Catherine McAleer Product realisation
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Table of
CONTENTS Product Development Record Design 1 ‘ Rococco Stone’
5 - 24
Heel development
25 - 36
Final product
37 - 41
Design 2 ‘Guilded Statue’
42 - 51
Heel development
53 - 55
Final product
56 - 61
Marketing
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Point of sale
62 - 64
Online presence
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Location photoshoot
66 - 69
Product Evaluation
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PPD
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Chosen Design 1.
Mock-ups ‘Rococco Stone’ This design was chosen to be made because of its simple shape, quirky construction and the obvious contrast between old and new styles which I feel represents the collection, ‘Baroquen Empire.’
Mock-up 1 I was pleased with the outcome of this initial mock-up as I felt it worked well, the following points were be taken into consideration for the next attempt. - Change position of zip, bring forward towards front of boot. - Change position of lap seam (as shown above.) - Create opening at top of zip for puller. 5
Mock-up 2
The changes were made to mock-up 2, but I was still not happy with the results for the below reasons. - The joint between front closed seam and lap seam on the inside of the boot is unsightly. - The lap seam looks unfinished and inelegant. This is to be changed to a full closed seam. - The curved lap seam on the inside does not fit in with the design and would look better straight. - The zip placement looks odd and feel it would look best halfway between front and back seam. - To make a feature of the zip it will be visible with a small brass puller to add detail.
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Mock-up 2b
As part of the design of mock-up 1 and 2, an inside shoe is needed for it to fit the wearer. The gold shoe above shows how this would look. The images at the top of the page illustrate how the two would look together. This design was rejected as it looks chunky and stiff, which would not suit the customer. I could now see clearly how another design from my developments file would work. 7
As the previous design did not work, I reverted to my original design choice. I was advised
Suede Upper
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Dark Navy
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that this construction would not work, but once I had mocked up the previous design I could see clearly how this one would be made. After enquiring how the previous product would be manufactured in a factory, a separate last piece would need to be made for each size - which could prove costly especially if it would be only used for one season. The new design choice means that it will not require an inside part to hold the foot as it is fitted at the back and the vamp
ROCOCCO Stone
point is high enough for the
A/W 2012/13
boot to stay on.
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Mock-up 3 I was really pleased how this quick mock-up turned out and I felt I made the right decision to change designs.
Change to lap seam
Back part
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Corrections to be made - Add cushion between lining and upper to create comfort as the heel may be stiff against the ankle (see sample box for different glue and sponge experimentations.) If the heel is pressed into the leather to leave an imprint, this will make it look like it fits even if it is not perfect.
- The heels positioning must avoid the ankle bone.
- The upper leather is perfect as it is heavy and luxurious but the lining sample is stiff, cheap and plastic looking - a better option is to be sourced.
- The opening at the top of the zip looks unfinished. If the edges were coated, this would make it more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
- A zip guard is needed.
- The back part of mock-up 3 was slotted into the upper and stitched in but after doing this I realised it is not necessary and can be left as a raw edge as the side heel will cover it.
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- On the inside of the boot, the back part should be extended to the stitch line of the zip and be attached in the second line of stitching around the zip. The upper edges along the zip should be folded and the lining left raw and unseen. - When making, I must pay closer attention to the ensure the top lines are parallel . - The leather needs a backer to ensure it holds the shape and achieves the angular effect. - The closed seam at the front inside should look parallel to the zip from the inside view. - I must be careful not to leave any gaps at the front when stitching and any viable threads are tucked in. - When originally making the pattern I did not have a seam at the back but decided it was better to be fitted so inserted a seam. I thought the counter would then not be seen under the back part but it was so this will be changed to a full closed seam down the back.
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Mock-up 4 After applying all the changes from previous mock-ups I went on to made a full shoe. Corrections: - The backer I used was too stiff and although it gave the shoe a good shape, in parts, like the toe, it made it look bulky and unrefined. - It was more obvious that the pattern was wrong as the front line was tilted forward too much. This is to be corrected. - The gap for the zip is too wide and should be close to the zip teeth. - The stitching length is too big and needs to be neater. - When lasting, the closed seam on the inside at the front must be pulled so that it is parallel to zip.
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Further Corrections: - The lining has a top rim with is attached to the bottom part with a lap seam, this should be changed to a closed seam. - The top rim of the lining should be gold and the bottom be navy sheep skin - The top rim at the back has a closed seam which makes it look bulky. This seam can be removed as it is unnecessary as there is a split where the zip is. - The zip guard should be stitched with the upper as it is too low at the minute.
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Mock-up 5 I made this shoe, with the thought that it would be my final piece, but there were some changes that I wanted to make.
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Corrections: - The top line of the lining is not stiff enough and looks flimsy. More experimentations with binding, cord and backer must be done before finalising a solution to this problem. (see sketchbook) - Even though I glued down the edges of the lining at the zip opening, it still looked untidy. (see more samples in sketchbook) - The folded edge of the upper which meets the zip edge looks bulky and needs to be skived more to create a clean line. Careful attention must be paid when stitching down this line. - The back part is not stiff enough. This needs a small bit of back stiffener to create the same look as mock-up 4.
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The above images illustrate the particular parts which worked well and hope to carry over to the final shoe. Overall I feel this mock up was very close to what I imagined the design to look like, and by following all the final corrections I hope to have a more successful final product.
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Design Detail
Zip puller
I decided to make a feature out of the zip by leaving it visible and creating an unusual puller. The piece in the picture was a found jewellery piece. I have tried various ways of making it a workable piece. (See sample box for original)
I sanded off two holes on each side at the back leaving two holes available to insert a screw bar. Using a Dremel I carved out a space for it to slot into the zip mechanism. I glued on a piece of suede as the back was quite rough. When making the final zip pulls, the amount of glue used must be reduced as it pushes through the design and is visible.
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The zip puller shown above would be used in all the designs within the collection which require a zip. The suede used on each one should be the same colour as the upper. The image below shows an example of the zip puller of the ‘ Guilded Statue’ design.
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Final Product: Rococco Stone The production of this shoe went very smoothly. There were a few minor corrections I made the decision to make whilst making. Snapshots of the process, the corrections and issues faced are illustrated in the following pages.
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Having reexamined the previous mock ups, I decided to keep the opening of the zip simple. Instead of having a boxed off zip puller, the opening has two straight clean lines.
Final product
Mock up
Cording added to top line of lining.
Corners of cord binding skived very thin and end with folded edges.
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Back part stitched on last with the second row of
Did not stitch back part on until back-moulded.
stitches around zip.
Inserted padding between upper and lining.
Back moulded then back part stitched in so not to
It was decided not to add glue as originally planned
damage it in the process.
as the heel shape was not fully finalised. If in production, this would be done.
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Lasting the upper was a particular challenge. As there is five layers altogether as well as backer it took careful precision to make it look good. I was really pleased with the results - once hammered down it obtained a good look and a refined silhouette.
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Heel Development
I originally planned to use the rapid-prototyping method to redesign this vintage piece but due to financial restraints, choose a different route. These images show my first attempt at trying to mould the piece into my chosen design. Firstly heating up, hammering and bending around the shoe. This was difficult to do because brass is quite brittle and it eventually snapped in two. I then attempted to build up the piece with Milliput and mend the broken piece with a view that I would cast it in wax and use the lost wax process to then cast a new heel in brass. This again did not give the desired affect and I realised it would be easier to work in wax and carve the piece from scratch. This way I could change and adapt the design to my preferences. The following pages illustrate this process.
Original vintage brass piece
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An object was placed inside the shoe to resemble the foot and ankle bone, it was pitched at the right height and then measurements taken of the outside of the boot. These measurements were then transferred onto hard wax. The general shape was cut out and sanded down to the approximate shape.
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The wax piece was slowly heated up in the oven to 90 degrees and let cool down slightly before pressing it into the shoe in position. This was then strapped down to hold its position and let cool completely. As the wax block was not big enough to cut the hole shape out in one, a second piece was cut out and carved. This was then melted together with the side piece and sanded down to blend together. 27
I carved the wax, firstly by using a Dremel to get the correct shaped outlines and then using specialised wax carving tools, I etched more details. The wax heel was then separated into three pieces as it is easier to make moulds from simpler shapes. A hole was drilled and a metal rod was inserted into each piece and glued in place. This would create a tunnel through which the moulten wax would travel. 28
A boundary box was made for the mould using plastic sheets and a hot glue gun. 15mm extra space was left surrounding the wax carving which is the right thickness for the silicone mould to be.
Boundary boxes for heel and base.
A hole was drilled through the boundary boxes and the wax carvings on metal rods were placed through the hole and sealed with putty.
The cone like shape surrounding the rod and entrance to the hole is the entrance for the wax to flow through.
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The ‘40 shore silicone’ which was used to create the mould is very dense, and so was placed in a vacumizer to remove all the bubbles.
Silicone was poured into mould delicately, so that the wax carving was not damaged.
The silicone was left for 24 hours until solid and then taken out of boundary boxes.
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The silicone mound was slit in two using a long scalpel, following the horizontal line of the wax carving, being careful not to scratch it.
The original wax was then taken out to leave a perfect mould.
Holding the mould horizontal tightly, moulten wax was then pumped into the mould.
The wax was left to cool for four minutes before being carefully taken out.
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- The same process was repeated for the other two moulds. I make several moulds as sometimes trapped air bubbles can ruin the casting. (samples can be found in the Heel and Mould Samples box) - This process was completed in order to provide me with spare wax carvings. Once the wax carving was sent to Quality Castings to be cast in brass I would lose control over the process. Taking a number of extra wax carvings provided insurance should anything go wrong during the brass casting process. - The three wax pieces where then melted together to create the whole heel. I then spent some more time touching up and sanding down the wax to ensure perfection prior to casting in brass.
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During the brass casting process the heel became distorted and no longer fitted as perfectly as the wax carving did. There were two options to make the heel fit again. One (on the left) was to hammer the heel at the part touching the sole or the second was to hammer it on the side part. I made the decision to use the first option, which made it fit perfectly. A slight distortion also caused the side heel part to tilt forward towards the front of the shoe whereas it should have been little straighter. I tried heating it up and hammering but this would only cause the rest of the heel to distort. In this case I decided to leave it as it was as I didn’t want to break it. If time had permitted I would have used the spare wax mouldings and had them recast!
The brass casting process was a success, it was sent on a Tuesday and came back on the Thursday. The price was prearranged at ÂŁ60. 34
As brass has different properties and different casting companies use different brass, the original and the new one differed in colour. I experimented with different methods of changing this including oxidation, bleaching and inking. With this version I blackened it with polish and then buffed the highlights, but it was still wrong.
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Final brass heel The final process to acquire an antique look to the heel required dipping in a copper oxidising solution followed by soaking in vinegar. Excess particles were rubbed off. The piece was then inked to the required colour. I was extremely happy with the outcome and felt I had achieved exactly the look I desired. I finally soldered on a cap rivet on to the inside of the heel o that once it was screwed into position n the shoe I could piece a hole for the ritet to ensure the side heel sits flat against the boot without having to use any glue.
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Final Product
Rococco Stone
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Chosen Design 2.
Mock-ups
Whilst designing this boot I created some mock ups of the top of the boot to get an idea what would flatter the leg.
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Embroidery Placement This placement of shapes and designs on samples of the knee area of the boot gave me an idea of how it would look as it is a very important part of the design and was considered when making the mock-ups.
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Mock-up 1 After the initial fitting of the boot (samples can be found in ‘Guilded Statue Mock-ups’ bag) I then moved on to make a mock up of the boot. The first mock up fitted well but some of the main design features needed to be changed. - The vamp which runs up the front of the leg is too wide and needs to be reduced in length and width (as drawn on the mock up) - Try a different shape at the knee part to see what it wold look like on and add elastic at the back. - Zip is placed too far to the back of the boot, and needs to be moved to the middle.
Mock-up 2 on the next page had further changes to be made. The vamp was cut out in a different colour so I could see the shape better and get a better idea of how it worked. - The change in the top knee pard did not work as it is really unflattering and I decided to revert to the original design. It is also too long and goes too far up the thigh - Do not include elastic. - The vamp is too wide and needs to be much narrower - try 20mm on next attempt.
New vamp shape
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Mock-up 2
Mock-up 3 Corrections to be made to the mock-up below - Zip to be parallel to vamp running up front of leg. - Shorten vamp by 100mm - Wings of vamp should not run all the way around the heel and need to be like the original pattern where it was 30mm from back of heel. - Add 40mm of elastic at back of knee bend.
Place elastic here
New zip placement
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Mock-up 4
Bagged edge
I was really pleased with the outcome of the mock-up including the lining but decided not to last it as there were a few minor changes I want to make before making a full mock up. Folded edge
- Change zip positioning
New zip positioning
- Change top line of boot to be bagged edge, turning into folded edges around elastic.
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- Getting the elastic positioning was difficult with this mock up, it was taken out and replaced a few times to get it right. Sourcing the right elastic colour so that it doesn’t not look cheap was very difficult, so I tested dying it here. (See sample box for further elastic experimentation.) - There is too much elastic and should be half the amount. - The vamp has a folded edge but looks chunky and not as elegant as I thought it would. The next mock up should be tested with a skived raw edge. - The corners of the top of top line stick out and it would look better if it curved around the leg. Place wire in the lining to create shape. (See sample box for corner piece experiments.) - As part of the design, the boot leg which goes over the knee can be rolled down over itself so that you can no longer see the embroidery and it becomes a knee high boot. This mock up I used a lap seam but think it would look and work better as a closed seam - this is to be tested on the next mock up.
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Mock-up 5
This mock up worked really well even thought the coated leather was poor quality it was good to see it in a close colour to the final product. I managed to crudely stitch together the vamp and upper after it tore (because of too much skiving), so that I could see the shape and how it would look. Corrections to be made to final piece: -Do not skive around vamp as it makes it weak. Instead wax around raw edges. - Change bagged edge at top to a run and turn seam all the way around. - Ensure closed seam on lining is hammered down enough so it is not visible on the outside of the boot. - I originally planned that the sole would be made from the same leather as the upper and waxed around the edge like the vamp and this would show off the brass heel. When mocked up I didn’t like this so decided the sole would be waxed and buffed leather. - I decided after much deliberation to remove the elastic from the design. When I tried it on, I could walk easily without it and it did not fall down or move much and I felt it was an unnecessary design feature which would take away from the embroidery on the knee area.
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Final Product: ‘Guilded Statue’ The making process for this product went very well without many issues. - The heel stiffener used did not work well, although it eventually gave the right shape it was difficult to manipulate and in hindsight would have used a different type. - Leather stretch liquid was used in abundance so that both the upper and lining would stretch to the right shape of the last. If it were to be done again I would have hand blocked it for a longer period of time. - The main concern when lasting the shoe was that because of the height of the last, the vamp upper would be difficult to last around the toe without causing wrinkles and buckling. It was a long process trying to get the shape of the toe right and a mixture of steaming, heating, pulling and tacking was used and finally the wrinkle chaser was used to create the shape and even out all the creases. - I was extremely pleased with the end result and the simple design and shape worked well and I have achieved the look I wanted.
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After completing the prototype there still remained one main problem. Although the product looked great, when folded down over the knee it became bulky an inelegant. If I had more time to redo this I would split the upper and lining more and decrease the thickness of the padding in the embroidery. Another option would be to reconsider the location of the seams around the centre back folded area as the build up of leather has caused it look unsightly. Unfortunately at this stage I did not have time to go back to change it.
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Heel Development
Original vintage piece.
I decided to use the actual vintage piece to create my heel. I was originally going to re-cast it to include the brass plate, using the same process as the ‘Rococco Stone’ heel, but believed I can get a similar effect by soldering one on to match the worn look of the original piece. - The plate would then be attached using two Chicago screws which are soldered onto the back of the brass plate and slot into two holes made in the sole. The ends of the screws are then tightened on the inside to fit on the heel. - After completing the shoe I could get the right pitch and knew exactly where to sand down the heel to be level with the sole and leave enough space for the 3mm brass plate. The next page illustrates how the brass plate was made.
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Sand off this much
Plate hammered to fit flush against sole
Plate sanded into shape
As it was impossible to get the plate to sit
Outline of shape measured.
flush against sole, I decided to made a dent in the sole for the plate to sit in.
Sole bevelled out using a Dremel.
Two holes drilled out 54
Chicago screws
Chicago screws soldered onto back of plate in this position.
The heel was then cleaned and dipped in oxidising fluid to restore it back to its antique look. It was polished with black polish so that it would get into the cracks to emphasise and darken them. A heel tip was then made from leather and attached. Soldered plate to heel.
36mm Screw head 33mm
Sole
127mm
6mm 4mm 8mm
Guilded Statue A/W 2012/13
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70mm
Final Product
Guilded Statue
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Marketing
Material
As CMA will be sold through stockists and will initially not have a shop premises, there will be a certain amount of control lost over how the product is displayed and sold. Therefore due care has been made to ensure the product offers something extra to the customer. Point of Sale Package which customer would receive: Heavy weight branded paper bag, with gold trim handles Navy branded box with barcoded label on the side Navy tissue paper 1x Gold dust bag Navy envelope containing information on the footwear designer and current collection, care tag and contact details card. 2x Perfumed shoe cushions Pair of shoes Examples can be found in prototype box for ‘Rococco Stone’
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The advantages of display and promotion of the product in a stand alone store are obvious and in order to highlight the quality of the product when presented for sale in stockist stores a brief synopsis of the product and company are included in the product box, as many clients like to know the background of the company. Although they are not able to enjoy the same luxury experience that an own store would offer, the additional items included in the box adds a personal touch and makes the buyer feel emotionally attached to the brand. - Brand name is always embossed in dark metallic gold foil, usually in the right hand corner.
Baroque
- Burnished gold trim is used on the
Empire
bag handles, shoe bag drawstring
Product Care
and also to bind the perfumed You have purchased a beautiful pair of Catherine McAleer shoes or boots. In order to maintain
cushion.
their beauty and care for them, ensure they are stored in their orginal shoe bag to protect them The first collection released by Irish designer, Catherine McAleer, holds a deep memory of the past, which has been thrust into the future. This Autumn/Winter 2013 luxury women’s footwear collection combines traditional Irish craftsmanship techniques, with modern silhouettes. The collection of designs are inspired by the juxtaposition of ideas; strong influences from the Baroque era, contrasting with minimalist design details, creating dramatic statement pieces. Much emphasis is placed on the quality and the construction used within the making of the products which are produced in Ireland.
and keep away from direct sunlight when not in use. Use suede or leather brushes to clean the leather.
- Magnetic, snap shut boxes come in a range of sizes, as do the bags.
We uphold a strong duty of care to our customers and hope that you are happy with your purchase. In the case that you may require a repair, you are welcome to send the products to us, and they will be mended free of charge.
- Label on side of boxes hold key information about the product inside. (example below left).
Riverhouse Millbrook, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Catherine McAleer
+353 (0)45 876879
www.catherinemcaleer.com
Ref. Style: 1215; 100mm ‘Rococco Stone’
enquiries@catherinemcaleer.com
Colour: Deep Navy, Burnished Gold
Pantone 533c
Pantone 871c
Size: 37 705,00 GBP
Made in Ireland
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Online
Presence
The shoes will also be available for sale online and it is essential to have an easy to use website. I feel the concept ‘less is more’ is something which is needed for the CMA brands online presence. A snapshot of how the ‘Home’ page may look and be used by the customer.
Autumn/Winter 2012/13 Home
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about
Home collections
about Press
atherine McAleer
Autumn/Winter 2012/13 collections Contact
Press
Contact
Location
Photoshoot
A location photoshoot was held at Westland London. A lot of inspiration for the designs in the collection were taken from the antique pieces sold at this company. I felt it was fitting to capture the essence of the place and create an editorial-like shoot.
Baroquen Warrior This page: Gold necklace, vintage; Silk shirt, stylists own; grey tights, Donna Karan; leather boots, Catherine McAleer. Photographer: Jessica Seamen Model Hannah O’Brein
Sumptuous fabrics, pewter and gold metals. Encrusted details bring a bit of edge to this 17th Century Baroque royal, bringing her out of her period and into the modern day. This warrior is ready to on into the season in fierce elegance.
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