DESIGN + PATTERN DEVELOPMENTPROJECT 1 RTA WOMEN’S HOLIDAY ‘22
BRAIDED JEANS
FROM RAW HAND SKETCH
TO FINALPRODUCT —>
I developed this concept for a collection that incorporated a lot of braining details throughout.
The design director challenged me to develop new concepts while he was a away at Paris Fashion week. This is one of my contributions.
The pattern was developed with a series of darts and seams, meticulously placed to resemble a “braid” affect.
We tried it out in multiple ways and in different placements i.e. sleeves..etc, but ultimately landed here, and proto’d in denim & leather
TECHNIQUE + WASH TESTS
Once we tested the technique, on fashion fabric, then we moved on to the wash tests to determine if the pattern needed adjustments based on shrinkages and wash behavior.
This is part of the information passed to the pattern maker for sample requests.
PROTO TYPE 1 - LEATHER
The proto leather was cool and edgy, but did not translate as intended fit wise. The leather quality chosen did not quite suit the design either.
The cost was also too high and ultimately the leather version of this style was dropped from the line.
I think with a bit more adjustment to the target specs and a more suitable leather quality, this style could have been a best seller
PROTO TYPE 1 - DENIM
The proto denim proved to be most a=effective for this style.
Since the designer decided to move forward without pockets for the women’s version, adjustments to the low hip, rises and waistline shape were necessary to compensate for the lack of construction details at the top block.
The “braid” detail still came out edgy and cool in denim as well.
I Was quite pleased with the result aesthetically, however, after wearing these jeans for a few years, I believe a different denim quality would have been more effective on this design in the long run due to all the seams and darts; especially at stress points like the knees.
Since my role was more on the technical and functional aspect of this style, I didn’t have much say in the fabric or wash selection. Over all they turned out great!
So much so that we also developed a men’s 5 pocket version.
FINAL PRODUCT
PROJECT 2
RTA WOMEN’S HOLIDAY ‘22
ASYM DRAPE TOPFROM RAW HAND SKETCH
TO FINALPRODUCT —>
I developed this concept to be a versatile “volume driver” that could be developed in multiple fabrications and style variations.
The pattern was engineered to be all one piece (aside from the mock/turtle neck) where the shoulder seam transitions to become the back armhole & no front arm hole + the feminine asymmetrical draped hem detail. This was an genius collaboration between me and the pattern maker.
PROTO 1 - PATTERN ADJUSTMENT
The first prototype came out great and we only made a few adjustments before proceeding to actual fabric.
We also tried this silhouette in a short sleeve v-neck, as well as sampling this turtle neck version in a heavier sweater knit fabric.
Ultimately we landed at the light weight mesh you see here.
the fit. was adjusted to fit a bit more slim with length added to the sleeve, plus a slight armhole shift.
PRODUCTION FIT 1
We made a few more tweaks to the shoulder width+ armhole position before proceeding the bulk production.
FINAL PRODUCT
The final product sold on multiple platforms including RTA’s website and stores.
This style also got a blog feature on instagram and is one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on to date.
I also wear the samples of the dropped versions of this style often, because even though they didn’t make it into the line, they are great additions to any fashionista’s wardrobe.