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 regularly with factories gave me a deep understanding of the entire process, from design to production. I got to witness the production process first-hand & built good relationships with suppliers. These trips were high-pressure, requiring me to sketch designs on the spot. I started to build my hand drawing skills, design aesthetic, & problem-solving skills.
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 so 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 design process is seamless & enjoyable.
My passion is designing with real customers in mind. It’s deeper than trends - it’s about problem solving, 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’m a versatile designer with the ability to tackle a range of briefs. 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 Designs, 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 on my first try, 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 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 & this role gave me the confidence to launch my business as you see it today. Since then, I’ve worked with 100+ brands, on projects big & small.
Now based in Cheltenham, I live in my dream pink house with my soon-to-be husband & have built a network of trustworthy like-minded professionals - I’m cultivating the positive connections I wished for & it feels so meaningful.
Every day, I share my experience with independent brands, so together we can redesign the fashion industry we want to see! To learn more, follow me on Instagram & please don’t hesitate to get in touch to ask questions. I’m always happy to chat!
Areas I can help
Getting Started & Concept Building
If you’re 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 forwards & 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 final outcome, building on your ideas, & 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 blots of your collection & access the designs/the final samples, is there room for improvements? I can help identify areas for improvement & suggest solutions.
Talk Through The Sampling Process
I will go through the step by step process with you, how to 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.
Incorporating Sustainability Into Your Brand
This is a particular passion of mine, so much so I co-created a course around it. Join my mailing list to find out when the course will be re-launched, or we can make a personal plan of how to build sustainability into your brand & start with feeling.
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!
