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ThePortlandGarmentFactoryForecastPresentation.pptxThe Portland Garment Factory Forecast Presentation
Ceola Crawford
Hello! My name is Ceola Crawford, I am excited to present my forecast for fall/winter of 2022!
The Portland Garment Factory
Full-Service Apparel production company
Woman-Owned
Commitment to ethical practice, community involvement, and sustainability
The Portland Garment Factory is a woman-owned and founded apparel manufacturer with a focus on sustainability and ethical practice. According to their mission statement, one of their main goals is to serve their community and upend the traditional factory model, which can be quite damaging to both the environment and the wellbeing of its workers. The company has obtained numerous certifications attesting to their commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. These certifications include B-Corps, Climate Neutral, Woman Owned, Blue Sky Renewable Energy, Sustainability and Work Gold, and Pacific Power. A major way that they embrace sustainability in their practice is by being zero waste. They do not throw away any fabric. Rather, all scraps are either recycled or repurposed within the community. Ethical practice is embraced through their workplace culture. The Portland Garment Factory’s workplace culture is described to be familial, and workers display connection to their jobs and the work they do. This likely stems from their attitude of themselves being more than just a manufacturer. Unlike most factories, Portland Garment Factory workers are encouraged to have creative autonomy over their projects, and projects are referred to as collaborations with other companies rather than mere orders. This creative autonomy likely results in increased innovation and worker satisfaction.
The Portland Garment Factory
Provides a wide range of services
Encourages Creativity
Gives back to their community
Holds wide plethora of sustainability and ethics certifications
Positive work environment
Along with obtaining a plethora of sustainability and ethics based certification, they have also received many awards recognizing the value of their work. Of these awards are the 2020 manufacturer of the year in the 11-50 employee category, the 2018 Innovation award, the 2017 Women of Influence award, the 2016 Small Business Innovation award, and the 2015 American Factories: 10 Under 40 award.
In adherence to their goal of serving their community, they partake in collaborations with small artists and designers, which in turn supports local businesses and the economy. A major way that they do this is through their AIR Program, which stands for Artists in Residency. In this program, underrepresented artists are given the opportunity to collaborate with the factory on specific fabric-based projects. During the collaboration, the artists are educated on the intersection of their craft and the manufacturing process, which enables them to monetize their skills, fostering a more local, small business based economy. Additionally, they also donate five percent of their annual profits to community organizations. They also are affiliated with a technical education program for their local high school, though little information in regards to this affiliation is provided on their website.
The Portland Garment Factory claims that “their niche is not having a niche” which is odd for a garment factory. The factory partakes in collaborations based on the compatibility of workers and external companies rather than project niches. They are a full service manufacturer which allows them to meet people at any stage of the production process. They claim to work with a wide range of clients from small independent designers to large name brand companies.
Target Customer
Independent designers
Caters to companies of all sizes
In my forecasting presentation, I will focus on the independent designer side of their target customer base. Though they cater to companies of all sizes, I believe that their focus on sustainability, ethics, and innovation appeals to many independent designers, and this can be leveraged to grow their clientele base as well as forecasting trends that will make them more competitive in the market of garment factories.
Target Customer
Values sustainability and ethics
Young
Most likely female
Politically left-leaning
Follows alternative lifestyle
Diet, clothing, consumer behavior
The independent designer who would work with The Portland Garment Factory is sustainability-minded, artistically driven, and prioritizes ethics over profits and scale. They can be of any age, but are likely a young adult as younger generations are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of prioritizing sustainability and ethics in the apparel field. They are more likely to be female, but are not exclusively so; and to live a lifestyle governed by ethics in unconventional ways such as veganism, low-waste living, or minimalism. For this reason, some may call them a hipster, and they are likely to be deeply affiliated with a subculture (such as gothicism, dark academia, vintage enthusiasm, etc) due to their love of expression through fashion and high level of creativity. They likely love nature, but also value the ways that modern technology enhances our lives and can create a more sustainable future. Regardless of whether they are introverted or extroverted, they have good social skills and are great communicators and value the input of other creatives and professionals. They are not prideful and are willing to hear other people out if they have suggestions. They are more likely to resonate with left-leaning political ideology, to support more liberal organizations and movements, and likely embrace activism in their personal and professional lives. Lastly, they are likely very driven and self-motivators, as being an independent designer requires great resiliency, organization, and perseverance.
Back To Earth
Juxtaposition of sustainability, natural tones, and modern cuts
Elegance
Timeless fashion
Versatility
The theme for A/W 2022 will be Back to Earth. The concept of the theme is the juxtaposition of sustainability, natural tones, and modern cuts. This theme was inspired by WGSN A/W women’s wear reports which shared a motif of natural toned reds, blues, greens, and blacks. These colors tap into the increasing desire that consumers have to look elegant with ease, which follows the lifestyle adjustments caused by the pandemic. Ultimately, consumers value ease of wear and timeless pieces but also want a sense of freshness in their wardrobes (Martellini 2021.) In regard to cut, the WGSN report entitled “Design Capsule: Women's Reconsidered Tailoring A/W 22/23” inspired me to propose a theme that explores the polarity of natural tones and modern, edgy cut. The theme is a fresh take on classic color palettes that are known for being fairly conservative, and is a presentation of such palettes as interpreted by modern creatives. This theme will be presented to the creatives who collaborate with the Portland Garment Factory as a part of AIR (Artists in Residency) program.
Back to Earth
Sustainability
Utility
Comfort
The sustainability aspect of the theme shines in the area of textile selection. Textiles selected are a balance of sustainability, utility, and comfort. Since this is an autumn/ winter collection, an emphasis is placed on insulating fabrics. The fabrics selected are organic flannel, wool gabardine, organic cotton sateen, and oxford. Gabardine is very insulating, and consists of an easily renewable fiber. Flannel is included in the textile selection as a vegan alternative to gabardine since much of our customer base is likely to produce vegan collections. Cotton sateen is included as a more sustainable alternative to traditional polyester satins, which is a desirable choice for linings and eveningwear. Oxford is included in this selection due to its utility. Since we cater to a mostly young demographic, their young target customers they are designing for likely have busy schedules that do not allow for ample time to care for their garments. Since tailoring and cut is a focus of my proposed theme, I sought it fit to include a textile that can be used as a foundation for such tailoring, but that is also easy to maintain so that wearers can reap the full benefits of such artistry. Oxford was my solution, as it comes in a variety of deniers and can be combined with stabilizations to form different silhouettes and maintain form when cut unconventionally. Additionally, it has high resilience which makes it less demanding of constant ironing in the way that most shirting fabrics require. In this selection, twills are favored due to their versatility and utility. Though a color story is presented, greige textiles are selected to allot the creatives within the AIR program creative liberty in the incorporation of these colors in the prints and garments. All bleaching, dyeing and printing will take place in the factory. This also adds to our focus on sustainability since we have more control over the waste and pollution caused by our coloring techniques.
Silhouettes
Tubular
Comfort
Utility
Loose-fitting
The silhouette direction for this collection is tubular. Garments will be well-tailored but will not accentuate curves and are designed for optimal comfort and utility. They will also be fairly loose-fitting to prevent restriction of movement and improve comfort. Additionally, this silhouette is fairly conservative which makes the garments appropriate for a wider range of situations. Though tailored, they are not oversized which allows the wearer to easily and comfortably layer the pieces with stockings and jackets during colder months. Additionally, the bottoms of the looks are not long which allows the wearer to get more use from them as they can be worn year-round depending on what they are paired with.
Silhouettes
Style 1: Miss Milk Lady
Style 2: Pleaty Please
Style 3: Cuffed for the Holidays
The target customer for a large segment of designers who collaborate with Portland Garment Factory are young, busy professionals and students. They value comfort, style, practicality, and utility. The silhouettes I illustrated on the following pages strike a balance between these three attributes. They are appropriate for a variety of settings including business casual affairs, outings with friends, and the classroom which makes them ideal for people who frequent multiple types of establishments during the week. Their main tailoring element used are pleats which allow for freedom of movement as well as giving the garments movement while still making the look more refined.
In regard to style, the garments are simple, elegant, and classy. They are conservative while still being young and vibrant. They also are suitable for a large variety of colors and fabrics which our artists in residency have the liberty of experimenting with. They can easily be styled with accessories since the tubular silhouette is elegant and not overwhelming.
Competitors
| The Portland Garment Factory | Indie Source | Lefty Production Co. | |
| Price Structure | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Appearance | Young Urban Alternative Aesthetic | Minimal Elegant | Corporate Professional |
| Selection | Medium- large selection Sourcing, production | Large selection Sourcing, production, branding, coaching | Very large Selection Sourcing, production, branding, coaching, web development |
| Quality | High | High | High |
One competitor of the Portland Garment Factory is Indie Source. The major strengths of Indie Source is their location and partnerships. Los Angeles is a global fashion hub, which makes it an ideal location to operate an apparel factory.The major weakness of Indie Source is their lack of certifications and Brand Story. The Portland Garment Factory narrates a story of women who started a business with the intent of uplifting their community and who make it their mission to do so. The Indie Source on the other hand lacks such a narrative, and their mission statement is not as clearly defined. Another competitor of the Portland Garment Factory is Lefty Production Co.The main strength of Lefty Production Co is their reach. Though they are based in Los Angeles, they also serve Canada, Switzerland, Denmark, France, and the United Kingdom.The main weakness of Lefty Production Co is that they do not have a niche. Though serving a wider range of demographics and providing a wide range of services allows them to gain more clients, they likely miss out on customers who are looking for a company with a more intimate family-like work environment.
Forecasted bestsellers
Style 1: Miss Milk Lady
Style 2: Pleaty Please
Style 3: Cuffed for the Holidays
#1
#3
#2
Style number one entitled Miss Milk lady would be the most popular style with a ranking score of one because it emcompasses many aspects of the trends detailed in WGSN’s Design Capsule: Women's Reconsidered Tailoring. This garment features tailoring aspects found on many classic staples such as the plentiful pleats which shape the skirt along with the gathered sleeve,
Style number three entitled cuffed for the holidays would be the second most popular due to the interest created by design details such as topstitching, pleats, and princess darting. In like manner as style number one, it features an a-line silhouette which is forecasted to be popular in the upcoming seasons
Style number two entitled pleaty please would be the least popular. It is a classic silhouette that can be worn in many social situations, which is something that women are demanding from their wardrobe. Though classic, it is far from boring since the pleats create interest by contrasting the smooth texture of the top (Upscale Athleisure.) This style ranks last because it does not have as many interesting design details which young women desire as a way to express themselves.
Thank You! :)
