My Design Background
After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design from Nottingham Trent University, I moved to London & spent 8 years working with respected suppliers, designing women's and kids' wear, travelling regularly for shopping trips, client meetings & factory visits.
Working with Indian & Chinese factories daily, I witnessed the whole process first-hand. This gave me a deep understanding of how to take ideas from design to production. Factory/development trips were high-pressure, requiring me to sketch designs & problem-solve on the spot.
I honed my craft designing for high-street brands like Topshop, Miss Selfridge, George Asda, the Landmark Group & Primark. Working on a wide variety of briefs & understood each customer’s needs.
I can tell you there’s no thrill like seeing your designs in real life, selling both online & in-store. 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.
Now, I take pride in helping brands bridge the gap between initial ideas, finalised garments & fully realised brands.
I believe fashion is deeper than the clothes themselves - it’s about understanding people, attention to detail, creating high-quality garments that are fit for purpose & made to last. It is about connection. That’s the energy I bring to every project.
The process has become second nature to me; I’m friendly, reliable & I can’t wait to work with you.
My Skills
I’ve also worked on many exciting women’s wear, children’s, men’s, activewear & 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, Concept Building & Customer Profiling
🧡 Graphic Design, Slogans & Embroidery
💛 Brand Consultancy, Product Reviews & Accountability
🧡 Sustainability Advice
💛 Sourcing & Introductions to Manufacturing Partners
🧡 Grading & POM Charts
💛 Downloadable Resources & Directories
My Story
After graduating in 2012, I landed a job straight out of university, 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, more meaningful path.
Though scared of the unknown, I longed to reconnect with my craft & work alongside other like-minded individuals. It was time to forge a new path based on these 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 to independent brands & Lottie Woods Design was born. Cambodia showed me a new world of fashion, one being built by creative entrepreneurs. 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!
How I help you
Foundational Brand Building
A strong foundation is essential when creating a new business. Brands are more than the products they sell & understanding the true calling of a brand is just as important as the designs themselves.
Together we will brainstorm & create clarity from the beginning.
Design Development
It is clear to see the difference between brands that have winged it & brands that have worked with an experienced designer. We will make sure the products are commercially viable, down to the final details, & the best they can be without the headache of doing it all by yourself.
Range & Sample Reviews
Whether you have already developed your samples or we’ve worked on the designs together, I can assess the garments inside & out, & identify areas for improvement.
Confidence & Accountability
What will the next steps consist of? Get one step ahead! I will walk you through a typical sampling process & give you advise get better samples, building good relationships with manufacturers & connecting you with other professionals that can help from the beginning.
In between the stages, I will create accountability & consistency to prevent you from getting stuck.
Tech Pack & Technical Design
I am a design expert; together, we will create CAD drawings & tech packs to help your garments start 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 who will collectively get you ready for sampling & production.
