DAY 27

Leah is now away until next wednesday so I have taken over as design assistant!

I got to do another embellishment placement on a dress called Cleo's Dream. After photocopying the artwork I placed the beading around the neckline, armhole and pockets. It was good as I got to arrange the beads however I wanted, I now really want the dress when it has been manufactured!!!

I emailed factories with sample enquieries and sent them more spec sheets. I also did some more research for the next season.

The head designer went off for a meeting with a lady from a vinatge shop and came back with some really nice inspiring garments for shape and print ideas for next season. Although the garments as a whole weren't suitable for the company, Emma and Lyndsey have lots of good ideas from the items which Im sure will make a really nice collection.

DAY 26

Stressful day!! There was so much to do today as all the designers were stressed out and I got given a lot of jobs to do to help them out!

I got to do an embelishment placemnet on a dress, I had to photocopy the beading, cut out sections and arrange it around the neckline and cuffs on the pattern paper. I enjoyed doing it as although I was told basically what the designers wanted I got to place the beads how I wanted. I will be doing a lot more embellishment placemnets on the patterns next week as the design assistant is away, so it all down to me!

I had to photocopy images from a chinese designer book as part of the inspiration for the designers for nexts seasons collection. I also had to scan in more spec sheets to factories and email the factories whenever the designers needed me to (the designers shout out randomly when a factory needs to be told something....and then me or Leah email them!)

DAY 25

I got to go in the sewing room today and it was smaller than I thought it would be as there are only 7 sewing machines and a small pattern table. I had to steam a rail of menswear garments for the show, which was hard work epsecially as the steamer was really heavy!! When the toiles were being made all the details (stitching, buttons etc) where drawn on in pen which made it easier to imagine how the real garment would look.

I did some more research and printed off images of designer Rebecca Moses work and the model Lara Stone for one of the designers. I had to create some more final colourways for a print, scan specs to the factories, email factories about garment styles and fabrics and organise all the farics that aren't being used this season in to files.

Overall quite a productive day!

DAY 24

There was hardly anything to do today. I scanned in spec sheets and emailed them to the factories, then spent the rest of the day researching for next season and looking into 2 new designers.

DAY 23

I had a really busy day, which is good! I have spent the day helping the kidwear designers doing working drawing on illustrator for the FC Baby range. As well as doing some new designs I had to alter existing ones ready for the final collection to be sent off at the end of the day. Most of the range had a spotted or striped print which I had created last week and on the front sheets for each design I had to draw the prints on, which took a while. It was good to learn about something different to womenswear!

Before I left I scanned in an emailed some more spec sheets to the factories so they could start on the garments next week.

DAY 22

This morning I had to cut out some pattern pieces for a dress and top that had been generated on computer in the studio. I did a lot of emailing of more spec sheets to the factories and some working drawings of some final designs that needed to be pattern cut. Other than this and some general errands there wasn't much else that needed to be done today.

DAY 21

I spent the morning looking through yarn samples for the knitwear, I got to see hundreds of yarns in different colours and styles and had to pick out suitable ones with sequins for 2 particular designs. It was interesting to see how creative knitwear can be, as I have never really looked into it much before.

I did some more research for next season, emailed factories to order yarns and samples as well as sending them more spec sheets, and other general errands (mainly making tea.....im an expert at it now!)

DAY 20

I got to go throught their collection of Vogue magazines which went right back to 1974! It was really interesting looking through at the clothing as well as the layout and content. I began researching for their next collection which will be High S/S 11, and just photocopied things that would be suitable, as well as images that I found inspirational for my own research.

A new delivery of pantone colours arrived today so I had to send them off to the factories so they have a record of the colours being used and keep the rest on file.

I also created some different variations of a spotted pattern on illustrator for kidswear, and emailed more spec sheets off to the factories in Hong Kong and Turkey.

DAY 19

It has been slow again, as none of the couriers are flying out to the factories so me aren't recieving any samples. I had to do some scanning of spec sheets, and help the knitwear designer complete the spec sheets by acting like a model for her to get the right measurements!! I spent the afternoon creating striped patterns of different widths and colourways on illustrator for the kidswear collection.

DAY 18

On friday I went to a meeting and got to look through all the designs, while the head designer confirmed fabrics colours and the colourways for prints. Everything has been so manic in the studio but seeing all the designs and fabrics together made things complete. I then changed the colours of the prints and embellishments according to what Emma had decided.

DAY 17

This morning was quite but by this afternoon I was very busy as one of the designers is off to a factory in Hong Kong at the weekend so a lot of things needed to be done.

• Photocopying design front sheets and spec sheets
• going through designs and sorting out the factories they are being sent to
• doing more colourways for prints and embellishments
• emailing spec sheets to the factories for garments to be made up

Below are the design front sheets with working drawing and fabrics on each one and ordered into 3 packs.
Below are some of the colourways I have been working on, laid out ready to be chosen:

DAY 16

I have finally taken a photo of the building and the studio after after working here for nearly 4 weeks!!

Below is the studio that I work in, it's a very creative atmosphere as there are images, fabrics, prints and designs everywhere.

I made some more colourways for prints and I did some graphics colourways for some last season styles for the buyers.

I also had to order stationary for the office, emailed off spec sheets to the factories for knitwear and tidy some of the work spaces as it was rather messy.

I got to see toiles being made up and the designers discussing adjustments and fittings.

DAY 15

Work was slow again today, the designers were finishing off their final designs and starting to do the spec sheets which began I began emailing to factories.

I spend a lot of the day tidying the studio, but I got to see a lot of past garments which was interesting. I made up some more colourways for several prints, which need to be chosen within the next few days so the colours can be mixed.

Other than this the day has been fairly quiet...

DAY 14

Today has been fairly quiet as we are in the process of waiting for strike offs to come back from the factories.

I made up some more colour ways for some different prints, which I am finding quite fun. I think my new knowledge on prints will help a lot in the 3rd year as it isn't something I have really considered before.

I also sent some more print and colour samples to factories and emailed the factories to change colours of fabrics and prints.

I am hoping that tomorrow is a little bit busier!

This is the ad campaign for French connection Women S/S 10, it ties in so well with the FC man however possibly more striking and memorable.

DAY 13

Friday was a good day and I learnt some things about photoshop that I hadn't used before.

I had to photocopy all the working drawings of the designs, all the prints being used and get a sample of all the fabrics to be sent off to Kurt Geiger in order for the shoes to be designed and made.

I spent the afternoon producing colourways for prints. I had to scan in part of a print, put each colour that appeared in the print onto a seperate layer and then change the colours on each layer to colours in the chosen colour palettes. I had to do about 20 different colour combinations for each print in order for the designers to choose the final colours.

I keep seeing this advert as I walk into the studio each morning and I think it is a really strong image. It very directly targets their customer through the choice of model and the text stands out, I really like it.

DAY 12

Slightly calmer than yesterday...

• finished making colour palette cards for all the staff
• Organised more prints, named them and sent them off to India
• drew some more working drawings for some knitwear garments
• added some new colours to the colour palettes

I was lucky enough to get given lots of spare fabric that had been used in last seasons collection, including denims, silks and cottons.

DAY 11

Busy busy busy..

• doing working drawings of designs by hand
• sending colour swatches to factories abroad (Turkey, Portugal, Hong Kong and India)
• sending out more prints and information about print colours/scale etc.
• scanning and sending embellishment ideas by email to factories
• colour break downs for prints
• passing working drawings between the designers and production team, then organising in file
• more general errands

I found out that the main designers are lucky enough to go to the countries where the French Connection factories are next week, to check up on the garments being made and make sure they are up to scratch...... if only I could go with them!!

DAY 10

So after a long weekend off it was back to work and it was extremely busy as the design deadline draws closer

• making print colour break downs
• scanning and emailing embroidery and embellishment samples to comapanies
• sending prints and details to factories
• putting final patterns in repeat
• filling out forms for knitwear samples to be sent to factories
• Other random jobs for the designers (including the lunch run)

..........overall a very productive day.

Day 9

• photocopied prints and embellishments and fitted them together in a repeat print
• colour matched a new colour palette with pantone colours
• ordered colours from a company
• helped fill out print sheets and get prints sorted to send off to companies for screens to be made
• filling out forms for knits to be sent off to companies to be made
• organising toiled garments into a file