Design and development are two basic steps in the apparel creation process. Although design and development are closely related, each step has its own set of requirements. Knowing these considerations can help fashion designers bring their respective project to life.

Here is a breakdown of apparel design and development:

Design

In simple terms, design refers to the concept of a product or a fashion line. In order to capture your target audience’s interest and generate substantial sales, you need a creative, stylish, compelling product design.

At the end of the day, it’s your product design that will make an impression on your customers and stakeholders. Creating an innovative design can make your product memorable and give your business an edge over other brands.

Need some design inspiration? These tips will get your creative juices flowing:

• Do a market research (assess trends and your competitors’ product designs and color)
• Focus on originality: What differentiates your clothing product from your competitors’ products? Brainstorm ideas to differentiate your product from other similar products on the market. Avoid coming up with repetitive designs. Try to offer something different to customers.
• Focus on customer need: There’s no harm in creating something unique. But, make sure your target customers will be able to relate the design.
• Incorporate artwork, such as graphics, embroidery, etc.
• Create good sketches of your product to ensure your apparel factory can understand your vision and execute it properly.

Development

Once you’ve come up with a design, the next stage is the building and sampling of your designs. This stage involves various steps, such as transforming design sketches into tech packs, sourcing of fabrics and materials, creating specs for sample size, pattern making, cutting and sewing, fittings, and production.

Product development can be incredibly tricky and time-consuming. If you’re looking to simplify the development process, your best bet is to collaborate with a domestic apparel factory.

At Lefty Production Co., we’re a one-stop shop for your product design, development and production needs. We have designed and developed a wide selection of products, such as men’s wear, children’s wear, women’s wear, swimwear, athletic wear, bridal dresses and more.  

The product development lifecycle is different for every product. From fabric and trim sourcing to patternmaking and fitting, we can handle the whole product development process. Get in touch now to bring your fashion vision to life.