Back to the Drawing Board

Just when one season is put to bed, there's another one right around the corner. With the February Coterie trade show looming ahead, I've had to get a jump start on Fall 2009. People always ask me how the design process works - is it the chicken or the egg that comes first? For me it's always the fabric and then the design. Almost always, something in nature inspires me, whether it's a trip to Central California or the color range of a starfish. I almost never start with a sketch, but rather build a story around color and texture first. Then, I figure out what I would want to wear in this color or fabric. Maybe it's because I feel every shape or design has pretty much been done before and I'm not exactly doing couture here or trying to reinvent the wheel. So for me, it's all in customizing my fabrics, patterns, and color palettes that make my designs Me.

The design process can be rather grueling, even for someone who works alone (maybe that's why!) But for a good month, my head is spinning and the wheels are turning in my head. I'm pretty much designing in my head constantly. Even at the dinner table, I'll be zoned out and my husband will ask me "where are you? what are you thinking about?" I'm designing of course. Fabrics, colors, silhouettes brewing in my head. Until I can "work it out" in my head, the world is not at ease.

Once I've chosen my palette, yarn qualities, and have laid down the designs on paper, it's 'specing' time. Specing is a short form for "specification" sheets or measurements for each garment so the factory can execute the pattern on the knitting machine. This can take some time since usually I'm just pulling these numbers out of my ass. Finally when the first samples come in, I can see the results and make modifications accordingly to get the fit and look I want.

Thankfully, I have just completed this cycle of design with all my "specs" turned in to the factory, all of my colors and qualities determined for Fall 2009. And my body is showing it. After a month of designing, specing, and stressing about what Fall will be, the body gets neglected and abused. I always forget to eat, bathe, and exercise during this time and after wards its all about playing catch up and getting the body and brain back in sync. As my husband would tell you, I've been known to consume a bottle of ketchup (with fries of course) after a big fashion show or after a design milestone! This time, I opted for a massage at Willow Spa to get me back to my game.

So now I just sit back and wait...for my precious designs to arrive in first sample form. Luckily, I'll already be off to Hawaii for my 2 week vacation to re-coop and get ready for the next round of collections. See above a few key elements for one of my Fall 2009 designs - inspiration "Monterey", space-dyed color "Spy Glass", and a loose sketch of what I would want to wear in this fabulous bamboo yarn (a ribbed henley with a detachable skinny scarf.)