Pattern Makers are the architects of fashion. With the overwhelming response of comments about our Garment District story, we decided to approach Laura Moore, freelance pattern maker and professor at Pratt Institute again for advice on how designers can better communicate with their pattern maker.Oriana DiNella: What key words do you feel are important for a designer to know to translate his/her vision in his head to that of the perfect pattern via their pattern maker?
Laura Moore: When a designer can actually come to your studio, and actually show you a sketch and also show another garment they have designed, I get a better sense, of what is expected of me as a pattern maker. When the pattern maker understands the designer this is very important for the designer’s vision to come to life. It is also very important to understand the customers.
I like to work with designers who do not give measurements, but would rather hear in words how they want a garment to look like and fit (really sexy, sexy but not revealing), so I can understand what the desired effect is. Key words I do not want (personally) are the specs (length of skirt etc). If clients provides specs and I follow the numbers, they usually do not like what I have produced and they end up altering it. Specs were created as quality control.
It use to be one would design a garment from a vision. But now, it comes from another garment. However, best selling pants in one style that are now created in another material will not work the same because all materials behave differently. A skirt in chiffon and in wool, will need different patterns and specs to be created.
Different fabrics will not translate the same way from the same pattern. This is why you go into Marshalls and TJ Maxx and you see endless racks of the same style pant, in different fabrics that once put on, do not fit well at all, hense them being at discount. The same pattern cannot be used for corduroy pants as one for chiffon pants.
Pattern makers are necessary. Cheap material can be OK with a good pattern and vice a versa, a bad pattern can make expensive material look horrible.
It matters what the pattern is and the fit of the garment too. An expensive blazer at a boutique may not fit great even though it’s so expensive, because the brand is spending more on patterns at places like Conway. This is because the pattern price is being split over the number of units produced.
It matters what the pattern is and the fit of the garment too. An expensive blazer at a boutique may not fit great even though it’s so expensive, because the brand is spending more on patterns at places like Conway. This is because the pattern price is being split over the number of units produced.
Product development costs are paid up front. If you make a few number of garments, you never are going to make any money The less garments made, the more money it is going to be needed to factor into making each garment. One also has to factor in the price for of the minimums on trim, tags, fabric, as well as other requirements.
OD: What is the difference between computerized software and the craft of making a pattern by hand?
LM: Whether you are making a pattern on the table or the computer, the pattern will only be as good as the pattern maker. The computer software that is available for making patterns, one will still have to understand and be a pattern maker to operate this soft wear. I could be fantastic pattern maker on the computer with the right training. Once when I was working at this company, I was making patterns on the table, while the others were making patterns on the computer. They could not believe how fast I was by hand. My samples were coming out of sample room before they were done with their computer patterns! I am a great believer in not reinventing the wheel. I know how to shape and fit patterns.
A block is a pattern for a garment, one without a lot of bells and whistles. If you begin with a great fitting block, then the pattern can be translated to add pockets, lining, etc. Clients will pay me to make a pattern, no pockets or lining, because they know it will fit great. This will be my block pattern for them. They then digitize the block I have created and scan to factories throughout world and this pattern is an approved basic fit for all their dress pants. They then can add bells and whistles from the block. Their time and energy can be on fabrications, trims etc and not having to worry about the fit.
OD: To keep up with technology do artisans ever use both?
LM: I use a computer service, Create a Marker on West 35th St in the Garment District. It is used by the highest level couture designers. I would never send original patterns overseas. I digitize it and send that. The patterns look like they have been created on a computer, however it is only the exact duplicate.
All other sizes are duplicated from original patterns by computer of by grading.
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