From Art to Fashion
From concept to production, a lot of thought and hard work goes into manufacturing a Diane Kennedy garment. We're lucky that we are located in the same area as our factories, so we can easily manage every aspect of producing every collection we release to the public. Just like our city, Vancouver B.C., Diane Kennedy is so proud of our commitment to being as green as possible. As well as maintaining our social responsibility by ensuring fair wages and work conditions by employing local, Canadian workers.
You may know that designers work a whole season ahead and so I'm just finishing designing for Spring 2018. So some of my process is really fresh in my head and this is what I'd like to share with you
Some of my best and most unique ideas come just as I am playing around with an idea in my head and then as I am manipulating the pattern pieces on the computer screen. That's exactly how the came into being. I had an idea, started fooling around with the patterns, and before I knew it I had a really cool pair of pants!
I've always been both a pattern maker and a designer and therefore do things a little differently than most clothing designers. Many of my best ideas for new designs come to me as I'm actually creating the pattern. As most designers aren't hands on with the making of the actual patterns only a few use this method. Another advantage of this practice for me is that I get to impart my fit expertise to the patterns right from the get-go. This is a huge advantage as a plus size woman and designer/pattern maker; I completely understand how to make the design fit and flatter ALL sizes of women.
In today's blog, we're going to share our step-by-step process so you can learn more about how we make dresses...just for you!
Step 1
Diane collects inspiration from authentic vintage details such as sewing patterns, magazines, and garments. The new dress design is sketched and fabric prints are considered.
Step 2
The patternmaker creates the pattern in the sample size using a program called Optitex CAD and then prints it on a 67" large scale printer called an Ioline plotter.
Step 3
The dress is cut and sewn from sample fabric to create a prototype design. The resulting prototype is tried on a mannequin to check for fit, and design details which is then approved by the designer.
Step 4
The design is then assessed for inclusion into the greater collection for the season and final fabrics are chosen (usually 3-5 different prints per dress).
Step 5
A "Salesman's Set" of samples are produced at a factory to then be sold through an agent to retail stores.
Step 6
The pattern is checked for accuracy and made into the other sizes (which is called "grading") using Optitex CAD.
Step 7
Once the sales cycle is complete, the data is transferred into a marker order. According to the order, a production marker is made using Optitex CAD; all the pattern pieces in the required sizes are positioned into a cut layout (marker). The marker is printed on the Ioline Plotter in the width of the fabric.
Step 8
In the factory, a cutter lays the fabric on a long table and the printed marker is rolled out on top of the fabric layers; the stacks of fabric (with the paper pattern pieces on top) are cut out using an electric vertical knife. At a bundling table, the cut pieces are bundled according to size and colour and distributed to the sewers in the factory.
Step 9
The sewing process begins with main panels being serged together using a 5 thread serger machine. Small parts like the collar are sewn and then attached to body panels using a single needle machine and the zipper set. The facings are serged and sewn together with the body, the garment is topstitched, and the hem is sewn. Buttons are then marked for placement and sewn on using a button setting machine. Finally, labels are sewn in.
Step 10
The pressing department steams and presses the garment. Hangtags are added to the left side using a tool called a "swift attach".
Step 11
Quality Control (QC) trims the threads from the sewing process and checks for flaws.
Step 12
Then the dresses are folded and packed into individual bags...
We know that getting dresses that fit well is very important to you, especially when you're ordering online. Have you ever wondered how we make dresses that fit so well? For those of you who are interested in technical things, this post explains the sizing process called Grading. Grading is taking a clothing pattern that starts off as one size and creating all the other sizes. We make two base patterns, a plus size and a regular size pattern. From those two original patterns, the other sizes are then created. Making two patterns and then grading (sizing) them separately is what gives our garments their superior fit.
Making the variations between each size is subjective and up to the designer. We use a C.A.D. (computer-aided design) program called Optitex to make the patterns and do the grading. Each corner and each segment of the pattern is given a value to increase or decrease the size. If you look at the image below, each larger dot that you see is given a value. These values or increments are often very tiny, often an 1/8", 1/4" or 3/8" of an inch.
I love working this way, as I'm very much a hands on person in so many aspects of my business. I hope you've enjoyed this little behind the scenes peek into my work as a designer!
