A Purse-anol Problem
Well, this is awkward. Today I remembered I have some expensive taste. I mean, my parents used to remind me of that fact, but it really came to the forefront when I calculated the items needed to to create my own bag.
For an assignment in the Parson’s Fashion Industry Essentials Certificate program, I was challenged to design my “signature” bag. The bag was meant to be inspired by a personal mood board I had created for a previous assignment. My personal mood board was filled with fanciful dresses and shoes that had some element of “sheerness” to it. In fact, I called the mood board “Sheer Elegance”. As such, my bag design, which ended up being a purse, had elements of gold and a hint of sheerness itself (pictured below).
Photo Description: A cream colored purse has a gold handle and gold floral accents around the handle and purse’s cover. In the center of the cover there is a red rose, and underneath the cover is a small piece of sheer fabric.
The designing part was fun. But the problem that I now faced had to do with what helps makes those dresses and shoes and bags so elegant: very pricey, high quality materials and very skilled, and rightfully paid, handiwork. Similarly to my zipper bracelet, I was tasked with finding the cost of materials needed to create my purse design. But unlike the zipper bracelet, I had not yet made the bag, so I first had to figure out how long it would take in order to calculate not only material costs, but labor as well. So with some muslin, I got to work creating the bag’s prototype.
Because the bag’s designed centered around the rose, I first found some fake flowers I could use to help with sizing (pictured below). After dulling my scissors cutting the fake rose, I created the patterns pieces for the bag.
Photo Description: A pink fake rose sits on top of some muslin. The muslin has some markings on it to indicate where it will be cut.
As I developed the pattern, I realized I wanted a couple of things on the inside of the bag that I had not yet designed. Firstly, some lining, secondly, a pocket on the inside of the bag, and lastly, a zipper and zipper placket to help secure the contents of the bag. In my original design, I had included a magnetic snap, but I did not think it would necessarily secure the bag alone. These changes started to add up to my costs, which I still had yet to calculate. After including these pieces, I sewed the prototype together (pictured below).
Photo Description: A muslin prototype of the previously described bag lies against a wood background. The fake pink rose is placed on top of the bag as it would in the completed purse design.
After sewing the prototype, and now knowing the time it takes to make it and how much material I would need, I got to work on calculating costs. Sewing the prototype together luckily didn’t take that long, only around an hour. However, muslin is very different from the materials that I had pictured for the bag, which from what I now know about real and faux leather, it would be quite tricky. To account for the patience needed to ensure the leather would sit exactly right, I added in some extra time (and thus cost) for the labor to make the bag.
I also found that my ideal fabrics – a floral lining, a piece of chiffon, and most importantly, leather, were quite pricey. On top of that, the trim and other notions added up more than I previously had envisioned. All in all, my production costs alone were nearly $100.
Photo Description: An Excel chart breakdowns the costs per purse. The total production cost is $96.40, and with a profit margin of 20% the total cost plus profit is $115.68. The estimated retail price is $125.
If, like in the bracelet experiment, I wanted to mass produce the bags, there would be two things I could do: cheapen the materials, and hire less skilled labor. Both choices cause issues – it could be harder for consumers to justify the price of the estimated bag ($125) if I cheapen out, so to speak, in either direction. Since I don’t like cheap things myself, I am okay with a higher cost point, but I understand manufacturers might not.
All in all, this was an interesting learning experience. I realized that fabrics can be costly, but the additional but necessary items – like zippers and trims – can really add up before you know it. It’s important to keep these costs in mind while designing, especially if you have a more cost-conscious customer, as you may have to add to the retail price to make a profit. Some customers may not want to pay for a handbag so expensive, while for others who could and would, this price point may give the illusion that the bag is “cheap”. It’s important to find the right customer to avoid this issue, and make sure you are designing with your customer’s price point in mind.