Comments on: Are designers, designers? Dedicated to the incompetent

By: passionflower

passionflower — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 19:14:34 +0000

It’s so true. Why is it that retailers like Barney’s,Neiman’s, Sak’s, act like frustrated designers “guiding” real, trained designers to change their concept or they won’t carry it? Instead of taking a risk and carrying the line because it’s genius and taking the time to understand and promote it.
Then when it goes terribly wrong (no sales, interest etc) the designer gets dropped.
Since when are they the rockstars of the fashion world? Since when do they know about subtle nuance and appreciation of design.

By: allison

allison — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:56:59 +0000

To me this is just another sign of what is wrong with off-shoring and globalization. When we graduate and all we do on the job is put together tech-packs of knock offs, we miss everything!!!!!!! All of the other learning and skills that are required to create things new and different!! It has not all been done yet!!! But we need to have the process here that we built to keep moving forward with new and interesting things. Doesn’t it take 10 full time years to become an excellent pattern maker?? I thought that as a designer I needed to hone those skills on the job!! I thought I would acquire more skills, by learning from my designers on the job. I am so mad!!! about all of this!!! To the next level. The designer/manufacturer does not have the upper hand today, because we are getting phased out by retailers that will all deal direct w/ Communist China in a matter of 10 years tops (I am thinking). And a lot of us are having trouble just acquiring the skills and tricks of the trade from people that are not around anymore to pass on the torch. Maybe I am just a fool for choosing to educate my self in a field that is no longer going to exist in America in the next 10 years. I have been thinking a lot lately that I did not do my research well enough before buying into this fashion school lie.

By: allison

allison — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 22:53:48 +0000

By: Diane

Diane — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 17:09:36 +0000

Sahara is spot on. The value of clothing has changed, another disposable commodity from a cheap labor source. There was quite the discussion about this over at the On The Runway blog regarding Sarah Jessica Parker’s new line called Bitten. Supposedly catering to what women “need” rather than what they want. SJP and Steve and Barry (the retailer) think we want 14 dollar coats and 10 dollar knock off handbags.
Apparently the “better” brands are made in the same factories as the cheap stuff, just a higher profit margin for the Brand.

My Mom is still wearing polyester double knit from the 70s. Yikes! I wish the damn things would wear out. I’d love to buy her new clothes but I know she wouldn’t wear them because her old ones are still perfectly serviceable.

By: sahara

sahara — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:24:49 +0000

This is why I left the garment district, and started working as an artisan. No one’s interested in a designer as a patternmaker; you now have Micrografix Designer, WEB PDM, and Illustrator.

The few times I freelance, all I have to do is put together “tech packs” to send overseas, based on the retailers instructions. What’s to design? You tear out magazine pics and cheapen the garment. No one goes on “inspiration travel” anymore.

Most young women here in NYC don’t dress up, as the fierce outfits cost thousands, and they don’t have that kind of money. They express ourselves through shoes and bags (the way women in other states do through their cars), which is why Saks shoe dept will have its own zip code. When I go out, all I see is designer denim, $1000 handbags and shoes.

At Macy’s I went from researching trends and coming up with sketches, to being told what sold for their private label lines last year, and let’s change the colorways. Once at a line planning meeting, I risked getting fired, for asking the dumb question, “don’t you think the customer will realize that they have the same sweater in their draw at home, only in a different colorway?”

Apparently not, as no one keeps anything that long. With the rise of credit cards, the value towards clothing has changed. Maybe you’ll see a rise in consciousness, when everyone’s cards are maxed out.

By: massa

massa — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:53:57 +0000

It’s really ridiculous to finger-point and to rank the occupations (e.g. designer better than patternmaker vice versa) because people in fashion industry are dependent on each other. Also, it’s been said that fashion is dead or similar phrase in each period( 1900s or even before ~ now), and I’m tired of this kind of article. A few genius or talented people open the path and lead, so why not wait until the time to come. Am I too optimistic or an idealist? On my personal level, a problem is that people enter this industry considering fashion as an easy million-dollar job.

By: J C Sprowls

J C Sprowls — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:21:32 +0000

My perception of this is that Simons is cautioning the designer to carefully weigh creativity against business sensibility. Of all the models I see, the most successful design enterprises (e.g. interior, architecture, apparel, furniture, etc) do just that – a “core” line and a “conceptual” line.

Just a couple seasons ago, Claiborne introduced a conceptual line in order to reach the younger end of the market (e.g. 20-30). I don’t have access to the line sheets; but, what I’ve seen in Dillard’s (or, was it Penney’s?) was limited (i.e. 2 or 3 styles each of shirts and pants in several colorways). I wonder if creativity or the shareholders will win out in their recent re-org?

Another thing I think might have interested Simons is, specifically, niche manufacturing. I speculate whether Consumers might eventually value limited production and regional brand recognition over “big box” in the years to come.

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:49:44 +0000

Josh, there’s really nothing new under the sun, it’s combining things in different ways. Me, I’m not a designer, mostly because it doesn’t excite me, I don’t have the passion I’d need to sustain myself. Pattern cutting excites me. I’d design with the goal, the anticipation of difficult pattern work, rather the opposite I think. I think the whole issue of producing a line hinges more on making the whole thing work, balancing everything evenly, keeping money coming in, being able to pay your people consistently so they’ll stay with you for the long haul. I mean, isn’t that what all of this is about, what we’re trying to do? We can’t all be fashion-purists. We each have our focus, how we like to work, what inspires and motivates us, balanced with constraints. It remains to be seen how I’ll manage those.

[amended]
I’d hate for anyone to think I was defending Simons. He comes off as a tad elitist, which if you think about it, is still common today. In his defense tho, I’ll say he was younger then and hot headed. His career didn’t mature for another 10-20 years from the time of this writing.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:50:16 +0000

I’ve just about given up on creating my own line of clothes, and I’m actually thinking of creating woat and goat crap. lol If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Well, every once in a while I read something on here that puts the spark back into me and that was this today. If only I could master pattern making. I refuse to do anything unless I myself create the patterns. And I suck at pattern making currently.

I’m def cheering you on as you work on your own line. I can’t wait to see what you do.