DEVELOPMENT
F.M.P
This sketchbook contains all the relevant research that helped me build my project.
F.M.P PROJECT
CONCEPT BRIEF
To develop a new way of sizing clothing correctly, making manufacture simpler, more cost effective and more accurate for its consumers. With this, a development on the current 3D avatars avaliable to try on clothing with an option of customising an avatar to a persons exact measurements. To give customers the option to virtually try clothing on online using a personalised 3 dimensional avatar, before purchasing garments.
NEON MOON
NEON MOON Neon Moon is an all-women’s lingerie brand, based in London, and they focus on representing women as they are, working to help women embrace their natural beauty, stretch marks, body hair and flaws that would normally be rectified by any other lingerie brand. Their team consists of men and women of all generations and they believe this diversity amongst their team is the reason they are able to design and create the underwear than women are becoming so fond of. This company has been in production since 2015 and have set their sights on four simple aims that they believe to be important when empowering women through body positivity. Neon Moon specialise in lingerie for women of all shapes and sizes and focus on maintaining transparency with its customers so that each customer knows exactly what they are getting when shopping through Neon Moon. This lingerie brand sticks to having four main aims that help focus their attention on the important aspects of their brand. The objectification of women is a difficult topic to avoid when working in the lingerie industry but that does not make it appropriate for women to feel as though they are being objectified. The lingerie designed and created at Neon Moon is done so with this mind, believing that women deserve more choice in their underwear than what is on offer in other stores. Neon Moon believe it would be contradictory to create lingerie that empowers women if it were being mass produced in a factory by women who were being exploited. To avoid this, Neon Moon are proud to say they hand make each garment, making sure that they are produced sustainably and to the highest quality.
BALENCIAGA
Visiting the Balenciaga exhbition influenced me to tailor my FMP around the female form amd body shape, with an idea of removing the stigma attatched to plus size women and focusing on encouraging a positive view of the female body. Understanding the female form was first on my agenda as I felt this would help me better execute the final outcome for my FMP, with the hope of creating a new way for women to shop and find accurately fitting clothing with little fuss.
BALENCIAGA Coming from a small fishing village in northern Spain, Cristobal Balenciaga, was introduced to fashion from a young age by his mother. By the time he was twelve he was working as an apprentice at a tailor’s. Ten years later he opened his first fashion house in 1917. The first garment in this exhibition was highlighted as being inspired by his Spanish roots and was drawing on the popular Spanish sport of bull fighting. His designs included the short Chaquetillas or jackets, a typically mascusline garment and redesigned it for a woman, to be worn as part of a full length evening gown. Despite the dress having masculine elements, it also has an unmistakable femine precence. A core value of his design and ability to transform the female form into anything of his choosing.
Shape is commonly labelled into four main categories. Pear, Triangle, Hourglass and Athletic. However, these body shapes are not always portrayed for all of their good qualities as well as their flaws.
ATHLETIC
HOURGLASS
SHAPING UP
PEAR
Focusing on these four main body types, I am seeking to develop these body shapes futher, to generate a more realistic and positive approach to the body shapes we percieve. No two women are the same and I intent to make this apparent through my extended research into shape at a later stage in my FMP
TRIANGLE
Yijing Zong & Young-A Lee, International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education Vol. 4 , Iss. 2,2011
BODY SCANNING Fig 1. Body Scanning images of standing and walking.
This study helped to identify the correlation between 3D body scanning technology and motion capture systems for the apparel industry.
A. Sitting B. Kneeling C. Squatting
A
B
C
This exploratory study clearly presents various possibilities to integrate these emerging technologies – 3D body scanning technology and motion capture systems – together in the fields of textiles and clothing. In this case, it is unable to represent the change of body measurements in diverse postures. More exploratory research should be conducted to use 3D body scanning technology together with motion capture systems in the research areas of apparel design and product development.
A. Standing B. Walking, both feet on the ground C. Walking, one foot on the ground D. Walking, one foot on the ground
A
B
C
D
OPITEX
These are the three software’s avaliable through the CAD/CAM company opitex. Although similar to Lectra, there is less of a range in terms of what software can do and how it can be applied as solutions to garment design and process. This software is avaliable via quotation from Opitex themselves and pricing varies on what you will be using this software for.
OPITEX Based in Silicon Valley, Opitex delivers its service to customer worldwide. Already having collaborated with Roberto Cavalli, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger and many other apparel companies, Opitex is a close competitor for Lectra. Opitex features a blog on its webpage, allowing interaction between service provider and customer, videos showing their work and how they use the software when working with existing fashion companies. Their website includes a page of casestudies, using their software and working with companies that are evolving in the the 3D virtual market. This includes research into Under Armour and Roberto Cavalli and gives an insight into the ways 3D technology can revolutionise the way we design and create garments.
OPITEX THEORY
OPITEX THEORY This booklet, listed on the Opitex website, outlines some of the research they have put into companies such as Roberto Cavalli and Under Armour. This research looks into the importance of 3 Dimensional design and it’s impact on changing the fashion industry globally. This booklet, outline the importance of reducing cost and time to effectively produce garments in a short time span. With emphasis on 3D visuals and the theory behind making 3 D garment software a step into the future.
LECTRA
Lectra software dates back to 1973, when french engineers Jean and Bernard Etcheparre founded the company and began developing its technology. In 1976 the company launched its first CAD systems for apparel and by 1982, Lectra established it’s first foreign subsidiary in Germany followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and the United States in 1982. Lectra initially launched its Modaris software in 1984, a software that allows its user to design, create and build garments onscreen before having to cut the first piece of fabric. The company first launched its product life-cycle management (PLM) software in 2006. It manages the life cycles of products and collections through software from development to production. In 2011, Versalis is the fastest leather-cutting solution software in the industry, replacing the need to hand cut leather with machinery that is automated. Lectra’s software consists of Modaris, PLM, Kaledo, Versalis and Vector. Each software serving its own significant purpose in most deisng industries, but Kaledo and Modaris are more commonly used amoungst university students for it’s 3D design to avatar software and it’s pattern design qualities. LECTRA is a world leader in intergrated technology software, CAD/ CAM equipment and other associated services designed for industries including fabric, leather, technical textiles, automotive industries and other materials for manufacturing products. LECTRA serves world wide markets including fashion and apparel, automotive and furniture as well as areonautics, marine and wind power.
LECTRA
MARKETING
According to the Brand Positioning map, Lectra is among many competitors offering similar services. This graph helps to map out the amount of features each of these companies offer compared to how expensive there services are. Lectra is also placed on the map to give an understanding of where in the market they sit. Being that they offer a range of different features for their customers, depending on the software they require and what they are going to use it for, they are placed in a position of strength. However, companies such as Gerber, offer similar and potentially better software that is modern and in keeping with its consumer profile.
This brand positioning map offers insight into what other companies are avaliable and give people the opportunity to look elsewhere for similar software. In order to make Lectra a customers first choice, it is imperitive that Lectra undergo’s rebranding to bring in a newer, younger audience.
MARKETING
More Expensive
Less Avaliable Features More Avaliable Features
Less Expensive
PESTLE ANALYSIS
POLICTICAL: • • • • • •
Negotiating leaving the EU Action of UK leaving the EU could result in loosing business with the UK UK political instability Fluctuation in the Euro/Sterling Risk in Global political climates Corporate tax, income tax
ENIVIRONMENTAL • • •
Ethical platforms Resource management, could loose UK staff Environment awareness creates new market segments
SOCIAL • • • • •
The new demographics, competeing with new and emerging markets offering similar software Attitudes to work and leisure, may need to address work place to suit younger generation staff Social change and changing social attitudes Aligning products to the socio-cultural diversity Lifestyle habits/ lifestyle changes
PESTLE ANALYSIS TECHNOLOGICAL • • • •
Social media growth The development of further technologies Managing networks Database integration
ECONOMIC • Interest, currency and credit risk, UK leaving the EU could reflect badly on profits for the first two years after exit. • Consumer spending growth • Emerging markets • GDP growth LEGAL • • • •
Data protection User profile data Collection of data by LECTRA Intellectual property
Understanding a business is important. Knowing how they operate and how they can stretch their resources is vital information when re-brandning. This PESTLE analysis outlines issues they may impact Lectra in the furture.
LECTRA SWOT
A SWOT analysis, was a good way for me to discover what Lectra was capable of doing and where they needed some improvements. This SWOT helped me to discover that Opitex, another software company, also specialise in 3D CAD/CAM technology and where offering more service for the price. Opitex is more modern and up to date with today’s society, having a bigger and better social media following and better interaction with its customers. This SWOT allowed me to discover Lectra’s opportunities for how I could potentially improve Lectra in the future.
Essence: To make change a success and meet business objectives, we provide companies with expertise, technologies and methods, based on 40 years of experience in fashion. Values: Lectra has expertise in all types of fashion business models and garments, such as fast-fashion, luxury, ready-to-wear, outdoor, tailored goods, denim, lingerie and more. Lectra's fashion and apparel solutions help companies enhance their value chain and develop better collections with expertise based on best-practice methods and technologies. Personality: Providing a service with over 40 years’ experience in the fashion industry Brand In Action: Specially tailored software to whatever company requires their technology. Can be used in a number of industries. A catalyst for transformation and change, covers the entire product lifecycle to help companies control calendars, schedules, resources and costs, as well as handling complex relationships with external suppliers.
LECTRA SWOT
Delivers three separate pieces of software that can be tailored to the needs of the user
Allows for direct customer contact through the virtual trying on software Purchased through the website, can be used for any business model from fashion to automotive Strengths:
Opportunities:
Collaborating with many apparel companies and developing further technology to improve the fashion industry turn around for mass market garments
Expensive business models, each company will be priced individually depending on the service they supply
Weakness:
Threats:
Businesses, such as Opitex, provide similar and more modernised versions of this technology and have already collaborated with companies like Roberto Cavalli.
LECTRA AVATARS
This is Kate. She is listed as plus size on Lectra’s software Modaris. Despite having measurements that can be considered as consitent with someone who is plus size, her overall image does not agree. As a plus sized person, you can expect to see wide legs, looser skin around the arms and neck and for there to be little to no definition through the waist. This avatar is listed as 5 ft 6’, not a figure that is the national avaerage. Considering her lack in height, you might expect to see more fat through the centre of her body, this too is an inconsistency for Lectra’s avatar.
LECTRA AVATARS Modaris, Lectra’s CAD answer to 3D design, offers a handful of avatars to drape and drag your garments onto in order to gauge size, fit and flow of a garment. Upon experimenting with each avatar, I discovered that Lectra was lacking in genuine plus size avatars. Although kate is labelled plus size, I would speculate based on her body image that she would be at the smallest end on the plus size spectrum. With the intention of making plus size the focal point, I would like to re-design and create Kate with more true to life characteristics, ensuring that when she is used in the future she will carry more realistic features.
LECTRA BRANDING
LECTRA BRANDING
To understand Lectra better, I spent time creating a brand book based on the companies current qualities. This listed the colour palette, typography and general layouts used on their website. From this I decided I wanted to steer clear of this colour palette and was interested to experiment with other fonts and layouts.
COLOUR PALETTE
#fbf0dc
Begining with this colour palette, focusing on using neutral tones and adding some personality with a muted version of the red tone currently used across Lectra and their merchandise. Based on the colour palette used by Lectra currently, creating a palette that was recognisable was key to making the re-brand successful. To test this colour palette, creating a new logo and applying these colours was the next step to realising the final outcome.
#b07160
#706e74
#bccaca
#1f2022
DESIGNING
Designing a logo means creating an icon that is recognisable by all. By choosing the Command key found on the Apple key boards I felt this sent a clear message for Lectra, that they were affective and immediate at problem solving. Testing each of the colour way possiblities for this logo, using the colour palette previously chosen, I was able to see that this logo was not representative of the image i was trying to portray through Lectra’s re-brand.
FONT CREATION
LECTRA LECTRA LECTRA LECTRA LECTRA
Logo variations with different size icon and colour ways
VARIATIONS
LECTRA LECTRA LECTRA LECTRA LECTRA
Progressing with this logo, I tried different fonts to work out which styles worked and which didn’t. From this I was able to discover that this font was not going to provide Lectra with the correct aesthetic I am trying to achieve. However I did discover that the fonts listed below did instrest me and I wanted to see how I could incorporate these into a different logo.
RE-DESIGNING A LOGO
Designing the logo meant generating an icon that could be universally recognised for the service that company provides. This latest logo is created through a series of simple triangles but is intented to look like the fast forward key on universal remotes. I chose this symbol to represent Lectra as I felt it decribed the fast paced and progressive nature of the company and it’s software. Because I was not completely satisfied with my first colour palette, I spent this time playing with different colour combinations as a way of perfecting a colour palette that had multi use neutral tones as well as a colour that stood out. Here are some of the colour combinations.
DEVELOPMENT WORK
Through much development work I was able to narrow down a smaller colour palette, removing the red tones and sticking with a more neutral palette that had a sage undertone. Considering Lectra is a french company, I felt these colours where reflective of the companies origins. On the opposite page is a layout of my triangle logo using the updated colour palette. I am still undecided as to what font to use but I am set on using one of the five listed here.
LECTRA
LECTRA LECTRA
LECTRA LECTRA
LOGO’S
LECTRA
LECTRA
LECTRA
Working with just four colours was still difficult to place each one. Because of this, I removed the gold tone and stuck with the three more neutral tones. This made the logo appear more sophisticated and modern.
FINAL LOGO DESIGN
I felt this logo was not finished, I needed to develop it in a way that was more sophisticated and fitting of a technology software company. Resorting back to the original four triangle icon, I stripped away the texted a began resizing the logo before incorporating the text back in. From here, I toyed around with the idea of changing the Lectra name slightly to make it modern and more professional. Because of this I named the software company LECTRA SYSTEMS. The logo placed here is the final logo I will be using for the Lectra re-brand.
IPHONE MOCK UP
This is a mock up of the Instagram account for Lectra Systems, outline the most up to date uses of the Lectra software.
This is a mock up of the Lectra Systems webpage. Featuring the home page which outlines the design to manufacture process in the fashion industry.
This is a mock up of the Facebook page for Lectra Systems. Here customers can contact Lectra directly and use their Facebook page as a way of sharing their work using their software.
This is a mock up of the Pinterest account for Lectra Systems. On it can be found all of the relevant imagery for the business and is also open to other users pinning their ideas.
This is a mock up of the Twitter account. On it can be found up to date research and development, events and any student work across that world that has used Lectra Systems.
This is a mock up of the YouTube account for Lectra Systems. On it can be found videos of Graduate Fashion Week collections, tours and other relevant information.
WEBSITE IPHONE MOCK UP
WEBSITE IMAC MOCK UP
This is a mock up of the opening screen on the updated website. It is a welcome message with an open ivitation to follow Lectra Systems Instagram account.
This is a mock up of the LECTRA SYSTEMS home page . It features a series of images that represent the design to manufacture process. At the footer of the page are the tabs to other pages, including apparel, contact us and about us.
This is a mock up of the Fashion and Apparel webpage. It explains what Lectra’s aims are for young Lectra users and how their software is being used to chnage the face of fashion for generations to come.
This is a mock up of the Who Are We page. It lists all of the main people involved in the development and progression of Lectra. This page details the job roles of each individual involved.
WEBSITE IMAC MOCK UP
Progressing into the next stage of my FMP, I have plans to: - Continue re-branding Lectra further. spending more time working on their social content and their interaction with customers. - Look into bettering their social media content, especially Instagram, through a series of photoshoots - Create a Lectra hashtag that will encourage school, college and university students to become more involved in the Lectra lifestyle and not just the technology that is to hand. - Re-trace the research into body scanning and augmented reality and develop these ideas in collaboration with Lectra - Maintaining the Lectra social aspect, ensure the company is geared towards this generation through a series of pop up events that will encourage the next generation to learn new skills and apply them in the future. These events will allow people to test the software and design and create new garments. These garments will feature as an Instagram series and will lead to a competition, whereby the winner will recieve a Lectra laptop with fully accesible software. - Ensuring body image positivity is incorporated in this project, I will further research common body shapes and their characteristics and apply this knowledge to developing the pre-existing avatars on Modaris. - Branching from this idea, I seek to develop a sub-brand within Lectra that focuses on plus size, both men and women, and ensure that the most realistic avatar can be created from previous research. - Plans to make these avatars more lifelike, through the use of body scanning, I will be able to develop new positions for each avatar to take on. Such as sitting, kneeling, squatting and stretching, all poses that the current Lectra are yet to execute correctly. - Potentially set up a blog or forum, encouraging people to exchange ideas and any problems that may arise when using the Lectra software. - Potentially update the software itself, so it is modern and contemporary, with tutorials and manuals to help guide you through the design process.
F.M.P