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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The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015

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apparels, blog, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, fashionalert, freelance fashion designer, garments, men's wear, pattern, Trend forecasting 2015, trends, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

Fashion for men has always been about basics and trying to interpret ideas along the current trends. For those who love fashion in its contemporary form, spring trends are easily intended for them. The runway shows and designer collections have a lot to tell on what we would be wearing in days to come, especially about the freshest season of the year. Here are the top spring 2015 trends in menswear!

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – Get sporty

Get sporty: In the last few seasons, the athletic look seems to come straight out of the sports court to the ramp, and the trend has been rampant in both men and women collections. If you love being sporty and look more like a man with a cool quotient, the good news is the new element is everywhere in spring 2015. As for the cues, you can check Carven that has managed to make the baseball tee look more authentic than ever. When buying clothes online, you also need to own one of the caps, which have been used in some collections like that of Umit Benan.

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – Unusual colours

Unusual colours: Pink for a suit? Well, this seems like someone mistook the women trends for spring in menswear! However, you will change the idea once you see the soft pink shade of suit used by Dolce & Gabbana for their spring 2015 collection. That is more like a bold statement that needs a lot of understanding and daring attitude on how to carry off the look without making it look funny.

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 -Welcome the spring sandals

Welcome the spring sandals: Most men will agree that spring sandals are comfortable and genuinely easy to carry off, and the look came to the runway at the Fendi collection. It doesn’t get better than wearing a pair of casual tees, shorts and a pair of casual sandals. Black and leather should be the ideal combination, but if you like experimenting, a few of the bold colours in sandals can certainly replace the crocs. Another strong contender is a pair of sneakers, which works effectively a stylish cool statement. Click here to check some fresh sneakers!

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – Get the trench coat

Get the trench coat: For those, who checked the collection of Dries Van Noten for spring 2015, they have one thing to admit- the trench looks perfect for the spring! Yes, you can now wear the spring trench coat like a pro without having worried on the statement. In the sudden spring rain, getting casual and effective with regular dressing ideas doesn’t get bigger and better than this!

The Best Trends to Emerge From Menswear Spring Collections 2015 – The statement blazer is back

The statement blazer is back: If you love statement blazer, you should check the Gucci collection for the season. Unabashed and truly macho with a school boy touch, the blazer went for a complete makeover. That’s something we would like to own for the days when there is nothing new to wear, and you can trust this blazer to transport you to style zone.
Start your fashion collection now!

[Images Credit: www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion]

Author: Suzy Walsh is the Editor for The House of Elegance Fashion- a popular and growing fashion blog. She writes for a number of websites and magazines as their chief contributor and guest writer

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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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Its all about the Plaids – Trend Alert 2015

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Buffalo plaid, Checkered pattern, fabric, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, Fuel4Fashion, Gingum Checks, pattern, Plaids, Scotland tartan, tiretain, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

Plaids have a perennial charm in keeping men and women interested for years to have it as an essential part of their wardrobe. Plaid is a tartan pattern consisting of crossed horizontal and vertical bands in two or more colours in a woven cloth. The plaid design originated in woven wool clothes but now is made into all forms of materials.

Plaids have always been associated with Scotland because of the Scottish kilts worn by men in the 19th century and even now, during Scotland’s national festivals. The word ‘Tartan’ is derived from the French word tiretain which refers to a woven cloth. Tartan is often called as Plaid in North America; however, in Scotland plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder as a kilt accessory, or a plain ordinary blanket.   (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/LBTJ4l ,http://goo.gl/o0sse1 ,http://goo.gl/3LgEgM )

Until the middle of the 19^th century, highland tartans were only associated with regional places as the tartan designs were produced by the local weavers using natural dyes mainly for the local people.

As the tartan pattern entered the American market, it became to be known as ‘plaid’, which originated as the Buffalo plaid. The Buffalo plaid was the red and black checkered pattern that was notably seen as an outfit for lumber jacks.

Princes Diana was one of the style icons in the 1980s and her sense of style and elegance also included some of the plaid patterns that became a part of every women’s dream. Michelle Dockery and Gwen Stefani also flaunted their versions of plaid that made less seem more.  (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/qUb9nV, http://goo.gl/H3TqUf, http://goo.gl/HhVQnq )

Modern iterations on plaid.

Various interpretations of the regular plaid patterns were recently being used by fashion designers for the spring/summer ready to wear 2015 collection. While Creatures of the Wind and Emanuel Ungaro decided to go simple combining the plaid pattern with trousers and flowy skirts and crop tops, Bottega Veneta, on the other hand, gave plaid an unfinished and worn-in look.  (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/KY1lxT, http://goo.gl/Af6Pkh, http://goo.gl/Y7c027 )

Diane von Furstenberg’s interpretation of the plaids had a charm that comprised of a woman’s appeal combined with her beauty whereas Tsumori Chisato presented an extraordinaire mishmash of colour and checks in varied forms that make us stop, stare and wonder. A more sophisticated and formal way was procured by Altuzarra in his checkered patterns, making it a new office wear trend.  (Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/pfrE83, http://goo.gl/Ek1jR3, http://goo.gl/Jk19ZF )

The origin of the plaid pattern is unknown even now, but its influence is visible all over even in today’s fashion world. Fashion designers keep finding different ways to combine a simple pattern with their flair and inspiration in every show and keep us intrigued and eager about what will be seen next.

Don’t forget to get inspired from our other blogs on Trend alert 2015 – Pocket dresses , High Slit Skirts and Classic polo look .

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the virtual design studio for apparels and surface patterns that caters to new and upcoming fashion design labels 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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Classic polo look inspired from sportswear – Trend Alert 2015

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apparels, fabric, fashion, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, freelance fashion designer, garments, polo collar, polo neck, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

In the 19th and early 20th century, tennis players ordinarily wore long sleeved white buttoned up shirt with flannel trousers and ties. This attire presented problems for the ease of movement during the play and created discomfort to the players. As tennis boomed, so did the demand for appropriate clothing increased. Then came into existence what were known as the polo shirts and thereafter they were being used in all forms of sports soon after their invention.

From being solely used in sportswear, later on the polo look also became an integral part of the classic casual attire for men and women both. They not only provided comfort but were also considered to be stylish amongst the working professionals.

Polo shirts have now become an essential part of the wardrobe of almost every woman as they are comfortable equally trendy. The polo look can be seen to be combined with various forms of clothing that interprets the style of every individual in a unique way.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/EvzIrP, http://goo.gl/XaLr3J , http://goo.gl/0moc2y)

Many celebrities like Taylor Swift and Kate Middleton also used this upcoming trend in their attire and looked fabulous in this simple form of clothing. Kate Middleton on one hand, came up with a professional look in a polo neck while, Lauren Conrad William combined it with a skirt and presented a casual approach.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/1xOofB , http://goo.gl/b8LwSI , http://goo.gl/fFkVVF)

Many designers were seen using the classic polo with various themes and styles in the Spring ready to wear RTW-2015 collection. As Ralph Lauren presented the open collar with a net skirt, making the outfit look elegant, Valentino chose a more textured fabric with a vibrant print for his theme.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/eot5Uo , http://goo.gl/PMrJZa , http://goo.gl/4Zo4F5)

Some designers presented their polo look in various fabrics, sporting a relaxed casual look while others created semi formal silhouettes with the same polo neck.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/uj5cui , http://goo.gl/WrWXNv , http://goo.gl/zofpw1)

This trend though simple, has been influencing and inspiring established as well as budding designers to come up with new and exciting ways to play around with this look. This look has become a classic and classics never change, they just evolve with time. This trend will keep on evolving and will become a part of every woman’s comfort zone.

Don’t forget to get inspired from our other blogs on Trend alert 2015 – Plaids, High Slit Skirts and Pocket dresses .

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the virtual design studio for apparels and surface patterns that caters to new and upcoming fashion design labels 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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High Slit Skirts and Dresses – Trend alert 2015

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Amanda Seyfried, Amber Heard, Angelina Jolie, apparels, Diane von Furstenberg, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion history, fashion illustrations, freelance fashion designer, Jason Wu, Karolina Kurkova, Michael Kors, Peter Som, prints, surface embroideries, trend forecasting, trends, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

As all the fashion weeks come to an end, they leave behind the various trends for us to watch out for in the coming year. One of the popular trends this year was the high slit skirt. High slit skirts have been a part of an on and off trend that appears every year in different forms to dazzle us.

High slit skirts have become a part of fashion that every woman adores in her wardrobe to show off her feminine side that she contrasts with her professional self.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/9PmYvq , http://goo.gl/E0X1TF , http://goo.gl/QJnBoL)

Amber Heard and Michael Kors collaborated to make this outfit the perfect combination of sophistication and sexiness. Many women were inspired to try the new emerging trend, which was followed by the boom of cotton blend maxi slit skirts on e-commerce sites like Ebay. For the spring 2012 collection, Peter Som predicted an upcoming trend by giving it his own flare of prints that were also a part of the collection.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/Bp4ZhP, http://goo.gl/WevCLV)

Angelina Jolie displayed her elegance and classiness with this plain black slit dress that fitted perfectly to her slender bodice, while Amanda Seyfried contrasted the classics with a psychedelic print texture that suited her perfectly. Karolina Kurkova wore this number that is a signature style of Elie Saab’s femininity and drapes that are prepared for the woman wearing it.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/0gu8fl , http://goo.gl/V9kbcP , http://goo.gl/ZEHV9H)

The high slit trend was also present in many of the Spring/Summer 2015 Ready-To-Wear collections in various forms and styles that showcased the designer’s inspiration. Diane von Furstenberg presented her inspiration in the form of flowing checks, while Altewai Saome and Jay Godfrey presented a more chic style.

(Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/DxaOnt , http://goo.gl/JpqLHe , http://goo.gl/fKecmR)

Jason Wu took the path of metallic shades and showcased a very humble outfit while on the other hand, Just Cavalli made a patchwork art of the flowing fabrics. Stripes’ being one of the other trends was a popular choice for the designers and Altuzarra presented his creativeness by combining it with an off mustard shade that changed the look of the entire outfit.

This trend inspires the designers to present their audience with a way to flaunt their femininity and sensuality with a simple look. The high slit skirts and dresses would become a part of every woman’s wardrobe to parade their style through the numerous choices that the trend is going to offer.

Don’t forget to get inspired from our other blogs on Trend alert 2015 – Plaids, Pocket dresses and Classic polo look .

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the virtual design studio that caters to new and upcoming fashion design labels 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.

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Milan Fashion Week Vs Paris Fashion Week – 2015

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Bottega Veneta, Chloe, Christian dior, colors, Elie Saab, fabric, fashion blog, Fashion design studio, fashion illustrations, Fendi, Ferragamo, freelance fashion designer, garments, Milan Fashion Week, Moschino, Paris Fashion Week, pattern, Prada, Roberto Cavalli, styles, tech pack, trends, Virtual Fashion Design Studio, Yohji Yamamoto

After the New York and London Fashion week, now’s the time to look towards Milan and Paris, as they present their forecasted interpretations.

The trends tend to overlap, but here are a few things that differed:

Gather the Pleats

Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/0ch7Sv, http://goo.gl/UYyoqV, http://goo.gl/9jSuqB, http://goo.gl/7qUAi2

Milan Fashion Week concentrated on a lot of silhouettes, but pleats were used by every designer in various forms. While some designers used light creases for pleats like Bottega Veneta, while Ferragamo brought grace through perfect alignment.

Paris Fashion Week showcased the other side of silhouettes; gathers. Givenchy and Nina Ricci among others united their personal inspirations and presented delicate and subtle styles in their collections.

Brocaded Denim

Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/V3rzz8, http://goo.gl/cRFAEN, http://goo.gl/e3VA6W, http://goo.gl/bkrrrt

Milan brought forward the fabric of the kings and presented the richness of the colors, with their own creativity. Roberto Cavalli’s idea of the rich-poor combination was clearly seen in his collection with Prada creating striped brocade providing an edge to the fabric.

Paris Fashion Week concentrated on the denim fabric and was seen in every collection with different interpretations. While Chloe stuck to more modest designs, Yohji Yamamoto presented his creation that symbolizes the women of today; the perfect combination of feminist and freedom.

Tracks Vs. Pants

Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/x6d0RH, http://goo.gl/ojJ5lk, http://goo.gl/UCmqkR, http://goo.gl/N2TTEi

In Milan Fashion Week, track suits became a part of the collection in textures and fabrics that made exercising look appealing. Fendi concentrated on comfort and textures that would work brilliantly for a casual occasion. Moschino which is known for its womanizing way conveyed the barbie doll woman image.

Paris Fashion Week, decided to follow the pant suits style forecast and came up with designs like Elie Saab’s lace pant suit that convey feminine elegance and beauty that is beyond comparison. Christian Dior on the other side presented the serenity and the gentleness that describes the heart of the woman.

As the Milan and Parish Fashion Weeks end the collections of Spring Summer 2015, we get an insight to the designers minds and how they translate their ideas into something that creates worldwide following.

New York Fashion Week Vs London Fashion Week – 2015

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Betsey Johnson, colors, fabric, fashion blog, garments, London Fashion Week, New York fashion week, pattern, Rebecca Taylor, trends, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

As the month of September arrives, so does the time for Fashion Week held at the capitals of Fashion. The month of September brings the Ready-To-Wear collection for Spring/Summer 2015 outlining the forecasted trends, styles, colors and fabrics; everything a fashion conscious person adores.

As the fashion week moved from New York to London, there were various trends and styles that differed and provided us with something entirely new in both the cities.

Floral Psych:

– Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/GYLjlJ, http://goo.gl/fAMHlT, http://goo.gl/GNIXeU, http://goo.gl/DZ5sjU

New York Fashion Week saw a lot of floral prints among the collections presented by the designers in various sizes and forms that brought every woman to her knees. Some flaunted the prints concentrating on the elegance and grace it provides while others brought the sparkling girl’s eyes in their garments.

London Fashion Week on the other hand, brought together their collection from the 70s, the psychedelic prints from the hippies crowd. This Peter Pilotto print for example, reminds us of the era of rock n roll and freedom where the prints spoke the frame of mind.

Black and White…

– Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/mBIsSf, http://goo.gl/e17tiH, http://goo.gl/14vY36, http://goo.gl/C64u8m

The New York Fashion Week brought black and white combinations back in fashion with silhouettes and designs that would inspire others. Alice and Olivia brought together their elegant collection with the silhouettes that were inspired from feminism and classiness of Victorian women.

The London Fashion Week created a color blocking effect combined with the shapely subtlety that comes with the black territory. Emilio de la Morena’s interpretation of the color black to the feminine shape is shown aptly in his collection that gives the perfect amount of sexiness and elegance.

Fabric-ed

– Photo Credits: http://goo.gl/v2ZL6F, http://goo.gl/xMSsIi, http://goo.gl/9qAinM, http://goo.gl/Q8RlO4

The New York Fashion Week worked on the sheer fabrics that were presented in varying densities. Betsey Johnson used these fabrics to create a Gothic- rough outfit that was very Out-there as compared to the garment produced by Rebecca Taylor who went in for a more subtle undertone.

The London Fashion Week chose to show off the other fabrics like lace and knitwear in its collections. Knitwear produced a casual effect with a metallic jacket in the McQ Alexander McQueen’s collection whereas the lace, provided a graceful feminine look.

There were many similarities between New York Fashion Week and the London Fashion Week with the play of colors and styles. A lot of techniques, fabrics, colours, silhouettes etc. were seen, which are always present in both the fashion shows. While the upcoming fashion designers in the US and UK set a pattern for next year’s collections, it will be interesting to see what the big names of Milan and Paris come up with for their interpretations for next year.

Cutting Edge Trends in the Fashion Design Industry – Zero Waste Fashion

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apparels, blog, fashion blog, fashion designers, fashion history, freelance fashion designer, pattern, Siddhartha Upadhyaya’s DPOL (Direct Pattern On Loom, sustainability, tech pack, technology, Virtual Fashion Design Studio, zero waste, Zero Waste Design, Zero Waste Manufacturing

As the fashion industry evolves and adapts to the evolving norms of environmental sustainability, new ways and means of reducing waste and increasing recyclability of clothing are being developed. Sustainability efforts have been focused on key areas like reducing fiber loss, yarn loss, fabric wastage and recycling materials for new garments.

Standard designs with cutting result in approximately 15 to 20 per cent of fabric wastage, resulting in millions of tons of garbage that typically ends up in landfills every year. To reduce this, designers came up with the concept of designing garments to ensure minimal or nil wastage of the fabric. The techniques to do this are called pre-consumer zero waste techniques. The main categories into which they fall are zero waste design and zero waste manufacturing.

Holly McQuillan – Kimono Twist dress – Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/Nh3zXi

Holly McQuillan – Kimono Twist dress pattern plotting – Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/Nh3zXi

In Zero Waste Design, the pattern maker cuts a pattern in such a way within the structure of the fabric so that there is no scrap of fabric unutilized. New York’s Parsons the New School for Design – the setting of the famous “Project Runway” series has launched a course on Zero waste fashion design and international zero waste fashion designers such as Mark Liu (England), Susan Dimasi (Australia) Julian Roberts (England) and Yeohlee Teng (Malaysia) are working to bring the trend into mainstream fashion. While creating patterns like jigsaw puzzles (Mark Liu’s “jigsaw cut”) which leave no cutting margins is one approach, the other is to drape the fabric and then decide where to tuck, cut and stitch the folds and layers to eliminate fabric loss, like David Andersen. The challenge lies in the fact that zero waste design turns the entire process of fashion design upside down. The standard approach in fashion is to create design illustrations and sketches, present these to a patternmaker who then creates the patterns for manufacturing. Here, the designer has to start with the pattern and then work backwards to determine what designs can accommodate. Holly McQuillan’s Kimono twist dress is a great example of applying zero waste design.

Zero Waste Manufacturing is done at the manufacturing stage to eliminate waste material cut-off. While techniques like Indian fashion designer and technologist Siddhartha Upadhyaya’s DPOL (Direct Pattern On Loom)- which creates the required panels directly in weaving the fabric, thereby eliminating all waste from cutting – are gaining ground, these are yet to reach mainstream production as the investment required in machine modification and retooling is tremendous, preventing commercial large-scale ventures from venturing into this area. An alternative has been to ensure the use of cut-offs in the construction of other garments, thereby ensuring that the combined patterns of two or more designs result in a zero waste production process. Other designers like Daniel Silverstein use the leftover cut-offs as appliques and embellishments to the garment, ensuring not a scrap is wasted.

Mark Liu’s Zero-Waste Designs – Image courtesy: http://goo.gl/oEl5LV

Another widely debated way (and according to the industry, one of the simplest to implement) is the reuse of old garments to create new designs. This is known as post-consumer zero waste, and involves the re-cutting, shaping and stitching of old fabrics to create new garments. Portions of garments recycled through a waste collection system are purchased by manufacturers to create their new designs. Denim manufacturers are among the first to promote the reuse of old garments to develop new ones, given the life and durability of the fabric. This is another way of extending the life of the garment and reducing waste. This method too faces hurdles in terms of mass-managing the way old garments are collected and recycled, but retailers like Wal-Mart are looking for solutions.

So how should a designer go about creating a zero waste design? Designer Zada Anditon offers some useful tips, as does Timo Rissanen. The biggest fundamental change for any designer is to get the mind-set right from the beginning. By working backwards from the fabric to developing the final design illustration requires a change in thinking from traditional designing and can be a long and arduous process.

Designers have to break the mold of their thinking process in order to design clothes that are truly zero-waste. But with an increasing effort towards better environmental sustainability, the trend should see increasing traction in coming years.

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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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Growing Your Fashion Label Basics: Design Studio vs. Freelancers

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creative, fashion, fashion designers, fashion illustrations, fashion sketches, freelance fashion designer, Fuel4Fashion virtual design studio, global fashion designers, global platform, new fashion brands, pattern, Product design, start up fashion labels, style, trends, upcoming fashion designers, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

The Relative Merits of Using a Fashion Studio vs. Independent Fashion Designers

As an upcoming fashion label, you would want designs that are cutting-edge, attractive and can make a mark against established brands. Price is a factor and hence you need to ensure that your costs in designing and producing your collection are kept within your budget. One of the ways to do that effectively has been to outsource the designing work to freelance designers. With platforms like Elance and Freelancer, it is possible to find hundreds of freelance designers who will work with you to create your fashion collection at a fraction of the cost that an in-house full-fledged design team would require. And you will be able to interact with them directly, so getting your ideas across is simplified. You will also get more personalized attention from a freelancer.

Image courtesy : http://goo.gl/R44vWt

While you are likely to find a number of good designers on these platforms, identifying them can be a difficult task, involving contacting dozens of them and filtering the ones that you can get along with. At the same time, you have very little guarantee that the freelancer will deliver the work as per your timelines and specifications, since (s)he is usually a lone worker with no backup. Fledgling fashion labels on tight timelines can be stuck at the mercy of such freelancers.

So what is the solution? What you would ideally be looking for is a combination of the best parts of both sides. You would like the reassurance of a talented designer team that can be selected and deliver as per your design brief in a short time. At the same time, you would like to keep your costs low and have the assurance of an experienced professional handling the project. With virtual design platforms like fuel4Fashion, you can get both.

Fuel4Fashion is a virtual design studio that brings together talented design professionals from across the world, giving you a diverse talent pool from which you can choose who would work on your project. You get a chance to view their previous work, and have the assurance that a team of experienced professionals is managing the design process at an affordable cost. The additional advantage is that you get a variety of designs that you might not find in your local talent pool – African prints, bright Latin American colour combinations, and the style and cut of sophisticated European design houses become possible with this platform. You are assured of timely project completion, access to new ideas and efficient communication that ensures the outcome is as good as, if not better than what you visualized.

Image courtesy: http://www.fuel4fashion.com/about-us.html

While working with both freelancers and agencies have their respective advantages and shortcomings, using a virtual design studio like Fuel4Fashion gives you the best of both. This will ensure that your fashion label will make a strong impact and yet you keep your creative costs within control.

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Supriya Ghurye is the founder and owner of Fuel4Fashion, the first virtual design studio that caters to new and upcoming fashion design labels 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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Pantone Color of the year 2014- Radiant Orchid

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colors, fashion blog, freelance fashion designer, Pantone, Royal Orchid, Virtual Fashion Design Studio

The Pantone Color for 2014 has already been revealed. The winning shade which is purple-pink is called Radiant Orchid. In contrast to the green colored hue-Emerald which was crowned the color of 2013, Radiant Orchid is benign and carries the wintry allure. The color is heavy on the purple shade and Pantone is confident that it will dress-up men and women beautifully this year.

      

Radiant Orchid- Flavor of 2014.  Image courtesy: http://goo.gl/sy0orr

Radiant Orchid-the winning shade is a breeze mix of purple and pink and has the mellow as well as the brassy look. Orchids are world-wide loved flowers and so we hope will be this color as well. This shade has the chicanery and is likely to blend in soon. Though it’s not new color to see, but we will see more of it now. This color was already famous  being worn by the first family in 2013 on the Inauguration Day function, and the color obsession continues with mommy Obama,the first lady of U.S

Perfect blend of young and old.  Image courtesy: http://goo.gl/hp5mzE

Radiant Orchid-the winning shade can shine very beautifully on the walls or on the color catalogue but will look better if it is used in a combination rather than being worn alone. Take tips from the first family of US that how they, very intelligently used Radiant Orchid-the winning shade to create the vibrancy.

Recreate warmness with Radiant Orchid. Image Courtesy:  http://goo.gl/SqHRxZ

As this color is not a sassy one like our beloved Emerald  so it can be used to create the dramatic look. Since Radiant Orchid-the winning shade has generated the buzz and it’s the new talk of the town so how can we not think about painting our face with this color? Check out the options that you have with Radiant Orchid.

SO what do you think? This color is hot or not?