By Lily Hu A little girl was fascinated by fashion at a young age. She always dreamed about working as a designer. The thought became stronger when she saw the broadcast of the New York Runway fashion show. The designer standing on the stage won so much applause and praise. However, as she strived to learn about clothes and art, she found out that besides designers, there are also a group of people called patternmakers working hard behind the scenes. Gradually falling in love with the job, she decided to devote herself to it fully. That little girl is my aunt, who’s now a professional pattern maker for YenLine International Design Corporation. Patternmakers build up the body of clothes and bring visual impressions to people, while designers endow clothes with spirit and determine their character. The job of patternmaker requires a combination of engineering and design skills. Whenever the designer throws out an innovative idea, patternmakers will begin to turn abstract imagination into shapes, and the lines of a pattern will cause a garment to fit correctly. Then they draft their interpretations on paper or in a computer program designed for patternmaking. Since drafts will be saved for future reference, a series of clothes will be easier to process; however, if the style is completely new, patternmakers will usually drape a rough draft in muslin fabric on a dress form, then show it to the designer to discuss any changes before transferring the markings to paper to create the pattern for cutting. During this process, patternmakers have to meticulously produce what the designer wants, and correct it again and again to make patterns that capture not only the fit, but also the flair intended by the designer. But how do patternmakers position themselves in the fashion-design production line? First, the designer decides upon the style of the season. This can be developed through a trip or an interview with certain groups of people. In my aunt’s company, the 2015 Autumn & Winter line is called “Fantasy Hippie,” which was generated after the designer traveled to Nepal. After the style was determined, the designer then gave directions for patternmakers to start sketching. For this season’s clothes, the company wanted a fusion of nostalgic and fantastic English customs with Nepal’s exotic atmosphere. Patternmakers will then decide what kind of features match the designer’s description. In this case, the patternmakers decided to integrate tribal totems, tight flared trousers, and hand-made tassels. The job of patternmaker requires three important characteristics: patience, professionalism, and passion. Since patternmakers must produce the exact patterns designers want, they should correct their sketches again and again until designers are satisfied. My aunt said that she once modified a pattern over 50 times. Even though the revised version was different by only one or two millimeters, minor errors of measurements could lead to a failure of the clothes fitting correctly. Therefore, patience is crucial. In addition, they have to equip themselves with efficient communicating skills in order to bridge the relationship between drafts and people.
Recently, graduates from design departments in Taiwan lack actual operating experience, and thus my aunt urges people interested in this field to put an emphasis on professional skills. Some apprentices have impressive creativity but don’t even understand how to operate a patternmaking program or sketch their designs precisely. Just as in any other job, whether you are passionate or not is determined by your attitude. As patternmaking is taught in conjunction with fashion design education, it is vital for designers to understand the apparel development process. Most people will take the job as a stepping stone to being a designer, since the occupation is relatively unknown outside the apparel industry. Designers gain much attention and make much more money than patternmakers, so those who stay patternmakers really show their respect and passion toward the job. According to my aunt, fashion design is like a mirror. It reflects people’s changing preferences, tastes, and perspectives. The clothes we design, therefore, should be spiritual. They should always be able to capture the minds and perceptions of human beings. Perhaps patternmaking will change, but the concepts they demonstrate through clothes will always remain the same. a
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May 2024
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