My Design Background
After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design from Nottingham Trent University, I moved to London and spent 8 years working with respected suppliers, learning the ropes from the inside, & travelling regularly for shopping trips, client meetings & factory visits.
Working with Indian & Chinese factories daily, I witnessed the production process first-hand, which gave me a deep understanding of the entire process, from design to production. Often, factory trips were high-pressure, requiring me to sketch designs & problem-solve on the spot.
I honed my craft designing for commercial high-street brands like Topshop, Miss Selfridge, George Asda, the Landmark Group & Primark. There’s no thrill like seeing your designs in real life, selling both online & in-store.
Fun fact: Once, I walked into Splash stores in Dubai & was overwhelmed with pride seeing many of my designs on the shelves, mannequins, & featured in campaign photos. It was a “pinch-me” moment in my career.
In 2018, I took the leap of faith & left full-time employment to align my career with my passion for sustainability, launching Lottie Woods Design. Now, I take pride in helping brands bridge the gap between initial ideas & finalised garments, ensuring the process is seamless & enjoyable.
My passion is designing for customers. I believe fashion is much deeper than trends - it’s about understanding people, attention to detail, creating high-quality garments that are fit for purpose & made to last. That’s the energy I bring to every project.
The design process has become second nature to me. I love helping clients launch their dream products. I’m friendly, approachable, & reliable. I can’t wait to work with you.
My Skills
I specialise in multi-product Women’s wear. I’ve also worked on many exciting children’s, men’s & sports/swimwear projects. My strength lies in my attention to detail & technical expertise.
🧡 Industry Standard Tech Packs
🧡 Technical Design, CAD Drawings & Design Development
🧡 Mood Boards, Range Building & Customer Profiling
🧡 Graphics Design, Slogans & Embroidery
🧡 Brand Consultancy & Product Reviews
🧡 Sustainability Advice
🧡 Sourcing & Introductions to Manufacturing Partners
🧡 Grading Charts & POM Charts
🧡 Downloadable Resources & Directories
My Story
Creativity has always been at my core - from drawing in my room as a child to living in the art & textiles studio at school. I decided to merge my passions & pursue a career in fashion design. Earning a spot at Nottingham Trent University without a foundation degree. This was a huge achievement.
After graduating in 2012, I landed a job straight out of university (another big achievement), so I moved to London on my own & built a life around my work. After 8 years of hard work, fast fashion felt disconnected from my true love for creating quality, meaningful clothes. High street fashion taught me a lot, but it proved to be a fickle industry & I was ready to forge a new path.
Though scared of the unknown, I longed to reconnect with my craft & work alongside other like-minded individuals. It was time to create based on my values.
So, I set off on the adventure of a lifetime with my partner. We did beach cleans in Bali, factory visits in Cambodia, I gave a talk on fashion at a feminist festival, & travelled around India documenting their rich artisanal crafts. We fell in Love with Cambodia, so I was thrilled to find work there, teaching fashion design at Raffles University. Every day was a learning experience, it showed me you can achieve your goals when you dare to say yes & believe in yourself.
Alongside teaching, I began consulting for an ethical manufacturer in Phnom Penh, offering my skills & tech pack services to independent brands producing in the factory. Cambodia showed me a new world of fashion, one being built by creative entrepreneurs & this role gave me the confidence to launch my studio as you see it today. Since then, I’ve worked with 100+ brands.
Now based in Cheltenham, I live in my dream pink house with my husband & have built a network of trustworthy, like-minded professionals - I’m cultivating the positive connections I wished for & it feels great. Every day, I share my experience with independent brands & together we are redesigning the fashion industry!
Areas I can help
Getting Started & Concept Building
Ready to move forward with your ideas? Talking with an expert will help create a solid foundation to build upon. I will help you plan the best steps forward & give you the confidence boost you need to go for it.
Designing Your New Collection
Collaborating with a designer makes a huge difference to the outcome, making sure the products are commercially viable, down to the final details, & adding value to your garments, without the headache of doing it all by yourself.
Range & Sample Reviews
It’s time to get into the nuts and bolts of your collection & access the designs/the final samples, is there room for improvement? I can help identify areas for improvement & suggest solutions.
Talk Through The Sampling Process
I will chat through the process to help you get better samples from the beginning, build good relationships with manufacturers & connect you to people who can help.
Tech Pack & Technical Design
This is the bulk of my work, creating final CAD drawings & tech packs. Once you have your tech packs you are ready to start making, this is where the garment starts coming to life - Check out my blog post on why they are important & what my tech packs include.
Patterns & Grading
I work with two experienced pattern cutters/graders, and together we will get you ready for sampling & production.
Collections Planners
Not quite ready to work with me, but ready to work through your ideas?
My collection planners are for you! Pull your ideas together, faster, easier & yes - have fun going it.
Say goodbye to scattered to-do lists & get everything in one place.
This workbook is like having multiple consultations with me, & will give you the confidence to move forward with your ideas.
Stop dreaming, start doing. Right now!
