What is a Tech Pack and How to Create One…

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apparel, apparel manufacturing vendors, apparel production, Fashion Business, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, fashion startup, garment, garment files, garment manufacturing, measurement charts, patterns, sizing, start up fashion brands, start up fashion labels, style, technical design, technical designers, technical specifications, technology, techpack, what is techpack

Anybody looking at the fashion industry from the outside sees a lot of creativity and glamour. But behind the glitzy glamor and the creative capabilities lies a tremendous amount of hard work and effort. Those of us who enter the world of fashion entrepreneurship soon realize this. Fashion design does not just start and end at the drawing board. Just like a beautiful monument without plans detailing every minute element, or a race car without an exact engineering drawing, garments cannot move from the concept to the production stage without a tech pack.

What is a tech pack? It is to a fashion designer what a building plan is to an architect – a complete map of the product to be created. A tech pack essentially converts your design from a dreamy concept into a practical piece of clothing that can be produced, in small or large quantities. It tells a garment manufacturer what elements need to be included and where, the type, quality and dimensions of the fabric and other elements

Tunic techpack for a women’s casual wear brand.

A good tech pack consists of a combination of images and measurements, made in such a way that every detail of the garment is captured. It usually consists of:

• The flat sketch of a garment from front and back, with close-ups of the complicated sections
• Details for the stitching, fabric, trims and embellishments. This may include details of the suppliers as well, and can include a swatch of the fabric as well as samples of the embellishments such as lace, buttons, etc.
• Measurements of all the important dimensions including the size of any added portions or cutaways.
• Details of the embroidery, print, patterns and labels to be used.
• Packaging instructions

With a tech pack, a designer need not be present during the entire manufacturing process, and the garment manufacturer can execute production of the sample and final order to specifications. Be sure to include as many details as possible. A good tech pack will help you with grading, pattern making, calculating cost and yield of the material and determine your approximate cost of production.

At times, modifications may be required due to technical constraints in the production process. These changes are incorporated in the tech pack and the new one is used, just as building plans may change marginally when construction is in progress to account for unforeseen obstacles. Keeping the tech pack updated ensures everyone has a clear idea of what needs to be done.

Unlike fashion design concepts, tech packs are purely technical tools with strict guidelines. However, it is essential for any designer to be able to create a tech pack, so that you know the intricacies of the design. This makes it easier for you to guide the factory and ensure that the garment created meets your requirements. You can create a tech pack using tools like Adobe Illustrator, or work with a technical designer like Fuel4Fashion, who will convert your sketches and concepts into production-ready tech packs.

With a tech pack, you are now armed and ready to convert your concepts into a physical garment that the world can wear and flaunt. If you need any help, do get in touch with me at here with your queries.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion. She is a Freelance Fashion Designer, Sourcing and Manufacturing Consultant helping fashion brands to plan, design and develop new collections with small quantity garment manufacturing. Fuel4Fashion social links: Twitter, Pinterest Instagram

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Mixing It Up

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#fashionlabel, #fashionstartup, #fitness, #gym, #SkinnyChimp, Fuel4Fashion

How DJ Lady Bex went from DJ to winning UK’s online fashion store awards

Rebecca Goodchild aka DJ lady Bex

Rebecca Goodchild (or DJ Lady Bex as she is known professionally) is an international DJ who successfully launched her own fitness fashion label Skinny Chimp in 2013. Today, Skinny Chimp has made the transition from a niche start-up fashion label into a successful venture. Rebecca, who has been associated with Fuel4Fashion from the early stages of Skinny Chimp’s launch, tells us about her experiences as a rank outsider and entrepreneur in fashion.

Rebecca Goodchild

1) What made you get into a fashion brand?

Pure accident! It once happened that I found a top I loved but it didn’t fit me very well, so with the help of Fuel4fashion I had it redesigned for the perfect fit. Everyone who saw it loved it, kept asking for one, and my fashion business was born!

I have always assumed I wasn’t very fashionable as I never followed the latest trends – I prefer to wear whatever makes me feel comfortable. Now I realize I was helping set the trend, and suddenly I’ve become a designer with my own brand.

British troops sporting Skinny Chimp vests off-duty

2) What was the inspiration behind Skinny Chimp?

I have always been into fitness and I wanted to create a brand that wasn’t so serious. There are many fitness and fashion brands around the world but they all seem so serious, focused on performance, not fun.

On a serious note, Skinny Chimp was a bit of a gamble – I wanted to grow the brand as a credible fashion brand with a twist of humor. My main objective was to make people realize fitness can be enjoyable and approachable.

3) Without a fashion background you have managed to make Skinny Chimp a success. What were the crucial challenges that you faced in the process?

EVERYTHING !! Trial and error, every step of the way. I didn’t even know there were so many different shades of black! Now I know so much more and I’m still learning. I spent over a year searching for the perfect manufacturer, getting samples, finding the right people to help me do this. I was naive when I started out, thinking I could do this alone. I’ve learned a lot along the way – every good and bad experience has its share of learning, so long as you’re willing.

4) How did you overcome these challenges?

Getting help and learning as much as possible! I was lucky to find a few great people along the way, who were patient with me and helped me get over the early setbacks, and sticking with me even when times were tough. At the end of it all, you have to go through the grind, and there’s never a substitute for hard work.

Boy Band Blue seen sporting a Skinny Chimp vest

5) What has been the high point of the Skinny Chimp journey so far?

Seeing celebrities such as Peter Andre, Blue and Mr Universe wearing Skinny Chimp, winning best online fashion retailer 2014 in the Liverpool awards, seeing a celeb wear it on TV, magazine features and being asked to work with Dragons Den in their search to recruit a new Dragon using Skinny Chimp as the product pitch. I treasure all of them, and I know there are many more to come!

6) Why the name Skinny Chimp?

Everyone has an inner chimp – we all have that naughty side 🙂

Skinny – because the first vest was thin with skinny straps and chimps because they are my favorite animal – so full of fun and energy. So, Skinny Chimp! You might say the Skinny Chimp tribe is a family of strong smart animals who have fun and stay fit at the same time!

7) What are your future plans with Skinny Chimp?

A lot has been going on, and without revealing too much, let’s just say that I want to take it into the fashion industry as well as keeping it within the fitness industry. It’s a brand that can go down so many avenues. Spreading geographically is another option.

8) What advice would you like to give to the first time fashion entrepreneur?

Hold on tight. It’s a roller coaster – the downs are as often as the highs (but the highs are soooo good!). Its hard work and its 24/7 – you NEVER stop thinking.  Listen to ALL the advice you can get but don’t always take it. Follow your gut feeling and take risks. Be different and create your own success – don’t copy others. And find people who share your dream – you’ll never go wrong with them around!

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience. Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest

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How to select the perfect fashion brand name in 7 easy steps.

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fashion blog, fashion brand, fashion design, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, fashion label, fashion world, fashionbrands, freelance fashion designer, logo, prints, proto, target audience

As you prepare to launch your own fashion label, you face the challenge of deciding on a brand name. While the fashion world is full of names that are easily recognizable, finding one that fits you and the particular segment of customers you are targeting can be a challenge that many first time fashion entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed with.

Coming up with a name for a fashion brand involves a lengthy process, and is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Here are a few steps that will help you structure that process and hopefully make it easier.

Selecting the perfect brand name and logo for your fashion start-up

Focus on your target audience

A brand should appeal to its target audience. What segment are you looking to appeal to – youthful, sophisticated, urban, and edgy? Your brand name needs to be a reflection of this key trait. This is why sports brands are usually short – Nike, Reebok, Fila, Puma – and so on. Torrid, a brand that focuses on large sizes for teenage girls and younger women, appeals to the romantic predispositions of this audience.

Determine your brand personality

Fashion brands tend to represent the personality of the designer, and it’s not surprising that many brands are the names of their owners themselves – Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan – but if your name is not as easy to roll off the tongue, you’re better off creating one that is a reflection of the personality – like Forever21 appealing to young women. A combination can also work if paired well, either individually or as a mash-up of the two words.

Be Innovative and edgy, but don’t go over the top

Many fashion entrepreneurs are disposed towards creating a brand name that a reflection of current trends or fads by being sharp and memorable, but this can backfire over time if the trends change. Being too edgy can also hurt, as the name loses its shock value over time – FCUK being a prime example, says Steve Manning of branding and naming consultancy Igor.

Watch out for Copyrights

While many find it tempting to use permutations and misspellings of common names, it might misfire if your audience doesn’t know how to spell your name correctly. If people can’t read, pronounce or remember a name it’s definitely the wrong one, so avoid names like Wynd, Phyre, etc. even though they might be tempting. And do check copyright and trademark registries to avoid taking one that already owned by someone else. Using a foreign word might be an interesting way to project your brand, but be sure there’s no one using that brand in the markets you are looking to target.

Simple Tests to Determine the Success of Your Brand Name

Alexandra Watkins, CIO of Eat My Words, a brand creation agency advocates two tests to determine if the brand name will be likely to succeed, which she calls the SMILE and SCRATCH tests. The test to check what qualities your brand name should have is the SMILE Test. Essentially it stands for

Simple – easy to understand

Meaningful – one which your customers easily relate

Imagery – creates a strong visual association

Legs – it should have the ability to stay relevant for a long time

Emotional – builds a bond, entertains, evoke a strong feeling.

The SCRATCH test is one to determine the qualities a brand name should not have. It stands for

Spelling – it should not be complicated to write or remember

Copycat – should not sound like or remind one of a similar brand

Random – one which has no association with the product

Annoying – evoking negativity

Tame – has very feeble associations

Curse of Knowledge – is understood only by insiders

Hard to Pronounce – If they can’t say it, they can’t remember it.

A good brand should be able to pass each of these tests, for it to be memorable.

Make Stakeholders part of the process

Once you’ve drawn up a short list of the brand names you’d like, share them with a small circle of influential people. These include investors, suppliers, your designer, employees and consider their opinion, although you should be the one to make the final decision. This helps you get an outside feel for the brand as well, and makes decision making easier.

Build a suitable image or logo to go with the brand name

The name is one part of the branding process. The logo and color palette that make up the logo are also part of the branding process. A suitable color palette and image will support and enhance the name, make it more memorable and easy to recall.

When we launched our business, the name came out of a simple understanding that we were here to help a fashion brand achieve its goals – hence the fuel that drives fashion brands, or simply put, Fuel4Fashion. The alliteration also helps us in building recall, and it simplifies what we do for our target audience, namely fashion entrepreneurs and growing fashion labels.

Building a brand takes time, and fashion brands require more due to the crowded nature of the market. But with a good brand name that represents the style of the clothes themselves, you are likely to build a stronger brand following and better recall as the years go by.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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Challenges of Creating a Pre-Set Offering for Fashion Design Projects

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apparels, blog, business offerings, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, freelance fashion designer, garments, pricing, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

The freelancing space has been getting a lot of attention, and freelancing platforms offer freelancers and buyers the opportunity to get together for projects ranging from a simple logo to creating content and even mobile apps. Freelance fashion designing too has been growing with small and upcoming fashion labels able to connect to hundreds of freelance fashion designers across the globe through platforms like Elance-Odesk, PPH and Guru.

Freelancing platforms have been the intermediaries of such discussions and help create clarity between both sides. However, what happens when a client directly interacts with a freelancer? How does a freelancer determine what is the right price for a project and how do clients ensure they have a clear understanding of what will be delivered, when and in what format? There are numerous variables and any one of them can be misinterpreted, leading to dissatisfaction on one side or the other. Freelancers also face a challenge in trying to regularize the flow of work to ensure they’re not overburdened with multiple deadlines too close to one another.

To some extent, content creators and marketers have found ways to resolve this issue. Many offer standard packages for creating blogs, tweets, FB posts and the like, and a number of agencies offer packages for white papers, website content updates, product descriptions, etc. (E.g. This and this) Others bill clients on the hours of work that would be put in; giving an approximation of the content that would be created in that time. But applying this for freelance fashion design can be tricky. The scope of work varies widely, depending on the kind of garment designs required, the level of detail, the number of garments, and other elements that might be needed such as measurement charts, tech packs and the like. On the whole, it seems impossible.

At Fuel4Fashion, we were determined to give it a try. The result is our new Pricing page that gives clients the opportunity to choose between two models – project and subscription – for their fashion design requirements. With a project based model, you get your work in the best time possible, and different pricing levels give you the various added features that make up the design package. With a subscription based model, you get a few designs every month, based on the fashion design trends for your segment, at a more reasonable cost than getting them all at one go in project form. The latter is a definite advantage if you are a fast fashion (think Zara, H&M) or boutique label that needs new designs at regular intervals to keep the store inventory fresh.

At the start of our engagement, all the relevant details will be taken, before creating the concepts and designs specific to your needs. The designs chosen by you will not be offered to anyone else, and each client will get a set of unique designs that combines current fashion trends with the individual DNA of their fashion label. In return, you are assured of timely delivery, clear deliverables and the best work, at economical rates that make sense for your growing fashion business.

As a fashion business, does this kind of pricing model work for you? Do let us know through your comments below. If you’d like to share any personal insights, write to me here.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the freelance fashion design studio for multiple product designing in apparels that caters to start-up fashion labels and growing fashion brands with a diverse portfolio of design services. She is a member of the Cherie Blair Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurship Program and has over a decade of fashion industry experience with international labels and start-ups.

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