Shoulda, woulda, coulda

If I had to do it all over again (vocationally), I would have:

-       Been an orthodontist: It's fun shooting rubber bands at teenagers.
-       Been a veterinarian: Who doesn't love a puppy?
-       Been a fitness trainer: I'd always be in shape.

But seriously, I would have & should have been a pattern maker.

It is the foundation of our industry, of any company & brand, and can make or break that of any company or brand. It is an unparalleled, desirable, needed skill.

I know just enough of the skill to get me in trouble, mostly with other pattern makers ;)

With the advent of 3D technology, it is becoming even more evident of the lack of basic pattern making skills in today’s young designers & product developers.

You can’t use the tools without this basic knowledge. And many pattern makers do not have the skills to work in the 3D platforms.

I had the pleasure of working side by side with Sue Kagan: me on CLO Virtual Fashion Inc. and she, an expert in the field of fit. It was a very symbiotic relationship, and the results were astounding.

We had amazing success in making functional fit corrections in CLO Virtual Fashion Inc. that were realized in the first physical sample.

It is a process that should be implemented across the apparel industry. As in a similar post by June Evans, pattern makers are pattern makers, not product developers & visa versa.

The current Apparel curriculum is rushing to add 3D to their course load, but are they also furthering their student’s knowledge of pattern making & fit corrections in those platforms?

It also begs the question for the companies who are using 3D: who does the work? Or are they just using the digital asset for presentations and ecomm, and relying on the physical sample for the rest?

I’m pretty sure I know the answers to these questions, but I’d love to hear from you and your experiences.