Andrea Moore
Andrea Moore Design
Andrea Moore
Techlink would like to thank Andrea Moore, Catherine McElwain, Jenny Couch, Nikki Hann, and Paula Smith, for their contributions to this case study.
Introduction
Andrea Moore Design is one of New Zealand's fastest growing quality fashion brands. The business consists of high-end fashion design, wholesale and retail operation, with a flagship store in Wellington, another store in Auckland's Chancery shopping centre and distribution outlets throughout New Zealand and Australia.
Today, Andrea Moore Design is a far cry from Andrea's first venture into business. After leaving Wellington Polytechnic (now Massey University) at the end of 1995 Andrea worked free lance from a small workroom. She wasn't sure how to put a range together, how to price it, present it to the client let alone organise the CMT (Cut-Make-Trim) infrastructure described in this case study.“Pretty ridiculous really", recalls Andrea “totally naïve, I learned a lot and received a lot of help from different people – good contacts I realised later. It was a huge growth phase for me."
“There are always ideas, the design work is never an issue – it's just the motivation and energy to keep working in a smart manner and not being bludgeoned by issues such as bad press. It's all about thinking in a smart way, how can we make this work? There is always a solution, always," says Andrea.
Developing a Range
From the 2002 range
From the 2002 range
Andrea Moore designs four ranges each year. “We used to only produce 2 ranges a year but it was always a huge effort the logistics of 40 styles, different colour ways, different sizes" reflected Andrea. “For a whole month we would be working often till well after 9.00 pm at night with a monster week and weekend at the end. Everyone would be shattered by the end of it. And then, I would still have to sell it around the country".
Not only was the workload massive there were also huge costs financially such as overtime, bulk fabric purchasing. It was a real break through moving to four ranges as the hours have evened out, and so have the expenses.
Each range tends to be developed around a theme. Summer 2002-2003 was “A Girl's Guide to Cocktails".
“It evolved from the fun side to what we do, we have lots of cocktails" laughed Andrea.The theme often goes hand in hand with the fabrics Andrea has seen though sometimes it comes first and the search is on for the right fabrics. Compromises and changes are commonplace.
“A Girl's Guide to Cocktails" was a fun range, and as some of the dresses were soft and drapey they therefore fitted into the theme well. The theme throughout a range is often echoed by emphasising particular design features to a greater or lesser extent through patternmaking techniques for example, particular dart placements, panels, use of tucks, frills, buttons or whatever, so everything ties together.
In contrast the theme for the summer range for 2003-04 is a “World War One story". Andrea started with the fabric which is a creamy white dupion silk with red poppies on it. She felt it needed to be, "edged up a bit, it was too prissy in its natural state". Andrea came up with the idea of World War One and the poppy fields; to screen print onto the fabric big poppies and planes, then a further screen print and have a layer of stripes which mix well with flowers. The result is poppies overlaid with aeroplanes and stripes.
Each range adheres to a template: Spring – lots of separates; Summer – lots of dresses for people going to weddings and events; Autumn – suiting range as well as special occasion styles as the ball season approaches; Winter – a fill in.
Within each range for the specific seasons a 'Basics' range is often produced such as, a basic top to go with a frilly skirt or basic skirt to go with an amazing top, a Suiting range, and a bridal/special occasion range.
Andrea is continually thinking ahead, although each new season's range promotes different ideas, a style detail or technique that worked really well in the last season may be further developed in the next range. There is also innovation in patternmaking techniques – they evolve to produce an effective design feature with a more efficient use of fabric.
The Production Process
Pattern making
Laying up prior to cutting sample
Marking/Cutting sample
A quality check
Design – > Patternmaking – > Sample Range – > Grading – > Marker Making – > Quality Check – > Cutting Garments – > Construct one Garment – > Quality Check Sample Garment – > Complete Construction Run – > Quality Check – > Distribution For Sale
Design – > Patternmaking – > Sample Range
The ideas/sketches, which will form the range, begin with the design assistant/patternmaker developing a “master pattern" for each original design idea. The technical execution of the 2D pattern made in either newsprint or kraft paper. It is then cut out, constructed in calico, forming a 3D structure, and fitted often on a dressform before being put onto a live model with standard size measurements. Sample garments are normally cut in a Size 10 or 12.
COP Outcome development and evaluation
Where necessary, alterations are made to the calico and then transferred to the master pattern. A second calico may be required before the Production Manager and design team are satisfied with the overall proportion, line, and fit of the design.
Sample lengths of fabrics are then used for making up the sample ranges. There are approximately 20 garments in each range and three sample ranges are constructed – one for selling, one for production, and one for media promotion. Andrea then travels to established retail outlets throughout the country to sell the range. From the orders around the country and the projection of sales from the two retail outlets the bulk fabric orders are placed with the suppliers' agents.
Grading – > Marker Making
Meanwhile the Production Manager sends the “master patterns" to Andrea Moore Design's contracted grader/s where the patterns are graded and the markers are made. Grading produces a range of patterns of different sizes, and a marker is the most efficient layout of how the pattern pieces will be placed on the fabric. All these functions take place out of Wellington either in Auckland and/or Christchurch. There are various companies contracted to complete different operations.
In some factories there are computer-aided grading and marker making systems. With the assistance of an operator/s, these systems grade the patterns, a process where the paper/kraft pattern pieces are digitised into the computer by tracking a series of points from the pattern pieces. These points then relate to the grading programme within the computer and then electronically, the pattern pieces for each design are graded and the fabric marker is developed. Some machines, once the fabric is laid up (layers of fabric dependent on number of garments required) are also programmed to cut the fabric operated by a laser beam. If there is not computer-aided design system all these technological procedures are executed manually. Fashion design programmes teach both manual and computer-aided methods of technological practice.
COP Outcome development and evaluation
Quality Check
Once the patterns are graded and the markers have been produced, the markers are all sent back and checked by the Production Manager before being sent for cutting and construction/making.
Cutting Garments – > Construct one Garment – > Quality Check Sample Garment
The bulk quantities of fabrics are delivered and measured off at the cutting establishment/s. Often the cutting of the garments and the construction of the garments are carried out by different CMT contractors. Once the first garment comes off the line it is sent to the Production Manager for checking.
Complete Construction Run
Before the bulk production run is carried out each sample garment is put through a quality check, after which it is sent back to the factory with alterations/changes to be made before the bulk of the garments are constructed.
COP Outcome development and evaluation
Quality Check
Once all the garments are finished each one is quality checked.
Distribution for Sale
Finally the garments are sent out to wholesalers/retailers and placed in Andrea Moore Design's two stores. Jenny Couch is the Store Manager in Wellington and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Andrea Moore store in the Old Bank Arcade, Wellington.
Managing the process
Sample/Mock up of design and pattern
Summer 2003 sample in workroom
Andrea Moore Design has a production schedule for each range which means juggling quite a few ranges at once as they go through their different stages. There is a long lead-time of almost a whole year for each range.
Take the 2003 Spring range, for garments to be in the shops ready to sell in August 2003, sample designs had to be finalised at the end of November 2002. The sample range has to be ready to sell by the end of March 2003. During April while the range is on the road all the fabric and trim swatches, the CMT cutters' cost sheets and specification sheets are prepared. By end of May all the wholesale orders come in from around the country as well as the two stores. The numbers are finalised and fabric ordered. All fabric must go out to cutters by end of June and production takes place during June and July with delivery date to our wholesnalers and i our stores in August 2003.
| Spring Range 2003 in summary: | |
| 30 November 2002 | Designs for range finalised |
| 31 March 2003 | Sample range completed |
| 30 April 2003 | Selling range and organising reference material for CMT |
| 31 May 2003 | All orders received, numbers finalised, and fabric ordered |
| 30 June 2003 | All fabric out to cutters |
| 31 July 2003 | Production completed |
| During August | Delivery to stores and wholesalers for sale during Spring 2003 |
One of Andrea's goals is to spend a week exclusively on design for each range. At the moment design is fitted around other things 2 hours here and there. As design is their product more time needs to be spent on it with the process leading to a cohesive range. To do this effectively space and time are most important.
COP Outcome development and evaluation
Evaluation of the success of a range is also carried out. Analysis shows that if designs haven't sold then it's because of the fabric and fit. At the end of each season the weekly sales reports are interpreted which tell what sold and why, and what's not selling and why.
Technical Issues in Design
Inside the Wellington store
Inside the Wellington store
Changing cubicles
COP Outcome development and evaluation
Often an original drawing changes in the technical pattern making process and/or when the sample garment is produced due mainly to the final choice of fabric and how the fabric takes up the design features.
Andrea and her colleagues are becoming more and more aware of the fabric. For example with silk chiffon it's difficult to sew so designs have as few seams as possible. There are technical issues associated with getting into garments and what fastenings will work; it is advisable not to put a zip or buttons into the design. Silk chiffon drapes well on the bias and if not sewn skilfully it stretches very easily causing unacceptable results. So all these things have to be considered –it is a continuous learning curve/experience.
Some design ideas have to be scrapped. One dress in the Spring 2002 range was to have a dart design feature around the bust but the effect envisaged just couldn't be achieved so the particular design feature was replaced with a more simple version of the same style detail. “So," says Andrea, “we do that sometimes or we persevere because we know it's going to work and spend a lot more time on it." Cost is not taken into account, if the garment carries its price point there is no need to worry as people will buy it because it's different.
At Andrea Moore Design they try to make the sketch the reality, as that is the most efficient way of working. However, there are times when the imagined idea, has to be altered once the proportions of the garment are seen in reality at the calico stage or even at sample garment stage. Sometimes a more exciting design effect happens at the patternmaking stage and/or when fitting. Experience and technical expertise is the answer to knowing that the design idea will work in 3D and also that the fabric will hold the design. Andrea knows she is getting better and better at achieving the desired effect but there are just some situations when what you draw and what you patternmake and the end result are quite different from the original drawn sketch.
Production issues
The main production issues are fabric delivery ie getting the fabric on time, and quality of workmanship by the CMT manufacturers. A lot of the CMT people use outworkers and their quality is not always satisfactory so quality is an issue all the time. Although Andrea Moore Design has now identified some first rate CMT outlets the company has a very low threshold for mistakes for example, if the hems are not straight they go back. Andrea Moore Design quality is very high. The despatch and courier service is most acceptable.
A late fabric delivery could be as a result of:
Marketing
Store opening invitation
In store
Clothes are about communication – they touch people through their lifestyle sense, through their individuality, their dreams.
The fashion industry in New Zealand is a tough place to be. It's highly competitive and it's a small market. It is all about delivering new, exciting product continuously and building a brand that sells itself with ease.
The target audience for Andrea Moore Design ranges from people in their late 20s up to people in their 50s.
It is important to create/develop a theme for each of the four ranges in order to create editorial, and accessories to complement the garments. Fashion writers and other media will become aware of the range themes and will know when to visit to write about the next new range, hence future forecasts and excellent exposure with little PR financial outlay. The range themes are not only design tools but also publicity tools, which is very important.
Refinement of the four ranges a year concept is ongoing. Andrea Moore Design is still working on just how many styles should constitute a range; the numbers always creep up and more are added in, but basically 20 garments is the target. Another marketing advantage in producing four ranges a year is that customers always see something new, and with the occasional extra design slipped in during the year, along with sales held periodically there is always something new to see especially within the two stores. Thus foot traffic is high due to constant change.
Andrea says “it's all very interesting, we still have to tighten the range a little bit more to make them a little bit more captual. We have definitely become retailers as opposed to wholesalers."
Andrea is looking to introduce four other designer labels into the two stores which will always be there. They will be good, easy sellers, the bread and butter look so if there is trouble keeping up with demand in other areas then the shop never looks low in stock and sales never drop below a certain point.
Influences on Design
In store display through to Lambton Quay
In store display. Skirt features embroidered design.
In store display. Rack features garments for special events
The customer has an influence especially in the type of garment. There are many requests for special event/occasion garments for a wedding – both for bride and guests. Andrea tries to satisfy her customers by making sure that these requests are accommodated in future design and production schedules. This allows Andrea Moore Design to react quickly to market demand. The flexibility of their made-to-measure service allows for variations of the original design.
Andrea Moore Design is becoming a lot more analytical about what goes into a particular range.
Andrea hopes her designs are becoming distinctive. She would like to be in the position where people identify with the Andrea Moore Design label.
Beliefs, values, and ethics effect the development of a range. A designer works within their own set of values and beliefs producing garments they would like their customers to wear. In every range Andrea designs something with sleeves, and in every range there is a plunging neckline as well as a non-plunging neckline. Also if there are see through fabrics used they will not sell without a slip or a camisole top to go with them, which must be kept in mind and worked around
Staying Current
In store display – Midnight special
In store display – Winter 2003.
The main method of updating Andrea's and her staff's knowledge of technical aspects of clothing manufacture is by experimentation which could be seen as a weak point. This small business has minimal exposure to outside networking, seminars, meetings, and courses. It is therefore vital that staff continually question and ask – are there better ways to execute the patternmaking and production techniques, and/or are there better ways to finish garments
Fashion magazines are an important resource as it's always valuable to see what's coming out and some of the high profile designers have so much experience, especially the collections. Andrea comments:
“It's really interesting to see what kind of themes are coming through. If they are coming through strongly in the fashion chain stores we tend to steer away from the major lines but bring out particular dart placements and other visually interesting design features in our own more individual designs."
Several agents visit regularly with their fabric, trims and accessory ranges. Trade magazines are also very useful.
Belief Attitude Perserverance
In store display – daytime or evening elegance.
In store display featuring Fashion Quarterly article.
It's all about your dream and how determined you are, and slightly ruthless, about going about doing business. You do need to put blinkers on and try and inspire people to support you – that's what it's all about.
Andrea's dream:
Essentials for success
Success of the business is driven by sales.
Success of the designs is fabric and fit.
Andrea's believes:
"It's all about good designing, good business, good promotion, and time.
"To be a successful designer it's about business, being able to clothes design on the run, design very succinct, distinctive ranges, follow all that up with knowing how to do business properly. Brand building is important and ways need to be found that are inexpensive and/or free as much as possible. Money spent on promotion must give you good feed back into the store and good sell through otherwise it s not worth it. If there isn't a $ sign at the end of the promotional drive it's not worth doing.
"Time is important if you don't keep to time you don't make the sales."