TECHNICAL DESIGN Archives - The Business of Fashion

A Day in the Life of a Technical Designer

: Raw Denim Jeans

So, it’s one thing to explain what a Technical Designer’s job description is, but I figured it would be more interesting (maybe?) to go into detail on what I do on a daily basis. Below I wrote down what I did yesterday at work, which is what a typical day is like for me.

9:15 AM :

I arrive at the office and check my email to see if the shit hit the fan since the previous day. 🙂

I am an Import Technical Designer and all of our factories and vendors are in China. So, with the time difference, they start replying to emails once we’re done for the day.

9:15 – 10:00 AM:

I answer emails and make a few urgent revisions to my tech packs.

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM:

I begin working on my tech packs, giving priority to those with a tight delivery.

Starting on a tech pack, I check over the sketch done by design and check it against the sample and the information that was given to me by my Technical Design Associate.

My first few tech packs that I was working on, the sketch didn’t match the pattern card or the sample, so I had to call design to figure out which was correct.

After I’ve made the revisions to the sketch, I move on and do my Sewing Details page in Illustrator. I call out all stitching and sewing information. You can see a sample Sewing Details page here.

We use WebPDM which makes doing tech packs WAY faster and easier. I upload my Sewing Details in WebPDM, and add label and hangtag information and placements to the tech pack.

The last page I work on is the BOM page. I list all of the fabrics along with the yields, trims, and packaging items and quantities. This is so the Coster knows everything this garment will need in production and get a cost on it.

After I have my completed tech pack, I generate the final product and email it out to production.

12:00 – 1:00 PM:

I have lunch at this yummy mexican restaurant that has really great lunch specials! 2 hard shell chicken tacos with rice and beans for $5.95 please! 🙂

1:00 – 4:00 PM:

Revisions, revisions, revisions. My revisions had been piling up, mainly due to the fact that they decided to change the fly stitching on a pair of jeans from a cross-over stitch to a regular double needle stitch. It was too difficult for the factory to execute in production which gave me a good 20 styles to revise. So, this is what I spent most of my afternoon doing.

4:00 – 6:00PM:

Back to my tech packs. I spend the rest of my day finishing up the rest of my tech packs and emailing them out. I get emailed a new list of buys, so I know that it starts all over again tomorrow morning! 🙂

So, there you have it! A typical day for me. If you would like me to go into further detail on anything, leave me a comment!

What is the Salary of a Fashion Designer?

By 2 Comments

So, you’re passion is fashion design?

And now you’re wondering – what is the salary of a fashion designer?

A Fashion Designer’s salary is mainly based on three different factors – location, education/experience, and the type of company you are working for.

Location

The location of your new Fashion Design position makes all the difference in your salary. In the United States, most jobs in the fashion industry are going to be located in New York City or Los Angeles. Jobs in NYC usually pay more than in L.A., but it also costs significantly more to live in NYC. There are also jobs scattered throughout cities like Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, and Miami. Sometimes jobs in these areas can pay more than in Los Angeles or New York simply because its harder to recruit candidates to those locations. Based on my experience, the average Fashion Designer’s salary in Los Angeles is about $70,000. This doesn’t include any bonuses that a designer may receive in addition to their base salary because that number can vary greatly.
Education & Experience

Your education and experience in the industry also will influence your salary. The feeling I get in the industry in L.A. is that experience is given more importance over education. Most employers don’t really care whether you did a 2 year, 4 year, or dropped out before you finished your program, IF you have the experience. But, when exploring jobs in other areas such as NYC or Dallas, or the Midwest, I found that they were still very interested in the education I had received no matter how much experience I had. Starting out as an entry-level Fashion Designer (you will most likely be an assistant), your average salary will be about $30,000-$40,000. Once you have a few years experience and reach mid-level, you’re salary will be about $40,000 – $60,000. After you have over 7 years of experience, on average a Fashion Designer can make anywhere from $60,000 – $120,000. It is possible to make even more than that as well depending on the company you’re working for.
Type of Company

The type of company you work for will directly impact your salary. If you work at a smaller start-up company, your salary will be a lot less than if you work for an already established corporate company. Also, you may choose to freelance and work with many different companies. Freelancers usually charge more, but it usually evens out since the work is not always steady and you will have to pay for your own benefits.

What have you discovered about Fashion Designer salaries?

What is a Technical Designer in the Fashion Industry?

By 29 Comments

While it’s pretty easy to come across a general description of what a Technical Designer is and what they do, I’ve found it’s a little more difficult to figure out what it is that they actually do at work.

Quite frankly, I’ve been to interviews where the person interviewing me doesn’t even really know what it is that a Technical Designer does, yet they know they need to hire one. That being said, this is how I, as a Technical Designer, like to explain it.

For starters, I don’t believe that limits should be set for a Technical Designer. Each company’s needs can vary greatly for a Technical Designer. One company may prefer to have their Technical Designer be more a part of their Design Team and another company may prefer to have them more a part of the Production Team with varying responsibilities.

The Technical Designer should in fact work as a liaison between Design and Production. They are essentially the engineers of fashion. Once a garment has been designed, someone has to figure out how to make it!

I’m going to go into the details of what most Technical Designers do and then follow up with any additional responsibilities that may be required of a Technical Designer. The fun part is that no two Technical Design jobs are ever the same and your learning opportunities are endless!

So here we go….

1. When you get a sketch from design – its go time! This may be a hand sketch or a sketch already done in Illustrator by design. If your sketch is done by hand – you will have to create a front and back flat sketch of the garment in Illustrator. You will have to work with the designer to ensure you have all the correct details – number of buttons, stitch gauges, thread colors, etc.

Front & Back Flat Sketch

2. Now that you have your sketch, you will begin to create a Technical Package (also referred to as a Tech Pack, or TP). A Tech Pack’s basic pages are Sewing Details, Points of Measurement (or POM), Wash Description (mostly with denim), Label/Hangtag Placement, Bill of Materials (or BOM), and Packaging Instructions. All of these details are very important – the more detailed the better. Usually production is done in overseas factories where English is not their first language – so pictures, diagrams, and sketches are very helpful. (It also can save your butt if something comes in wrong – if it’s not in your TP or the TP was wrong, your company may incur a chargeback from the customer that bought it. If it was included in your TP and the TP was correct, then the factory must absorb the cost of the mistake.) Please see My Portfolio for what a finished Tech Pack looks like with all of the different pages.

3. After the Tech Pack has been created, it is emailed to the factory where production will take place. From the TP and pattern, the factory will create a first fit sample. When the first sample comes in, it is spec’d (measured) and if it is out of tolerance it is noted in the fit comments. Then, a fitting is scheduled with a fit model and any other adjustments are noted as well. For example – even if the specs were correct on the first sample, the designer may not like the look of the back pockets on a pair of pants once it is on the fit model and will want to adjust it. Once all of the fit comments have been made, the Technical Designer sends the comments to the factory and adjusts the Tech Pack accordingly. Usually fittings are attended by the designer, the TD, and the patternmaker. This fit process is repeated until the desired look and fit are achieved. Once it is approved, it is ready for production.

So, while the above is generally what Technical Designers do, it is definitely not limited to that. I’ve been in positions where in addition to the above, I am also helping the patternmaker check their patterns, calculating the shrinkage for fabrics, helping the design team out with sketching and designing and also creating embroideries. On the other hand, I’ve also done less than described above in other positions. At some companies I was not required to do fits at all. These companies had a Fit Technician that only handled fits while I only handled creating the Tech Packs.

If you have any other specific questions, don’t hesitate to leave me a comment and I’ll be sure to comment back!

Other Tech Designers – what process do you follow at work?

10 Things I’ve Learned From Working in the Fashion Industry for Ten Years

By 3 Comments

In July 2002, I headed out to Los Angeles from Wisconsin with plans of a fashion career. I arrived with my two suitcases in downtown L.A. at my new apartment having never visited L.A. before in my life.

Ten years and 6 jobs and 2 clothing boutiques later, I’ve accumulated my fair share of knowledge in the fashion industry.

Here are some of the things I’ve learned…

1) Fashion School is full of idiots.

There, I said it.

Ok, so obviously not everyone in fashion school is an idiot. But, what I did learn is that there tends to be a lot of folks in fashion school that only like the idea of being in the fashion industry. They are not interested in investing the actual work that goes along with it. Usually these are the people that end up not working in the fashion industry all together. I would suggest identifying the ones in your classes that are taking school seriously and keep in contact with them throughout your school experience. These will ultimately be your co-workers once you enter the job market and prove to be valuable contacts in the long run. I can’t tell you how many jobs I have been offered from people that are working in the industry that I knew from school. Networking starts your first day of class! So, show up and perform at your best!

2) Internships are key to landing your first job.

Without a doubt, finding an internship before you graduate will be imperative to finding work after graduation. Your internship may even lead to a full-time position! You can find internships through your counselor at school or online postings from your school website. If you have a particular company that you would like to intern for, contact them directly and see if they have any internships available. This works especially well with smaller companies or designers that are just starting out. They are looking for the extra help and what you can learn from them is often priceless.

3) Experience, experience, experience.

Experience will most likely get you further than your degree. My first job was mainly from my internship work I did while in school. I was able to build a great portfolio at my internship and was one step ahead of those who didn’t intern. There were times that I accepted certain positions because I knew that I would be gaining invaluable experience and knowledge in that position even if it wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone!

4) Be ready to wear more than one hat in your new position. (More like 132 different hats.)

I would say nine out of ten jobs you take in the fashion industry you will be doing significantly more than what is first described to you in your interview. You have to be ready and willing to pick up the slack wherever it is needed. You may have been hired as a Technical Designer, but you may also be required to help check the patterns, adjust the grading, run to the wash house and pick up samples… the list goes on and on. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, its just adding to your experience. 🙂

5) The fashion industry is not glamorous.

I know everyone would love to believe that we work in fabulous buildings with fabulous interiors and dress up every day like we’re ready to walk the runway. Unfortunately, that’s usually not the case. The fashion industry isn’t as glamorous as it is made out to be on television. Usually the buildings and areas (especially in Los Angeles) are less than desirable and most employees choose comfort over fashion in the work place. You definitely don’t want to be caught in 5 inch heels having to run around all day to the sewers, patternmakers, etc. Unless you have an important meeting that day, it is easier to get around in flats, jeans, and a tank.

6) It is easier than you think to start your own business.

Working as a Technical Designer for most of my career in the fashion industry, I have met countless numbers of people that want to start their own business. After opening two clothing boutiques, I found that while its a lot of work, it is definitely attainable for anyone. You just have to start somewhere. Once you finish the first step, it leads you to the second step and then the third step. The idea is to be persistent and keep moving forward until you have reached your goal!

7) Great perks.

Ahhh yes… the perks. Some of the best things about working in the fashion industry are these type of benefits. More often than not you get a great discount on the clothes your company produces. This discount can be anywhere from 35%-75% off retail. You will probably also end up with many free samples to add to your closet. I myself have upwards of 75 pairs of jeans from working at a denim company! (Yes, I know that is completely a ridiculous amount of jeans for any one person to have.) You may also find yourself invited to fashion shows and special events or parties sponsored by your company. This all makes the hard work and often long hours worth it!

8 ) Recruiters are the way to go.

Recruiters will help you find a job. Plain and simple. They’re rooting for you and will find jobs fitting your experience, guide you through the interview process and negotiate a salary and benefits on your behalf. My recruiters have helped me immensely when I’m job hunting. Here are a few fashion recruiting companies to get you started:

24 Seven

Fourth Floor Fashion

JBCStyle

9) Expect to be laid off at some point in your career.

The fashion industry is a very unstable industry to work in. One day something’s hot, the next its not. So, don’t take it personally or get too upset if you get laid off. There’s always another job with a company that has the next hottest item. It is not uncommon to work for a dozen different companies in your career.

10) There will be opportunities to travel.

Whether you are a designer, a boutique owner, or in quality control there may be opportunities for travel. You may have to go to China or Mexico and check on production or speed the design process along to make sure deliveries are met. If you own a boutique you’ll want to travel to Vegas for the Magic Show or New York during market week to buy the latest styles for your store. So, if travel is your thing, there are many opportunities to be found in fashion!

As always if you have any questions or need any advice that I didn’t answer, leave a comment! I’m here to help!