Co-Lab54

Causing a Bottleneck? 3 Tips to Ease the Information Flow.

By |November 12th, 2014|

Whether you are delivering, once, twice or three times a season, the way you plan and execute the development and production of your collection needs to be both documented and shared internally, ideally from the start.

Here’s why:

I recently worked with an accessory company who had grown quickly and organically over […]

Inside the industry tips #1: The fashion concept

By |October 10th, 2014|

Originally published a year ago, the concept for any fashion collection is the creative starting point. Here’s a reminder on my top tips:

What is a concept?

A concept is the design direction for the colour, shape, mood and fabric for any fashion collection, and is created at the beginning of the […]

Punch above your weight, but be ready to duck and recover: Lessons applied to fashion of life # 4

By |November 19th, 2013|

Have you ever oversold your capabilities on something? Promised an employer that you were capable of achieving a task without ever having done it? Or invited your family over for Christmas without ever opening a cookbook? Yes! Of course you have, everyone has at some point in their life…Overselling your […]

Inside the industry tips #4: Factories

By |November 14th, 2013|

Factories:

Without factories the world would have no ‘stuff’, it really is a simple as that; we would have no clothes, no toys, no cars and no books. Referring to themselves as factories, manufacturers, vendors or sources, they are all technically the same entity: they all produce items that are sold […]

Inside the Industry tips # 3: Information Flow

By |October 31st, 2013|

What do you mean by Information flow?

The creation, design, development and production of a collection involve the generation, sharing and distribution of a huge amount of information. The information flow from the start of the development process to the end of production is a crucial element for the successful internal […]

Inside the industry tips #2: Fabric

By |October 19th, 2013|

Fabric: What’s the big deal?

Without fabric there would be no garment. You could have the best design in the world, but without fabric it can’t be realized. Making a judgment call on which fabrics to use and for which garment is a skill, and it is one that can be […]

Oh Gucci, how I blubber over rubber.

By |August 9th, 2011|

I want to like them, I really do…..it’s a loafer, great, its simple and not overly branded, excellent, its a shiny, almost metallic colour, oh mercy me enough already..

but wait,  it’s – in –  rubber? Seriously?

A rubber loafer? does it come with a G emblazoned Elastoplast for those special Gucci […]

Global citizens heading for world domination.

By |July 2nd, 2011|

another cheeky quick one that caught my eye….

Apolis mens clothing and accessories….
“Apolis, which translates as “global citizen,” is a living and breathing social enterprise  that equips and empowers people through opportunity instead of charity.  Apolis co-creates products with manufacturers and directly allows the market to determine the future of each […]

Realising a creative vision, holy sh*t I’m lucky!

By |July 1st, 2011|

Starting a new project, for me, is all about understanding the what, the when and the how. What is the product, when is it needed by and how is it done and I approach it in a very logical analytical manner.

I’m not a designer, never have been, and truth be […]

1am check-in, 4am check-out, production lines and flight delays, all in the name of research

By |April 1st, 2011|

T’was an exciting week in the land of Colab and the ongoing book research.

A much-needed brush up on production procedures and methods was essential for chapter 8 of the book, so with a specific vendor in mind, the flights were booked and hotels reserved.

Now, I’m not going to go on […]