Custom Design Process
My website should tell you a lot about me, but in order to design your custom piece, I need to learn about you and what your needs and expectations are. After you contact me, I will send you a questionnaire designed to help me figure out how I can best serve you, as well as help you get inspired about this experience.
I will schedule a courtesy initial consultation. We will have a chance to get to know each other to see if your project is a good fit for both of us, as well as go over your questionnaire and custom-made ideas. With no obligation to hire me we will discuss your custom-made ideas, as well as my process and policies. This is our chance to interview each other. If we seem like a good match, I will schedule a meeting to design your one-of-a-kind custom garment.
Design Consultation, Sketches and Proposal ($500)
Design consultation: we will have another consultation in person or via Zoom/ preferred communication to share our favorite inspirations based on our conversation during initial consultation.
I will have five rough sketches for you to review based on our conversations, together we will discuss and adjust the design that suits your needs for this project.
If this is an in person consult, we can take a trip to the garment district and source materials for your project.
After this consultation I will thoroughly review my notes to determine your design, construction, and timeline to give you an estimate of cost to create.
You will receive a custom design proposal, which will contain hand drawn sketches, a mood board, swatches with trimming, and details of what final garment will include. In addition, you will receive a link to inspiration board.
You will also receive a contract agreement with a no obligation price estimate for your review.
- Five fully developed front and back sketches
- Fabric Sourcing/ Swatching
- Trim Sourcing/Swatching
- Time to Create Estimate
- Time to research mood Board.
This Process requires more than a day of work. The cost for this process is $500 and will require 50% deposit prior to this step with remainder due on day of Design Consultation.
Contracts, Deposits, and Measurements
At this point you have accepted quote proposal and have decided to commit to your couture garment. Contract will be required to be signed and a 50% deposit required within 5 days to book time out for your project.
After contract is signed and deposit made, we will be finetuning and discussing any additional changes you may want before I start draping and drafting your patterns. It’s very important to me that you are involved with each step of the design process, so you fully understand, are involved and are kept abreast with each decision that goes into your final piece.
I will need to take an extensive set of measurements at this point so I can create a custom dress form covers duplicating your unique curves.
Pattern Drafting and First Mock-up Fitting
At this point the majority of design decisions have been made, I will begin draping your custom form cover, then draping your custom garment from your measurements. After draping will be drafting a pattern from the drape to construct a pattern sample out of similar fabric to final fabric choice. This pattern sample is a mockup made of similar but not the same material as final pc and is specifically for fit only.
If you are a very visual person and require a fit sample of exact material, please let me know. This is not a problem at all but will reflect in materials cost.
We will need to book a first fitting. In front of the mirror, I will adjust, cut, pin, and draw over the pattern sample any adjustments that need to be made to the pattern and how it relates to your figure.
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Additional Fittings
All adjustments and changes will be translated back into the pattern. In some cases, the first pattern sample can be altered to reflect changes and in other cases a new pattern sample will be made for our second fitting.
In each of these fittings you have the opportunity to change details, it’s very important your garment(s) are fitting and feeling how you imagined.
I encourage clients to be a part of the process by booking out the day of fitting for you to stay and work through any adjustments. I find it helpful for both of us to work until we get all the pattern tweaks just right so we can move on to the final garment.
Final Garment Material Purchase
At this point we will have selected the final garment material choices. Once the final pattern is complete, we will know the yield of materials needed to for our project.
We can go together, Or I can purchase materials agreed upon. Based on selection and selection changes per your decision any materials changes or additions will be added into final invoice.
Final Fitting
I will have created your final garment at this point and this fitting is to try on final piece, there might be some elements basted for final adjustment at this point based on our discussions.
This is the time where all the fine tuning happens, then soon after all the hand finishing will happen.
Finished Garment & Pick Up
Once your custom piece is complete, we will meet for our final finished fitting. Any slight adjustments that may be needed will happen here.
However, in most cases you are just doing a final fit check and picking up your garment at this point.
If there are no additional changes that require extra time, we will finalize paperwork. Final payment is due.
If you are willing, I would love to take a quick portrait of you in your couture garment and I will send you images for your social media or wherever else you want to post.
Examples of my photography:www.jessicalouiseimagery.com
Have an incredible Event
Whatever event or project you have commissioned your custom-made garment, I am thrilled to be a part of realizing a design for you.
Thank you for supporting artists and independent designers.
Index of term definitions:
Bespoke refers to custom, made-to-order clothing. When you commission bespoke fashion items from a clothing manufacturer, you’re giving them specific measurements for a clothing item. It’s the opposite of wasteful mass production you find with fast fashion.
The action or process of formally consulting or discussing.
Design Consultation
Draping is a technique used to make a 3-dimensional dress pattern with the aid of a dress form figure by pinning and placing fabric against the form to create a garment. Typically, designers use muslin, which is cost-efficient and offered in a variety of weights.
Fabric yields tell you how much fabric a single garment will use. The goal is to use as little fabric as possible. You often won’t be able to get precise yields until you mark and grade your pattern, which means sampling is finished.
A final pattern is a finished design template ready for cutting out and sewing.
Pattern drafting is a pattern making process using the measurements of different body areas to create basic patterns – or blueprints if you like – of essential pattern blocks – this is often referred to as a pattern set: Bodice front. Bodice back. Sleeve.
Generally first pattern sample made from a drape based on group of specific measurements. First pattern sample will be adjusted until measurements and fit are corrected and finalized.
Locations
Los Angeles,CA
Livingston,MT
