What is a Tech Pack and How to Create One…

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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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The Fashion design process

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apparel manufacturing vendors, blog, fabric, fashion, fashion illustrations, fit sample, freelance fashion designer, mood board, pattern, pre-production samples, Product design, product development, proto, Size sets, Supriya Ghurye, tech pack, technical specifications

Silhouette of roaring 20’s with the fabric drape of 80’s spiced up with embellishments of last summer baked with an innovative theme stirs out a spring 14 walkway skirt.

Product design conceptualization is not the first stage but it is trickle-down effect of a series of steps. These steps are a part of a creative process. To understand the fashion design process we first need to take a look at a typical model of the creative process.

Image courtesy : http://www.dubberly.com/concept-maps/creative-process.html

The development and formulation of a range requires rigorous involvement of 18 to 24 months in typical situation, and involves the following steps which we are going to discuss here.

Fashion Forecast:

The designer simulates upcoming fashion trends for the season by research and analysis of ongoing fashion events like NY fashion show, London Fashion, Paris and Milan fashion show where some of the illustrious designers showcase their collection.

Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/CQFZNJ

Conceptualization:

With a fair idea of forthcoming trends in terms of colors, fabrics, trims silhouettes, a designer conceptualizes a theme. A theme may be a set of emotions or a message that a designer is set to weave through his designs. These themes are then translated on to a board full of images, fabrics, trims etc known as Mood Board which are used for creating a range or a collection. Inspirational images and trims from which the final theme is drawn is called Inspiration Board. Just as a painter portrays his mood on a canvas, a designer pours out his creativity on a mood board that sets a stage for product development.

A typical example of an Inspiration Board.
Image courtesy: http://goo.gl/XcDZ3d

A typical example of a Mood Board.
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/tsmiwB

Abstract to real :

Transformation of this array of abstract images into fashion illustrations is done via CAD to assemble a range – silhouette that will fit into that framework of ideas and give a wholesome look to the collection with a due diligence to the brand focus.

Fabric & Trim Selection :

The range is engineered with the right selection of fabric to render the drape required for the silhouette in optimized cost thereby also upholding the functionality of the garment. Inherent fabric properties like its weight, tenacity, construction are determined at this stage. This is in sync with the brand’s image of promoting certain technology or material

Trims, embellishment in the form of hand work, computerized embroidery, treadle work are selected to complement the body fabric with due consideration of costs involved.

Color Selection :

Color palette is selected from the mood board in sync with forecasted trends for the upcoming season. Each color selected brings out a persona of the theme. The selected colors are then matched to the closest pantone shades available.

Color Board.
Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/NV77Ox

Range Planning

While the actual fabric and trim selection is being done, the garment imitation is constructed in muslin and donned on mannequin or the mannequin is draped and pinned in a fabric to visualize the look of garment and consequently remodeled

The number of samples in a line depends on the type of garment, the price range of the brand, the method of distribution and the kind of categories that the brand caters to.  Certain number of garments is planned for each type of fabric selected and for each of the various categories of garment in which the brand specializes in.  A certain proportion of the line is dedicated to basics and a certain proportion personifies high end fashion.

Range Planning.
Image courtesy : Marc Jacobs

Style Selection & Feasibility study.

The line is appraised and ‘weeded’ with a due assessment of financial and production feasibility of the style and the goals and budgets of brand for the season. Intensive focus on cost optimization leads to rejig of styles and material to come up with the most feasible products. This is followed by first cut range presentation of samples produced in actual fabric being reviewed by buyers, retailers, top notches of management depending on the brand format.

So here ends the first phase of range planning for upcoming season, setting a backdrop for the next phase of product development and sampling leading to bulk production. We will very soon give you a glimpse of the latter phases that fabricate the garments in your wardrobe.

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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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