Diary of a Pattern Cutter 19/2/10
Submitted by Stefanie Agternkamp, senior pattern cutter
We had our first fitting prior to production this morning. These sessions seem much calmer than the ones before the trade fairs when we are rushing to finish the samples and our freelance pattern cutter, Yukiko, and I are frantically trying to note all the alterations the design/sales team want to make. Those fittings are exhausting!
This morning, in contrast, we had lots of treats on the table: German biscuits brought from the trade fair in Düsseldorf, home-made spiced pumpkin muffins and coffee. All people present were much more relaxed. This is work at its best!
When the stress of the first trade fairs is over and the sample collection is finished, we try every garment on our fit model again to tweak it into perfection before it goes into production. This usually means a lot of discussions about armholes and neck width… not as exciting as seeing the designs Anna and her assistants draw come to life, but for me a very important piece of my job. We have recently started working with a new fit model, Ann, who (we believe) is a better representative of our typical customer’s shape and therefore will improve the fit of our garments.
So, here’s a little teaser: I will tell you we fitted some gorgeous leather jackets and lots of sumptuous knitwear. Looking forward to Autumn-Winter 2010 already? I can’t wait!
