So here it is. The first of a series of prints for all things baby: The "Queen Of Dots". From onesies to the nursery’s wallpaper, from birth announcements to cute blankets, the application of this print is as broad as your imagination.
Since several of my "baby" designs end up in children clothing, even through copycat (yes, you know who you are), I thought I’d discuss a little about another very important aspect of colorways: their commercial relevance.
If you’re in the business, you know it is all about knowing and reaching your audience, and when we are talking "baby", colors separate markets.
As mentioned somewhere else, the very same print can look incredibly different once you start playing with the color palette, but it is not only about their looks but also about the message, the meaning each color combination conveys.
There is a clear relationship between the market size a company caters for and the colorways used in their collections. The larger the market, the longer and more expensive the production cycle is, which adversely affects any attempts at deviating from safe (merchant wise) choices. On the other hand, smaller shops cater for smaller markets, thus enjoying the benefits of a shorter and more dynamic production cycle allowing for experiments and lots of personality. The "Queen Of Dots" is a baby girl print using different colorways to cater for the different markets out there.
In the children wear market, for instance, certain color compositions are traditionally safer than others. "First Memories" is an example of a safe
bet. Manufacturers sell their designs to huge department store chains with at least one, but mostly a two season lead time and they can never go wrong with pink tones.
"The Age Of Innocence" is a small step towards edginess, with soft colors standing out smoothly from a pale white background, which could also translate into garments sized for toddlers.
The more dynamic your company is, the broader the possibilities become. "Silver Rain" is definitely more audacious, bringing lots more in style alongside.
If personality is the name of the game, then "Precious Gemstones" is your pick! The more vibrant colors pulls this print away from a certain monotony typical of the mass market.
You can easily see these relationships depicted in the graph, which implicitly begs the question: Where does profitability lie? That is not an easy question to answer. The smaller the market, the more sophisticated it tends to be, leading to bigger margins, while the opposite is true to the bigger markets, which are focused on quantities. So is that sweet spot in the graph what you should be pursuing? Not necessarily so. It sure makes one think, but this graph is lacking the single most important curve of all… the one that’s not there for its immensurability: Quality of Life.
Professionally wise, where do your dreams stand? If not the only aspect to consider, it definitely is an important one, especially in this age in which youngsters are educated to become financial leaders or economically self-sustained, but mostly end up bearing the social weight of being someone else’s employee. Maybe it is time to drop the stigmas and focus on being successful in whatever position you choose to pursuit. And remember, there is one "Queen Of Dots" for every approach! ;-) [click on the images to enlarge]
2 Comments
yet another insightful post…thanks.L
Oh this is gorgeous, Silver Rain is definitely my favourite, just wish I had something to use your amazing designs for, maybe on day!!