The amount of time it takes designers to design a collection

[GivenchyHomme]

I cannot get the idea out of my mind that Miuccia Prada said she designed
Miu Miu's S/S 12 Collection in 15 days. I know it's not a new thing for a designer to create a collection so quickly, but my question is why?
They have over 5 months to create a new collection so why do they do everything last minute?

 

[HeatherAnne]

Miuccia as a head designer for two major labels probably has to possess the ability to spit out a line faster than most, but I've definitely read similar statements by other designers.

Nice to have a thread to bring information on this subject in as we see it, should be a great discussion.

Here's something Azzedine Alaia said on the subject recently:

You’ve been showing clothes at your own pace and in your own house for a while now, but this season it seemed especially exclusive, focusing solely on knitwear.

Maybe in July I will show other clothes, if I have the time to develop them. I refuse to work in a static rhythm. Why should I sacrifice my creativity to that? That’s not fashion, that’s industrial work. We can hire people to design all day long and then fabricate what they design and sell and sell and sell — but that has nothing to do with fashion, with la mode. And it’s a shame talents are being abused for this. I really don’t understand that. I have to live as well. That’s what life is about: living. Tell me how these designers who work for the major houses can have lives? How can they raise children if they are never home? They are gone for one, sometimes two months, while their children have to go to school. They have husbands, wives, but they can’t live their lives. People need time for that, and talents need time to create something. It’s stupid to ask someone to create eight collections per season. Look what has happened to John Galliano or this poor young guy from Balmain, who is now in a psychiatric hospital. After five or six seasons, he was already broken. Or last year, McQueen — dead. And there are many more that are just so tired. There is a pressure that is mad.

newyorktimes

 

[Blodeuwedd]

I just saw the documentary Marc Jacobs + Louis Vuitton and it's crazy what Jacobs does. I am deeply impressed at how he can maintain two very distinct visions for each brand and travel non-stop and still have the energy to fuel new designs over and over. Of course there are pieces he mentions he didn't get to finish due to the time constraints. It's a bit mad.

 

[MimiV]

I've heard that at Chanel the designers start working on a new collection basically every month.

 

[bento]

Mmmm... technically it probably only takes me 15 actual days, but that doesn't mean I don't start thinking about it a full 12 months or so in advance.

Does that make sense?

-Sam

 

[Vladita]

I think that timestamp is for RTW. I wonder how long it would take for a couture collection to be completed.

 

[MimiV]

I think that timestamp is for RTW. I wonder how long it would take for a couture collection to be completed.

When I was talking about Chanel, I meant couture as well .

I don't think the number of days are impressive, I think we need to look at the number of hours, a lot of designers literally work around the clock when a show is on the schedule.

 

[HeatherAnne]

And one of my favorites, Dries Van Noten, on the matter:

He produces womenswear and menswear, and only twice a year—no pre-collections, no resort wear, no home wares, no jeans or perfumes or hotel decors. "Personally, I think there is too much fashion in the world," he says, sitting in his sparsely decorated office overlooking the city harbor on a cold autumn afternoon. "Now you can go on style.com or blogs and there is always another collection launch, cruise, resort, accessories, and on and on and that's a pity. For me it's an overdose."

Though Van Noten does only four collections a year, he works incessantly, taking only four or five days of vacation a year.

"To go to exhibitions, to talk with people, to think, to research. That is the fantastic part of our job," he says. "For me, the most fun is the trip to create something that I really love. To do four women's collections a year? Forget it. You have two months, three months, click, click, click"—he snaps his fingers—"it has to be done, finished, next. Some designers make their show collection in two weeks. This, I don't like."

Instead, Van Noten focuses solely on spring/summer and fall/winter for men and for women and produces an astounding 1,200 designs for women and 800 for men—double the majority of his competitors. "I like to make a lot of clothes!" he says with a laugh. And, Blaszka reports, they sell "very, very well."

Read the whole thing in his thread: http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f60/dries-van-noten-79894-4.html

wallstreetjournal via softgrey

 

[Ghinzu]

Instead, Van Noten focuses solely on spring/summer and fall/winter for men and for women and produces an astounding 1,200 designs for women and 800 for men—double the majority of his competitors.

Read more: the Fashion Spot - Reply to Topic http://forums.thefashionspot.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=10003569#ixzz1fdvzBtAt

1,200 and 800 designs - are these unique designed pieces (or sketches? or prototypes?) or it's the overall number he sells?

 

[blondegypsy]

I have designed and produced (RTW) collections in less than 2 weeks before. The RTW collections always seem to come together at the last minute mainly due to all the rest of my time being taken up with couture pieces being ordered in between. Maybe it is like this for all designers??

Having said that though, couture pieces could never be done that quickly. Recently we did a couture gown from french lace that was hand beaded with over 600,000 beads that took 7 of us over 500 hours to complete. There is no way you would produce a collection like that in that space of only a couple weeks!

 

[superbeautiful]

Every designer has their own time frame. I know for me, I research and look for inspiration until and idea 'clicks' and then I get working. Sometimes that idea comes to me last minute and I create designs overnight and sometimes its sooner. When your a designer like Miuccia Prada who's had years of experience, designing may not necessarily become easier, but the notion of creating a collection and deadlines becomes something you get adjusted to.

Also, each designer has their own speed. I know for me, I can't spend too much time on a look because otherwise, I'll start over thinking it.

 

[alonsoJonathan]

They have over 5 months to create a new collection so why do they do everything last minute?

i dont get this,did she said she did it last minute? yes maybe she did it in 15 days 4 or 3 months before the show.

 

[matryoshkadoll]

I have designed and produced (RTW) collections in less than 2 weeks before. The RTW collections always seem to come together at the last minute mainly due to all the rest of my time being taken up with couture pieces being ordered in between. Maybe it is like this for all designers??

Having said that though, couture pieces could never be done that quickly. Recently we did a couture gown from french lace that was hand beaded with over 600,000 beads that took 7 of us over 500 hours to complete. There is no way you would produce a collection like that in that space of only a couple weeks!

Indeed. It is rather easy to design ready-to-wear pieces in a short span of time, but Haute Couture requires more intricacy in putting together the pieces.

 

[Melisande]

When we speak of designing a collection in two weeks, we are referring to what process? From sketches to making all the samples?

 

[fashionista-ta]

When we speak of designing a collection in two weeks, we are referring to what process? From sketches to making all the samples?

I assumed she meant her initial piece of the process, but I don't know if that's clear ...

Wrt Dries, he is concerned with every single part of the process. He designs the stores, and he and his partner source everything in them. It is completely his vision, not just the clothes.

I like what Alaia says ... a very European approach to work. I'd love it if I could go home after putting in a good day's work in the first few hours And I did that when I worked from home on a fixed-price project. Many writers work that way ...

I don't know that it's entirely fair when he draws a straight line from the way the major houses operate to the collapse of several designers.

 

[blondegypsy]

When we speak of designing a collection in two weeks, we are referring to what process? From sketches to making all the samples?

When I design a collection in two weeks that includes the design and sketch process as well as all the sample making. I work with only a small team so I can't see why the bigger houses with much larger teams couldn't do the same thing.

What that time frame does not include (and I can't see how it could) is manufacturing time. You can get your collection together in a couple weeks but when it come to production you are entirely reliant on manufacturers. The larger the quantities, the longer it takes. If your manufacturer is off shore, then add some more time to that...

The collections are usually shown well before manufacturing even starts though so this usually isn't a problem.

 

[Melisande]

Thanks for the replies, ta-ta and blondegypsy.

I agree that it is a very European work ethic, one I'm still coming to grips with here in Paris ^^ but I'm seeing that productivity is not compromised; on the contrary. The Japanese can take a hint or two from Alaia. During the years when one of my best friends was designing for Issey Miyake in Tokyo, we saw him only ONCE due to his insane work hours, working past midnight daily. (He lived only 10 minutes away from me). I agree with blondegypsy, I don't now why this has to be the case with big houses if smaller houses can work more efficienty. In the case of Issey, I do know that each designer's imput in the final collection was small, though. Meaning, there was a lot of design effort wasted. That's where, I presume, smaller teams have an advantage of working closer with each other and developing trust.

I'm sure also instant fashion brands such as Zara and H&M are putting pressure on designer brands to deliver more, faster.

 

[mdankwah]

^I completely agree with two of the points you've made. Each designer/team works differently, each to their own. You have certain designers who can design and put out a collection in 2 weeks and others like Alaia who spend some considerable time coming up with and putting the collection together. I personally prefer the latter but as you've mentioned fashion is so instant now and this affects the work rate/time frame for putting out new collections

 

[blondegypsy]

I have a lot of respect for designers like Alaia who spend months or a whole season putting together a collection, I just have no idea how you make any money like that...

 

[Kite]

When interning at McQueen, The research took the longest. It was INTENSE. Ridiculous.
Research took at-least 3-4 weeks. Vintage clothes were sourced and archived pieces were bought into the studio for re-examination.

Meetings with hair and makeup were conducted to see where the 'Woman' was headed for the season.

Sarah and the womenswear team dissected many of the pieces, whilst prints and special materials were designed and printed/weaved for the team to drape and cut and work with.

Mood boards after Mood boards were created, taken down, reassembled, edited, scrapped, re-built, edited, edited, edited.

Then after the initial pinnings and sewing of the toiles are made, the photographing begins.

Basic shapes are Photographed on the fit model. Then they are transferred to the computer to be photoshopped into colour-ways and patters, prints, fabrics, and embroideries.

More editing, more scrapping and cutting and reworking.

Final prints are created and draped onto the mannequin, then the ideas are finalised and everything else (bags, shoes, jewellery etc) come together.

This whole process takes about 4 months.
4 weeks for research and sourcing.
4 weeks for cutting and toiles.
8 weeks for finalising, material creation, accessories etc.

By the time the final runway (or photographs for cruise etc) are presented, they have already started on processing ideas for the next show.

Hope that is all useful!