Fashion Collection (Pearson Unit 23) Assignment 9 Question

Assignment Brief

This assignment is the latest version published on02nd September 2024. If you have commenced with an older version of this assignment, you are permitted to continue, but we kindly ask that you indicate thisto your tutor when submitting your work. Note that you may request a copy of an older assignment version from your tutor or Student Services.

Introduction / Aim:

The aim of assignments 9 and 10 is to provide you with the skills and knowledge required to develop your first cohesive fashion collection starting from the initial client brief right through to the final presentation of your design work. A fashion collection looks at a range of creative and economic factors. As a designer, you need to understand the market you are designing for and ensure that you respond to what is relevant to that market in order to produce a successful collection.

The fashion industry is constantly evolving and it is vital as a designer to creatively respond to these changes in order to create appealing designs for your customers. Developing your market awareness through comprehensive research into consumer trends, prediction analysis, fabric sourcing, and color trends will be the key elements of assignment 9.

Throughout these two assignments, you will use your digital sketchbook and mood boards to communicate your development and for the final presentation of your collection, you will prepare A3 presentation boards to a professional level. Throughout both assignments, you are  encouraged to develop your own style of design and presentation.

By the end of this unit you will be able to:

1. Investigate trends, through contextual research, to inform the strategy for a fashion collection.
2. Communicate a fashion collection strategy, based on research and experimentation. 
3. Develop a cohesive fashion collection, in response to a brief.
4. Present a fashion collection, identifying areas for further development and best practice.

Task 1

1. Start your digital sketchbook by defining:

• What your customer profile is (e.g. age, sex, buying habits)
• What type of clothing the fashion brand will sell
• What will be the distinguishing characteristics of this brand (brand ethos)
• What will be the name for the new brand?Create a brand name and logo for the collection

2. Based on the customer type you have chosen,investigate the market and trends by conducting research into the topics shown in the list below. This research will help you to define your own fashion collection strategy. Create a new section in your digital sketchbook for each of the following subheadings. You must also provide images with relevant annotations that accurately connect the examples with your own brand:

Market research and competitor research (e.g. examples of what your competitors within the market are producing) 

Future trends:

• Fabric and colour palette trends
• Shapes and silhouettes trends
• Latest runway shows from fashion houses & designers (look at the ones that are aspirational to your client)
• Latest reports from the trend agencies.

3. To conclude your research, describe in a short essay (250-300 words) the influence that trend agencies, fashion houses and designers have on the retail sector and whether or not this would impact the fashion collection strategy of your brand. Remember to cite the sources used in your annotations and submit a Reference List with your digital sketchbook.

Tip:

Using the software of your choice, your sketchbook should be in a digital format and organised as a presentation of a high standard with appropriate headings. You will need this information for your work in task 2

Task 2

Following your research from Task One:
1. Create a new chapter in your digital sketchbook that willcommunicate your ideas for your fashion collection strategy:

• Identify the colour palettes, fabrics, styles and patterns that your fashion collection will be based upon
• List bullet points that highlight how your fashion strategy meets the needs of your brand
• Sketches and experiments of design ideas for your fashion collection strategy

The chapter should showcase your ideas in a presentable and easy to follow format.

2. Create an additional chapter and addan A3 mood board (including samples) to present your final fashion collection strategy
3. Based on your research to date, finalise your digital sketchbook by writing ashort paragraph (75 - 120 words) that compares how your fashion collection strategy will compete with current brands in the market.

Task Two Deliverable:

Your digital sketchbook, saved as a PDF and labelled 'Fashion Collection Strategy Development Task Two'.

Assignment Grading Criteria

The following is for your reference. Your tutor will be using this scheme when reviewing your assignment. The following Pass criteria must be met in order to pass the assignment. Once you have achieved all Pass criteria in all assignments within the unit, you will then be able to
progress to the next unit of your course.

Pass criteria

Criteria LO 1.1: Assessed in Task 1 Investigate trends, through contextual research, to inform the strategy for a fashion collection. Undertake contextual research to inform development of a fashion collection strategy. 

Student defined their customer base, conducted research into the market / current competitors, future trends, fabric and colour palette trends, shapes and silhouettes, fashion houses, designers, trend agencies research evidenced in a digital sketchbook, images annotated; showed evidence of citing and referencing sources.

Criteria LO 1.2: Assessed in Task 1 Investigate trends, through contextual research, to inform the strategy for a fashion collection. Describe the influences of designers, fashion houses and trend agencies on the retail design sector.

 Described in a short essay the influence of trend agencies, fashion houses and designers on the retail sector. Essay shown in a digital sketchbook showed evidence of citing and referencing.

Criteria LO 2.1:Assessed in Task 2 Communicate a fashion collection strategy, based on research and experimentation. Identify colour palettes, fabrics, styles and patterns based on market/trend research. 

Student identified in the digital sketchbook, colour palettes, fabrics, styles and patterns based on th e market/ trend research.

Criteria LO 2.2: Assessed in Task 2 Communicate a fashion collection strategy, based on research and experimentation. Explain how a fashion strategy meets the needs of a given brand.

Student explained through work submitted in a digital sketchbook how fashion strategy meets the needs of the brand.

Criteria LO 2.3: Assessed in Task 2 Communicate a fashion collection strategy, based on research and experimentation. Use sketches, moodboards and samples to present a fashion collection strategy.

Student experimented with design ideas for collection strategy (overall concept) in a digital sketchbook; presented A3 mood board including samples to show final fashion collection strategy.

To achieve higher than a Pass:

• It is possible, if your assignment goes above the standard expected for a Pass, to achieve Merit or Distinction criteria.
• To achieve a Merit grade for the unit: you must achieve all the Pass criteria and Merit criteria in all assignments for that unit.
• To achieve a Distinction grade for the unit: you must achieve all the Pass, Merit and Distinction criteria in all assignments for that unit.

Merit criteria

Criteria MO 1: Investigate trends, through contextual research, to inform the strategy for a fashion collection. Evaluate research outcomes, in the context of the market, to inform a strategy.

Student evaluated research outcomes through annotations describing how each example relates to their own market and using appropriate
examples; related how trend agencies, fashion houses and designers affect fashion strategy in the essay.

Criteria MO 2: Communicate a fashion collection strategy, based on research and experimentation. Assess a fashion collection strategy in relation to competing collections/brands in the market.
Based on research conducted, Student compared their fashion collection strategy with competing brands within the market and drew
appropriate conclusions evidenced in short paragraph.

Criteria DO 1: Present a fashion collection strategy that integrates contextual research with the results of experimentation, defining design direction, material use, pattern and colour.
Student showed a clear development across Task 1 and 2 from contextual research through to final fashion collection strategy which indicates that the student had significantly considered their research in the development of their strategy. The student produced a digital sketchbook and mood board of a professional standard; showed evidence of own style of design and presentation development and defined design direction in their use of pattern, materials and colour.