Jakarta R&D - Day 1 in-depth and sifr 2011 : holistic design 0.2

These trips aren't fun. I'm usually loaded with things to do that were discussed in previous meetings with the guys in Singapore.

For this trip, lots to do such as;

1) Post-CNY (Chinese New Year) Product edits/changes/confirmations that were previously commented on

2) Dyeing exploration (process of seeing what type of dyeing they are able to do)

3) Distress exploration (process of going to distressing company and seeing what they are able to do)

4) Exploring visual cues/visual signifiers (this is tough because it's got to resonate the brand's ID as well as be aesthetically viable. (to my team and the rest; read on to see whether I was successful in trying the visual signifier for the new product)

5) Sifr Essentials production plan for March Delivery. (This will include long sleeve versions of your favorite pocket crews and v-neck tees)
6) We've also ordered a tonne of trims that we're trying to implement in the next batch of production.

Diving straight in, today started out with POST-CNY Product edits. No time was wasted at all. My team in Singapore should be happy to hear this!

Just FYI, it's always necessary to have a reliable fit model that you fit your sample garments on. In our case, we have one of our MVP's who don't seem to gain or lose any weight at all. He's the perfect fit model who frees me of any such obligation. What you see below is actually a garment that we're working on for the Post-CNY (Chinese New Year) program. This was fitted on our MVP in our studio. It was then photographed, commented on including changes and improvements, etc.

In our case, I bring the edits and comments to the patternmaker and merchandiser and they subsequently make all the changes to the garments. The issue we're having now is trying to get them to make sure they meet our deadlines for the next batch of goods.

I didn't have time that day to focus on distress and dyeing. That is done out of our industrial complex. I did however, have time to focus on something the guys told me to explore;

-----Visual Cues-----
\\\\\Visual Cues/////
___Visual Cues___

Remember that a visual cue is quite important in every garment/product/etc. We use the Fred Perry example a lot at the office but the embroidery on the chest is quite important in that even if you're not physically interacting with the person across from you, you're most likely indirectly interacting. That embroidery says a lot about you, what you stand for, etc. With that said, we're working on a signifier for both essentials and our main line that will speak to your neighbor in a subtle yet meaningful fashion. Next time you see someone with one of our garments from the new batch, you'll probably be able to identify what team he plays for.

We have in our factory a lot of beautiful gross grain to work with. Before leaving to Jakarta, we had come up with a few techniques we could employ to create a visual cue that is subtle, not over bearing and not overly thought-out. It had to also make technical sense.


One of the more interesting ideas was to create a braid out of 3 strips of gross grain and then somehow attach it to the matching colored garment to ensure it's subtlety.



What you're seeing above is the gross grain strip being slotted through a folder. A folder is a metal piece that folds the piece of fabric into the required. This is usually used to create strips of fabric or for binding a seam, etc or even for clean-finishing a garment.


As soon as the folder's done with one long strip, it's then cut into 3 strips and braided. After braiding comes attaching.



Next time you see someone wear a braid on their right side seam, could be a sifr product. The only problem with this was that the gross grain was already quite thick and 3 strips folded 3 times made for a pretty sturdy braid. This was unfortunately a no go but who knows (sorry guys at the office, you can discuss alternative options after your meeting tomorrow), maybe next time if someone hasn't already read here and decided to use it. We'll just have to opt for thinner string.

Best,

- ssm