THE VINTAGE EFFECT: HOW TO REPRODUCE IT FAITHFULLY

Customer need or problem

The customer’s style department contacted us about their need to replicate a patch on a historic garment kept in the archives of their atelier. They wanted the patch to be made with very high quality leather, and to have the same used and worn-out appearance as the sample.

Aim

To replicate the patch as closely as possible, with the effects of wear and tear and any scuff marks, so that a series of identical copies could be made.

Context

Large haute-couture fashion house

Challenges and obstacles

The first challenge was that we did not have the physical sample so we could not examine it with sufficient precision. Also, the photographic images we were sent could have been misleading as opposed to the actual sample. So if the photos had too much or too little contrast, the effects we achieved might be either too excessive or too subtle.

The second challenge was keeping control over the final wash, which on the one hand emphasized the “used” look, but at the same time altered the tone of the print and so the desired effect. 

Solution adopted

As we could not have physical charge of the garment because it was too fragile to travel, we had to work on the basis of the photos sent by the customer. We realized that the distressing process could not be completely controlled during washing or other treatments, as each patch came out different from the last. So we decided to print a blotchy image straight onto the patch we’d already cut. After printing, the patch was given a light wash to accentuate the “vintage” effect. 

Why

Washing or a distressing treatment would not have ensured a consistent result. By printing on a blotchy design specially created to mimic the sample we could replicate the patch very faithfully and keep total control over the final result

Result

The patch turned out very similar to the historical original, maintaining the worn effect requested by the customer and ensuring uniformity of production.

Impact

The customer’s Stylist was very pleased with the fidelity of the reproduction and the naturalness of the effect.

The product manager complimented the speed in dealing with the samples sent to our company, and the effective way the work was presented.