This menswear design project was a group project with the live brief being set by NEXT for A/W 2019. In groups of 5 we were asked to produce a capsule collection of 6 outfits (and to physically produce 4 of the 6) for a concept store. The store could stock any other brands or products we saw fit, and could be located anywhere we chose. We were to produce a sketchbook, look book, market research file and a professional portfolio, alongside our 4 garments. After the briefing with Menswear Designer for NEXT Tom Pearce, our group picked up that NEXT have a huge customer base, from young trendy men to older professionals, they offer a wide range of products at mixed price points to cater for everyone’s needs. Tom also spoke about wanting to become more sustainable as a brand, and from our research NEXT do a lot in terms of reducing waste in store and their buildings by recycling and using renewable energy, but we wanted to bring this onto their shop floor as well. Through our market research, and interviewing NEXT customers we found that people really liked the classic aesthetic of NEXT’s products, and many people went to buy staple wardrobe pieces that they would get a lot of wear out of as the quality of their products was evident and important to the customer. Therefore, the concept behind our collection was to create a slow fashion collection, incorporating classic silhouettes, easy to wear colours, and durable fabrics. We wanted the garments to be timeless pieces that you could wear and keep for a long time and added value to the customers lives. We also were aware that the slow fashion brands can often be somewhat plain, making customers get bored of wear the same thing time after time, so we designed in lots of interchangeable or adaptable elements so that customers do not get bored of their garments, and develop more of a relationship with them as they have had choice in the style and colours of some of the pieces. For the collection I made: Brown winter coat with changeable collar, and a button in lining made from brown pin stripe wool which can be worn as a separate garment, Cream drop sleeved oversized jersey top, and Burnt Orange corduroy dungarees with a detachable top that can be worn as a bag. |
I found this project very challenging but ultimately rewarding. I was apprehensive about working in a group as I was afraid there would be a lot of creative differences, and that others would not be as dedicated to the project as myself. This was far from the case, I really enjoyed working with my group and learned a lot from my teammates, we all helped one another in our areas of weakness and played to our strengths to create the best possible outcome we could produce. We all met regularly as a group and delegated work to each person, we all found it easiest to work in the same space so that we could bounce ideas off each other and so that despite us each having individual tasks we could ask the rest of the group’s opinions. Despite us not deciding on an official team leader, a lot of the time I found myself leading the group, and picking up any work that was left do which were roles I enjoyed doing.
Photographs taken by Kyla Irons