Cte3431 Quiz 3 Study Guide Line Development Legal Protection for the design of apparel o Given the brief life cycle of an apparel design patents are not a viable option for pursuing design protection Copyright Protection copyrights can be obtained for o 2D fabric designs o Unique combinations of knit stitches o Patterns on lace o Original graphics on a T shirt o Unique design of ornamental trims such as buttons and buckles o Would be very difficult to do with garments U S courts have been guided by the principle that protection could create monopolies that would stifle the creativity of future designers hinder competition and drive up prices Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act Introduced to congress in 2010 Would protect unique distinguishable non trivial and non utilitarian variation of products for 3 years o Pros provides incentives for start up designer to control access to their works and collect payment for them o Cons start up designer who may need protection will most likely not be able to afford the lawyers to file suits Trademark Pocket stitching is an example of a trademark Steed s call out Word name symbol or device used to distinguish goods o A trademark can also be a combination of all of them o Trademark is a form of branding Levi Strauss sued Gardeur over pocket stitching design on jeans Trade Dress Broader term that covers the totality of elements Steed call out in which a product is packaged or presented o Can be the appearance or a store front Stretta was sued by Herve Leger Trade Mark and Trade Dress US customs and border protection CBP Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE o Prevent counterfeit goods from entering the country Line Development Part II Storyboards Potential silhouettes Color samples Fabric swatches Item lines consist of products intended to be sold alone one piece at a time Item line development o Ex a colored polo shirt Item Line Development Dresses swimwear coats o Developed in multiple small groups Often dress swim groups are designed using related fabrics Garments in a group line are designed to be mixed and matched to encourage Example of item line development vv Coordinated Group Line Development purchasing multiple pieces Important Aspects of Line Development 1 Pricing 2 Fashion level 3 Timing considerations Pricing A line s price point determines o Where a product will be sold o The brand it competes with o The range of fabrics that can be used o Who can afford it o Quality expectations Special pieces may be priced higher due to o A unique feature such as high tech fabric o Or a hand crafted design detail Fashion Level Designers must understand their customer s styling and fit preferences and should not stray too far away from those expectations Pyramid assortment plan o This type of planning is typically used by mass merchants o Timing Considerations May vary by product category Take into account weather and seasonal shopping habits o A coat should be available in stores during the appropriate seasons Balancing the Line Merchandisers must consider o Assortment variety o Volume o Distribution ORGANIZING THE LINE business 1 Each design reviewed is evaluated carefully based on the needs of the 2 Those that do not meet the criteria established by the product development team are weeded out 3 The staff settles on an assortment of product ideas that they believe will be most successful in the marketplace 4 Once approved it is sent forward to technical design o Lines are developed either as items or as a group 1 Assortment Variety a garment that is made in 7 sizes and 3 colors results in 21 SKUs for which fabric and trim must be ordered Manufacturing capacity must be reserved Specs must be developed quality must be monitored Sales and marketing decisions must be made 2 Assortment Volume Mass market brands o plan their volume according to historic data on their specific customer o sell more large sizes than they have in the past the formula that works for one brand will likely NOT work for another 3 Assortment Distribution takes into account where each item will be sold o A stores highest volume stores and or those that sell the most fashion merchandise o B stores the mid range level o c stores smaller market that typically focuses on basics and more conservative merchandise Communicating design concepts crucial to the product development process 1 concept boards are reviewed fabric and color direction concepts are approved 2 story boards provide an overview of a collection and are used both during LINE DEVLOPMENT and for the FINAL LINE REVIEW when presented to the executive team for approval 3 silhouettes go to technical design where technical flats are developed and prepared for production Steed s call outs intellectual property theft customers cracked down on counterfeit goods in 2010 o over 20 000 seizures of illegal merchandise o major loss of revenues sales and taxes parameters of line development price styling aesthetic timing color fabric silhouette styling brings a garment Brooks brothers has different categories of business o Sportswear and dress clothes Translating Concept to Product Patternmaking The interpretation of an initial concept into a template for use in the production of a finished garment style Methods of Pattern development Draping two dimensional methods include was the first patternmaking method to be developed o drafting a pattern directly from measurements o flat pattern drafting which can be done by manipulating a basic pattern template or previously perfected pattern blocks o drafting a pattern from an existing garment Flat Pattern complex styles block a foundation pattern piece that may be used to develop new or more Flat Pattern Draping o Steps are now typically performed on computer aided design systems CAD developed expressly for flat pattern manipulation o A fabric either the intended fabric or another less expensive type such as muslin is draped or shaped around a body form to create a 3D garment prototype o Typically used for garments at higher price points especially with garments with unique silhouettes such as women s formal wear or garments made from unusual fabrications Sampling Process Forms o To determine if the styling and fit are truly developing as desired sample garments are produced and placed on dress forms and or models to evaluate the grain set line and balance o Partial body shapes placed on a strand to use in patternmaking and fitting activities o Fit Models customer o