Color, scale, print or texture...
Which one is the key to fabric design?
Wuman Textile
2022-11-03
Behind-the-scene interview with our partner fabrics designers
◆Introduction: Since 2019, Wuman Textile and the independent designer team BNG Studio have begun to cooperate on product planning. All three team members have more than 6 years of full-time designer experience, have cooperated with many domestic and foreign fashion women's clothing brands including Zara, Mango, Sydney, VM, etc., and currently have their own clothing design company and clothing brand. On a warm autumn morning, we visited Linda and her fellow designers. Here is a summary of the interview:
1. Responsibilities: What design and creative work do you mainly do for Wuman Textile?
Linda: From 2020 onwards, I and several other designers assist the creative director of Wuman Textile in Apple's creative collection, fabric recommendation and other pre-planning work, and play a consulting and assisting role in the later fabric development and production, such as specific communication design styles, sample adjustment, sample selection, and sample delivery with the production department, etc.
2. Cooperation experience: As a fabric designer who has cooperated with Wuman Textile for many years, what is your comment on the Wuman team?
Linda: My friends and I are very happy to work with such a quick-thinking and open-minded team as Wuman Textile, and discussions are often lively and enjoyable. From the planning of fabrics, to the selection and development of fabrics, to the mailing of samples to external customers, our cooperation speed is getting faster and more tacit.
3. Regarding design - 1: What factors determine the final look and style of a garment?
Linda: I think the first is the style positioning. Based on the style positioning and attributes of the ready-to-wear, we decide which factor is more important in the final impact on the style of the ready-to-wear: fabric type, printing or style design. For example, for holiday style, printing is very important. There is more than one important point in Wuman Textile's creative concept. First of all, we must ensure that the type of fabric chosen is popular in the season, that the quality is excellent and that it feels comfortable to the touch. This also means that choosing Wuman Textile's fabric means choosing a fashion that is both fashionable and practical for the Ready-to-wear style
4. Regarding design 2: What are your design priorities?
Linda: Whether from the perspective of designers or consumers, when we look at a fabric, the first impression must be the color. For end female consumers, the color of the fabric is also the most visually impactful and emotionally appealing. The tone of the color determines the selection of sewing threads and accessories, so the color is the most important to me, followed by the print and the material of the fabric, and finally the size. Because the size will also have a greater impact on the effect of the upper body and the final garment style.
5. Customer: What kind of feedback does the brand have on your design? What difficulties have you encountered?
Linda: From what we've heard so far, our customers are quite receptive to our designs. Of course, there are times when it is not very smooth. For example, after we sent a Scuba-focused trend book to the United States, customers reported that these styles are relatively simple and basic. Later, we published some diversified style combinations in the trend book. For example, in addition to the Scuba fabric, we added other mini trend books that reflect the new elements of the season, such as lace and knitted jacquard, which is more attractive to customers who are pursuing novelty.
6. Inspiration: What is your source of inspiration?
Linda: Inspiration comes from different sources, but can generally be divided into the following categories:
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international runways (e.g. Runway app),
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fashion media (e.g. WGSN),
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customer feedback (verbal communication, needs),
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from one's own life (e.g. recent trending green Themes which demands for gender equality, mainstream political initiatives, business market trends), etc.
We are also trying to keep up with fashion trends in a more diverse and international way to better serve the company and its customers.
7. Prediction: What effect do you hope your design will achieve in the future?
Linda: First of all, we are hoping to find a better balance and design rhythm between the company's permanent staples and seasonal trends. Secondly, we strive not to be the fastest in the speed of communication and response, but to be faster. Finally, we will do a more complete chain design in the combination of styles and fabrics, that is to say, in addition to fabric types and printing, we will add the content of ready-to-wear style design - to provide the company's internal sample selection and development, and the company's customers in the overall design of ready-to-wear.
