Design Deconstructed
Bet you want to know what makes our organic cotton t-shirts so awesome! Here's a behind the scenes look at the entire design process, straight from our in-house fashion designer!
Holla! I am the designer & product developer at No Nasties, and today I'm going to share what goes into the making of our 100% awesome No Nasties products - from where, to what, to how!
My Studio
I recently moved base to Goa - welcome to my open-air design studio! This is where all the magic happens - everything that goes into making that organic cotton t-shirt you just bought so perfect, happens here! And Goa is a huge part of the inspiration for our collections. So, here goes - let's walk through the design process I follow!
The Mood Board
I start by creating a mood board, which brings together the look & feel of the collection I have in mind. The board talks about style, colours & texture.
This is where I get to be as impractical as I want to be...coz this is a free flowing exercise. The idea is to get my every whim & fancy down to something tangible!
This is where I get to be as impractical as I want to be...coz this is a free flowing exercise. The idea is to get my every whim & fancy down to something tangible!
The Sketches
Once I have the mood board in place, I start sketching out the collections for the next 2 – 4 seasons. It’s a rough layout of all the new styles & fabrics. It’s a great overview of the year to come in terms of styles & colours. This helps us at No Nasties, to make sure there is freshness in the collections, season after season so you, you & you are happy satisfied customers :)
Designing Details
Once the mood board and product planning is done, it's time to move into the detail designing of the collections. It's days of sketching and designing before I can short list a few designs that can go into the sampling stage with the factory. This is where all the customer feedback is of great help! How long should the T-shirt be? How short should the sleeves be? Is the neckline too deep? Big buttons or small buttons? Contrast thread or matching thread? Single stitching or double stitching? Half inch or One inch? Yep, it's that detailed!
It’s an evolving process from the day we started & that is how we are able to make a organic cotton T-shirt that fits well & lasts forever! Once I am through this stage, I get to sample the designs with the factory and see the styles in flesh & blood.
The Samples
Yay, the samples are here! I am always eagerly waiting for the fit samples to arrive. It's exciting to see the designs that were just lines and numbers a few weeks ago, into actual garments! This is the most crucial part of the design cycle. This is where I decide the fit & feel of the garment.
There are lots of questions to be asked & answered here:
- should I use 120gsm or 140 gsm? (GSM = grams per square metre)
- should I do that fabric wash? (I do! – that’s what makes your cotton T-shirt extra soft)
- Ooh, I think I am going to make the shoulder smaller (psst...that's what gives you the slimming effect, ladies!)
- And I want to make the hem curve a little, it makes the t-shirt hug your body better!
The Colours
Along with the garment sampling starts the testing of new colours. This is loads of fun! I get to choose a bunch of colours pulled out from the mood board and send them to the factory to test them on fabrics. After a few rounds of testing and lab dips, I shortlist my final set of colours!
The Line Sheet
Now I have my final colours & the right fit for my designs! A line sheet is created and I get to plan how many colours to offer in a particular design. This one is always a challenge! It’s a never ending battle...why can’t I have all the styles in all the colours!
The Finishing Touches
It's time for the finishing touches! Here, I work with the branding team to come up with some of the key elements that make the organic cotton t-shirt a No Nasties t-shirt. From the witty care labels & the fun pizza box, to the shiny new size label, the team works together in creating the perfect brand and packaging that makes up the personality of our t-shirts.
Over to You!
Finally, our organic t-shirts take on a new avatar every time you style them into a different outfit. Whether it’s the quirky city girl or the safari look, it's up to you to really OWN the t-shirt we make with so much love & attention to detail.
I love that I get to play around with different concepts & silhouettes to create fun ways to wear our humble organic cotton T-shirt before it's back to the mood board for the next season...lather, rinse, repeat.
