Our focus for this Masterclass is on The Design Process; from the first sketch to getting your designs ready for your production house, we're covering everything you need to know. We're honoured to have the expertise of award-winning fashion consultant, James Hillman, for this Masterclass. Charlie also takes us through ways you can think about sustainability and ethics within your designs. We also have invaluable information on developing technical packs for your factories, and how to design with environmentally beneficial fabrics. And to round it off, we have an amazing interview with a brand who has created 100% vegan shoes using unusual footwear materials, putting responsible design into practice. We also have two past events that through a live Q&A cover topics in more depth, including ethical design and creating a tech pack.
In this Masterclass you will learn:
- How the Critical Path can keep you on track
- What the design process involves, from creating mood boards through to sampling
- How to realise your designs into patterns
- How to manage the production processes, from setting up a supply chain to quality control
- How to create a tech pack, with three handy downloadable guides and templates
- Sustainable design practices that you can implement, like emotional durability and zero waste
- How to grow your business with one core principle
-
Fashion Design Calendar
with James HillmanSummary
In this video, James takes us through an overview of a traditional fashion design calendar, also known as a critical path.
-
The Creative Process
with James HillmanSummary
In this video James talks about how to start the design process, developing your initial ideas and building the range, finalising the designs for a collection and the changes to the collection after sampling.
-
Creating Your Designs & Pattern Cutting
with James HillmanSummary
In this video James covers how to realise your design into a product, how to make patterns factory ready and tips on sending patterns to factories and managing the production process.
-
The Design Process to Production
with James HillmanSummary
In this video, James takes us through the basics of working with a factory, with some top tips on the questions to ask and what you need to have organised and finished before you meet them.
-
Sustainable Design
with Charlie Bradley RossSummary
Fashion has an immense impact on the environment and on the millions of people who work in it. To rescue our planet from society's throwaway culture, designers must begin to help consumers realise the importance of sustainability. Using sustainable design practices, we can create products that are environmentally, socially and financially better. Once consumers recognise the superiority of these types of products their preferences will slowly shift away from low quality, fast choices. When this happens, we can immediately see a significant reduction in the wasteful practise of buying and throwing away clothes.
In this video, we discuss some of the many different sustainable design approaches. I hope you adopt these methods yourself, or even better, inspire you to create your own innovative approach to more sustainable design practice.
-
How To Conduct Good Research
with Malin EkengrenSummary
Malin Ekengren is a denim specialist with years of experience designing for well-renowned denim brands, including Levi Strauss & Co. In this bitesize 7 minute lesson, Malin takes you through how to conduct good research so that your product is rooted in the past, but innovates for the future. Though Malin has a background in denim, this advice is applicable to all product design research.
This webinar was edited and renamed with permission by Transformers Foundation, where this presentation originally aired as part of TransformersED, and by Malin Ekengren themself.
Thumbnail image: from Malin's presentation
-
Understand Your Customer Profile To Design Products With Longevity
with Sue BarrettSummary
Sue Barrett is the founder of Denim Forum, a creative strategy, trend and advice agency focussed on helping creative businesses and brands unlock their purpose to anchor their business for growth. In this 11 minute lesson, Sue takes you on a journey of trend forecasting, and how you yourself can profile customers to build a brand that can sell, be trusted, and be desired. Though Sue's background is denim-product focussed, the inspiring learnings from this presentation cross over into all product categories, and especially those where consumer tribes are more notable, for instance, footwear.
This webinar was edited and renamed with permission by Transformers Foundation, where this presentation originally aired as part of TransformersED, and by Malin Ekengren themself.
Thumbnail image: from Denim Forum
Interviews
Past Events

How to put together a tech pack and Q &A with Award Winning Fashion Consultant
Wednesday Nov 1st, 2017 - 00:00am
12 February 2018 Live: Producing Ethical Designs with Socially & Environmentally Beneficial Textiles
Tuesday Jan 30th, 2018 - 00:00amAdditional Information (links)
Free Tech Pack and Illustrator Guide from Sew Heidi
Follow on Masterclasses:
Introduction To Pattern Cutting
Additional Reading
Spring Summer 2022 Colour And Material Trends: Premiére Vision
Monday Feb 22nd, 2021
What is Fast Fashion and Why Is It Still So Popular?
Monday Jan 20th, 2020
Eco producers, manufacturers and innovators at Première Vision September 2019
Monday Sep 30th, 2019
Tips for attending fabric trade shows like Première Vision
Monday Sep 30th, 2019
The sustainable brands redefining luxury with made-to-order business models
Monday Sep 16th, 2019
Start treating your offcuts with respect with these creative upcycling ideas for fabric scraps
Monday Aug 19th, 2019
Sustainable Fashion Packaging Alternatives for Eco Businesses
Monday Jul 15th, 2019
What Is Zero Waste Fashion Design All About?
Wednesday Apr 26th, 2017
Sorona: Amazing Dupont Technologies Creates Sustainable Fabric to Replace Nasty Synthetic Ones!
Thursday Apr 6th, 2017
Fabric Into Fuel: Repurposing Plastic Waste
Tuesday Jan 17th, 2017