Fashion On Demand Using tomorrow’s technology to clothe you today

The Project “Fashion On Demand” is a student-run company that uses cutting edge technology to create student-designed clothes automatically customized to any individual.

Custom Design Customers start by choosing a design. They then select the fabric, color, number of buttons, width of the lapel, height of the collar, or other specifications. Finally the clothes that THEY have customized are automatically made to THEIR exact measurements, so the fit is perfect. …and you can even do this online through a web site.

A Multi-Discipline Company “Fashion On Demand” injects new life into the traditional fashion vocation. The students are truly entrepreneurs, starting and running an actual company. Each department in the company exemplifies many academic and vocational disciplines, and exists as an interdependent part of a larger whole.

Department Interaction For example, Business may suggest a clothing line based on market research. Fashion creates designs, and shares its work with the Graphics department for advertising and promotions. If Testing proves that a new design has a flaw, the other departments must change their work accordingly. If Business decides there is a financial reason to change a design, the other departments must implement the changes, and so on…

Student Benefits The students gain hands-on experience: Building a business Identifying a target market Designing fashions Utilizing cutting edge technology Creating graphics Networking technology Developing Java e-commerce websites Performing scientific research & testing Working with real clients Working with real deadlines Breaking into a real industry The students develop NJCCCS skills in: Workplace readiness categories Technical categories Artistic categories Scientific categories Self management categories Critical thinking categories Finally, it would be impossible to design for specific target markets in an international industry without developing an understanding of other cultural and political systems.

Technology At the center of Fashion On Demand is exciting technology from Gerber that includes a Digitizing Workstation where new patterns can be created or old ones converted. Optimizing software fits pattern pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle so that every possible part of a piece of cutting cloth is used. Pattern layouts go to a Computerized Cutting Machine, plotter or database. Since this is all taking place in a computer, we can easily create and cut customized patterns based upon manual data input, a stored database, or an online database.

Web Site Company research has led to this website design, developed by the Graphics and Programming departments. On the left is a window that contains the current order. The customer selects the fabric, color, sizes, design changes, number of buttons, type of pockets, etc, in the large window to the right.

Database The “front end” web page connects to the “back end” Gerber system using Java, Apache, Access, Apache Tomcat and other technologies. Measurements can be saved as profiles in a database. A customer will be able to log in, update the saved waist size to compensate for holiday dinners, and order an entire wardrobe in the new custom size.

If this were a real business, we would spend 6-18 months creating a business plan. We would then look for startup capital, location, employees, equipment, materials, clients, etc. As a school project, we wanted to hit the ground running with all students “hands-on” from the first day. The students were immediately assigned to departments and tasks. While Fashion On Demand will eventually include most of the subjects at Teterboro, the students were initially divided into the following 5 departments: BUSINESS FASHION INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & PROGRAMMING ADVERTISING & GRAPHICS RESEARCH & TESTING Company Business Company Growth Financial Legal International Law (& Human Rights) Industry Methods, Target Markets Product Design, Marketing Production (Creative & Technical) Distribution / Procurement Customer Considerations Sales / Marketing Advertising & Promotion Personnel Fashion Fashion Research & Design GERBER Software Digital Pattern Design Production / GERBER Cutter Distribution IT & Programming Business Technology Networking Web Design / Development / Maint. CAD Technology GERBER Technology Advertising & Graphics Corporate Design (Logos, Corporate Identity, etc) Product Design Marketing Design & Techniques Advertising & Promotions Research & Testing Physical Research & Testing of materials, dyes, etc. Chemical Research & Testing of materials, dyes, etc. Biological Research & Testing of materials, dyes, etc.

So Far… At the beginning, each department was given basic assignments to get started. On the 3rd day, all the students met to discuss our target market. Since our initial theme is Contemporary Teen Fashion, we created surveys to find out what REALLY INTERESTED our fellow students. Creating the surveys also helped align the different departments in a single direction.

So Far… The Business department is developing a business plan, conducting market research, developing the company infrastructure, and coordinating the other departments.

So Far… The Fashion department has created many designs that are being altered in light of the survey results. They are also creating new designs based on those results.

So Far… The Information Technology & Programming department has been developing and testing Java websites, flash animations and web accessible databases.

So Far… The Advertising and Graphics department is creating a flood of designs for promotional advertisements and the website itself.

So Far… The Research and Testing department has been destroying fabrics under various conditions. Their results are shared with the Fashion and Business departments.

Fashion On Demand We are the future of Vocational Education. We are a real company, combining the latest technology from various Industries to build business experience we can apply in the real world. We are Fashion On Demand. Thank you for supporting this project. We invite you to join us at our May Fashion Show so that you can see Fashion On Demand in action. Fashion On Demand would also like to thank Dr. John Grieco, George Gonzalez and Andrea Sheridan for giving us the project and technology.