2008 NEWS from BOSTON DESIGN LAB (BDL)

HAPPY NEW 2008!

The purpose for Boston Design Laboratory™ (BDL) is to redesign the fashion industry in Boston, through creative research of new production technologies and new business structures – for consumers to obtain fashions at reasonable cost, and to help DEs (design entrepreneurs) and dressmakers to make a good income – increasingly more difficult in today’s markets. Our research divides the industry into 4 design functions, and forms collaborations of self-employed DEs to develop the new systems. The 4 functions were determined by Shirley Willett, the founder of BDL, in a 2004 paper prepared for Massachusetts Institute of Technology to compare design practices in the fashion apparel industry with other industries, as architecture and automobiles.

In the 21st century every DE must have skills in 4 functions, or collaboratively link to all 4 – because services aren’t available. Each function requires designing – meaning pre-planning.

1. CREATIVE DESIGN is the initial fashion idea with a plan for the functions of: 2) patterns, 3) marketing and 4) production.
When meeting, BDL functions as an informal Design Room, in which we critique each others’ designs, play with fabrics, study ideas for the right consumer, discuss the patterns and any technical problems, and plan the production of the first and repetitions. We are planning a small collaborative collection for 2008, to test BDL’s technology and business ideas. We are also considering a catalog of diverse design ideas at different stages for selling to DEs, dressmakers, and customers.

2. PATTERN DESIGN & ENGINEERING: Patterns are information systems, planned and engineered for production processes, and includes information on specific consumer types.
The Stylometrics Pattern Templates, a foundation pattern making system, was researched in NSF grants and tested by many designers and dressmakers, for making pattern design easier, faster, ready for produc-tion, and more adaptable to custom design. They are ideal for flat 2-D work or for creative draping as on an armature in sculpture. We are building an instruction booklet for selling them.

3. MARKET DESIGN & SELLING is the presentation of fashion products to customers for their acceptance, and must have a pre-designed plan.
For DEs and dressmakers to make a better income, without high prices which will destroy selling in today’s markets, many expensive middling costs must be studied and eliminated. In BDL, we are discuss-ing a possible Fashion Consultants collaboration for selling direct to consumers through trunk shows, home parties, etc. We are also planning some “fitting standards” for mass-produced custom.

4. PRODUCTION DESIGN & ENGINEERING is the plan and management of production processes: cutting, sewing, pressing, trimming - one, many, custom.
Stylometrics Templates are designed for efficient production. BDL is designing a Boutique Production system for collaboratively making quality small lots or custom for less cost. Eventually we hope to collaboratively structure a “Timeshare Factory”, a place for Boutique Production.

Cathy Horne, NYT & Creative Technological Solutions

Cathy Horne, the fashion editor of the New York Times, has started a blog. Her articles are excellent, especially about the Haute Couture. I was so impressed by her blog post today, that I made a comment. Please go to the blog and be sure to click on the Digital Flipbook at the end of her blog, and you will see an entire collection of steps that Alber Elbaz, the designer at Lanvin, went through to create a technological solution to a problem. The two photos here are from that Flipbook. You can see the post at http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/?th&emc=th

The title of her blog today, is HOWJADOTHAT? She starts: "From time to time on this blog, I’d like to show you how something is done, in the hopes of better explaining the creative process. Not long ago in New York, over lunch with the now-pinned Alber Elbaz, we got to talking about the trouble with futurism. At the spring 07 shows in Milan and Paris, futurism was suddenly the buzz word. But, as Elbaz pointed out, tomorrow is actually a difficult place to reach. ... He asked an Italian mill to produce a fabric that was 100 percent polyester. Yet, as modern as the fabric looked, the seamstresses at Lanvin had trouble sewing it. “I thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing — a fabric that rejects pins,’.” Elbaz said. “Some fabrics are very stubborn. They don’t want to be told what to do.” Nothing worked at first. “We tried using elastic. Too Adidas. We tried using jewels. Too cheap-looking. You start questioning yourself.” Eventually Elbaz found that if he basted silk organza underneath the polyester, he could get the voluptuous shape he wanted. “It really challenged me,” he said. “You want to give up and you want to win.”

MY COMMENT (They printed it on the NYT blog)
Thank you, Cathy Horne. I have always loved your articles because you are not afraid to "shoot from the hip" when necessary about the haute couture. Your blog, again, shows what is necessary to be said. To reveal what "technological" work some designers go through in their research and experimentation is so needed by the young and often foolishly romantic designer entrepreneurs and fashion school students - who worship the ridiculous Project Runway as their ideal.

After almost 60 years in the fashion industry as a designer & manufacturer of high fashion, and winning engineering design grants for the fashion industry, I know well what it is like to spend effort on creative technological solutions like Alber Elbaz on lining polyester with silk organza to achieve the desired result. Today, as a mentor for the very few young designers who can achieve something worthwhile for the future, I motivate them toward excellence in researching technology to compliment great creative ideas.

S-Patterns and SELF (Self-Employed Laboratory of Fashion)

As an important reminder I will mention about S.E.L.F. structure on each blog post, that we are a Laboratory for research and solving problems in couture and high fashion design and production – for DEs and consumers all over the world – because you are the ones that need our help, and to whom I am committed. The same solutions can be used in lower priced apparel and big name manufacturers, but it is the high fashion market that desperately needs to learn quality yet also cost-effective ways of producing.I could give you many examples of bad shape/fit and poor workmanship on shape/fit on $2000 and up brand label apparel. But, if you truly want to sell and you’re not a “brand label”, then consider trying out our “S-Pattern” system. Yesterday’s blog post gave you a little on the S-Patterns for developing a fashion style. And in order to get these patterns you must learn first how to use them – in 3 learning lessons.

By January 6, 2007, we will have the first lesson on the web for you to do. You must email me of your interest to get the URL in an email reply.
1) The first lesson is about learning to SEE inside your mind, the 2-D & 3-D translations, which is what creative pattern making is all about. That is my Stylometrics system which I spent years researching with grants from the National Science Foundation, and is a non-mathematical system. You must have experience in sewing clothing to comprehend the system. Hopefully you have the ability to send me some sketches of shapes you draw by email. If not, then you can send by regular mail.
2) The second lesson is the experience of manipulating a primitive pattern to a new shape, still a creative, observing methodology.
3) The third lesson is the experience of adding seam allowances in such a way that an industrial stitcher can make the style cost-effectively.

Some have been asking me questions, such as learning ways to get better fitting. This is way down the road, and there are many new things to learn first about a new system. “First things first” and “One step at a time”, are some philosophies to guide you. Remember that the S-Patterns are “standards”, that are used to evolve all styles, shapes, and fit from. It’s the key by which we can help you with every pattern evolved from it. I’ve had a university in Singapore quote and praise the concept in the mid-1990s. A CAD vendor in Germany in 2001 contacted me about using the Stylometrics system. We emailed back and forth, until I realized he wanted me to design a way to put my system on top of his CAD system. I said no way, being a “standard”, he had to design a way to put his CAD system on top of my pattern system. We failed to agree, and I now realize that it’s best to teach it to the young DEs and consumers, and forget old hat CAD vendors & apparel manufacturers.

Please email me and let me know your interest, so that as soon as the URL is ready I will send it to you. Meanwhile, have a Happy & Successful New 2007. Shirley

Generic S-Pattern & Developing a Dress Style Idea

On 12.9.06 I showed you the Generic Empire Sheath, which we are now calling “AB-1”, and is shown again here on the right. “AB” is the title of the basic sheath dress as a combination of A Bodice and B Sheath skirt. I just designed the draped dress, sketched on the left, and it will be developed from the Generic Empire Sheath Dress, or AB-1. The new style has draping that takes the place of darts, something I love to do. By developing it from the generic, the dress will maintain a “standard” of sizing and shaping, which is an imperative for those who are repeating a style for customers. The new style is a “simulated wrap”. That is, the piece diagonally crossing over the front covers the side zipper and is attached after putting the dress on. There are some complexities, but they are in the “construction”, not in the development of the pattern shape. As we are developing the many generic patterns for DEs (Designer/Entrepreneurs), we are also going to develop a small collection for spring/summer that will test these generics, and will be sold to consumers. Not only can DEs buy the generic patterns, but they can also buy the patterns for the styles we develop.

I know I said I would give you more on setting up for beginning instructions on S-Patterns. But, this was all I could get done today. I will continue tomorrow.