to the right place.

THE ROLE OF THE DEVELOPER/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

If you are a developer or a production coordinator you usually need to anticipate problems and have the solutions ready before they arise, and to be that problem solver, you need you need to be analytical and organized.

You don't have to be a total number cruncher to succeed, but you do need to be comfortable with numbers, understand their relevance and how to use them. With so much information changing through every stage of the creation, you must have an organized mind to cope. Make plenty of lists, spreadsheets and tables with filters to keep on top of everything. Working with creative teams and factories can be exciting as well as infuriating. Learning how to negotiate with people as well as prices is an asset. Negotiating with a designer to keep the cost price of a style low whilst maintaining his vision is hard but rewarding. Colours, garments and fabrics change almost every day during development, so be flexible about change and open to new ideas and ways of working.

Last but not least, have an eye for detail. In both development and production, looking at every small detail of garments, prints and fabrics is key. It is your job to notice the flaw in the fabric, the shade difference in a colour, or the fact that on a sample one sleeve is longer than the other.

OTHER ROLES IN THE TEAM

Every fashion company is different when it comes to job titles, but there are certain key roles in every company that are needed to develop a fashion collection.

In general, a brand is made up of four areas of expertise:

> design,

> development,

> production and

> merchandising.

In short, the designer designs the collection, the developer is the link between the designer and the factory, the production coordinator makes sure the collection is made and delivered, and the merchandiser is in charge of the financial part of the business.

In order to understand in detail the parts played by all these in the creation of a collection and how their roles relate to each other, here is a short overview of their interrelationships.

DESIGN

The designer designs the garments, prints and embroideries for the collection. Together with the developer, he will also select the colours and fabrics for the garments an

Edition details

• Publisher: BIS Publishers
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9063693400
• ISBN 13: 9789063693404
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 232