A Sydney-based garment technician lets rip on "trying to work miracles" for designers.
Does driving a car inspire you to start an automotive business? Probably not.
Does eating food at a restaurant make you entitled to call yourself a chef? Don’t think so.
Would you consider yourself an IT expert just because you use a computer? No way.
So... why do people who wear clothes, believe they can design them without any training or experience?
I’m pretty much gobsmacked at the number of people entering the industry with the plan to become “a fashion designer” who have earned a few bucks in other industries such as economics, real estate, interior design, even truck driving. I am even more astounded as to why they would choose the fashion industry over any other – it’s hard, bloody hard – even for those of us with a mountain of experience and training.
As a technician who has had firsthand experience trying to work miracles for said fashion designers, I can say it is disheartening, frustrating and leaves one with a certain sense of betrayal. Betrayal to the industry and betrayal to myself. We are often given images from the internet or sketches comparable to a pre schoolers drawing, from which to produce a range.
Often these “designs” are impossible to make. For example, how does one create a dress that is strapless in the front and crossover at the back? And then, how does one explain why such an atrocity is impossible to make, to someone with no technical knowledge?
Then the next problem – EGO. It’s what drives them to begin the journey to start with. Obviously having a big head doesn’t equate to having big ears – these people just don’t want to listen to any advice. The result – collections that don’t flow, poor fitting garments, inappropriate choice of fabrics, deadlines missed etc. It all becomes a huge waste of time and furthermore, the factory is blamed for lack of sales.
Ultimately it’s a shame to have some of these labels on the catwalk representing our country when there are so many talented designers struggling to launch. Another thing that irks me is the funding that is given out to the inexperienced – it’s possible to get a grant based on one season of consignment selling – how this proves a label to be established is a mystery.
Aside from the obvious lack of skill in the design department, many also lack business insight. At the end of the day, if you aren’t selling anything, despite having a strong marketing campaign – you might need to look at the cold hard facts – YOU ARE NOT A DESIGNER. Time to either go to design college... or back to driving a truck.
The technician agreed to contribute on the basis of anonymity.