How to Start a Sample Room 

Fashion is a collective and applied form of art. In this collective fashion designers are leaders, and so to be a fashion designer you need to think as a leader. In the first moments of inspiration and creation the fashion designer often works alone. After the first inspirations and singular acts of creativity, the door of possibility opens for both you and your collection. At this moment your collection is a concept whose outlines have been made visible. Your concept, though, needs to be masterfully guided through the sample room if it is to move from idea to reality, from dreamy vision to inspired look. The sample room is where your team, your fashion collective will help incubate your concept. 

To lead the sample room and get the collection ready you need to understand the principles and mechanics involved in running a sample room. Who do you need in the sample room? How do you get the wheel rolling?  How do you get just the right flow to balance dreams of perfection with the necessity to get it done?  What needs to happen first? Second? Third? How do you get everyone to play nice?  Does your team first need to share your vision...or is it best to have your team simply follow your orders and do what you tell them? If you have the right answers to these questions your collection will be all that it can be...otherwise, give us a call and we'll help!

Here's the basic principle you need to keep in mind and put into practice:

FIRST PRINCIPLE: In the sample room, training is a two-way street
 

Each person inside the sample room brings their unique work, design and life experiences with them.  Your sample room is only fully realized when you successfully blend each individual's work, design and life experiences into each collection that it's creating.  For this to happen you must develop a teaching and learning environment, where each individual is both teacher and learner and where a mutual language is developed, the language of fashion, your fashion, your collection. Remember: You can't train your workers without being willing and able to learn from them as well.
 

SECOND PRINCIPLE: In the sample room, creativity is present in every step

Creativity doesn't end with the completion of your sketch. A designers ideas and the pattern makers expression of those ideas, for example, rarely translate directly or easily to fabric. Remember: being flexible, adapting your ideas and your patterns to the specific qualities of the fabrics, trimmings and notions you have chosen is the rule rather than the exception.  Remember: Creativity is required in every process and every step within a sample room.
 

THIRD PRINCIPLE: In the sample room, everyone has a defined role to play

If someone in your sample room tells you they can do anything you want them to do, most likely this means they can't do any individual thing very well -that is, with the level of mastery and  mastery of detail that your collection deserves.  In a well-run sample room each person has a role to play that is defined not arbitrarily but their domain of expertise. If the designer is the regal monarch of the sample room, the 'patternmaker' is the head master and the 'sample hand' is the magical elves. For the sample room to succeed each and every role must be filled.  Understanding each of those roles is critical to ensuring your success. For example, take the patternmaker:
 
Patternmaker:   There are two primary techniques that define most patternmaking: draping and flat patternmaking.   Draping, also called moulage, was the first technique of patternmaking in fashion.  This technique, developed and refined over centuries, is based on molding and sculpting shapes of muslin on a dress form (or directly on a customer or live-model).  When the technique of draping is used pattern-making can be thought of as designing with fabric.  Draping reaches its highest expression in the Haute Couture world of the French Fashion Houses.  The French phrase 'Haute Couture' literally means 'high fashion'.  In the world of Haute Couture pattern-making is not thought of a simple technical skill but instead is recognized as combining high artistry, elegance and sophistication. This type of pattern-making is by its nature highly-customized and thus highly time-intensive.  Usually the drape is created on a half form and copied to the other side after the approval of the 'draped pattern' from the designer. For asymmetrical designs draping is executed on a full form. From here the outline of the drape is copied and transferred to paper in order to have a pattern that can be used over time. Because this type of pattern-making is closer to the art of fashion, some designers prefer to design with fabric first and then to sketch their designs.

Flat patternmaking began the rise to dominance that it holds today during the industrial revolutions of the 17th & 18th centuries. During this period technology opened the door to producing in mass quantities. Before fashion could take advantage of the new machines and the large factories created to house them, it needed a new technique of pattern making which would bring speed, uniformity and logic to fashion.  Fashion found its inspiration in England and in particular in the preexisting historical trend which found men's jackets, pants and shirts evolving to become a type of status uniform characterized both by pragmatic utilitarian value and it's difference from womenswear. This movement of course was not absolute as the example of the British Dandies make clear.  An additional sign that this movement was not absolute is also seen in the commitment to classic artistry of the British tailors -who were and still remain the masters of flat patternmaking.  In post-WW II Europe, the Italians also emerged as masters of the flat patterns and their mass-customized artistry flooded 7th avenue. Even today you can still see these older Italian masters, so beautiful and passionate about everything and anything, during their lunch breaks gathering together, talking loudly and using hand gestures even more loudly as if they were still in their beloved motherland Italia.  Because it is so well suited to the needs of mass-production, the technique of flat patternmaking has been adopted in nearly all divisions of fashion as a practical and fast way of multiplying and responding to the fast market needs.
 

The point here is not a simple, albeit fascinating detour through fashion history. In fact, our run through the history of fashion is essential to understanding the differences, as well as the ultimate values of these different pattern making techniques in translating your sketched concept to a sample. In the sample room your patternmaker can use one or both of these techniques depending upon your guiding design concept. You as both designer and leader must be familiar with these techniques and know how and when they are best used. You may also find that the difference between a good designer and a superstar designer, a moderately successful and a wildly successful designer may come down to their thinking.  You will know if a designer has it in them to be a superstar by seeing whether they have the discerning eye for appreciating and finding the superstar patternmaker.  You will know if a designer has it in them to be wildly successful by seeing how well they build their sample room around their vision and the patterns which translate that vision to the most desired samples and wild success that has the WOW! factor on the runway and on every continent.  

Your knowledge of patternmaking will free your imagination making the blue sky your limit (but don't design aircrafts....keep us dressed!).  Your knowledge of pattern making is also absolutely essential for establishing your credibility, for a fruitful working relationship with your patternmaker and for creating a healthy environment for everyone else at work in your sample room.  With a strong knowledge of patternmaking you can not only guide and control the work flow, but you are also able to negotiate prices (per hour vs. per piece), cut deals with new members of your team (full-time vs. just-in-time schedules) thus creating the conditions necessary for a profitably run sample room.

The same type of outline we're provided here for understanding the basics and importance of pattern-making are also needed for all of the other roles you'll need to fill in your sample room. Yes it's true that the patternmaker is essential but so is each and every other person and role...remember the third principle! For example, consider the sample hand (also known as the seamstress).  It may be tempting for some to think that this is role while necessary is not so critical to define and understand.  This would be a mistake!  The sample hand is an extremely important person. After all, the best pattern can be ruined from bad sewing.  Similarly, the best hand painted fabrics can also be ruined.  Or looked at from a different angle, the wrong sample hand can triple or quadruple your sample production timeline meaning that you miss the deadline (for a fashion runway show, an important buyer or personal client), that you're forced to price higher (and possibly price yourself out of the market, out of a sale, out of a customer) or even worse that you're overpriced and you miss important deadlines (did you ever wonder why they are called 'dead' lines?!).  As a critical suggestion and ->

FOURTH PRINCIPLE: In the sample room, never hire without testing and checking references
 

In the case of the sample hand, never hire a sample hand without testing them on the sewing machine and with some hand sewing. If the test is going to meaningful you should use challenging fabrics that require a sensitive touch, knowledge of correct needles and knowledge of different types of machines and stitches.  Your test should also include built-in opportunities for your potential sample hand to make some obvious and not-so obvious recommendations needed to save you fabric, time/money or to save you from some other type of headache.  As part of the interview/test, be sure to include special questions based on feedback you received when you checked your sample hand's references. There are different levels in design so if you are a young designer launching your first line you should be looking for a great sewing skill.
As with patternmaking, you can't ask the right questions if you don't know enough yourself. The truth is always that if you don't know how to sew yourself you are not going to know what to look for, such as correct finishes outside and inside in the garment, corners, hand work, zipper applications, correct use of fusible in the correct places (and much more!). If you don't have this knowledge of sewing, pattern-making or the other roles you need to fill then call us!  We can guide you through the process, we can teach you, recommend the best workshops to help you realize your vision and for association member we can (in some, but not all, instances!) recommend internship opportunities in an established sample room.

If you've have the fashion dream there is a way to make it happen. The crucial element here is knowledge.  If you are knowledgeable you'll find your sample maker easily and you'll enjoy the final product. If you don't than almost anyone in the industry will be able to predict that you will be puzzled as you look at your samples and left to wonder what happened to your great design and your precious resources. So now that you're on the path to gaining the knowledge you need, a last reminder: the sample room is organized by you and for your needs, so the need to understand how to organize, run and improve the sample room is your sacred duty as a fashion designer (whether you're working in a company, for someone else or for yourself). This is your sandbox. Dream big and play big! 
 
Sample Room Materials List (Or, your shopping list for getting started!)

Budget for the Items Below:

 ·         If you are starting small the budget for the materials you need should be from $5000+

 
Sewing Machines:

 ·         Juki sewing machines

 ·         Serger machine

 ·         Blind stitch machine

Dress Forms:

 ·         Size 4 showroom sample

 ·         Size 8 production fitting

 ·         Size 14 for large size
 

Sample Room Paper:

 ·         Dotted Paper

 ·         Oak Tag Paper

Drafting Tools:

 ·         Ruler

 ·         24” Transparent Ruler

 ·         French Curve

 ·         Tape Measure

 ·         L-Shape Ruler

 ·         Chalk

 ·         Paper Scissors

 ·         Fabric Scissors

 ·         Pencils

 ·         Eraser

 ·         Rabbit

 ·         Pins

 ·         Thread (for hand and sewing machine)