Product Development | Malika Mascoll | TEDxEF Academy Youth
Product development in fashion requires integrating five stages—from concept sketching to final retail launch—demanding strong communication, creativity, and technical knowledge across diverse global teams. Malika Mascol, a product developer with eight years of experience at brands like Ralph Lauren and Alexander Wang, advises starting now by mastering garment construction, taking internships, and aggressively building a professional network. She details that the process moves from initial mood boarding to fabric selection, factory prototyping (2-4 week lead time), market assessment, large-scale production (3-5 months), and concluding with the physical or e-commerce launch.
## Speakers & Context
- **Malika Mascol:** Product developer in the fashion industry.
- **Presentation setting:** A talk given to an audience composed of high school students, given by a guest speaker.
- **Background:** Has eight plus years of experience in product development.
- **Educational path:** Attended the high school of fashion industries in Chelsea, Manhattan, studying fashion design before moving to the fashion institute of technology, where she completed two years of fashion design followed by a bachelor's in production management.
## Theses & Positions
- Product development successfully blends the creative aspects of design with the logistical structure of production.
- Key skills for success include: communication with diverse global teams (factories in Asia, Turkey, Italy, Mexico, US), creativity (supporting design sketches with feasibility), problem-solving (suggesting seam alternatives like French seams), time management, and technical knowledge.
- The process is systematic: five distinct stages must be followed to bring a garment from initial idea to store launch.
- Starting early is possible: high school students can begin by learning garment construction, taking internships, and networking.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Product development (in fashion):** The entire process of taking a garment idea from initial concept to final retail availability.
- **Garment construction:** The physical knowledge of how clothing is made (e.g., how to sew a seam, understanding different fabric types like indigo vs. sulfur black denim).
- **Merchandiser:** Individuals who perform buying decisions based on market trends and what is expected to sell.
- **Technical Designer:** A role involving the technical aspects of garment creation, alongside designers and merchandisers.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Five Stages of a Garment:**
1. **Concepts:** Creating mood boards, selecting colors, picking fabrics and trims, and sketching trends.
2. **Fabric and Trims:** Finalizing material choices.
3. **Sample and Fit:** Factory produces a sample (2-4 week lead time); the sample is then fitted on models to confirm ideal shape, length, and feel.
4. **Production:** Sending the approved design to factories for large orders (e.g., 500 units); this stage requires final approvals on details like wash and embroidery thread.
5. **Final Launch:** The garment reaches stores or is launched online (e-commerce), representing the public debut.
- **Problem Solving in PD:** When a factory cannot execute a desired seam (e.g., flat fell seam), PD suggests alternatives (e.g., French seam, added binding, clean finish).
## Timeline & Sequence
- **General Timeframes:**
- First prototype (proto) turnaround: generally two weeks.
- Salesman sample (SMS) timeline: approximately four weeks.
- Full production time: typically three to four months, potentially five months depending on technique and fabric lead times.
- **Career Progression Example:** Started in high school design → Production Management degree → Product Development.
## Named Entities
- **Rag and Bone, Kith, Ralph Lauren, Alexander Wang:** Brands where Malika Mascol has worked.
- **High school of fashion industries:** Institution attended in Chelsea, Manhattan.
- **Fashion institute of technology:** Institution attended for studies.
- **Soho:** Location of an early internship store.
## Numbers & Data
- Experience duration: **eight plus years** in product development.
- Proto lead time: **two week** turnaround (first to second proto).
- SMS timeline: **four weeks**.
- Production timeline: **three to four months**, sometimes **five** months.
## Examples & Cases
- **Process Illustration:** The speaker uses a physical item (a fit two chino from Rag and Bone) as a live sketch demonstration, physically moving through the stages from concept to retail.
- **Skill Demonstration:** Used experience working at a men's store to advise merchandisers that "men gravitate more to navy and black and tan," rather than bright red, for sales predictions.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Live sketch to first proto:** Physical demonstration used throughout the presentation.
- **Yarn card:** Actual physical sample card used to show fabric/trim selection.
## Counterarguments & Caveats
- The initial idea that production was "a little bit too much numbers" was balanced by the desire to create something that was not just designed for another company.
- The perception that PD is complicated is refuted by the speaker, who states, "It's not."
## Methodology
- **Communication Strategy:** Learning to communicate with distinct functional groups—designers (visual), merchandisers (numbers), technical designers, and various international factory teams.
- **Skill Acquisition:** Technical knowledge is gained incrementally over years of experience (e.g., learning denim wash processes like indigo vs. sulfur black).
- **Opportunity Seeding:** Early internships (e.g., retail store in Soho) provide essential business knowledge (e.g., understanding male buying habits) that benefits later roles.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- **Actionable advice for aspiring students:**
* Learn garment construction using resources like YouTube and Tik Tok.
* Take internships.
* Be open to diverse roles (e.g., starting in design, but moving to trim development).
* Build a network proactively using current friends, classmates, and teachers as resources.
## Implications & Consequences
- **Career flexibility:** One is not permanently stuck in one role; movement between design, production, and trim development is possible.
- **Networking value:** Current classmates and friends can become future coworkers and professional contacts.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"I wanted to design for myself."*
- *"Five stages of a garment, right?"*
- *"You're learning how to communicate with different types of people."*
- *"Product development actually supports design a lot in bringing their sketches to life."*
- *"If you can't do a flat fell seam, maybe do a French seam. Maybe add a binding, maybe do a clean finish."*
- *"Time is money."*
- *"YouTube has everything."*
- *"My friends in high school became co-workers. My prof became references. They became job opportunities."*
- *"Start building your network from now."*