IFD Insiders receive 25% off. Sign up today to become and Insider and take advantage of this special offer SOLD OUT !!! contact us to sign up for the next session in 2022. Join social enterprise gurus Ellen Fish (founder Sprout Enterprise/R.I.S.E artisan fund) and Sonica Sarna in this business strategy and financial planning masterclass specially designed for social impact enterprises. In this two-part series guest mentor, Ellen Fish will walk you through everything from financial models to accessing your capital needs as a Social enterprise. In the first session learn about the nuts & bolts of key financial tools and deep dive into sourcing capital suited to your business growth stage. In the second session attendees receive one on one mentorship from a panel of industry mentors. Pitch your business plans, investor decks & financial models to the panel for first-hand feedback . 2022 dates TBD: Sign up now limited seats available, female founders will be given first preference.

IFD Insiders receive 25% off. Sign up today to become and Insider and take advantage of this special offer Every designer and brand has an imperative responsibility to understand the environmental impact of their sourcing decisions and need to educate themselves to make better fabric and material choices. Join Sonica Sarna in this in-depth class on sourcing organic, regenerative, and sustainable materials. In session 1 we will cover, * The multi-dimensional impact of choosing eco-friendly fabrics on people and ecosystems. * Fiber, yarns, weaves, and dyes- the various elements that come together to create a sustainable fabric. * Industry certifications, trademarks, symbols * What they mean and how they all compare. * A deep dive into organic, sustainable, and regenerative fibers, yarns, fabrics, and dyes. * How to compare and select among options * Minimums, lead times, quality, cost, and other constraints to navigate. Session 2; Date to be announced. In session 2, meet leading organic sustainable fabric suppliers and mills, ask questions and gain a practical and well-rounded understanding of the ethical material sourcing process. Grow your network, begin the process of building meaningful industry partnerships. Receive a list of ethical sources curated by Sonica.

The PV New York and PV Paris shows will be taking place! Première Vision New York, brings together over 100 exhibitors this January 18 and 19, and just a few weeks before the opening of the new edition of Première Vision Paris on February 8, 9 and 10, we promise to once again celebrate fashion and its know-hows by supporting the industry more than ever. Attend the Paris Show virtually and free! To register, visit: www.premierevision.com

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY – AN EMPOWERMENT COLLECTIVE VIRTUAL CELEBRATION Please mark your calendar for an extraordinary global event we are supporting for the benefit of the Empowerment Collective in celebration of International Women's Day. We will be streaming live on zoom from both Nepal and Portland! Tuesday, March 8th 10 am - 11:30 am PST / 6 pm - 7:30 pm GMT The event benefits the Empowerment Collective in their efforts to rescue women and girls from modern-day slavery by providing them job and skills training, stipends, and well-paying jobs to rise from poverty and become autonomous beings. The Empowerment Collective is a 501c3 nonprofit based in the US and Nepal helmed by Nasreen Sheikh, a survivor of modern-day slavery, international speaker, entrepreneur, and advocate for global human rights. Here's what you'll experience: Enjoy curated traditional Nepali music and dance presentations from the comfort of your home. Meet talented Nepali artisans and hear their transformational stories. Experience a Puja - a spiritual ceremony to release the past and welcome in your highest possibilities. Change from the inside out with a transformational workshop on becoming a conscious consumer. Be uplifted and inspired by international women leaders. By purchasing a ticket, you are participating in the Empowerment Collective Fundraiser. Generous donors are matching every dollar. Something magical is happening when dreams become realities, create a ripple effect, then connect and interweave with other women's dreams to become a rich and beautiful tapestry for a more connected and equitable world. This is what's possible when women collaborate and you can be a big part of this! IFD is honored and delighted to be part of this fundraiser and I hope you will join us and other women dreamers for a better world and to celebrate what's possible when we lift each other. Get your tickets here.

At Inside Fashion Design, we bring you advice, education, and resources that to move you closer to your professional goals. We say you dont have to do it alone. That's why we want to put a career coach in your corner! We are excited to share that we have a partnership with AmyCole Connect. Amy Cole is an Executive Recruiter and career coach based in NYC. We are excited to expand our reach to the East Coast and tap into her fashion industry expertise for all of our readers! As part of our expanding Career resources, we will regularly share Amy's advice columns and videos, so be sure to keep an eye out for the latest and greatest from her. If you don't want to miss out, sign up to be an "ifd Insider" by subscribing-it's a great way to keep up with everything happening at Inside Fashion Design. How Amy got into fashion recruiting: "After selling (mostly Swim) to nationwide retailers for 10 years, I realized my gift was building teams and managing and motivating people. I grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit, so I decided to give my own business a shot. Recruiting was a natural fit as it’s all about people. 18 years later I’m excited to say that we are still recruiting for fashion brands such as Calvin Klein and Michael Kors..." What she loves about coaching: "I simply love, love, love the people part of my job as a recruiter. My absolute favorite piece is to help people, as I say, help them “Get Their Professional Edge On!” I believe there is a role and job for everyone and that we all have gifts. My gift is to help people truly find their stride and go after what they want out of a career. So coaching, isn’t a job for me, it’s a real passion." Here's the biggest mistake she sees young professionals make when job hunting: "The biggest mistake I notice is that professionals don’t know how to truly package and present their expertise in a way that the hiring manager or company needs to hear it. So often, top-notch, smart wonderful professionals come to me and give me everything they have EVER done in their career. Even for me, a recruiter who interviews people all day, I start to glaze over. So #1 mistake is that professional need to streamline their expertise, package and present them in a concise manner." What has been the biggest or most unexpected learning curve in your own career? "...an ongoing learning curve as an entrepreneur is asking for what you are worth. I give a speech on “Ask For What You Are Worth – 3 Golden Rules To Successful Salary Negotiation”. And although I understand HOW to ask for what I am worth, it can often be a challenge navigating fee conversations and/or increasing fees for services rendered. We all learn every day to address challenging things in new ways and I’m thankful that I’m definitely more confident but must admit that I’m still learning in that category." AmyCole Connect website offers blog stories full of advice as well as a job board. Check out the Current Job Board Here That's just a taste, IFD readers! Stay tuned for increasing career coverage, including more from AmyCole Connect. Amy is a wonderful resource for career advice and to help you sell and promote yourself successfully. In addition to her "Getting Your Professional Edge On" program she also teaches how to "Power-Punch Your Resume" and how to "Make LinkedIn Powerful." Considering 93% of hiring managers use LinkedIn to find talent today, you're going to want to take some notes on how to stand out! Career Coaching Intensive With Amy Cole In this executive career coaching intensive one on one, I share my expert experience of packaging professionals to compete and land high-level positions. Together you will rethink, realign and reposition your professional experiences so that you are ready for opportunities and primed to pivot on a moment’s notice. In only 5 weeks, your personal brand, leadership expertise, and professional profile will be razor sharp, positioning you as a leader in any industry. Contact Us For A Free Career Consultation Connect to Amy Cole: Reach out at 917-923-6879 or Send our team a note. We'll get back in a flash! - hello@amycoleconnect.com We are proud to be a "Certified Women Owned Business". If you are in the East Coast area, feel free to reach out to Amy. Otherwise, stay tuned for more of her wisdom and advice here on Inside Fashion Design!

Color is fundamental in any good design. In the right hands, it can be an incredibly powerful tool. Color can change the way viewers feel about your design. It can make them react, think twice, even push them to perform an action. If you’re going to be wielding color as a design tool, it’s important to know how to talk about it. Knowing color vocabulary can help you clearly express your designs with fellow designers, retailers, brands, and more. Here is a list of key color theory terms. Bookmark this to come back to whenever you need it! Color Definitions Additive Color: Additive color synthesis is the creation of color by mixing colors of light. Analogous: Harmonious colors that are located right next to each other on the color wheel. Chromaticity (aka Chroma): A measure of how much “pure” color or hue is present. The presence of white, grey, or black in a color would diminish its chromaticity. A color with a lot of chroma is vivid. Complementary Colors: Colors opposite each other on the color wheel. These provide contrast. Cool Colors: Colors on the green-blue side of the color wheel. Hue: Pure color as represented on the color wheel Value: The lightness or darkness of a color. It relates to how much whiteness has been added to the hue. The more white, the higher the value. Color Wheel: The Color Wheel is a circular diagram of the color hues used to show the relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Neutral Colors: You will rarely find neutrals on any color wheel. This includes white, black and grays and near neutrals like brown and beige. Primary Colors: Three pigment colors that can’t be formed by any combination of other colors. Whole color systems are based around them. The tricky part? They change depending on the system! Common systems include subtractive, aka CMYK, which is based on cyan, magenta, and yellow, and additive (RGB) which is based on red, green and blue. The painting system RYB is based on red, yellow, and blue. Saturation: Saturation is often used interchangeably with chroma as they both refer to how vivid a hue is, but they have specific differences. The saturation of a color is determined by a combination of light intensity and how much it is distributed across the spectrum of different wavelengths. The purest (most saturated) color uses just one wavelength at a high intensity, like the light from a laser. Secondary Colors: Colors created by the combination of two primary colors from their system, i.e. yellow + blue = green. Shade: A hue or mixture of pure colors to which black is added. Tinted color is the same color but darker than the original. Split-Complementary Colors: Split-complementary colors are like complementary colors, except one of the complements is split into two adjacent analogous colors. To find a color’s split-complementary colors, select the two colors adjacent to the color opposite the original on the wheel. You’ll end up with three colors to design with. Subtractive Color: Subtractive color is the creation of color by mixing colors of pigment, such as paint or printer ink. Tint: A hue or mixture of pure colors to which white is added. Tinted color is the same color but paler than the original. Pastels are one example. Tertiary Colors: The result of the mix of the primary and secondary colors. Tertiary colors often have two-word names. Think “yellow-green” or “magenta-red.” Triadic Colors: Three separate colors that are equidistant on the color wheel. Try using one color as a dominant and the others as accents. Warm Colors: Colors on the yellow, orange, and red side of the color wheel. Here is an example of a color palette for 2021- I hope this refreshes your knowledge of color and is a good tool for you to refer to. Stay tuned for much more color theory coming soon! Thanks for stopping by today! Britta Cabanos, Founder Inside Fashion Design

With a foundation in upcycling and sewing as a child and skills fueled by YouTube videos, designer Hanna Salzberg began to dig deeply into clothing construction at the age of 18 when she started making festival wear and costumes. After graduating from University of Oregon where she studied textile design with a focus on screen printing, she created her own mini fashion collection out of her own screen printed yardage and her passion for a design career was born. Salzberg rounded out her education by studying technique at the Portland Fashion Institute. By then, this self-starting designer was ready to dive into her next big venture—swimwear Inside Fashion Design interviewed Hanna about her swimwear line Mahina Luna Swim. She shares how social media was key to launching her brand, talks about her collaborative design process, her unique — fully reversible! — designs, and shares her five tips for designing swimwear. Let’s dive in. IFD: How did your swimwear line, Mahina Luna, get started? Why swimwear? Hanna: After graduating from the University of Oregon I started making myself swimsuits. I am from Hawaii which is probably the reason I love swimwear so much. I spent my entire childhood on the beach, and I’m inspired by all of the beautiful colors of nature that were around me growing up on the big island of Hawaii. As I would share my swimsuits on my social media people became super interested in buying them from me. It all started very naturally but took off quickly. I sold my first quantities of suits at a backyard house party hosted by my friend. That was the point at which my brand name started to spread by word-of-mouth. IFD: Tell us about your design process. My design process starts with the fabrics I choose. I let them speak to me in terms of the silhouettes I design with them. Bright colors and patterns are the forefront of my design aesthetic. All of my swimwear is fully reversible so the client has the opportunity to pick two coordinating fabrics, that way you get basically two different outfits out of one swimsuit. Everything is custom-made to your measurements.  I sew everything myself in my home studio. My business is completely run solely by me. IFD: What’s behind the name Mahina Luna? The name for the brand came from my fascination and obsession with the moon. Mahina means moon in Hawaiian and Luna is moon in italian. I studied italian for 4 years and I was fluent at the time I created the brand. Sort of redundant but it stuck. IFD: What are your goals and vision for the brand? My purpose and goal for my brand is to create individuality in each suit that I make. I want to empower women to feel confident in what they’re wearing because it’s something we make together and really hone in on the details that they’re either concerned or excited about. I encourage even some of the most shy people to step out of their comfort zone and embrace their true potential and beauty. It’s all about self empowerment over here! I strive to build a community of people by collaborating with other artists, photographers, and makers. My vision for my brand is to see my swimwear sold in boutiques all over the country. And maybe the world! Plans for the future include expanding into kids swimwear. IFD: What’s the biggest challenge you are facing right now? My biggest challenge at the moment is deciding how I want to expand my business. As a one woman show I will eventually need to hire a team to assist me in this endeavor. It’s hard for me to let go of control but I know that if I want to grow I will need to make these steps and these choices. IFD: What other design work are you involved in? On the side I work as an Assistant Tailor for a costume designer. We create garments for TV shows and have worked on productions like Shrill, starring Aidy Bryant. As a costume designer, there are tons and tons of drafts that go into choosing and making said pieces. The head designer does research and comes up with silhouettes that will flatter the character and us, the tailors design and sew up samples. Fittings happen frequently to ensure the next draft is a closer match, and we go on like that until the head designer and actress feel the pieces are perfect. As an Assistant Tailor I helped construct these garments pre-fitting and deconstruct post-fitting to alter the fit as needed. Season 3 of Shrill is out now where you can see all the beautiful pieces designed and created by our team for Bryant’s lead character Annie. I dream that one day I will get my designs on a big-name actress or actor! Hanna’s 5 tips for Designing & Sewing Great Swimwear Use a 4 way stretch fabric  — “I work with spandex nylon Lycra for Women swimwear and activewear as well as polyester microfiber for men’s swimwear, which I have just started releasing this spring 2021.“ Sew rubber swimwear elastic using an elastic foot Use a serger rather than a single needle sewing machine “This allows for maximum stretch and durability in the seams.” Choose designs both based on trend and how they will flatter the body — “For example try a high hip, with thicker waist band and thicker straps for curvier bodies” Use a full body set of measurements for reference and best fit — “Bust, waist, high hip, and hip line.” And one extra tip:  For men’s swim make sure to ask about inseam length preference Right now you can order by messaging @mahina.luna on Instagram where we can discuss in detail the designs and styles you’re looking for. My online ordering website is almost finished, but there is something I love about having those conversations over Instagram DM because it really builds a relationship between me and a client. We can work together to get you the right suit. Thanks for sharing your tips and story with IFD Hanna!   To reach out to Hanna, DM- her on Mahina.Luna IG account. Happy Swim Designing!

For designer Briana Jacobs, the road to a career in fashion started at prom. When Jacobs designed and sewed her own prom dress, the experience of making and wearing a garment of her creation was so fulfilling it led her to pursue fashion as a fulltime career. A Portland native, she graduated with a BFA in Apparel Design from The Art Institute of Portland and during her senior year was named the 2013 Emerging Fashion Designer Winner in  Portland Fashion Week. “Art and fashion have never ceased to excite me,” says Jacobs, “I knew it was my calling to design and make clothes for women. Winning the emerging designer contest for Portland Fashion Week assured me that I’m on the right path and have a long road ahead.” After graduation, Briana landed a job with Creative Capital Design where she worked her way up to Studio Designer. “My role as a designer is to create contemporary fashion for the modern woman, bringing her the ultimate creative expression in stunning garments that flatter and shape the body. Striving to meet her needs and desires, I follow a strategic process that uses intuitive vision and technical knowledge, applying creativity, quality and innovation.” IFD: Can you share with us your day to day responsibilities as Studio Designer with Creative Capital Design and skills needed to do those tasks successfully? CCD is a small and nimble consulting studio, which means I am involved in every step of the design process. I'm lucky in that sense as I have gained experience in the design process from start to finish, rather than working in one specific role. I play an active part in working with each client, their team and development of each collection. Some of the main tasks I manage and the skill sets needed are: Trend and market research where I work with creative director to create seasonal concepts. Being resourceful; everyone in apparel is looking at the same trends, so I try to find other resources to pull from and unique ways to interpret trend direction. The more experience you gain, the more resources you find and can develop your own process for trend gathering. Make mood boards and help create presentations to share with global team. Working in Adobe InDesign, having an eye for creating a balanced, pleasing to the eye layouts. This comes with practice and experience! Presentation skills are also a must! Design new styles for season following briefs. Researching silhouettes, looking at the history of the brands sales, knowing what the consumer needs. Concept sketching by hand, revising, tweaking, considering construction, cost, fabric and trims. Also understanding costs and making sure the garment meets target price margins Manage Cad illustration and create tech packs including design details and specs. Working in AI to draw a technical sketch. This includes all the stitching, zippers, buttons, trims, hems, pockets, every single detail must be included in the sketch and called out on the design detail sheet. Attention to detail and understanding the construction is a mandatory skill. Choose new colors for season and assemble color boards for global line. Staying on top of color trends but also knowing what works for the brand, colors that sell and how they will evolve into the next seasons color assortment. Learning how to pick core colors, accent colors, colors to be used in prints and graphics.Participate in fittings and and prototype reviews.Be knowledgeable about construction. Work along side the technical design team to determine updates needed: good listening skills and open to learning is important here as a technical designer has so much knowledge about costs, construction and best way for each garment to be sewn in a factory setting Manage all updates through 3-4 rounds of prototypes. Organizational skills, keeping good notes and recordings of each update. With every little change on a garment, the sketch and design detail sheet will have to be updated Work with team to prep and create tools presentation for global sales meetings. Team player, attention to detail, self-motivated and being self-sufficient to manage all aspects of creating marketing materials Travel internationally with team for market and trend researchAn open mind! Willingness to learn from others, being able to absorb things like a sponge! Creative Direction, Design Details, Color and Trend CAD drawings for building assortments IFD: Traveling is such a great perk of being a designer- where are some of the places you've been? It has been a great experience! In the past few years, I have traveled to Chamonix France to do research for winter outdoor apparel market where we visited key retailers in Ski Alps Town. In Munich Germany, we visited some of the largest European Outdoor retailers and the clients global office in Starnberg Germany where we worked with team to develop new concepts for the season. London was my favorite- we did lots of retail shopping and trend research for the upcoming season we were working on. We also went to Zurich, Switzerland where we met with a global sales team to review retail, market, competitors, and look at other product opportunities. While there, we hiked Stoos Ski resort and it was stunning! The furthest place I traveled to is Aukland, New Zealand where we visited our clients global head quarters and we worked with their team to handover all designs for new season. I feel very fortunate that I have had these opportunties! IFD: You recently launched your dream business; Disco Daisy Vintage. Can you tell us how you went about developing your business? Yes, I have always had a love for Vintage clothing and slowly, over time, have collected many pieces with the intent to someday build this hobby into my own business. For the launch, I worked with a friend to define my passion and what Disco Daisy Vintage stands for: The Disco Daisy Vintage boutique specializes in aesthetically appealing treasures found in and around the Portland area. This vision has been a culmination of tremendous passion and expertise. From the roots of my combined love for fashion, apparel design, and thrift store shopping, blooms a business that brings all of my fellow treasure seekers a broad variety of unique looks to choose from. My biggest inspiration comes from that of music festival culture. The many memorable experiences of being overcome by intense joy while attending these festivals was initiated not only by the amazing music, but the exceptional style and enamoring aesthetic that was a consistently captivating theme. Not only have I been able to innovatively adapt to this environment and be a part of the illustrious painting that is festival culture, I have become the artist - continuing to create incredible pieces for my fellow festival fashioneers. I’ve been able to incorporate my finds into this fabulous festival attire, while intelligently integrating into my every-day collection as well. I have been in the fashion industry for 10 years. During this time, I have grown conscientious of the excess material that is often neglected, eventually evolving into uncared for clutter. I have a strong desire to become part of the solution and have been committed to conservatively diminishing the amount of fabric that may have never been given its chance blossom. I am beyond pleased to offer these playful pieces of clothing and accessories for others to enjoy while remaining sustainably second-hand. The Creation of Disco Daisy: Creating and collecting merchandise: After coming up with the initial idea for Disco Daisy Vintage, my first goal was to gather a collection of right garments that fit the style of my brand. I started collecting clothes from thrift stores, online resellers, estate, and garage sales. Once I compiled enough of the right items, I started creating outfits to fit my desired style for the business. For the time being I issued my garage as a home studio where I could design and make custom pieces that could compliment my thrift assortment. Branding and Business plan: Next I wanted to establish the Disco Daisy Vintage brand. I hired a graphic designer to help create my logo and visual identity. I shifted my focus to identifying my target market, and brainstormed the bests ways to reach those specific customers. The structure of my business plan was greatly influenced by the book, The Right Brain Business Plan by Jeniffer Lee. It’s a great resource for creative entrepreneurs to put their business plan in action. The Right-Brain Business Plan: A Creative, Visual Map for Success Marketing and Social Media Once I finalized the structure of my business plan, my target market and my brand identity - I needed to shift my focus to marketing my product. I worked with a professional photographer to highlight my merchandise so I could start showcasing my products on social media. I edited the photos and planned out a months worth of posts for my media campaign. Instagram was a great tool for reaching my ideal customers and gain a following. Future Goals To take Disco Daisy Vintage to the next level, I want to create an online website to highlight my entire inventory and to sell direct to consumer. Once I reach my targeted revenue my ultimate goal is to create a Disco Daisy Vintage mobile boutique out of a box truck or trailer. The mobility will allow me to travel to events (festivals, private parties, etc.). and reach a wider variety of customers. It creates a unique retail experience that compliments the lifestyle of my brand. IFD: And finally, What are your top 5 tips for career success in design? Be open to opposing ideas- always keep an open mind to different experiences, different opinions and diversity- most often, differences of opinions force you to rethink, reconsider and look at things from different angles. Don't think that your idea is the best! Opposing opinions often lead to more dynamic ideas and conversations that can lead to amazing results. Be flexible- always stay flexible with your ideas; as excited as you may get over some idea or concept, chances are you're working with a team who may request revisions, offer other ideas to incorporate and I would say 100% of the time, it only improves the idea or project! Be a team player: this aligns with the first two- working as a designer, unless your truly independent, will have a team to work with. This can include technical designer, pattern makers, graphic artists, textile designer, sales people, and each person plays a role in the success of the brand. Being a team player and adding in value to that team is one of the top skills needed. Hone in on your listening skills: You learn more from listening than from talking! There is always someone more experienced than you, from different background than you, different skill set from you, and by just listening, you can absorb so much knowledge and insights from them and use that to build on your experiences and skills. Keep learning new skills: It is important to stay on top of technology, whether it be new InDesign skills, working in Illustrator and Photoshop, or social media. It is important to know what the latest programs and technology are so that you can stay up to date on ways to grow, improve and streamline your work. “It is my dream that one day my designs will influence and inspire women around the world. I’m driven to design and make garments that will excite others. Always staying true to myself, I design clothes that make women feel confident and beautiful.” Follow me on Instagram and Facebook and help grow my Daisy’s! Oh, as if Briana isn't busy enough, she is making masks for personal protection during covid. You may reach out to Briana through social media to order! Thank you Briana for sharing your story, vision and career tips! We wish you much success! CCD & IFD want to hear from you! How have you coped during Covid-19? How has your design business or position shifted? Are you looking for support or to share your story? We are all ears!! Reach out to us at: design@insidefashiondesign.net

Pulling back the curtain on brand identity Ask anyone to describe what makes strong product branding, and they’ll likely start with a list of the obvious. Logo, colors, fonts and a catchy motto or slogan … While all of these elements are certainly parts of a brand identity, in the grand scheme of things they are a superficial part of a much broader picture. A brand goes beyond the look of its marketing materials to a deeper place. Is Disney known primarily for their handwritten logo (which, by the way isn’t actually Disney’s signature)? Or are they known for the way they make people feel through discovering or rediscovering the magic of fantasy and childhood? Is Nike championed for their “swoosh” — or for emboldening everyday people to feel like they, too, can be an athlete, conquer the impossible, and face the unknown? Is Apple loved for their partially consumed fruit logo — or for the feeling of ease and accessibility that their products deliver to the end user? Ultimately, a strong brand, the kind of brand that truly resonates, makes impact and creates strong loyalty, is less about aesthetics — and more about how that brand makes people feel. Before logos, colors and slogans, a company must first work through questions about their products, their philosophy, and perhaps most importantly, their target audience. What ideals are they truly championing? And who are they championing them for? Even when thinking about product branding, these questions become paramount to breaking through the noise. The answers can help you shatter the negative stereotypes that unfortunately permeate the industry and connect with the people who need your financial guidance. So, where do you start? The first step is to construct a profile for your ideal client or customer. Until you’ve identified common characteristics and traits for who you are selling services/products to, you can’t effectively develop a brand identity, a marketing strategy, or marketing materials. One effective tool that will help you get inside the mind of your customer is an empathy target audience map.This exercise helps you explore the way a client thinks/feels, sees, hears, talks/acts in his or her environment. It also helps you think about what pains they have that your brand and company could help fix, and what they could gain by working with you. Start in the middle of the chart with the “general” section and fill out basic demographic info first. Next, move to the psychographic sections starting with the think/feel section at the top and making your way around the circle. Feel free to use listed questions as a jumping-off point, but certainly don’t limit yourself to only answering these questions. The more in-depth and complex you can get with your profile, the more useful the map becomes. Once you’ve finished the four “sensory” sections, wrap up your chart by using them to summarize the pains and gains your customer feels. After you complete this mapping exercise, you’ll have a much stronger understanding of your target audience. That understanding will inform the rest of your brand strategy. But what about the vision? Vision and mission come next. While interrelated, the two differ in structure and purpose. A vision statement is a high-level aspirational declaration that explains what you want to become and/or where you aim to be as a company. Ideally, it should fit in a single sentence. The purpose of a vision is to inspire your potential customer to action. A company’s vision statement will likely remain the same throughout its life. A mission statement is a granular look at how you will get to where you want to be. This should be the first thing you develop, since it will define your purpose and primary objectives through the lens of who you are and what you value. A mission statement is often three to four sentences, sometimes longer. Its purpose is to inform a potential client about how you can affect their life. A mission statement should evolve and change as your business grows. Let’s look back at those examples from above. Here is Disney’s mission: from: https://www.thewaltdisneycompany.com/about/ In turn, Disney’s Vision Statement is a direct and aspirational: “to make people happy.” It’s a simple and hopeful message that’s universally appealing. While 80 years ago Disney might not have considered themselves providers of technology, their current mission statement has evolved beyond simply being a creator and purveyor of entertainment (though this clearly remains a core value as well). Nike positions their mission statement in a more succinct fashion than Disney: from https://about.nike.com Their corporate vision is “to remain the most authentic, connected, and distinctive brand.” The Nike mission is incredibly inclusive and reflects their desire to truly be a brand for all people, not just those who are or who fancy themselves an athlete. Their vision statement is interesting in that it takes a different tone than you might expect. It speaks to the aim of the company beyond actual athletic apparel or equipment. Apple’s mission directly mentions its products: http://panmore.com/apple-mission-statement-vision-statement Unlike the other two examples, and frankly the typically recommended format, Apple’s Vision statement is very robust: “We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing. We are constantly focusing on innovating. We believe in the simple not the complex. We believe that we need to own and control the primary technologies behind the products that we make, and participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution. We believe in saying no to thousands of projects, so that we can really focus on the few that are truly important and meaningful to us. We believe in deep collaboration and cross-pollination of our groups, which allow us to innovate in a way that others cannot. And frankly, we don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and we have the self-honesty to admit when we’re wrong and the courage to change. And I think regardless of who is in what job those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well.” Really, though, the first three sentences of this longer statement capture the heart of the Apple brand: to make great products, to innovate, and to focus on the simple instead of the complex. It’s interesting to note that Apple chose to highlight their intention to not focus on projects they don’t find meaningful or important. Back to a product brand! So what about your own mission and vision statements? How do you fashion a message that truly captures your short and long-term objectives as a company? #1: First, think about your target audience and about yourself. Define who you are, determine your short-term business objectives, and outline your plan to attain them. Answer the questions: “What do we do?” “What makes us different?” “How do we plan to get where we want to be?” Once that process is done, you’ll have a rough mission statement you can hone and tweak until you’re satisfied. #2: Broaden your brainstorming to look towards your long-term goals. Answer the question: “Where do we aim to be?” “What is our purpose?” “What are our values?” Work to get to the heart of your hopes and desires as an organization. Then, distill them into a short, impactful message that encapsulates your vision. There’s much more to product branding — and we will cover it in upcoming posts. For today, remember that the target audience map and mission/vision statement brainstorms are a great place to start when establishing a strong brand identity. Gather your team (or a few creative and strategic thinkers in your inner circle if you’re working alone). Spend some time working through these important exercises together. It will be time well spent! This article was originally published on ModelFA.com Author Bio: Eric Lee Eric Lee is a true Renaissance man. Part actor, part writer, part artist, he is the creative force behind Model FA and SurePath Wealth Management. His true passion is storytelling, and with over a decade and half of marketing through story under his belt, he’s no stranger to both long-standing and current marketing trends alike. A proud Texas Aggie, Eric hales from Graham, Texas home of America’s Largest Downtown Square. Thank you to Model FA and Eric Lee for contributing this article!

January 2020 The exciting news of who made it to the final four in each category was announced on August 10th at Mercedes Benz of Beaverton. Now you get to choose “People’s Choice” winner in each category. Vote for your favorite Portland Fashion and Style Maker in all 25 categories, including Fashion Photographer, Fashion Publisher, Salon, Women’s Ready to Wear Designer, Boutique and more! The nominee with the most votes in each category will be crowned the “People’s Choice” winner and will receive an additional vote in that category for the final judging session. Your vote matters, so please take a few minutes to click the link and let us know who you think deserves to win the trophy in each category! Voting is open until January 10, 2020. From PFSA We are so thrilled to be nominated amongst all the other wonderful talent! Peace, Love & Blessings! Britta and the IFD Team

Do you use a mind map in your design brainstorming? A mind map is "thinking out loud"—the ability to visualize how ideas are connected. With traditional mind maps, you write down every imaginable option. This approach often fails because there is too much uncontrolled information. We asked innovator and designer, Matthew Rhoades to introduce us to a more targeted and impactful approach. Want to be more forward-thinking in your design? Matthew's D|MAP — think "D" for disruptive, divergent design — helps you organize all those thought bubbles into something both oppositional and directional. It gives pattern and rationale to the obvious mind dump. Follow Matthew through an exercise in his one-of-a-kind approach to design thinking. Try it for yourself! D|MAP DESIGN THINKING EXERCISE, by Matthew Rhoades Draw a star on a piece of paper. Why a 5-pointed star? "Design is not linear," says Matthew, "It's a multidimensional path." In the center of the star, write your objective. Example: Create a bluetooth speaker. STEP 1 – Generate 5 opposing ideas/directions The star has five points of differentiation. At the top of the star write what the object is. For our example, speaker is "a box with sound." From there, begin to explore its absolute opposites. What would be the antithesis of that box? Ask yourself questions like, "What is sound? How do you make sound?" and see where they lead you. Alternatively write in the center, "What is a speaker?" then explore contradictory and dissimilar characteristics or directions. Begin writing down your thoughts. Ask yourself 5 times: What is a speaker? Then think about its opposite. Explore dissimilar materials it could be made of. What if, instead of a rigid plastic box, the speaker is compostable? Flexible? What if it's grown? Explore the inverse of its shape. A speaker is a "box with sound." But what if it's a piece of paper? Or a flat plane or surface? What if it's a piece of jewelry? Explore opposites in function. If a speaker projects sound up, ambiently, what would be the opposite of that? What if it erased sound? Or created a personal, localized area of sound? Or each person in the room hears something different? Ask WHY five times. Write your answers at each point of the star. "Go around the points and be as creative and dumb as you can," Matthew suggests. Try to push out into five distinct directions, each somewhat opposite from the opposing points. Find the craziest one, the most exciting idea. Let these ideas lead you down the path. STEP 2 – Now go deeper in each direction you've brainstormed. Every design deliverable typically has 3 layers: mild, middle and wild. For each of your five points differentiation, come up with a mild, middle and wild around your core idea. You can express these are a star with the core idea at the center, surrounded by the three layers: Mild, Best, and Wild. A Mild design idea is what people know, what people expect. It's what marketing or engineering ask for. It is the simplest solution because it's not a risk at all. The Middle (often the Best) is the typical end result for most design projects. It lies halfway between known and crazy. it offers an element of the familiar while still pushing the idea forward in a new direction. Wild represents the "potential" of an idea. It's the futuristic show car at the auto expo. It's the experiment. The wild idea belongs more on the long-term concept roadmap than on next season's line plan. STEP 3 - Select the most innovative direction you have explored. This is the path to follow. Let the Wild idea spark your imagination and pull each idea out to its furthest potential. Present the best possible mild, best and wild ideas to your client. There is no such thing as a wrong idea during ideation. The worst thing you can do is put constraints on something. That could be mathematically, financially, or physically. You've got to really reach and go to a new place to come up with a different perspective. That is design thinking. Jumpstart your design process and think outside the box. Follow the directions above to create a D|MAP of your own! Does traditional Mind-Mapping help you and your team? When should you use Mind Maps in the design process? Want to learn more? Calin Balea for Toptal.com explains in: Gray Matter – What Is a Mind Map in the Design Process? "When designers are kicking off a new project, everyone on the product team probably has a fuzzy idea of what that project should be. Mapping out the system will help everyone gain clarity so that when it’s time to wireframe an app, for example, the team has a clear picture of the system they need to build—what the main sections of the app are, what features it needs to have, how those features interact with the rest of the system, and so on." (Calin Balea) Learn more about using Mind Mapping in your design process with the full article from Toptal.com Want to learn more? Designer and D|MAP creator, Matthew Rhoades taught a Workshop "Exploring The Design Process" for Inside Fashion Design. You may access the video in our IFD Insiders library, by visiting here Thanks for visiting today! Peace, Blessings and Happy Mind Mapping!

IFD is thrilled to be partnering with Sonica Sarne in this special online masterclass series. Gain practical tools necessary for creating real and lasting positive change in the fashion industry These masterclasses are geared towards fashion industry professionals and sustainability enthusiasts, based on Sonica decade-long practical expertise in sustainability IFD Insiders receive 25% off. Subscribe today to become and Insider and take advantage of this special offer. 2022 Class Listing: Join Sonica Carna in this unique master class on how to create natural dyed fabrics in partnership with heritage artisan communities. Sonica partners with handloom organization Blue Lotus to bring you the first of its kind practical and demonstrative course for designers, brands and craft enthusiasts who will learn both how to design artisans natural dyed textiles and also the technical aspect of handloom weaving from fibre to fabric directly from the artisans themselves In the first of its kind demonstrative class learn how to design and create your own handloom artisanal ikat fabrics. For the first time traditional ikat weavers and Sonica Sarna come together to teach you the technical steps and practical aspects of designing ikat fabrics collections. This unique course is designed by Sonica Sarna based on over ten years of expertise of working with ikat artisans. Are you a social impact entrepreneur or want to become one? Join Sonica Sarna in this intensive session that helps you connect deeply with your sense of purpose to drive lasting change in the fashion industry. As fashion industry professionals, we will evaluate the impact our daily business decisions we are having on people and the planet. We will learn how to make socially and ecologically responsible decisions within our immediate sphere of influence at work. We will then share tools to leverage these responsible decisions to overcome financial and systemic constraints created by the old ways of doing business. Are you looking for a responsible and ethical production partner for your brand but are overwhelmed by a lack of transparency, conflicting terminology or simply don’t know how to approach this critical business decision? Then join Sonica Sarna as she demystifies the ethical production process for you. Every designer and brand has an imperative responsibility to understand the environmental impact of their sourcing decisions and need to educate themselves to make better fabric and material choices. Join Sonica Sarna in this in-depth class on sourcing organic, regenerative, and sustainable materials. If you want to develop ethical and long-term artisan partnerships that have a positive impact and enrich your design process, learn from Sonica Sarna who has been partnering with over 40 artisan communities for more than a decade. An intensive look at how the average consumer can make change through conscious consumption and activism. Practice tips and tools to reduce your footprint, evolve your buying habits and make better lifestyle decisions. Learn how to see through green washing, understand confusing terminology around sustainability and mobile change through consumer activism. Reclaim your power as a responsible fashionista and citizen to help make the fashion industry do better Join this unique masterclass to learn all the tools and strategies for designing a zero-waste collection using textile waste created by fast fashion. Learn about the overwhelming fast fashion waste problem and how to overcome it. In this intensive session, you will learn how to source deadstock fabrics and how to use them to design collections for a contemporary audience. Are you a fashion designer or sustainability enthusiast who wants to create your first collection, but are concerned about the negative human and environmental impact it may create? Sign up for this masterclass with Sonica that will walk you through all the practical steps of designing an ethical collection of products. We will begin with your impact goals and creative scion and help you define the foundation and process to make it a reality. Learn the pitfalls to avoid and how to address technical design, production, pricing, logistics and more. Sourcing and designing with kala cotton and the indigenous fibers. Design and production process and challenges. tracing impact and helping to create long term change. Working with indigenous artisan communities on fair trade terms. Stay tuned for further updates! Any questions? Reach out to us at: design@insidefashiondesign.net