Fashion designer-guide-e book-v-2

Presented By Mark Charles
Fashion
Des gner
‘Guide’
The

©2011, MarkCharlesBoot.com.
This ebook is protected under the Copyright law.
No commercial use, no changes. Feel free to share it, post it, print it, or copy it.

The Fashion Designer guide ebook is compiled of 32 separate interviews with
some of the most talented and hard working individuals within the fashion
industry today.
This book aims to shed some light and the vast array of questions that many
budding designers may have pondered as they go about launching their own
brand.
The irony of ‘The Fashion Designer Guide’ is that after speaking with many of
the contributors, it is clear that there is no one particular road or formula to
success.
In an industry where some critics might have you believe that everyone is
hard-nosed and self-centred, this book hopes to offer an alternative perspective
that shows the good will of many who are willing to share their time and wisdom
in order to help others.
I hope you find this ‘guide’ as inspirational as the people who have helped to
create it.
Give more, Expect more.
Mark x
Fashion
Des gner
‘Guide’
The

Mark Charles is a self-taught luxury womens boot designer from North West London who
retails exclusively online. Mark’s love for design has taken him from the busy streets of
London into some of the most remote parts of Italy and China as he set off on a journey to
produce the most luxurious boots possible.
In 2010 Mark founded ‘The Mark Charles Boot Company’ which was created to help channel
his passion for luxury footwear in to a place where others could experience it.
The Fashion Designer Guide eBook is Mark’s way of saying thank you to all the people who
helped make it possible.
Give more, Expect more.
Mark Charles

Chapter 1: Design
Chapter 2: Production
Chapter 3: Market Research & Branding
Chapter 4: Marketing
Chapter 5: PR
Chapter 6: Managing Money
Chapter 7: Employment
Chapter 8: Launching your own label
Chapter 9: Finding the right investor
Chapter 10: Selling
Chapter 11: Grow your business
Chapter 12: Ecommerce
Chapter 13: Social Media
Chapter 14: Blogging
Chapter 15: Photography
Chapter 16: Styling / Make-up
Final words
Thank you
Contributors
Link Crush Directory
Contact
6 - 19
20 - 23
24 - 28
29 - 34
35 - 41
42 - 45
46 - 52
53 - 55
56 - 57
58 - 63
64 - 66
67 - 71
72 - 75
76 - 80
81 - 87
88 - 94
95
96
97 - 103
104 - 109
110
Contents

Design
Q. What is the basic design process from start to finish?
A. 1. First you identify the basic need of the design brief. Then start deciding what the inspiration is
going to be based on the brand's identity. It is easy to design something you like, but at the end of the
day, the customer needs to tell a story that evolves their specific history. It is important to know not
only the customer, but the point of view of any brand you work with.
2. The next step for me is research into what is currently in the market, and how to differentiate the
design from the competition. Always ask yourself, why would someone buy this?
3. Once the research is initially complete, sketch, sketch, sketch. I go through many concepts before I
ever reach a distilled design. I find I can over think an idea at first, but in time, the concept will reveal
itself with unnecessary details stripped away.
4. After a process of refinement, designs are presented and a final proposition is picked. This is a
period of give and take with your team, and usually the most vital in terms of selling your concept. It is
important to be clear and direct about your message. This is also an important time to discuss costing.
It is easy to design a product with no constraints, but realistically, a good designer can work within
narrow parameters and still execute a good product.
5. Following a few rounds of design review, then the beginning of tech packs are underway. This is
when you pick your materials, your final details and also the process of final blueprints.
6. Development process begins; it’s always key to keep open and honest communication with your
developer and the factory. The end result will only be as good as how clear your communication is,
and what compromises you are willing to make. A good designer is a flexible one.
Joshua Fraser, Senior footwear designer - Puma
A. We start with the structure of the collection, which we more or less adhere to, plus a few styles in a
few categories. This is usually based on sales from previous seasons.
We do research all the time- that's what you should be doing even if you are not at work- be it on the
way to work or in a night-club. You absorb a lot even if you don't realise it at the time, you might
suddenly have it on a design you've just done.
We then start designing and deciding which bestsellers from previous seasons to modify and/or
include. Although a lot of people have a theme, we usually start without one and might make up or...

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change the theme as we go along. The most important thing is the pictures on our board which gives
an indication to where we want to head with the collection.
The fabrics are loosely chosen and sample cuts will be ordered so we are able to see the garments in
the actual fabric in the fitting.
We visit the factories once a month for a week at a time after sending them the designs. We will then
go and do the first fitting out of three.
By the second fitting we will have chosen most of the fabrics and seen strike-offs, dyed pieces and
specially made fabrics. By the third fitting we will do all the charts and apply all the styles in the
different fabrics we want them in.
We may add or cancel styles as we go along. Even as late as the presentation and selling we might
add a style or apply a fabric in a different style if our sales team needs this.
We will do a production fitting after the sales have ended and we have all the feed-back from our
sales-teams.
Magnus Gjoen, Designer/Product developer - Vivienne Westwood
A. I like to start every design job with research. I make sure I know what trends are on the catwalks
and the high street, If I can, I try and gain inspiration from trips abroad, if the job allows, and then
spend time producing inspirational boards to evoke the looks and feeling.
I also like to ponder over what I’m trying to achieve with the end product. There are also many things
you should consider such as what’s the FOB/retail price point? Who is my target audience? Where will
the product be sold? etc. There are many issues that will dictate the final product and should be
considered before you even put pen to paper or mouse to computer.
Once I have considered these issues and have a clear idea of what my product is - I design the
product, usually straight onto the computer in illustrator.
The next stage is to develop the product, which is another job in itself! Firstly a detailed specification
pack is a must. I have found that the only way to ensure the factory sees your product vision, is to
spend as much time as possible with the factory amending patterns, choosing materials and colours
and developing outsoles etc.
Louise Shill, Senior Footwear Designer - Shoe Geek
Link crushes:
www.firstpullover.com - An informative footwear production blog dedicated to footwear professionals.
www.headoverheelshistory.com - A Timeline History of fashions and shoes from antiquity to the 1980’s.

Q. How do you manage to produce brilliant collections
season after season?
A. It can be tough trying to come up with new details, new constructions, new materials, etc.
especially when every 2 months you have to present a new line of about 100 styles to buyers. Each
line has to always be on trend but also sellable - finding the perfect match between the two isn't easy.
Our challenge each season/delivery, is to keep the customer interested. You have to think about the
end consumer all the time and come up with designs that will catch their eye, satisfy their personal
gratification and also meet their practical needs. Basically you want them to buy another pump,
another boot, another ballerina, even if they have a thousand of each already in their closet.
As long as the product is made well and looks fresh then the customer will find a reason to buy
another pair of shoes whether they need a new pair or not.
Jelena Djukic, Senior Designer - Nine West
A. Coming up with the right story. For me the technical aspects of designing shoes are difficult
enough, but actually translating your initial ideas into a marketable and commercial concept is
something that comes with time and practice.
I find I have to re-examine my story every so often during the creation process, to see if objectively it
pertains to the consumer and also is right for the brand as well. It is nice to design what you like, but if
you rely on that, then you can become rigid and insular.
A. Finding the right mood for the season is always hard, whether you want to follow the trends or be
ahead of them. It's not enough to have the right idea, you need to have it at the right moment. The
best way to know when the time is right is to do an extensive and continuous research in all possible
fields, both in and outside of the fashion industry.
Maxence Dinant, Senior Menswear Designer – Luxury Fashion
A. This is a real challenge indeed, also because collections often rely on the designers’ mood so it’s
important for me to be kept informed about the novelties and what other brands do.
Collecting images and magazine cuttings are just as essential as travelling, shopping and meeting
with suppliers and technicians. To constantly sketch is another key to success, as it is a good way to
keep things moving and evolving and to have your day-to-day ideas safe in a sketchbook.
Pascal Nuzzo, Head of Design, Leather Goods and Accessories - Temperley
For me it’s not a question of struggling to come up with new ideas. I always have something brewing in
the back of my mind. I think the hardest part is the quality control and selecting which ones will be the
right direction to take. I think it’s important to always improve on your previous work - doing that is the
hard part. Nicole Le Grange, Creative Director - Love Art Wear Art

Q. When researching a new collection how do you manage to sift
through all the clutter and focus on what's important?
A. Each collection we work within a design brief, this helps you focus when conducting your research.
I tend to gather as much information as I can and select the strongest elements. In my case I pay
attention to small details (a stitching technique, textures, colors, etc.) and mix these elements with
what I´m feeling strong about on that particular season.
Ana Borges, Footwear Designer - Jaeger London
A. …by understanding completely who your target customer is. Designing is like acting, you must get
into character, I do not design for myself - I design for the customer. They may be male or female, they
may be young or old, they may be conservative or outrageous in taste. Until I know who the customer
is and what they want to wear the research is a whole load of clutter. I sift through it by getting into
character and asking myself, ‘would Ms. X like this?’
Jessica Good, Designer - shoedesign.co.uk
A. I simply do a selection of ideas, concepts and fabrics that catch my eye, I collect things that I find
new, interesting, unique, unexpected, attractive, inspiring, in fact all what I like and that I sometimes
may find by accident. Then I have to check if my selected ideas and fabrics can suit the seasonal
theme and from there I may tweak, adapt some ideas to make them even more relevant to what I want
to achieve. I fix myself a goal, i.e. a look and feel I want the collection to achieve and with this in mind I
narrow down my selection of ideas to essentials for the season.
Q. Some designers seem to have a vivid approach while others are more
systematic - which style suits you best and why?
A. I consider myself to have a quite vivid but systematic approach when it comes to design, it’s part
of my personality and it helps me when dealing with my workload and creative process. Over the
years I have developed a process that works for me and I follow it instinctively. In the design process
there are different steps through which you have to go. It´s the same if you are more systematic or
less, you will always have to go through each step of the process to be able to fulfill the design brief.
The way you deal with it is more of a personal thing.
A. I tend to be quite spontaneous and unstructured when it comes to design, as it is my way to keep
creative. However when it comes to development, I want to keep things tidy, accurate and more
systematic.
A. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages. But ultimately I think it is more successful
to ground your creativity in a framework or process, so that you don't lose track of the end goal, or get
too caught up in your own head. I am by nature a very ‘daydreamy’ sort of individual and of course I...

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love to sit and pontificate about the what ifs of open ended concepts and innovative ways to approach
a job. There needs to be a pragmatic side that forces you to discipline the open ended creation.
Otherwise you are no longer a designer, but simply an artist with no one to answer to. Designing within
parameters is more boring to some, but I find it harder to do, and as a result makes you a better
practitioner.
A. I'm a bit of both. I usually have a system; however a lot of factors can contribute to them going up
in smoke. (Fabrics arriving late, factories closing for holidays and wrong samples) Then it is important
to try to steer back on track so you get the clothes in the show-room in time for the selling.
A. Both freedom and structure are necessary to me. At the beginning of the season, it is fundamental
to me to be able to go anywhere I want both mentally and physically, even for a very brief period of
time. After that, once I've understood where I want to go creatively, the more structured I manage to
work, the better. It's no secret to anyone that in fashion everything always happens at the last minute,
but - to me- the more systematically you manage to work, the more likely you'll be to have all tools
ready when it comes to do the final rush.
Q. How do you create a trend forecast?
A. Research should be done on a daily basis. Always keep your eyes open no matter where you are
or what you are doing. People watching is one of my favorite ways of doing research. Internet is a
huge source of information for me too. I try and sign up to the most important store or blog newsletters
so that I automatically get updated on what's being posted online.
Visiting trade shows is really important too. Unfortunately, sometimes they are not in a convenient city
or at a convenient time of year. If I can't make it to a show then I'll definitely look online at the trend
forecasting sites such as WGSN and Shoesplanet to see the reports and photos they post from the
shows.
A. That’s a really difficult question to answer – from a commercial point of view you can study
commercial catwalks but if you’re looking for top couture you need to look at everything that is going
on. And this is not just current events. Fashion is relatively cyclical, but as you may realise, the current
global mood has a huge effect. Also look to films, technologies, emerging economies, interiors, degree
shows, and the age range of your target market.
For example, the Oscars = glamour, we are now in a 70s style glamour trend that harks back to the
innate sense that your mother is always glamorous – the glamorous ladies you saw when you were
younger are now being re-emulated with a modern twist. Brights are in because we have just come...

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out of the economical downturn from neutrals and summer spells freshness, brightness and new
possibilities. Study what came before and predict what comes next. You won’t always get this right, but
you can’t go far wrong!
Jili Alen, Creative Designer - MJM Int./Owner of Jili Allen Ltd
A. I like to work directly onto the computer; I find it a cleaner clearer way of working. I have the
advantage of having worked this way for many years so it is second nature, but as you say, everyone
has his or her own way of working. Finding the most time effective and comfortable way of working for
you is the key.
Q. Fashion is one of the most fast paced and pressurised industries
around, can you tell me what part of your job you find the most
challenging and why?
A. The part of the job I find most challenging when preparing the designs for a show. There’s no
place for mistakes, you have to deliver outstanding designs in a short period of time and they have to
make a strong statement.
A. The most challenging part is keeping ahead and not falling into the trap of floating in the current.
It requires keeping a constant eye on the ball and constant work. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Fashion
is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”
A. …keeping your confidence when you are presented with opposing views. It’s hard sometimes to
separate yourself from your work. It’s human nature to identify with what we do. So, in a sense, our
work is an extension of who we are and how we think.
When we have to redo a design multiple times, it’s hard not to get burned out and give into the
feelings of jadedness that many designers can feel when dealing with counterparts. One needs to be
able to separate yourself and walk away from the project, and try to see what is being changed and
why, and make the best of it without losing a sense of what it is you need to get across.
Do not lose the purity of the brief, even when the direction appears to change. Roll with it and maintain
your sense of humor. I feel my designs have improved as I become more objective in my
assessments of my work, and the work of others.

Continued: Q. Fashion is one of the most fast paced and pressurised industries around...
A. Keeping ahead of the game and up with future trends is a constant challenge, but it’s important
not to be a slave to the trends but develop your own sense of style and affiliate yourself with the
brand/product you’re working on. Being aware of the market is important, but also being aware of your
target audience is just as important.
A. The most challenging part is probably the fact that things and decisions change all the time. It is
even more true for companies with catwalk shows, as it often happens you have to design and
develop new products at the very last minute. Shows are very important events, they are presented to
all customers, buyers and the media globally. You also see some of your products you have been
working on for weeks or even months eventually getting dropped and they may need to be replaced by
products to be designed within a very short time.
There is so much inspiration, excitement and interest in so many different techniques and design ideas
that some people can get carried away and want brand new products at the last minute because a
new and better idea may have emerged very late in the design process. Sometimes passion leads
rather than pragmatism, so you often face situations like these, but it is also what makes fashion so
interesting and fascinating!
A. Most challenging is remembering all the nitty gritty stuff - I write everything down in my calendar or
iPhone so I'm reminded of things. There are so many things that can go wrong from socks not being at
a look-book to silk dresses having the wrong type of stitch! You have to be super-organized as you
can't expect anyone else to be. Even if it's not technically your job, the finger is easily pointed at you
if something goes wrong.
A. Pleasing press, buyers and yourself season after season, preferably increasingly, is the biggest
challenge to me in fashion nowadays.
Maxence Dinant, Senior Menswear Designer - Luxury Fashion
Q. Fashion is a notoriously difficult industry to break in to, how did you
manage to get your foot in the door?
A. I got into fashion completely by accident and not design. I was studying A level design and (I’ve
still no idea why), I did kids shoes for my main project. I made my own lasts out of clay and nearly cut
my own arms off sawing an old car tyre up with an electric band saw to make the soles! I had no idea
what I wanted to do for a degree, it was one of the tutors that suggested I was rather good at making
shoes already and did I know there were courses?
I ended up applying for De Montfort University and got in, without a foundation course. I was one of
only two students in the whole country to manage getting onto a degree without a foundation course,
but I did no end of night-school in order to get in – my portfolio was big and varied. I almost ended up

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doing lingerie design instead as the degree included two weeks on each of the fashion courses they
do there. But I stuck to my guns.
I started applying for jobs in March of my final year. My fellow students thought I was a bit keen to be
thinking about this so early but it paid off as I had two job offers by May. I chose Pentland Group –
sports footwear was my passion and they were THE place in the UK to work designing that kind of
footwear and they are still one of the best places for a graduate to work.
Jessica Good, Designer - shoedesign.co.uk
A. I was born in to a family working in luxury leather goods so I already had this passion running
through my veins. I also liked the fast-paced and short-term process of this industry in comparison with
the years-long process you can experience in product design for instance. It has not been easy to get
in to this industry and to be accepted as an experienced individual. Hard work is the key to get the
opportunity to work in fashion, as it remains a very competitive industry.
A. I’ve always loved fashion. My passion started from a young age with me riffling through my mum’s
wardrobe and cutting up any piece of cloth I could find to make myself something fabulous to wear,
making shoes out of cardboard, paper and cello tape, finished my outfit perfectly, to my mums
despair!!!
Whilst at art college I was lucky enough to attend a talk from a student at De Montfort University who
was on the footwear degree course. I was so inspired by her handmade shoes and fascinated by the
concept of creating a 3D product that I could design and wear, from then on I was hooked.
In my final year of my footwear degree, I wrote to several companies to ask for a work placement,
luckily two responded, one offered me a position when I graduated and the other I worked for several
years later, some of those relationships I made early on in my career remain firm today.
A. The glamour of the 80's and early 90's and the supermodels! I was lucky that my graduate
collection at the Antwerp Royal Academy got noticed by the right people and I'll be thankful to them for
putting their faith in me for as long as I’m able to design clothes.
Maxence Dinant, Senior Menswear Designer - Luxury Fashion
Q. What information should be included in a design spec and how
detailed should it be?
A. Design specs should be as detailed as possible, bearing in mind that your designs have to be
interpreted by someone else and quite often for more than one person. On my specs I include a 3/4
views of my design along with all the technical aspects, such as the lasts, construction, hardware,
fabrications, materials and all the notes that would help to get my message across as accurately...

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as possible. It´s important if you can brief your specs in person as it does make a difference. You
should never expect your first prototypes to be perfect, you should consider it to be a starting point,
they help you to see lines and proportions and there´s always work to be done from this stage.
A. It all depends on the design and on who will be reading the spec. Our development center is
based in China therefore we have to be very detailed so as to get as close as possible to our design
from the first prototype. The more information you provide the easier it is for the technicians to
execute. Having said that, too much information can also create problems especially if the information
is unnecessary.
Put yourself in the shoes of who will be reading the spec and ask yourself what information they really
need and what they should know without you having to tell them. Also always pay attention to how you
word your spec. When working with China there is no need to use complicated, fancy words that they
don't understand. Keep it simple and to the point and you should be able to have them achieve
anything.
A. I tell myself that if I couldn’t make the shoe from the information given on the spec, then there isn’t
enough detail - simply put, a design spec is the instructions to the factory to tell them how to make the
shoe.
Number one is that the sketch proportions should be as precise as you can make them. I try to make
an almost photographic copy of the proportions, no artistic style Manolo watercolour artworks, please.
You need to construct a diagram, not an artwork.
Be aware that if the factory uses a different language to you, avoid using long complex sentences –
it is a pain for them to translate, on that note, a picture or diagram can tell a thousand words. I number
everything on my specs and use as little written info as I can get away with.
Find out from the factory how THEY like to work – ask for specs from them from other designers that
they like and understand. One size does not fit all. They may like using pantones, or they may not
even have a pantone book, you need to find out.
Don’t forget to add precise measurements. Get the last if possible – some factories prefer to work with
vac forms or designs sketched on a taped last as they might prefer to take the patterns for your design
directly from this.
Jessica Good, Designer, shoedesign.co.uk

Continued...Q. How detailed should a design spec be and what information should be included?
A. My basic footwear tech pack includes the following:
A. Clean line art with detail call outs, which includes construction notes, views and measurements.
B. All material call outs on upper. No detail is too small. Call out the stitching weight if need be.
Leather release patterns, where to line and not to line. Attention to detail is key.
C. In addition, any and all unusual constructions on the upper that might require a see through view of
the interior of the shoe. Designing the inside is just as vital in terms of comfort.
D. Drawing of upper on the last. It has always been my feeling that the most accurate way to get your
pattern across is to draw directly on a tapped up last.
E. Blueprints of tooling. As many views as possible, which include, top bottom, sides, front and heels
views. Also cross-sections are key. The number depends on the complexity of form. Don't do too
many in one area of similar form. Use common sense and cross section the areas that are most
complex or far apart in terms of shape.
F. Any and all cross sections and blue print call outs for secondary molded parts, which include
eyelets, straps, molded heel or toe pieces.
G. All colorways with correct Pantone information.
Q. What would you say is the most important thing to consider when
designing a collection?
A. You need to make sure the collection and its quality suit your company’s DNA and history, and that
it is consistent with the targeted consumer and retail price.
Pascal Nuzzo, Head of Design Leather Goods and Accessories - Temperley
Q. How do you balance your desire to be creative with the practical
requirements that make a design commercially viable?
Being aware of your commercial constrains can sometimes be creatively stifling. I try to not focus too
much on these issues when designing and prefer to indulge my creativity first, before I bring my
design back to commercially fit the brief.

Continued: Q. How do you balance your desire to be creative with the practical requirements...?
A. Over the years, I've learned that you don't necessarily need to design a Couture evening gown to
feel satisfied creatively. Sometimes, a "detail" as small as a new collar shape on a men's shirt can give
you incredible satisfaction.
A. I consider if it is a collection I would like to wear or if I would be happy to find in stores. I imagine
myself or my friends buying these products and getting excited about them. I think every single
wardrobe should contain commercial products, timeless classics and novelty items. I believe each
collection should be designed with this in mind and find the right balance between the subtle, the
commercial, the unexpected and the quirky.
I don't think the commercial viability and creativity are mutually exclusive. For me, it is important to
design things I would want to wear - so things that are fashion forward, but still flattering on the body.
I think great design does both, it pushes the boundaries but manages to be something that people will
want to own.
Saloni Sethi, Designer/Design Director, Independent, High-end luxury
A. Complete and absolute novelty doesn’t work. The mind is conservative by nature; even Picasso’s
mind. Shock for shock-value has a very short life, too short to mean much. For the mind to find
something compelling – and enduringly so - it must be an exquisite alchemy of:
• Familiarity (Is it like me?)
• Participation (Does it like me? Understand me? Can I trust it?)
• Power (Given it’s actually different from me, in that difference, can it help me become more of me
(and, therefore, expand my familiar)?
For an object to be compelling it must be perceived and conceived of as accessible and mythic;
powerful and understanding.
Dr. Bob Deutsch, Cognitive Anthropologist - Branding & Marketing Expert
Q. How does CAD design compare to traditional drawing skills and is it
important for a designer to have both?
A. I think the two can be combined in a positive way. I myself use hand drawing to create all my
designs, mainly because I feel more comfortable and I enjoy sketching, it seems to be the natural way
to translate my ideas. I do use CAD occasionally, not to sketch but to present my work. As a designer I
think it´s important to be able to sketch by hand, it makes your work more personal, I find CAD design
to be more impersonal and cold, if this makes sense! But to be honest, it really doesn´t matter how
you do it as long as you can translate your ideas.

Continued: Q. How does CAD design compare to traditional drawing skills and is it...?
A. I think nowadays it’s a plus to have both skills even though when designing dress shoes it’s not as
necessary as when designing athletics or comfort shoes. Sketching will never be completely replaced
by CADs as it's so much easier and quicker, plus all you need is pen and paper. CADs are great for
portfolios, presentations and getting management excited about your designs before they are
sampled. Sometimes it can be time consuming but it can save you time in the long run.
A. CAD is easy to learn, but without traditional drawing skills you will struggle. Proportion is key.
If you can’t sketch an in–proportion shoe, you risk getting some weird looking samples back from the
factory. I tend to use CAD for most clients now, I think now only the luxury market and some fast
fashion are still working with hand sketches.
In the athletic footwear industry, CAD is a must, but ‘wannabees’ be warned, the design managers at
Nike etc. are still more interested in strong hand rendering skills than anything else. CAD can be a bit
smoke/lights and mirrors, making a mediocre design look a lot better than it really is. But having said
all that, if you want to freelance you really need to do both and to a good standard.
A. I am on both sides of the fence. There is nothing in my mind that can replace the quick concept
sketch that a good drawing can convey. Being able to draw, and direct others with sketching is a vital
tool. When there is no computer around, you must still be able to convey yourself clearly. The skills
one has with 2D vector files or 3D files is the way most people do business and also send tech packs
to overseas today.
With CAD, projects can be reworked and redesigned with little effort as compared to redrawing and
entire project by hand. I feel it’s vital to have a good balance of both skills and to embrace what each
set brings to the table. A good designer is open to all tools.
Joshua Fraser, Senior footwear designer – Puma
A. It all depends on the requirements of the collection, in terms of amount of styles and the time you
have at your disposal. I personally think that manual sketches are the best at the beginning of the
designing process, when it comes to defining the volumes and proportions. After that, for the flats and
technical drawings, there's no doubt that CAD helps to save a lot of valuable time.
Maxence Dinant, Senior Menswear Designer – High-end luxury

Q. How important is it for a designer to understand how to produce a
garment or footwear pattern?
A. I would recommend any shoe designer to take at least a short pattern-cutting course. You will find
yourself in situations where the factory does not have a very good pattern cutter or you need to fix
something. If you don’t understand pattern cutting, it can be a struggle.
A. Understanding footwear construction is invaluable. I gained most of my construction experience,
not only at university, but on the job working direct with the factory pattern cutters. It’s important to
remember that just because a pattern physically functions, it’s not always production friendly.
Once these basic principles are understood, you can have fun breaking all the rules which I’ve found
has led to some of my best work.
Q. What do you feel is the most rewarding part of the design process?
A. Oddly, it’s not the finished product, it’s not getting it into store, it’s seeing someone wearing/using
something you’ve designed; not a friend, just a stranger on the street – THAT is amazing. I do,
however, adore the conceptual process, letting your mind go mad and not putting limits on yourself;
hand-sketching, can’t beat it!
Q. What are the best trade shows and events to attend for fabrics
and materials?
A. Lineapelle, Premier Vision, Micam, Trend Select...just to name a few. I also like to pay attention to
the trends that emerge in apparel, as those trends will later be translated into footwear. Remember
shoes are accessories therefore usually have to compliment apparel.
Link crushes:
www.design-seeds.com - Brilliant blog dedicated to exploring the wonderful world of colour.
www.trendhunter.com - The largest community for Trends, Trend Spotting, Cool Hunting, and Innovation.
www.refinery29.com - Emerging fashion trends covered by experts.
www.fashionising.com/trends - The latest clothing and fashion trends from around the world.
www.Fashion156.com - Online fashion magazine that provides a celebratory platform for emerging talent.
www.britishfashioncouncil.com - Supporting and promoting British fashion designers.
Mark’s note: Check out http://goo.gl/b9pah for info on a unique range of short shoe making courses.
Also see: Cordwainers world-renowned college for footware production: http://goo.gl/h3Z00 and of course -
The London College of Fashion: http://goo.gl/ToWJP for anything else fashion related.

Q. What is the best way to find a factory that is willing to produce small
amounts of stock?
A. It’s the question I get asked most of all. This is why designers who are already in the industry may
find it a bit easier if they decide to start their own brand. It’s about trust. If you already have a
relationship with a manufacturer, then they will be more likely to take a risk. Truth be known, the
factories that will do this now, you could count on your hands. Especially since the recent recession.
Very few factories will take the risk and there are more new shoe businesses start-ups than ever
before. Some shoe designers I know have set up their own workshops and hand make themselves.
Q. What are the various footwear production stages?
A. First pullover is a great blog which explains how sneakers are made. There is also some stuff on
YouTube if you search for shoemaking.
- Design
- Pattern cutting
- Clicking (cutting the uppers out)
- Skiving (on leather uppers, the edges are thinned to ease stitching and avoid thick seams)
- Closing (stitching the uppers)
- Lasting (forming the uppers around the last)
- Heat setting (the lasted uppers go through a heat setting machine to form the stiffeners to the shape
of the last)
- Sole/Heel attachment
- Finishing (polish, remove glue marks. Add laces etc)
- Inspection (shoes are checked at end of production line)
- Packing (wrap in tissue, in shoe box and then in cartons ready for shipping)
A. 1. Tech Pack checkpoint: Once the factory gets the tech pack, the next step is for them to go over
the info and ask any questions they might have to the developer and designer. This is always a good
time to make initial changes based on the feedback.
2. Next step is usually getting initial upper patterns back and revising shells. At this point, options for
more cost effective alternatives might be suggested. Costing is always an issue with the constant
struggle to meet margins and also meet the needs of rising costs in labor and materials.
Production
Mark’s note: Check out http://goo.gl/X37O4 for shoe making videos.

Continued...
3. Travel: Book your ticket and head over to the development center or factory. This is where you need
to bring all notes, material options, colors and anything that might help finesse the details of the shoe.
4. The next steps are pretty straight forward. Meet with your mold makers, revise blueprints. Meet with
your pattern makers and make the changes as needed. But be realistic about the changes. If you are
under time constraints, and you are completely redesigning the project because you suddenly
changed your mind, expect the sample to not be as refined at the end of the day. Make changes
prudently and stay consistent.
5. Review final samples with your team. Do updates with your marketing and development
counterparts. Ask for peoples’ opinions, but also do not alter the design based on subjective opinions.
Make changes based on the needs of the brief and the customer. Always keep your original design in
mind and even at this stage be sure you are on track.
Q. How do you make sure all the relevant details are covered when
creating a production spec?
A. Before putting together a production spec, I think it's important to visit and understand a production
line. Since producing a shoe on a production line is very different from making a shoe in a sample
room. So many aspects of the production line can affect the outcome of your designs. Therefore,
foreseeing what could potentially be a problem will save you time and money. If you already know that
a detail you are putting into your spec may be a problem on the production line then either find a
solution for it or change your design/spec.
A. If you follow through with a tech pack that has all the details I listed in (Design Spec.), then you
should be fine. Always measure twice, work in proportion, work with the last shape and do all your
drawings based on that. Look at older blueprints that share the same last shape and work your
drawings over those if need be to be consistent. The cad guys at the factory are always going to revise
your work and drawings based on best practices anyway. Make less work for them and that way you
know what you get will be closest to reality.
Also look at what you have before it is sent out and ask yourself would I be able to make the shoe if I
was given this info. Ask your peers if the drawings are clear and accurate.
Mark’s note: www.linkedin.com is a brilliant place to find production factories as well as other businesses.
Also, check out: www.toplinked.com/toplinked.aspx if you want to expand your Linkedin network quickly.
(It’s not a good idea to add people randomly but ‘Open Networkers’ are normally happy to receive requests.)

Q. How can you ensure that the production quality remains high and
consistent when working with factories abroad?
A. Communication, communication, communication ...and building of relationships is key. You have to
put yourself in the mindset of the people working in the development centers and factory. Too many
designers have unrealistic expectations when it comes to their designs. No one is a mind reader. Be
proactive. Give all your effort to explain, re- explain and always keep your cool. Nothing ruins your rep
and your priority on the project list more than being impatient or emotional when the sample is not
looking like you expect.
Q. What advice would you give to a designer who is not able to visit the
factory in person?
A. Honestly, if you are producing your own collection and do not have someone on the other side as
a contact person whom you trust, save your money and buy a ticket. Nothing replaces the ability to
oversee the project at hand.
However, if you simply do not have the time or budget for that, Skype is a lifesaver. Ask them to have
a person there with access to Skype or any other similar type programs and give you end of the day
updates and also show you the samples. Video conferencing is a standard part of designing today.
Take full advantage of it.
Q. What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you when working with
a factory and how did you fix the problem?
A. As an employee, it wasn’t my responsibility to fix production problems as a freelance designer, but
I’ve seen some nightmares. Such as the entire delivery of sneakers that arrived in our warehouse as
just uppers, no outsoles attached! Followed by another delivery that had sneakers but no eyelets.
Always be there or have someone there to check when your production is about to leave is the lesson
learned there.
Also if you are making shoes with wooden soles, it’s a good idea to ensure that the wood has been
properly seasoned, because it can go mouldy in the box if it hasn’t been!

Market Research &
Branding
Chapter 3

Q. Market research is an area that many new businesses struggle with
- what advice can you offer?
Identify who you want your customer to be and research what their lifestyle is. Based on what they do,
where they go, what brands they are buying, where they are shopping, etc. you will be able to design
specifically for that customer. It’s also always good to talk to sales reps, buyers and even organise
focus groups as it will give you extra information that you won't be able to find anywhere else.
If you are writing a business plan, then the info you need is not widely available. You generally need to
pay for the data, it isn’t free. Verdict is the retail research company which deals with the UK market
most effectively.
People are not what media makes them out to be. People are poised and unsettled, mysterious and
mundane, idealistic and street-operators, marooned and moored, tough and tender. But they are
always artful and embody many registers. Respect people-as-people, not just as consumers. Forget
about marketing and, instead, think about life. Then your creations will be greeted by a great market.
Dr. Bob Deutsch, Cognitive Anthropologist – Branding & Marketing Expert
Q. What exactly is a ‘brand’ and why is it so important?
A. "Brand is the 'f' word of marketing. People swear by it, no one quite understands its significance
and everybody would like to think they do it more often than they do" - Mark di Soma, Audacity Group
To me, a brand is the recognisable constant of the design; the living breathing lifestyle of the product.
A. Brand is not what most marketers think it is. Brand is not name recognition plus positive attributes.
That’s commodity. Brand obtains only when a person metaphorically merges his/her story about who
they are with their story of who you - the product - is. This merging is an emotional-subjective process,
not a logical-objective one. Apple, for example, is a great brand - a brand, in part, based on beauty.
Market Research
Branding

Continued...
When you have a brand, a consumer can totally transform your product into a personally meaningful
narrative.
Dr. Bob Deutsch, Cognitive Anthropologist – Branding & Marketing Expert
Q. What are the key ingredients of creating a successful brand and how
is it used to increase sales?
A. A brand has to have a crystal clear identity as to the market it serves, in terms of aesthetics,
mission, tone of voice, practice, pricing, partnerships - anything and everything. If the positioning of a
brand is not obvious, it cannot translate to consumers. This is especially important in an age when
consumers are constantly being bombarded and have to quickly dissect information.
Courtney Blackman, Owner/MD – Forward PR
There are many ingredients in creating a successful brand, but in my opinion - it’s the experience it
offers and the impression it leaves that adds value and therefore increases sales.
Jristian Limsico, Art Director, Tommy Hilfiger
Q. How can a new designer compete with well-established competitors
with massive budgets and seemingly endless resources?
A. Having a product that stands on its own, a strong brand, connecting with consumers, focusing on
experience and embracing the utlisation of new tools for interaction and exposure. A new product has
to stand out or be at least as good as competitors both new and established. It has to be well
designed, well finished and well packaged, and that goes across any industry from automobiles,
electronics, beauty, etc.
Take media for example; there are heaps of well-established magazines that are recognised globally
and have household name status. New publications are sprouting up all the time. What can a new
publication do to get noticed? It would have to be beautifully designed, have intriguing and relevant
content and be sold at a fair price. If a start-up gets the formula right, it can certainly compete.
The experience is really important as well, and is a key aspect of customer service. Every interaction
between a brand and a consumer should be a positive experience from receiving an email, a
telephone call or a direct message on Twitter. Every encounter should enhance the experience and
serve to forge a tighter bond between the brand and consumer.

Q. How do you ensure that your company has a strong brand identity
with real substance?...I suppose what I’m asking is what gives a
brand the ‘X-factor’?
A. The designers background story is pretty significant, who they trained under, what college they
graduated from, their style history. The same is relevant to a brands history too, and those brands with
a great heritage are usually extremely successful. Always showing their designs in a cool, new way
with the highest quality design is imperative, a clear unflinching vision, great use of fabrics and
creating desirable silhouettes. The designs seen to be worn on cool style setters also helps to create a
brand/designers profile and keeps the buzz surrounding them at a high.
Miranda Almond, Fashion Editor, Vogue
A. By communicating what is true to the company. Drawing inspiration from the heritage of the brand
and delivering something authentic, as well as fresh and unexpected.
A. This is something we’ve been looking at a lot recently as we’ve established a new direction and
branding for the company, there’s a lot of competition out there from fantastic brands so it is hard for
you to differentiate yourself and stand out.
You have to have that ‘eureka’ moment when you work out your brand’s own individual place and
message in the market and realise that it’s totally relevant – you need to really believe in what you’re
trying to say and stay true to that. We worked hard on listening to our customers and finding out what
was missing in the fashion retail sector, and came up with our new direction of Everyday Luxury - for
the woman who has far too little time but loves fashion and wants to fit amazing pieces into her real
life. From there everything fell into place really, from the street-style photography we shoot, to the
fashion styling on the site, to the way we designed the product pages and navigation.
Ruth Cozens, Art Director - my-wardrobe.com
A. A credible story or heritage, cohesive, intelligent branding, a clear business strategy and vision,
a realistic idea of who your customer is and a handful of core values that do not waver.
Laura Weir, Fashion Editor, Drapers
A. It’s the full package: a good name (some designers are born lucky), smart graphic design that
communicates if a brand is luxury, mid-market or affordable, brand personality – translated through
copy across everything from website to swing tags to a Facebook fan page, and an identifiable and
distinctive story behind it. A brand must have clarity across every aspect of the company as to what
makes it different from its competitors and why consumers should pay attention to it, and pay for it.

Continued: Q. How do you ensure that your company has a strong brand identity with real
A. We worked as a team to define what our brand stood for, what our unique selling points were and
what we were trying to achieve.
We built a brand document, which defined what we were about, we set rules about our brand and how
we portrayed it and what messages we wanted to get across to the customers.
We had a 3 year strategy that the entire company helped put together and developed a “Steering
Wheel” around the four headings of Customer, Finance, Operations and People.
Julia Reynolds, CEO, Figleaves.com
Q. What are the fundamental ingredients that separate successful
designers from the many others who do not make?
A. Genuine talent, imagination and skill. Those two factors are easy to spot from a mile off. The best
in the business from McQueen to Galliano have technical skill and creative talent in spades. The best
designers have imagination and a true, no-holds-bar belief in their creative calling and will not stop
until they realise the ambition.
A. Absolute determination, A clear unflinching vision, A hard work ethic, the ability to work with other
creatives to help the brand grow, stylists, set designers, photographers etc. ...Always striving to move
forward and not being afraid of experimentation.
Miranda Almond, Fashion Editor - Vogue
Link crushes:
www.drapersonline.com - Fashion jobs, news and the latest fashion trends, international catwalk coverage.
www.wwd.com - Breaking news, comprehensive business coverage and trends - fashion, beauty and retail.
www.retailminded.com - Support retailers, wholesalers, boutiques, independent businesses.
www.stylesight.com - Trend forecasting service and technology tool provider.
www.internetretailing.net - Internet Retailing analysis, insight and stimulus for Europe’s multichannel retailers.

Q. How do you put a Marketing Plan together and what should it include?
A. A marketing plan should include your objective - what do you want to achieve:
- Who - who is your audience for that objective?
- How - how can you get there? - this is usually a mix of tactics to achieve this and some commercial
analysis on how this is possible via media investment, etc.
- Measurement - what equals success? Sales? Brand awareness?
Jennifer Roebuck, Director of Ecommerce & Digital Marketing - frenchconnection.com
A. A giant spreadsheet. All the weeks and months across the top and ALL the activity that is customer
facing for the business plugged into it. Broken down into categories. Product launches, key events on
the calendar, what is happening that week, digital marketing activity, above the line activity, promotions
and last year’s history.
Q. What advice would you give to a designer who is thinking about
launching a fashion label?
A. In fashion it is a lot about people you know and of course if you have worked in the industry for
someone else before you should always be thinking about how some of these people may be able to
help you in the future. Make connections and always think about the future.
You need to know your market and exactly what they want - not what you want for them. Depending
on what type of clothing-range you are starting you always need to look at your potential competitors
and finding out as much as possible about them. Price is your first indication of your competitors then
of course the style/fabrics/finishings.
A. A new designer needs to find out if there is a gap in the market for the new product. Research can
be done by conducting surveys, talking to people, scouring the Internet, visiting stores to investigate
price points and competition, and new designers would benefit greatly from developing a business
plan. A business plan will help put a new business into perspective as far as cash flows, staffing,
competitors, short and long term goals, manufacturing, website structuring and on and on. Once a
new designer has decided to move forward on a new product, they should secure intellectual property
by buying every website domain iteration and secure coinciding social media: Twitter account and
Facebook fan page names for instance.
Courtney Blackman, Owner/Managing Dir – Forward PR
Marketing
Mark’s note: April Dunford from Rocket Watcher has created a brilliant marketing framework - well worth
the read: http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2011/01/a-startup-marketing-framework-version-2.html

Continued: Q. What advice would you give to a designer who is thinking about launching...?
A. The product needs to be great, good is not good enough. You do not need much if any marketing
budget. Great product sells itself. You will make mistakes in the first few years, so plan to only get 60%
right. You will never get 100% right, although obviously you will aim to get 100% right. If you have a
plan, make sure you plan a downside for your accountant! Anything from 25% to 50% it is so much
better to under promise and over deliver.
Look at competitors and make comparisons. Every business on the planet has taken ideas from
somewhere else. Stick to your USP’s and focus on customer, customer, customer
Get help and support from people that you trust who have experience. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
and use other people’s skills. You cannot possibly be great at everything.
Q. What is a ‘Unique Selling Point’ (USP) and how can this be used to
drive sales?
A. A USP is the difference that sets your product and service apart from your competitors and makes
you unforgettable.
A. If you can’t clearly and succinctly define what makes your product and service relevant then you
can’t promote it effectively. Having a compelling USP is the first critical step to building a marketing
campaign.
Shannon Edwards, Director – ShopStyle.com
A. A USP is what differentiates a product or service from the rest. It can be anything from special
packaging to same-day delivery to off-coloured stitching on each garment, and should always
augment the product and the customer’s experience.
A. What makes your product different from your competitors, ideally you will have at least one. These
should be at the core of your business and should drive everything you do. Try not to sway from this,
although they may change over time as the business evolves. (Easyjet, Liberty, Donna Karan, Coca
Cola, Innocent Drinks) good examples of those that have stuck to what they set out to do.

Q. With so many new and exciting marketing channels popping up how
do you decide which is best for your business?
A. We try to gather as much information as possible about each channel and decide based on what
the expected commercial impact is and brand impact. It is a hard decision and we do not always make
the right choices. We are also interested in innovation and trying new things - so we are not afraid to
test something. Jennifer Roebuck, Dir of eCom & Digital Marketing – Frenchconnection.com
Q. How do you develop a clear and consistent message across all
marketing platforms?
A. The most important thing is to edit - make sure that whatever you are presenting, whether it’s your
website, a look book, or a press release that it all represent you and your vision. In doing this, you
have to be clear about your vision for your brand. It could be helpful to come up with a mission
statement for the brand as a whole, and put together some images to go with your mission statement.
It’s always good to have another pair of eyes look at your work to see if the message you want to
convey is coming through.
A. We work together. We have an agreed tone of voice, brand positioning and imagery. Once that is
in place, we all ensure our communications are consistent when we are launching a new season and
throughout the season. As long as they are visually and tonally consistent, that will deliver a clear and
concise message. Less is more...and in fashion the image often speaks louder than words.
Jennifer Roebuck, Director of eCom & Digital Marketing – Frenchconnection.com
Q. What is the key to producing good quality content that will not only
engage but also add value in the eyes of the reader?
A. Two things. One; content must be honest. The content that you produce must come from a good
place, a pure of heart place, a genuine place of interest and be unbiased. Sycophantic reporting –
especially in my industry of fashion - get’s no writer anywhere. By trying to be everyone’s friend and
not engaging in honest reporting, the journalist won’t gain the industry’s respect and the designer they
are writing about, in turn will not become better at their craft.
Two; content must be useful. Know your customer or audience inside out, stalk them really hard. Get
inside their brain and work out what will make them smile/tick/feel a flurry in their stomach. The right
information can help people do better business or help people feel better about themselves - or both.
Laura Weir, Fashion Editor - Drapers

Continued... What is the key to producing good quality content that will not only engage but also?
A. The key is understanding what you are about in the sense of its message. Are you there to visually
inspire? Are you there to lead a movement? What is it it's purpose? Good quality content that engages
and adds value has a purpose. With a purpose you can create a reader who not only becomes a
subscriber, but becomes an advocate.
Daniel P Dykes, Editor-in-Chief/Chairman - Fashionising.com
A. I see so much that bores me and it makes me feel anti certain brands. So they need to address
this and be aware of it - as an ill-advised activity can be seriously damaging. Quality control everything
you do and think how your audience will perceive it. If in your mind there is even the slightest doubt
get a 2nd, 3rd and 10th opinion.
Guy Hipwell, Founding Editor/Creative Director - Fashion156.com
A. Any good designer will tell you that in order to create good quality creative that engages and adds
value you need a strong understanding of who you’re talking to. Really knowing your target audience
is the only way to make an impact.
A. People are interested in transparency, quality and an emotional connection. If a designer can
provide all those things via content development, they will do well. It is a little bit of a stretch to say that
content will add real value to someone's life. However, sometimes simply providing the basic product
information a consumer needs can help provide that value by saving time and fulfilling expectations.
A. Good quality content needs to be ‘real’ You shouldn’t be afraid to look at your own consumption
patterns – what interests you? Is the content you are producing something that you find exciting?
Would your friends and your family find it exciting? Not enough marketers use their own gut to
evaluate their work.
Shannon Edwards, Director, ShopStyle, Europe
A. Keep the customer at the core of your thinking, what is it they would like to see. They may not
know it yet. Be careful of listening to customers who don’t know what they can’t see coming. You will
have to be very thorough about articulating what it is you are doing.

Q. What marketing techniques would you recommend for a designer
trying to launch a brand?
A. Aside from the traditional Ecommerce marketing channels ( search, affiliate marketing, social
media and email ) development of video content and interactive experiences are the most compelling
things you can do within the digital space. Mobile is also gaining momentum.
Q. It seems logical to focus on marketing activities that can be
measured, but this is easier said than done. What can designers do to
ensure that their marketing efforts are as productive as possible?
A. Have a consistent message, keep it simple and know who and where you want to be. If you stay
focused on where you want your message to be and what you have to do to get it there, you will not
end up chasing many different communication channels that may not be right for your brand or
offering. Measurement is important and you should try to understand how you are going to learn from
your efforts before you start.
A. A good Finance Director will not let you spend money unless you can calculate a return on
investment. This is good business practice but, can stifle creativity. Balance off what you can make a
return on, leaving some budget up your sleeve to focus on what you really think will make a difference.
Do not spread it wide and shallow. Often the simplest things are the best.
Link crushes:
www.sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog - Seth riffs on marketing, respect and the ways ideas spread.
www.rocketwatcher.com - A marketing blog that provides practical advice and tools for product marketers.
www.fashionablymarketing.me - Brilliant blog about retail and digital media.

Q. ‘PR’ is a massive force within the fashion industry but what exactly
is ‘PR’ and how can it be beneficial to new designers?
A. PR can mean public relations, press relations…and it seems as though it’s constantly changing.
In the briefest of terms, it is getting a brand out there and recognised by target press, and therefore
the brand’s target consumer base. It is third party, unpaid (non-advertisement) endorsement, which is
very powerful. It is securing editorial coverage in relevant magazines, newspapers and supplements,
television, radio, digital magazines, blogs and partnering with celebrities in a mutual relationship.
New designers are in a fortunate position where they can spearhead their own PR campaigns by
harnessing social media and even writing their own blogs.
Q. What should a PR plan include?
A. A PR plan should include program goals, followed by measurable objectives and strategies that
when implemented, will meet those goals and objectives. Within each strategy, clearly defined action
steps, in the form of tactics and tasks, provide the blueprint for execution. Benchmarking current
numbers and tracking growth is another key component.
For a designer to manage these activities herself, it’s important to drill the PR plan down to daily action
items. This might include setting aside two hours each day to send out pitches to media, connect with
followers on Twitter and respond to email.
Crosby Noricks, Founder & Editor, PR Couture
Q. How can a designer develop a ‘PR friendly’ brand that the press will
want to talk about?
A. The first step is that the branding needs to be strong and memorable and the PR campaign needs
to be well thought out. It should be easy to draft a PR strategy based on timings outlined in the
business plan. Launching a new collection each season is an accomplishment indeed, but it’s not
news. Is there a unique story as to how the label came to being? Has the designer’s brand been worn
by a celebrity? Has a well-known store just taken the brand on? Is the designer collaborating with
another designer, illustrator or store? Has the designer won an award? Is the brand launching an
accessories line…and to iterate, a brand doesn’t want to announce all news at once. It should be
spaced out accordingly, so that the media are constantly being fed information and being reacquainted
with the brand.
PR

Q. What is the best way for a designer to contact the media to
introduce their brand?
A. I would look at all the PR agencies out there and find one that you feel your brand identifies with
and work with them as they will have access to all the most important people you need to get your
brand information to. They are also good at creating a buzz about your brand before it is made public.
I think doing a little press launch is good too, a themed location/room that enhances your brand’s
identity with the product clearly displayed and well edited, and also very important to have the launch
in a central location so that it is easily accessible.
Q. How can a designer nurture a good relationship with the press?
A. A young designer should be as accommodating and open as possible with the press. It also helps
to keep the press focus on the brand instead of on you as a designer.
A. A designer needs to learn which media suits their brand, focus on that media, meet the key
contacts, foster and maintain the relationship and keep them perpetually informed on what’s
happening with the brand. Journalists rely on information for content and are always keen to have
exclusivity on a story.
Q. Where can you find information on fashion PR and how it works?
A. Experiencing fashion PR firsthand is the best way to grasp and comprehend how it works. Of
course there are books on fashion PR, websites dedicated to it and university courses, but doing work
experience or an internship in fashion PR is the most invaluable method to garner information and
really understand how it works.
A. I would recommend a morning cocktail of PR Couture, Mashable, Fashionista, The Business of
Fashion, Signature9, WWD, and Fashionably Marketing. Setting up a Google alert for “Fashion PR”
is another smart move.

Q. Not all ‘Look Books’ are created equal – what advice can you give for
creating the ‘perfect’ book that gets the attention it deserves?
A. Look books must above all reflect the brand’s DNA, so that their look and feel can proudly
represent the company. I like polished, sleek and simple look books that enhance the products rather
than demonstrate too much work or technique and give too much information. Look books must make
people dream and want to find out more about the collections and not feed them with too much
impersonal information.
Pascal Nuzzo, Head of Design Leather Goods and Accessories – Temperley
A. A look book is not about the brand or the designer; it is all about the target audience. Pin-pointing
what will appeal to your target customer and this should set the tone. Compliment this with good
photography and inspirational imagery and finish by presenting the product in a clear and
concise manner.
A. A look book should be well planned - and it should be consistent, with a strong theme. That being
said, it is important that the clothes don't get lost, and that they remain the focus of the picture.
The book should also focus on the strongest looks - quality over quantity.
Q. How do you produce a press kit that will really stand out and what
should it include?
A. You should firstly concentrate on producing a set of pictures that clearly illustrate your designs.
Choose a good photographer, well respected stylist, hair and make-up and model who will together as
a team help to bring something to the photos and create something that is cool, directional,
eye catching, unfussy and appealing. It is worth spending time and money on this as you really want
to make a lasting first impression and something that will catch editors attention.
There are so many press releases sent out every day and you really want to produce something that
will stand out from the crowd. As well as the photos the design and layout should be clear to read, with
cool graphics, clean and easy to read. You don’t need paragraphs of text as the photos should speak
the loudest message.
A. A strong press kit comes from having a strong look book and a strong vision. It’s best to avoid
anything too gimmicky in your press kit - just keep it classic with some information about the brand,
a look book, business card, and any previous press exposure.

A. The traditional folder press kit is tired. Create a virtual press kit with all the standard information
(press release, bios, fact sheet, stockists, look book), but go a step further with video interviews, a fun
atmospheric fashion video, and ensure that your photography and /or look book can be easily shared
through to social channels. Provide logos and images at both low and hi-res. If you do want to send
something out, consider a creative presentation and always ask an editor first if she is open to
receiving a kit.
A. Have a complete story. It sounds simple but start from scratch and always answer the basic who,
what, why where and when questions that any journalist will ask. If you have this information and you
make it sexy by adding a sprinkle of human interest there or a genuine drop of insight here into who is
behind the brand, you’re on to a winner. What makes your brand interesting? If you can’t answer that
you’re in the wrong game.
People love a bit of provenance, nostalgia – find out the heritage and story behind your product and
tell that story. Finally make sure your branding is cohesive, never be over familiar or too bossy on the
phone and don’t be sloppy. Look out for grammatical errors in emails, always have contact details on
the end of press releases and never forget to pay attention to a journalist’s deadline. Get the basics
right and the rest will follow.
A. A press kit is a designer’s tool kit and it is formulaic, but it’s in a designer’s best interest to make it
stand out. A designer needs a great team to help produce the kit (photographer, stylist, model, hair
and makeup artists, graphic designer, printer, copywriter) and it should include a look book, press
release, designer biography and who to contact for imagery or samples. Following that, a designer
should have exceptional imagery. Imagery is what conveys your brand before a buyer or editor has
had a chance to see it. It is beneficial to have both modelled images and cut-outs (product shots) in
high and low-resolution formats and they should be digitally labelled accordingly with brand name,
garment name or style number and colour.
Q. How do you go about writing a press release that grabs attention and
what information should be included?
A. A catchy title and information-packed first paragraph are key, but the press release itself cannot be
the firecracker that dazzles the media. Instead, paste your press release at the bottom of an email and
consider it more like a resource document, rather than the pitch itself. Be sure to include contact
information as well as the basic who, what, when, where and how. A range of pricing is helpful as well.

Q. What is the best way to submit a product sample to a publication and
who is responsible for returning it to the designer?
A. The best way is to send it to the publication in mind in the brand’s own packaging so it is easily
identifiable, wrapped up well in tissue paper with clear documentation. This shows you care about the
product so the publication will too. The publication is responsible for returning the product and it should
come back in the same manner as you sent it.
Q. How do you create a media database and what is the best way to
introduce yourself or your brand?
A. One of the key benefits to working directly with a PR agency or publicist is access to their media
contacts. A PR’s media contacts and relationships are the lifeblood of their success and you are
paying, in part, for those relationships. However, there are several paid services that provide lists of
media that can be helpful. The DIY route is a combination of sleuthing, calling up and asking, and
working through the contact links of blogs to create your own list.
Again, a PR agency can really assist with the proper strategy with various media (they aren’t all the
same!), but generally speaking, a simple email that is short and to the point works best. Demonstrate
quickly and clearly why your line is fit for the publication, provide links for more information and ask to
be considered for any upcoming stories.
Q. What are the benefits of hiring a PR company and what can designers
do to get the most out of this relationship?
A. A good fashion PR agency is proactively seeking out opportunities for you and your brand and
making things happen. PR agencies can assist with brand development, photography, web presence,
media relations, event management and strategic planning. Like any professional relationship, a
relationship with a PR agency works best when there is mutual respect and communication.
You can help your agency be more successful by moving quickly on media opportunities, providing
them the assets they need and implementing their recommendations. Be sure to require tracking
reports and don’t be afraid to interview multiple agencies (and their current and past clients) until you
find the right fit.

Q. Designers can be victims of their own success so how do you avoid
over-exposure or negative PR?
A. Luckily the fashion industry is not riddled with massive quantities of negative PR, but it can
happen. It’s up to the individual designer and situation. Sometimes it will be best to counteract it;
sometimes it will be best to do nothing. It really depends. As for over-exposure, which can lead to
overselling, it’s important to say no every now and then. Designers should not loan their samples out
or give access to imagery to every magazine editor or stylist who requests. A designer needs to stay
on track and on-brand, only working with the outlets that will most benefit the brand.
Q. How can social media be used to strengthen a PR campaign?
A. Social media is a great way to extend your PR campaign. Promoting recent press coverage
through social channels is key. Information and content from your social media community can also be
used in your PR outreach as testimonials, or as crowd-sourced outfit shots of customers wearing your
designs.
Q. If there were one piece of advice that you would give to a new
designer what would it be?
A. Have an extremely clear vision of the kind of woman/man you want to appeal to/dress. Be sure of
your product 100% as this will translate to the product once it hits the public. Research, research,
research, mood boards and a wide range of influences are extremely important to know you have got
it right.
Link crushes:
www.thelookbook.com - The Definitive Directory for the Fashion Industry.
www.prcouture.com - A good place to find out about fashion PR, fashion publicity and fashion PR agencies.

Q. What is the most effective way to set up your business in order to
maximise profits and facilitate growth?
A. Do your research - is there demand for your product /service?
Grow slowly. One of the biggest reasons businesses fails is money!
Where possible, outsource; until you are sure it will be more cost effective to hire staff.
Never compete on price- someone will always undercut you. Find a niche, and stick to it!
Domenica di Lieto, Commercial Director/owner – ShineMarketing.com
A. We work with clients who only sell on line. We work with other clients who only have a bricks and
mortar retail presence. However most of our clients make the majority of their sales through
wholesale. I suggest you start by selling to your friends and family. They will be your sternest critics
and your best advocates. Make sure you ask them to fill out a wearer trial assessment so you can get
their feedback on your product for you to improve it when you take it to market.
In terms of overheads you should avoid spending money unless you really have to. Most start-ups can
get services and goods for free. For example GBBO and Google offer free website design and hosting.
Use your network from college or previous jobs to try and persuade photographers, models, pattern
cutters and machinists to help for free. It’s surprising what people are happy to do to help. Also before
spending money ask yourself “is this going to improve my business?” if the answer isn’t a resounding
yes then try and avoid spending the money.
Finally – make sure you have enough money in the bank to pay the rent and all living expenses for at
least a year. This is an expensive industry to start in and you won’t be able to draw a salary for at least
a year.
Russell Hammond, Fashion & Luxury Management Consultant, Scaphannetwork.com
Q. What are the most important things to consider when creating
a budget?
A. The main thing is that however much you think it will cost… its much much more than that, and it
will take a couple of years (at least!) to get established enough to start selling to the right amount of
stores that the business might pay for itself. I don’t have enough time to give a breakdown of all the
things that cost money, but (for example) just the shipping costs for me sending samples to photo
shoot’s and buyers this last month was into the thousands (but it is a busy period and they were
important shoots, usually having to send next day to the US)
Jonathan Morss, Designer/Owner - Morsfootwear.com
Managing Money
Mark’s note: Creating a budget in Excel is probably one of the best ways to manage your sales and other
important informaiton about your business. See Lynda.com for brilliant easy to follow tutorials if you’re not
too familiar with Excel: http://www.lynda.com/Excel-2010-tutorials/essential-training/61219-2.html

Q. Balancing the books is an area many creative people seem to
struggle with – what advice can you offer?
A. • Having your finances in order is vital. Invest in software like Sage or QuickBooks so you
can extract information easily and you can address problems head on.
• When possible, outsource your bookkeeping so you can concentrate on what you are good
at. Make sure your bookkeeper gives you a monthly P and L and an up to date debtor and
creditor ledger.
• Chase your bills! Make sure you keep on top of bills owed to you. Those who shout loudest
get paid!
• Keep on top of bills especially to Inland Revenue. Bills, if left to pile up, become
unmanageable. If you can’t pay some bills negotiate a payment plan rather than ignore
the letters!
• When budgeting sales and cash flow, be conservative. Things never go according to plan.
• Always have a contingency budget set by for when things happen that are beyond
yourcontrol.
• Review and amend your budgets regularly.
• Do a monthly P and L to see if you are on track. Do you need more sales or do you
need to cut costs?
A. In terms of creating budgets, the first rule is expect to spend more than you budget and sell less
than you budget. That way you’ll always be pleasantly surprised. Also consider the budget when
deciding which new direction to take your business. It may be a great idea to expand the line to
include another product category, but your existing sales need to support the additional development
costs you will have until the new category becomes successful.
Q. A lack of cash and planning can kill a business dead in its tracks, so
how do you make sure you get paid on time?
A. Most designers aren’t trained in finance or management. Unfortunately they believe that the
money will work itself out and want nothing to do with budgets and cash-flow. If you want to be a
successful independent designer you will need to be CFO (finance), CEO (management), CIO (IT),
COO (operations) and CMO (marketing) all as well as Creative Director rolled into one! If any of these
areas are neglected, you are less likely to succeed.
Everyone is paid late. It’s what you do to avoid it and how you cope with it when it happens that makes
you successful. You should certainly demand deposits (at least 20%) from all your clients. If they don’t
want to pay you a deposit then you should ask yourself if you can afford to buy the stock yourself. If...

Continued...
you can’t then you should turn down the order regardless of who it’s for. You should also try to get
payment in advance for the balance, but that is much harder.
I would certainly insist on PIA from countries outside Western Europe and US. Also Italians will expect
to get 90-day terms regardless of the terms you agree. Unless you can afford these terms then put
your sales efforts into another market.
A. • Always get your paperwork in order. When embarking on work get a signed document
before starting work.
• Clearly list the payment terms - preferably taking a deposit.
• Always send bills as soon as work is completed – do not wait until month end.
• Call up and confirm that the bill has been received.
• Chase late payment as soon as the bill is due.
• Have watertight Ts and Cs concerning payment.
I think a lot of pestering normally gets people to pay up and it’s best to try every avenue before
resorting to debt collection agencies or court. There’s a lot of help out there if you need to take things
to the next level, even if the shop is abroad. Jonathan Morss, Designer/Owner - Morsfootwear.com
Q. What is the best accounting software for a small business?
A. I love Sage and it’s one of the best investments I made when I started up the business. I also use
software called CreditPal which extracts my Sage data and gives me reports so I can track my
business performance. Domenica di Lieto, Commercial Director/owner – ShineMarketing.com
Q. What are the biggest mistakes to avoid when trying to manage
your cash-flow?
A. • Don’t assume everyone will pay you on time - take into account how long it may take you to
get paid – be realistic with your estimates.
• Always take a deposit before starting on work or you will run out of cash very quickly.
• When putting sales into your cash flow bear in mind that not all the sales will convert - so
be conservative! It’s better to have more cash in the bank than you predicted!
• Look out for seasonal trends and factor in quiet months ensuring you have a buffer to carry
you through.
• Make friends with your bank manager - when times get tough you will need him/her!
Mark’s note: Visit Apples new App store for their Mac computers: http://goo.gl/tnD47 - They have some
great free financial Apps for you to check out. You’ll need the latest software update to run it: http://sup-
port.apple.com/kb/dl1363

Q. With such fierce competition out there, what can you do to increase
your chances of gaining work experience?
A. I believe there are two main things that can make sure you get noticed, first is having an
outstanding portfolio with strong and creative projects, second is having a positive attitude, companies
are interested in good professionals but also in designers with strong personalities. If you are able to
combine these two elements you will get noticed for sure.
Q. What would you say were the big do’s and don’ts when trying to find
work experience?
A. In my opinion, the single most essential element when seeking for your first position in the industry
is work experience. When I was at university, I did a three-week work placement with a couple of
footwear brands. One of which ended up offering me a full-time job once I had graduated.
Other important things to get right are:
• Your portfolio, this is your chance to make a great first impression, make sure it is fantastic,
get this right and you’re more likely to get through the front door;
• Showing enthusiasm, be willing to start at the bottom, I’ve encountered too many graduates
who don’t want to put in the hard graft and think they have made it just because they have a
job – this is when the hard work begins
• Don’t be afraid to express your true opinion, after all this is what a potential employer is
looking for, although always have a reason for your opinion – “I do/don’t like it” should never
be an answer, “I do/don’t like because…”.
Work Experience
Mark’s note: Check out some useful tips for creating a good portfolio (not fashion specific):
http://www.coroflot.com/public/help_portfolio_tips.asp

Q. Freelancing can be extremely rewarding but it’s not for everyone,
what advice can you give to those who may want to pursue this path?
A. Remember your worth. The problem I find is that it feels as though you may be overcharging for
your time, but you need to balance your salary. When freelancing, there'll inevitably be very productive
and high-earning periods. Those amazing times when you're making lots of money and enjoying a
healthy bank balance. But before you go out and splash the cash, be aware that the good times might
not last because every freelancer is constantly on a roller coaster cycle of ups and downs.
There will be quiet months and there will be months when you're working all hours of every day. Just
remember that any money you earn one month, might not be the same the next. So get used to saving
for a rainy day and be prepared for the worst at all times. Also always remember, you’re only as good
as your last work, so make it good!
A. Freelance design work is very rewarding, in my opinion. You have flexible hours and you can have
a variety of projects which is great. But you need to be aware that there are times when you won't
have work or struggle to get projects. Be prepared for this and build up contacts and a strong portfolio.
Nicole Le Grange, Creative Director - Love Art Wear Art
For freelance designers, I’d just like to reiterate this advice I gave someone in an email going on
seven years ago! (From Jessica Good, Designer, shoedesign.co.uk)
You will get people who won't or can't pay, it is a fact of life and you just have to deal with it. If you
have savings to fall back on, you will have a better chance of success. It was a whole five months
before I got any work and got paid for it. Even once you have clients, you will need savings to fall back
on as it can take a long time to get invoices paid! Some clients now work on 60 day terms - that’s 60
days before you get your invoice paid! In any case always ask for a deposit of at least a days work,
that tends to weed out the potential non payers.
If you are working from home, don't scrimp on your work equipment - do your research to get the best
price you can. Make sure it is properly insured - household insurance does not cover equipment used
for work. I ended up with RSI last xmas, I didn't consider how my workstation should be set up. If you
work in an office, health and safety takes care of ergonomics, when you work for yourself you have to
look after your own health. At the same time, don’t go crazy buying the fanciest things – now I
understand why my boss was always complaining about the amount of stationery we got through
– it affects your bottom line!
Freelance

Get a reliable ISP with no downtime - the last thing you want when you are trying to email work off at 3
am is a broadband service that is not working! You might find you have to pay a bit more to be safe but
it's worth it. Also bare in mind that server downtime can affect your Google rankings – if a bot goes to
find your site and it’s down, it counts against you.
Save all your receipts - bare in mind in your first year of business you get 100% tax back on any
computer equipment you buy.
Get a proper email address for your website - gmail, hotmail or yahoo etc. can look amateurish. You
can use gmail in private of course, most of us do, but you need an email address to front the business.
Also bear in mind what you name this address. Hotchix@gmail.com is not going to cut it in the
business world.
Don't expect to get rich quick - we are still nowhere near earning what we used to earn as full timers,
three years on, but we are a zillion percent happier and because we are at home all day, we don't
waste money on travel, bags of crisps, cans of drink and all those little things you spend on when you
work in an office.
You will have to be very disciplined with money - it's tempting to piss your first invoice up the wall, but
if you don't know when your next job is coming, it's better to play safe. We no longer get cabs, we
don't go out so much, we cut down on takeaways and we don't eat out.
Much of the money we earn we plough back into the business - it can be costly because you have to
keep up with technology.
One of the other big shockers is the banks - they don't like the self employed very much - despite us
having savings and owing no one a cent, they won't lend to us as they consider us too high a risk. If
you want to buy a property in the future, you are looking at 3 years accounts all showing year on year
growth and a huge deposit. If you want to borrow money, you might have more chance if you ask a
sympathetic (and loaded) friend or relative!
As for accounts - you only need a business bank account if you are a limited company - we just run
two regular current accounts, we use one for business and one for personal. I also set up an internet
savings account which has no penalty for regular withdrawals - arrange for your invoices to be paid
directly into it and your money earns you interest immediately. We pay ourselves a monthly 'salary' out
of this, into our current account. Again this requires a lot of discipline.
Even if you aren't busy - you should always give the impression that you are - clients want to hire
successful people. Desperation is very off-putting to them. There are ways of marketing yourself
without putting this across. Most important thing is to never ever go asking for work, if people want you
to work for them, then they will ask you.
Finally read this. http://www.shouldiworkforfree.com/ ;-)

Q. What type of mentality or work ethic does one need in order to
succeed in your type of job?
A. In high-fashion you will need to be prepared to sacrifice everything for a job you really want. The
people who succeed are those who put everything else second. You can get your life back later on
when you have reached a certain level and experience. But in the beginning you need luck, hard work
and the right attitude.
Q. In your opinion, what would be the ideal type of company for a new
designer to work for and why?
A. There isn’t one, it depends what the new designer wants to do. So many different market sectors,
but I would say if you wish to freelance, don’t limit yourself, try working at as many different
businesses that service different types of consumer as you can. The variety will benefit you. It is easier
to get work if you don’t limit yourself.
A. I don’t believe there is a best career path as I think that some of the most successful and
interesting designers that are out there don’t come from ‘traditional’ backgrounds. I think that these
things can’t be planned and as long as you have a passion and make the time to hone the basic skills,
you may develop something genius that hasn’t even been entertained before because of strict
educational rule points.
However, if you have the creative spark, you need to also have the business head; there are some
fantastic books out there but in all honestly, if it all seems a bit much, I would highly recommend a
business partner. My partner James deals with the finances, etc as these such elements of a fashion
label are too important to risk getting wrong.
A. In my career, I have worked for large and small companies and both have their advantages and
disadvantages. The advantage of working for large company is that they tend to invest more in
technology and into you, offer training, sending you on development and research trips. I’ve probably
gained most of my knowledge from companies such as these, however you tend to be a small fish in a
big pond with lots of corporate hoops to jump through and politics to deal with.
Working for a company

Continued...
This being said, there’s nothing quite like working for a smaller company to gain experience of many
roles, being able get on with a job and knowing everyone well, small companies tends to feel more like
you are all on the same side working towards the same goal.
A. To me the ideal company for a designer is a company that can understand the importance of
design and creativity and that can afford the appropriate support to the design team in the research,
design and development process.
Pascal Nuzzo, Head of Design Leather Goods and Accessories - Temperley
Q. What are the pros and cons of working for someone else before
setting up your own business?
A. 100% pros: you can see how an organisation works, how it lives, breathes and ultimately becomes
viable. It also gives you the opportunity to have a mentor by just asking advice and questions
regarding business the whole way through; you should never be afraid to ask questions, even to the
accountancy department! It also allows you to make some money while you work on your collection
and business plan; cementing in your head if this is really what you want to do.
If you have any aspiration for your business to grow, you need to know how to deal, respect and work
with others – experience is the only way this can be learnt. It also allows you take a back seat a little
and observe others management skills – what would you do better? How? Many great designers have
also only been noticed through working for others, you may not want to give your ideas up, but if you
feel you may dry up – it’s not the business for you! Opportunities come through connections and
situations and being in employment makes these a little easier to wedge your foot in the door.
A. Pros: You can gain some great experience working for someone else. Often in a larger company
you have the opportunity to hone specific skills without all the distractions that come with running your
own business. Working for someone else is also a great way meet, work with and learn from people in
the industry.
Cons: You might get trapped in the comfort of a steady salary and an easy job. Chances are if you are
passionate about doing your own thing, working for someone else for too long will frustrate you rather
than comfort you.
Nicole Le Grange, Creative Director - Love Art Wear Art

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