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CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA

Apparel Product Development II - AMM414/414A, Winter 2017

Design Notebook

Table of Content

1. Market Research Notebook

2. Ideation

3. Technical Package

4. Textile Performance

5. Prototype Development

6. 3D Modeling

7. Lookbook

8. Weekly Output



AM2

Market Research Notebook

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Market analysis

3. Trend analysis

4. Competition analysis

5. Theme concept

6. Color palette

7. Product Line

8. Appendix



Introduction

Eminence: “fame or recognized superiority, especially within a particular sphere or profession”.

AM2 customers are superior students; balanced, hardworking, comfortable in themselves and in their

clothing choices. Our design choices are drawn forward by trend but grounded in traditional high

grossing fashion styles. Our ringer t-shirt is a varsity classic that can be recognized throughout all

fashion tastes as a winning style. Our particular style is influenced by vintage Calvin Klein, Nike and

other dominant athletic wear. Wearing AM2 is an easy comfortable way to be fashionable, achieve

scholastically, achieve athletically, achieve aesthetically … achieve with AM2.



AM 2 Mission and Vision Statements

--AM2—

Defined

“AM2 is a brand name of an apparel product line developed by the AMM Apparel Production

students for sale on the Cal Poly Pomona Campus.”

Vision Statement—Definition—the direction of a company or organization

Vision

“To be a student driven brand providing a unique apparel product line that inspires CPP bronco spirit”

Mission Statement—Definition—the present state or purpose of the company or organization

Mission

“To offer accessible, comfortable, and durable active wear that tailors to the needs of the Cal Poly

Pomona (CPP) student lifestyle and to the Cal Poly community”



AM2 Market Analysis

AM2

is a collegiate inspired apparel brand, made by the students for the students. Our peers

inspire us to achieve greatness every day and we hope that our apparel inspires them to achieve

greatness in their personal style as well as in the classroom. Our demographic is a majority of the female

population at CPP, ages 18-25, who identify themselves as less trendy and more traditional in their

personal style.

During AM2

market research some groups were assigned to watch

customers at the bookstore and observe what they were buying/wearing.

Others were told to interview the bookstore buyer, the professors who run

the boutique and the professors that have been involved in the production

of AM2

in the past to get a better understanding of the product. Lastly,

some groups conducted surveys and focus groups to get a better

understanding of the target market in order to sell clothing that they might

actually buy.

The outcome of interviewing key contributors was to create neutral,

low cost garments. These garments should be basic in structure and in

color with the exception the color burgundy. In the past, accessories have

not done well so the bookstore and the boutique would rather not take a

risk on these items. The most important piece of advice was to design for

the masses. Do not design for LA fashion forward people although it is O.K. to add a pop of color or a

fun graphic but make sure it is rooted in traditional collegiate attire.



The observations that the AM2

students made included the fact that the students at CPP are a-typical

to the AMM student look. The male CPP students were seen wearing non-denim pants such as joggers,

solid t-shirts or sports shirts and baseball tees. The ladies of CPP have been dressing in skinny jeans,

graphic, sorority and witty t-shirts. Recently both of these populations have been partial to simple styles

and classic hoodies. Through thorough market research the students have been able to create a mood

board and have narrowed down specific styles that would appeal to the CPP Student. Their findings

included three main aspects: price, fabrication, and fit.

These findings were confirmed when the students conducting the survey asked what was most

important to students when buying in the book store. In addition, the students conducting the survey

found that CPP students were partial to high necklines and more conservative constructions such as

sweat pants, long sleeves and leggings. They preferred neutral colors that would match with any outfit

for spring, summer and fall seasons. Students in our demographic

like to buy pieces that can be consistent in their wardrobe and

will last a long time, because of their budget. However, just

because these students like a strong staple piece doesn’t mean

that they do not enjoy a good one-off graphic, the most popular tops on the bookstore website were the

Rogue One tees inspired by the newest Star Wars saga. This just confirms that sometimes taking risks

with this target market pays off, designers just need to be smart about the risks that they are taking.

However, the main problems that students have had in the past is that they have taken too many risks.

About 8 years ago a group of AMM students put toasters and silly graphics on the AM2 t-shirts. As one

would expect, these designs did not get too far with the buyer and a limited amount of merchandise

actually sold. Solutions to this problem include making sure that everyone’s voice is heard and that not

one dominant personality is making all of the decisions. Other problems the AM2 line has faced in the

past include fabric prices, vendors, coloring, and trend. Most of these problems stem from a lack of

funds to pay for the designs that the students produce. It is easy enough to stick to a budget when finding

bargains in Downtown Los Angeles, but we must be vigilant as there are sometimes defects in the fabric.

This can be solved by being able to identify defects and cutting around them, as AMM students should.

Coloring and trend again go back to designing for the target market and not the students in the AMM

building. This market analysis has allowed us to get to know our customer better in hopes of creating a

brand that they can identify with and can help them grow their wardrobe and continue to identify with

their school and themselves.



Trend Analysis

Trend Analysis is crucial to the execution in a successful fashion line. In correlation with

Market Research, trend analysis goes hand in hand with trend analysis when reviewing the direction of a

fashion line’s style, color pallet, silhouette and overall image. Sources that have been reviewed for trend

research are the magazine website Elle, Color analysis website Pantone LLC, and the California Apparel

News website.

One of the runway trends that are wearable for the vast public is the Graphic Tee. This

Spring/Summer season shows trends that allow our shirts to “speak for themselves.” (Carreon, J. 2016).

The graphic T trend is here to stay! This trend is in relation to the AM2 style design of the 70’s Ringer

T-shirt with the CPP graphics. The S/S ’17 Seasons article provides five trend groups from the runway

says Shelda Hartwell-Hale, Directives West Vice President. Trends emerging like the “California Chill,

street, surf, gypsy, and active” all are emerging on the runways for Spring/Summer 2017. These five

trends seen on the runway can easily be seen in today’s street trends. In connection to the Market

research general public clothing observations, the “California Chill” trend is very much relatable to our

Team C’s mood board theme of a cool “campus chill” vibe.( Nieder, A. 2016).

The Pantone Color System website provided its projected color trend pallet for Spring /Summer

2017. There were two colors out of the ten color pallet that had any relation to the Market Research

color trends. The Pantone 18-0107 Kale Green, and Pantone 19-4045 Lapis Blue. These color trend

projections can be incorporated into the AM2 fashion line in accordance with the deeper color tone

pallet in the bookstore apparel selections. In another article by Pantone LLC, “Gray-Quietly Assuring”

gray is considered a “glamorous and practical” color family. Gray is said to “sit in the background and

bring other colors to life”. It is stated that gray “is the color of intellect”. It is not an afterthought, yet a

color of “sophistication.” The concept of timeless and campus chill style is correlated to the AM2

mission. The gray color spectrum is associated with Team C’s Ringer T heather grey color choice.

(Pressman, L. 2016)

The runway trends of the “California Chill” are related to the AM2 fashion line, in the

perspective of a cool, collected college student. The laid back concepts of the AM2 fashion line is

reflected in the easy going styles designed. The color trends researched from the Pantone Color Institute

are associated with the chosen color pallet for the AM2 fashion line. Greens and grays have been staple



colors in the campus line. Overall these styles and color pallets are linked to the AM2 market research

trends analysis.

Trend Analysis Picture References

Pantone Spring Summer 2017 Color Pallet

Gray Color Pallet

Graphic T- Runway Trend



Competition Analysis

BRAND STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES

NIKE Brand Recognition

Sale prices lower

More trend conscious

High quality

Exorbitant Prices for

non-sale items

Not CPP Personalized

Not specifically

catered to CPP

student body

VICTORIA SECRET Brand Recognition

More Easily accessible

for some students that

do not live or go to

school on main

campus

Better marketed brand

Sales combination

allow for more

products to be

purchased at once—

brand loyalty

Not CCP Personalized

Not specifically

catered to CPP student

body

More neutral colors

for CPP Students

Unisex brand instead

of just female

Less sexual of a brand,

students might feel

more comfortable

Regular price is



slightly outside of CPP

price range

ADIDAS Brand Recognition

On trend for 90’s

revival

Star power backing

Mega marketing

Easily accessible for

students not living on

campus (commuter

school)

Legacy, brand had

been around for a long

time parents might be

more inclined to buy

for children because

they had them


Not specifically


body

Completely out of

CPP student price

range

Most popular items are

the shoes, hard to buy

online (not

competitive with AM2

b/c we do not sell

shoes)

LULU LEMON Brand Recognition

Very high quality

material

Wide variety of

sportswear offered

Longevity of

clothing is high

Detail oriented

Not CPP

Personalized

Not specifically


body

Very high price range,

not within CPP price

range

Very feminine brand,

men not likely to shop

there

Not as accessible as

other competitive



brands

UNDERARMOUR Brand Recognition

Sports brand driven

(has contracts with

major sports teams,

great for advertising)

Invented wicking

material—high quality

and versatile fabric

Large and diverse

target market


Not specifically


body

High prices might turn

off students

Not necessarily for

non-athletes

We believe that these 5 brands are our top competitors for a couple of very compelling and

important product driven reasons. First off, these brands are all very recognizable. They have roots in

the fashion world and emit a status that AM2 competes with. They also sell garments with very similar

silhouettes to the garments that AM2 is producing. These garments also have very similar fabrics. All of

these corporations are sportswear lines as well. They cater to the same durability driven, comfort

oriented customer. However, what these brands lack is the personalization that AM2

has the ability to

cater to. Students work hard to get into CPP and work even harder when they get here. Students that

shop at the Bronco bookstore want to show off their school. School pride is a very valuable aspect of

marketing that competing brands do not have the ability to personalize like AM2 does.



Theme Concept

Description

Eminence- “fame or recognized superiority especially within a particular sphere or profession”

Our theme is based on timeless athletic trends that have had the ability to last throughout years

of fast fashion trends. Much like our customer who is a superior scholar/athlete, our product is steps

above the rest. It is comfortable, trendy and something that can be worn from the classroom to the gym

without missing a beat.

Justification

Our garment is a basic ringer tee, nostalgic to the summer camps and varsity sports clubs of the

1980’s and 90’s. Current trends indicate that 90’s trends are back in full force, Calvin Klein, vintage

Nike and Adidas have adorned such stars as Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez and Kendell Jenner. Trends like

these have also trickled through the fashion cycle and can be found at Urban Outfitters, Pac Sun, and

Nordstrom. Much like these brands, our style is reminiscent of a superior time and place and that image

has survived in this garment.



Color Palette

Grandiose Green- Pantone PMS 348

Goal Worthy Grey- Pantone Warm Grey 2C



Product Line Explanation

Our theme “Eminence” is a word defined as “fame or recognized superiority, especially within a

particular sphere or profession.” We focused on the various athletic trends that have lasted throughout

the years, proving themselves to be timeless. Our consumers transport themselves from class to the gym

to the coffee shop, and then back to class without missing a beat deserve comfort, versatility, and classic

design. To provide this, we have fashioned three garments reminiscent of summer camp days and

athletic wear of the 1980’s and 1990’s. According to the brands loved by our consumer base including

Calvin Klein and Victoria’s Secret, the trends of this era have come back in a big way. Celebrities are

adorned in vintage Nike and Adidas, invoking a surge of nostalgia and making this era cool again. We

intend to give consumers the same nostalgic feelings through these trends.

Through our trend research including surveys and observation, we observed the most well-loved

apparel styles and colors in relation to our consumers. This included short sleeves; basic silhouettes

appropriate for layering such as the T-shirt; and neutral colors: particularly gray, black, and our school

color forest green. Taking all of this into consideration, we decided to come up with three comfortable

casual tops that could be worn anywhere from the classroom to the coffee shop to the BRIC for exercise.

Each style borrowed from the “athleisure” look that is trending right now, with graphics that showed

student and school pride.



When it came to actually choosing a design, we wanted to pick something that could reach the broadest

variety of students and therefore have the potential to sell the most. Recognizing that two of our styles

were more female-oriented looks, we thought it best to choose the unisex concept. Thus, our ringer tee

was selected.



Appendix

Survey Question Transcription

Conversation Points:

1. What do you look for when you go into the book store for apparel?

Haven’t shopped at the bookstore since before they started college.

sports apparel, sales, leggings, loose sweaters, loose shirts, hoodies, zip-ups

2. Is there something you wish they had that they don’t? Why?

They wish that they had more tank tops & major “themed” shirts

More CPP mom & dad apparel, rain boots, leggings

3. What are your frustrations with the things you have bought there before?

Clothing piled and stretched

fading, cracking, size inconsistencies

4. Do you prefer warm or cool weather wear? i.e. long sleeve or short sleeve, light layers or heavier

jackets

Male: warm weather

Female: cold weather

5. What colors do you prefer to buy for Cal Poly wear?

2:1 neutral colors to Cal Poly colors (male)

Maroon, grey, black, school colors if they are not too bright

6. What kinds of graphics do you prefer? i.e. bold, subtle, large, small, font only, graphics with font,

etc.

Creative fonts, classy big but thin, Jack Daniels logo

Interview Transcriptions

Dr. Sen Interview- 1/11/17 3:15pm (Q1-Q4 voice recordings)



*ask Dr. Sen for bookstore sales and we can calculate the sell thru on different items to see what sells

the best.

1. What is the arrangement for purchasing the product? (achieved wholesale prices LY, returned

product)

Last Year’s Line Wholesale prices

Ringer T shirt $7

Raglan $7.50

Hoodie $18

Jogger $12, Jacket $22, Tote 18, duffle 18

Spring 2015 Line sheet Wholesale prices

Ex-Boyfriend $14

Tank top $12

T shirt “I woke up like this” $14.50

Cardigan $7.20

New Guy T shirt

Scarf $4.75

Sweater $7.20

Jersey

Black & White scarf $4.75

Girl’s T $14.50

Track Tank $12

Spring 2014 line

Open-back scoop neck $5.92

High low Crop $5.60

Tunic dress $5.42

Spring 2010 Line

Men’s zip up hoodie Retail $34.95 Whole sale price (probably ½ the retail price) $17

Women’s zip up hoodie $

Women’s raglan $

Women’s v-neck T $

Unisex Scarf $



Women’s Capri sweat pants $10

Men’s T Shirt $8

Women’s T Shirt $8

Men’s Raglan $10

Long sleeve Raglan $ 10

Racerback tank $4

2. How much quantity was ordered/made LY?

Spring 2016, 350-365 units, they used to produce 500 units. Dr. Sen suggests 3 styles, and about 300

units. That’s what Dr. Sen suggests. 300 units or less.

Out of 365, we sold about 150. Then the rest came back to AMM. But that was a good line. Depends on

how good your line is. T

The arrangement is that it’s a consignment basis. We give the Bookstore our products, and they sell for

x amount of time, and the rest of the units they don’t sell, they will return the goods back to AMM. We

want to see, if we give 100, they will pay 100.

We need to do research on the products on what our line is, and then see their prices in the

bookstore. Depending on design, example, Embroidery, screen print shirts… You want to price it at

half the price of the bookstore’s Retail price. Then half that price will be our ideal wholesale price. The

bookstore sells it at double the price we wholesale it to them. If we wholesale an item at $10, then the

bookstore will sell it at $20. Based on Dr. Sen’s experience, he suggests we don’t produce more than

300 units. And at 3 to 4 styles.

3. List of contractors (vendors/manufacturers) that were actually used. Recommend using them again?

There’s no standard contract. So, there’s no standard contract, we haven’t found good sewing contracts.

We have found good screen printing. We have embroidery.

CAT Specialties, West Covina. We have used them before. We have used American Apparel to do our

sewing before. We also have InStyle printing, they also have sewing, so maybe we can used them. Alex

Yang, ask him for contacts. There’s another students who have relatives in companies. We should ask

Alex yang for those contacts.

4. Any recommendations for this quarter to make the transition to spring quarter smoother?



One major recommendation, is when you make patterns, and when you modify patterns, keep track of

every single modification. And keep track of what is the latest patterns. So when you go to amm 492,

when professor asks, “Where’s the pattern that corresponds to this sample?”

Make sure that every little change on the pattern piece, is connected to the sample.

For example, if you see an error in sample #5, you adjust it to pattern #6, and then label new sample #6.

Number 2, sometimes whoever is sewing the sample, they tend to correct the sample, without

communicating the correction to the pattern maker. Then you won’t realize that the pattern needs

corrections. The sewer has to follow the seam allowance, exactly how it is. Then if there is errors, they

need to communicate to the pattern maker. Sample maker needs to communicate to the pattern makers/

designers. You need to rectify things, you need to do it with preciseness and carefulness. If you have the

problem, then you need to handle the problem before you put products in mass production. So,

housekeeping is very important.

(3:10)

Coming up with the proper merchandising mix is important. Really understanding the actual cost.

Finding supplies for your items. And AMM 414 is very important. Because you need all your resources

for your products ready for when AMM 492 class comes. It is a tight production schedule in 492

You have to perfect your patterns, draw your markers. You have to finalize your marker, print your

marker. Bring it in, check the markers, and adjust the markers before you send it to cut. You have to cut,

sew, finish, screen print, and bring to Cal Poly by end of Spring to sell in the bookstore. The fabric has

to match the sample. Because samples perform the way fabric performs. Even a zipper, even buttons.

You have to make the sample with the right zipper.

Having to go find fabric, and sourcing, had to be complete before you come to AMM 492. If you don’t

have sources, you will lose time in AMM 492. The decisions of sourcing has to be made in amm 414.

(5:19)

Line development is tough, but it’s very important to finalize the sourcing in AMM 414, as much as you

can.

Keep constant relationship with the Buyer. Talk to them every week about what they sell, what they can

sell, and Get ideas. What they think is demanding in Spring.

We haven’t done leggings, maybe we need leggings.

(6:00)



And the TechPacks have to be very accurate techpacks, with right information. Students have to be very

honest, in what you do, what you present, because if you want to have a successful line. The tote bag

was sold out. The Jacket with a patch was sold out.

(6:55) Advertising the line

You have to get permission from the University for a promotional event in the Quad area, the University

can provide equipment for it. Have a marketing plan. A promotional plan.

5. Is there a certain product or style that the buyer buys more of than other products?

There is not a certain product that the buyer buys more of. It comes down to the material, color and

certain details that make the product stand out. For example the black tote bag with the tan leather CPP

logo on it sold out fast in the bookstore and the cardigan with embroidered CPP patch sold out fast too.

6. What is the most popular product that sells out fast in the bookstore? (T-shirt, long sleeve,

sweatshirts etc...)

Basic tee-shirts, ringer t-shirts, bomber jacket, raglan, duffle bags. Hoodies haven’t been selling as well

as other products.

7. What are the bookstore Sales?

Last year the bookstores sales were $3600 from the merchandise that Am2 produced.

Dr. Dabas Interview

1. What product sells best in the building 45 store? Weakest?

She is more familiar with accessories sales and generally hoodies and coffee mugs and water bottles sell

the best. Always run out of smaller sizes and are stuck with larger sizes.

2. Particular style or color that does generally well?

Depends on the season. Hoodies do best in fall (she says bookstore will always buy for summer and

never for fall). She believes windbreakers have done well in the past for the main campus bookstore.

3. What do students ask for most?

She doesn’t know, but says what building 45 boutique looks for is going to be very different than what

the main campus will look for. Cardigans did well previously but scarves have never done well. Colorful

prints did very well in the past.

4. Do you feel there is anything missing from the selection? Or anything that could be done better?

No, she thinks all bases were covered well.

5. What price points/markups are used in the store?



Fabrics were donated last year, costs were about 4-5 because of the donations. Professor Paris and Dr.

Sen should know who donated. She gave me a sheet that lists our prices, markups, and sales trends.

6. Is there any senior students we can interview that have worked the store?—to get a list of students

who ran the store in the past

Dr. Kim has the list of these students.

Start AM2 googledrive with past images for reference and notes on how well they sold

Good idea to promote AM2 website to help drive sales on broncospirit website.

Dr. Kim Interview

Ask for specific sales numbers.

1. What products are the best sellers at the boutique? Which are the weakest?

The best sellers in the boutique are the consignment merchandise and AMM major t shirts. Last quarter

patches, chokers, and hats were really popular. Small accessories sell more in comparison to the apparel

merchandise. The weakest sellers are pants. In the past, pants did not sell which resulted in a lot of extra

merchandise in the warehouse. The buying and sourcing team in Apparel Scapes have the sales log on

what exactly has sold the best.

2. Are there any particular styles and colors that generally do better?

When it comes to styles more basic designs perform better. Neutral colors are very popular and have

proven to be popular sellers. Although not neutral, students also really like maroon in apparel and

accessories.

3. Is there anything that students tend to ask for the most?

Students tend to ask for styles that look like Pinks collegiate collection from Victoria Secrets. Students

have also asked for baseball shirts and for graphics that have CPP in glitter.

4. What types of price points and markup used in the boutique?

The markup used at the boutique is 40% and the typical price point is from $15-25.

5. Do graphics or prints perform better?

Students love all types of graphics or prints in the CPP merchandise. It's more unique and definitely

performs better in sales.

6. Do specific fabrications sell better than others?

When it comes to fabrications they tend to go for cotton but Dr. Kim said that they were open to new

fabrications that we think students would like.



7. Which sell better fashion forward styles or basics?

Basic styles are better sellers than fashion forwards styles. When it comes to CPP clothing students are

usually looking to represent their school with cool t-shirts rather than really edgy fashion forward

designs.

8. Is there anything that you would like to see in the boutique?

Dr. Kim would like to see a larger diversity in the accessories department. She mentioned that last year

the bag made by AMM 414 sold quickly and was well received by the students.

9. Are there any senior students who have worked at the boutique that we can

interview? Boutique manager: Denise Cervantes

Email: [email protected]

Denise Cervantes Interview

1. What products are the best sellers at the boutique? Which are the weakest?

Best: T-shirts, baseball tees, sweaters, and sweatshirts with AMM logo on it, and bralettes.

Weakest: Water bottles, rings, jewelry (except chokers)

2. Are there any particular styles and colors that generally do better?

Color: Black, gray, burgundy, Neptune (light sea blue)

Style: Baseball tees (fitted) and t-shirts

3. Is there anything that students tend to ask for the most?

Bobbins and bobbin cases, sewing kits, more AMM merch with a logo

4. Do certain graphics or prints perform better?

Not really. We only had stripe (black and white) t-shirts last quarter, but they actually sold well after we

marked them down.

5. Is there anything that you would like to see in the boutique?

I would like to see merchandise with the AMM logo. For example: Totes, dad hats, sweatshirts,

Collegiate wear (like PINK collection at Victoria's Secret)



Word Cited

Nieder, A. Directives West: S/S ’17 Trends of the Season. (September 29, 2016) Directives \

West. California Apparel News.https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2016/sep/29/directives-west-

ss-17-trends-season/

Pressman, L. (September 23, 2016). Pantone’s Fashion Color Reporting Spring 2017. Pantone

Color institute. https://www.pantone.com/fashion-color-report-spring-2017?from=topNav

Carreon, J. (December 29, 2016). 10 Runway Trends You Can Actually Wear This Summer. Elle

Magazine http://www.elle.com/fashion/trend-reports/g29280/summer-2017-fashion-trends/

Pressman, L. (January 10, 2017). Gray- Quietly Assuring. Pantone Color Institute.

https://www.pantone.com/gray-quietly-assuring?from=topNav
https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2016/sep/29/directives-west-ss-17-trends-season/https://www.apparelnews.net/news/2016/sep/29/directives-west-ss-17-trends-season/https://www.pantone.com/fashion-color-report-spring-2017?from=topNavhttp://www.elle.com/fashion/trend-reports/g29280/summer-2017-fashion-trends/https://www.pantone.com/gray-quietly-assuring?from=topNav

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