forewarned is forearmed

From concept to closet: Patience is key

People are by nature very optimistic about what they can get done in a day. In practice, everyone run out of time.

Do you also underestimate the time you need to get things done?

On paper the road from idea to production might seem like a smooth ride, but in real life, there can be a lot of bumps in the road, so it’s important to be prepared.

There are various mistakes and misjudgments you can easily make as a emerging designer. In a series of blogs I share some tips to help you recognize and avoid some common pitfalls.

Pitfall 1: Not taking enough time for development and production

Watch out for pitfall #1: not giving yourself enough time for the development and production phase.

It’s easy for starting designers to get excited and want to rush their designs out into the world, but it’s important to remember that the development and production process takes time.

The development of a new collection is a nine-to-twelve month process for most brands and more for an independent designer with a limited budget.

You have to deal with multiple people and companies, have meetings and make adjustments, and all have their own schedule and delivery times.

Plus, you’ll need to find the right pattern maker, manufacturer, and fabric and trim suppliers. Building relationships with these people and companies takes time, and even then, don’t expect everything to go perfectly the first time.

you can't expect to start working on a collection in November and have it ready in February

Time consumers

A few examples of bigger and smaller slowdowns, interruptions and showstoppers:

The tech pack is frequently skipped to save money and time. You won’t be the first person whose first, second, and even third sample is not what you mean due to miscommunication. And the delay can be huge, 8 weeks is not exceptional.
Before you can take pictures, you must first prepare your samples, find a photographer, models, and a location. And maybe you’re depending on the weather as well. Getting all variables aligned can be tricky.
The manufacturer has other customers as well as a planning. It may take 2 to 3 months for them to start working on your order.
How long and for how long will the materials, samples and finished products travel? Even though the postal service does a decent job, packages do occasionally go missing. And I'm not even going to mention the checkbox that was forgotten on the customs form.

Timeline

If you already know what you want, set aside a minimum of six months for bringing your designs to life.

And if you haven’t crossed all the t’s yet, like what materials to use or where to find a reliable manufacturer, then give yourself at least 12 months.

And this is only the development and production stage.

This may not be quite what you want to hear, but there is no way to sugar-coat it. Getting your garments made simply takes time. And it is better to be pleasantly surprised by finishing ahead of schedule than to be disappointed by unexpected delays.