Jennifer ThomasD e s i g n P o r t f o l i o

A p p a r e l D e s i g n e r

Jennifer Thomas

Career Summary

As a sustainable Apparel Designer, I focus on innovative concepts in performance and materials. My experience in solving complex design problems is informed by a world-wide and practiced perspective. Success in building a sustainable women’s clothing company from the ground up has given me a unique set of skills. I created a business with a seventy piece design collection, retail store front, e-commerce, wholesale accounts, fifteen employees and a local, living wage production facility. Having acquired a strong background which encompasses design research, concept creation & development, production & construction methods and direction of photo shoots and fashion events makes me an independent thinker who is looking to the future of design.

C r e a t o r / O w n e r / D e s i g n e r / P r o d u c t D e v e l o p e r / P a t t e r n m a k e r / R e s e a r c h e r

j e ta c t i v e

Movement is a part of this consumer’s daily life. She needs to get going in the morning without having to put too much time into it, to be able to do the variety of activities in her day, while looking put together. She’s willing to spend the money on sustainable materials and local production but won’t compromise comfort or beauty. Addressing the challenges of body image, wearability and fit are vital in this design work. What stands out about this piece from all of the other options on the market? Leggings were the number one sales item, women came back for multiple pairs-the bottom line: performance.

j e tl i f e s t y l e

Moving the principals of comfort, fit and wearability into sophistication and style is the goal here. Skirts that have swing, jackets that dress up or down; pieces need to be wearable for her everyday. Beautiful natural fibers such as soy, organic cotton, bamboo, wool, silk and hemp were used to achieve the feel and standard this customer wants. The success of these pieces demanded production year after year.

j e td r e s s

What makes a great dress? When a woman puts it in on she feels like she can do anything! It needs to go for miles, be there when it’s needed and have more versatility than a pick up truck. A dress should speak to the qualities a woman wants to convey about herself: confidence, capability and beauty.

As a clothing company with long history of sustainable practices, they started with socks and grew into basics such as leggings, tanks and tees. I was part of next step, creating a full line of versatile pieces. Price point, quality, fair trade, organic fibers and the ability to distribute it nationally were all considerations. While working internationally, all aspects of the supply chain were assessed, from cotton seed to consumer waste. Additionally, my focus was on product development, concept ideation, design research, all aspects of design, pattern making and production. I directed and co-created new surface design using p r o c e s s i n g s o f t w a r e , a l o n g w i t h determination of seasonal color palettes.

Generative Pattern Design with Processing

Flat Sketch: Grading:

Notes:

Tolerance Grade XSmall Small Medium Large XLarge+/-1/2" 1/2" 30 1/2 31 31 1/2 32 32 1/2+/-1/2" 1/2" 30 1/2 31 31 1/2 32 32 1/2+/-1/2" 1/2" 30 1/2 31 31 1/2 32 32 1/2+/-1/4" 3/4" 17 17 3/4 18 1/2 19 1/4 20+/-1/4" 3/4" 15 1/4 16 16 3/4 17 1/2 18 1/4+/-1/4" 3/4" 14 14 3/4 15 1/2 16 1/4 17+/-1/4" 3/4" 22 22 3/4 23 1/2 24 1/4 25+/-1/4" 3/4" 21 1/2 22 1/4 23 23 3/4 24 1/2+/-1/8" 1/4" 3 1/2 3 3/4 4 4 1/4 4 1/2+/-1/4" 1/4" 11 11 1/4 11 1/2 11 3/4 12+/-1/4" 3/8" 5 3/4 6 1/8 6 1/2 6 7/8 7 1/4+/-1/4" 1/4" 15 1/2 15 3/4 16 16 1/4 16 1/2+/-1/8" 0 4 1/2" 4 1/2" 4 1/2" 4 1/2" 4 1/2"+/-1/8" 3/4" 2.25 - 13 3 - 13 1/2 3.75 - 14 4.5 - 14 1/2 5.25- 15+/-1/8" 3/4" 4.25 - 14 5 - 14 1/2 5.75 - 15 6.5 - 15 1/2 7.25 - 16+/-1/8" 3/4" 4.5 - 14 5.25 - 14 1/2 6 - 15 6.75 - 15 1/2 7.5 - 16+/-1/8" 3/4" 5.75 - 16 1/2 6.5 - 17 7.25 - 17.5 8 - 18 8.75 - 18 1/2

Maggie's Organics- Spring '14 Piece: June Carter Tunic

-Seam Allowance 1/4"-Grade from Medium

Piece Information:Fabric Type: 95/5%, 30/1Organic Tanguis CottonSizes: XS, S, M, L, XL

Label Placement: CB, 1" below necklineLabel Type: water-based print labelBar Tacks: Neckline at shoulder seam, each side and side seam at 1" above hem

Added grading in tucks, see tech pack for tucks.

Points of Measurment:A: Total Length from HPSA1: CF (center front from neckline to hem; unroll edge)A2: CB (center back from neckline to hem; unroll edge)B1: Chest Width FRONT (1" below armhole)B2: Chest Width BACK (1" below armhole)C: Waist ( taken 14.5" below top of CB)D1: FRONT Bottom Opening (taken STRAIGHT; unroll edge)D2: BACK Bottom Opening (taken STRAIGHT; unroll edge )E: Shoulder Width (neckpoint to shoulder point)F: Neck Opening Width (Straight)H: Armhole (Straight from shoulder point)I: Side Seam (from armhole to top of slit, along curve of seam)J: Side Seam Slit (length from top of slit to hem)nullK: Front Tucks# 1 (Outer , from side seam and up from hem)M: Front Tucks #2 (Inner, from side seam and up from hem)N: Back Tucks#1 (Outer, from side seam and up from hem)L: Back Tucks#2 (Inner, from side seam and up from hem)

Tech Pack Development

S k e t c h i n g

C o n s u l t i n g i n I n d i a

As a consultant, traveling to India, I conducted research, created concepts, designed and made samples of a clothing line for a start up company. I lead our investigation to determination the feasibility of sustainable production and business practices in this environment. The unique circumstances within each village and city presented a challenging design problem. Ultimately, an appreciation for the rich textile history and collective systems approach created the solutions we were looking for.

S k e t c h i n g

I n d i a I n s p i r a t i o n B o a r d s