DESIGN PROCESS

Having a background in software engineering is the furthest thing to now being a modest fashion designer but I have surprisingly applied a lot of the principles I learnt in the tech field to the design process for the brand.

1. Inspiration: The first step is inspiration. While I may not be a formally trained  designer, I can vouch for my skills of scrolling away on the internet to find pieces that are classic and timeless. Ironically, most of the garments that catch my eye are not modest yet.

2. Brainstorming: So then I brainstorm ideas to infuse elements of these designs and make them more modest. My main focus is to create pieces that will make you stand out in any room without compromising modesty. 

3. Sketching and Fabric Sourcing: Once I have a couple of ideas, I  start sketching - usually on Illustrator as my drawing skills are atrocious! I then work with my design team to source the fabrics. This process takes around a couple of weeks as we need to ensure the type of fabric I want exists - we like to avoid waste as much as possible so we prefer to use deadstock fabric. This is great for the environment but it also means the pieces I launch are limited edition because once the fabric is gone, we cannot make more pieces. 

4. Tech Pack Creation: After fabric selection, we create a detailed tech pack outlining all garment construction specifics, such as stitching types, size charts, and fabric cuts. I pay particular attention to the measurement chart, as this is what can make or break a garment.

5. Pattern Making: The next part is creating patterns for the garment. This step is heavy on mathematics as we are figuring out exact size of all the pieces that are going to be stitched together. I usually shadow my designer in this process as she is the technical genius.

6. Manufacturing: Once the pattern has been drafted, we send it to the manufacturing department and they work their magic. Typically, there are a few adjustments needed post-sample production but we try to make the tech packs as detailed as possible so we can save on time and resources.

7. Sample Fitting: I conduct sample fittings, either on myself if the sample is made for my size, or on a model.

8. Feedback and Production: I present the design to a focus group to see how they respond. I also share the designs on instagram to get your feedback as I only want to create something that you will love. If everything looks great and people like the design, I put in a bulk order.

8. Pre-Orders: While waiting for the bulk order, I open up pre-orders to ensure that pieces are shipped to customers as soon as they are ready.