Design, Manufacture and Sell Your Bag Collection

Cover
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Before You Begin
	The Schedule
	The Budget
1 The Creative Process
	The Idea
	What Can Inspire You?
	Mood Boards
	Hinabora
	The Design Brief
	Being Inspired
2 Researching Your Brief
	Shop Reports
	Shows
	Trend Analysis
	Holbrook Studio/Peclers
	Predicting Trends
	Trends Analysis for Designers
	Trend Boards
	Knowing Your Market
3 Knowing Your Customer
	Research and Customer Profiles
	Demographics
	How to Begin
	Planning Your Questionnaire
	Writing Your Questionnaire
	Testing and Refining
	Focus Groups
	Writing a Customer Profile
	Creating a Customer Profile Board
	A Vital Step
4 Designing Your Bag
	Mind Mapping
	The Need for a Range
	Beginning Your Design
	Drawing
	Why Draw By Hand?
	Drawing Your Design
	Critiquing Your Design
	Halfway there
5 The Critical Path
	Finding Your Path
6 Materials
	An Overview of Materials
	Leather
	Tempesti
	Other Types of Leather
	Piper & Skye
	Notes on Buying Leather
	Synthetic Materials
	Moulded Materials
	Natural Fibres
	Lining Fabrics
	Buying Fabrics
	New Innovations in Materials
	Recycled Materials
	Sourcing Recycled Materials
	Elvis & Kresse
	Upcycling
	A World of Choice
7 Hardware
	Think Practicalities
	Buying Hardware
	Customizing and Designing Your Hardware
	3D Printing
	Hardware Materials
	Metal Plating
	Hardware – Environmental Impacts
	Wooden Hardware
	Rubber Hardware
	Synthetic Hardware
	Types of Hardware
	Hardware as Decoration
8 Understanding Bag Construction
	Bag Deconstruction
	Bag Anatomy
	Backing Fabrics
	Lining Fabrics
	Basic Bag Forms
	Bag Construction Techniques
	Featured Seams
	Construction of Pattern Pieces
	Exceptions
	Adding Volume
	Putting It Back Together
9 Completing Your Design
	Mock-Ups
	Creating a Mock-Up of Your Bag
	Tools
	How to Make Basic Shapes
	Mocking-Up Your Design (Stage One)
	Evaluating Your Design (Stage One)
	Mocking-Up Your Design (Stage Two)
	Soft Bags
	Evaluating Your Design (Stage Two)
10 Planning Your Range
	Designing a Range
	How to Start
	Building a Range Plan
	Do I Have to Design a Range?
11 Sampling
	Preparing Technical Specifications
	The Written Spec
	Swatches, Samples and Mock-Ups
	Checking Your Spec Sheet
	Finding a Sampler
	Anthony Vrahimis
	Agreeing Terms of Business
	Sampler Agreements
	Working with a Sampler
	Evaluating Your Sample
	Delivery
	Moving on to Manufacture
12 Manufacturing
	How Manufacturing Works
	Vendula London
	Preparing for Manufacture
	Finding a Manufacturer
	Tara Folks
	Contacting Manufacturers
	Negotiating with Your Manufacturer
	The Key Points of Negotiation
	Production Management Issues
	Piper & Skye
	Terms of Business
	Working with Your Manufacturer
	Jovanka Novković Davies
	Product Testing
	Packaging and Packing
	Delivery
	Shipping Agents
	Insurance
	Taking Delivery
	Sealing
	Moving On
13 Branding
	The Business of Fashion
	Branding
	What Is a Brand?
	Crafting Your Brand
	C.Nicol
	Naming a Brand
	Logos
	Building a Brand Bible
	Trademarks
	Evolving Your Brand
14 Marketing
	Selling Your Bag Range
	Tara Folks
	Marketing Strategies
	C.Nicol
	Poli & Jo
	Wholesaling
	Guy Catalano
	Sales Agents
	Fashion Compass
	Online Fashion Retailers
	Vendula London
	Combining Strategies
15 Business Planning
	Why Business Planning is Vital
	Understanding Your Business Set-UpCosts
	Company Structure
	Laura Micheletti
	Bank Accounts
	VAT and Sales Tax
	Office and Overheads
	Drawing Up a Business Plan
	Creating a Budget
	Managing Your Accounts
	Pricing Your Products
	Dealing with Large Orders
	Measuring Success
	Faulty Stock
	Returns
	Stock Management and Longevity
	Dealing with Unsold Stock
	Managing Cash Flow
	Wholesale Income
	Piper & Skye
	Your Brand as a Business
16 Sustaining Your Business
	Evaluating Your First Season
	Honing Your Customer Profile
	Updating Your Brand Bible
	Planning Next Season
	Developing New Lines
	Creating a New Critical Path
	C.Nicol
	Working with New Suppliers
	Considering New Materials
	Finding New Selling Opportunities
	Exporting
	Export Logistics
	Fashion Compass
	Audit Your Digital Strategy
	Marketing Update
	Finances and Cash Flow
	Budgeting Season Two
	Grants and Incentives
	Premises and Staff
	Planning for Growth
	Sustaining Your Business
Afterword: Sustainability and theFuture of Fashion
Bag History timeline
Index