Product realisation

Catherine McAleer

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Product Development Record

Design 1 ‘ Rococco Stone’ 5 - 24

Heel development 25 - 36

Final product 37 - 41

Design 2 ‘Guilded Statue’ 42 - 51

Heel development 53 - 55

Final product 56 - 61

Marketing

Point of sale 62 - 64

Online presence 65

Location photoshoot 66 - 69

Product Evaluation 70

PPD 71

CONTENTSTable of

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Mock-upsChosen Design 1.

I was pleased with the outcome of this initial mock-up as I felt it worked well,

the following points were be taken into consideration for the next attempt.

- Change position of zip, bring forward towards front of boot.

- Change position of lap seam (as shown above.)

- Create opening at top of zip for puller.

This design was chosen to be made because of its

simple shape, quirky construction and the obvious

contrast between old and new styles which I feel

represents the collection, ‘Baroquen Empire.’

‘Rococco Stone’

Mock-up 1

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Mock-up 2

The changes were made to mock-up 2, but I was still not happy with the results for the below reasons.

- The joint between front closed seam and lap seam on the inside of the boot is unsightly.

- The lap seam looks unfinished and inelegant. This is to be changed to a full closed seam.

- The curved lap seam on the inside does not fit in with the design and would look better straight.

- The zip placement looks odd and feel it would look best halfway between front and back seam.

- To make a feature of the zip it will be visible with a small brass puller to add detail.

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Mock-up 2b

As part of the design of mock-up 1 and 2, an inside shoe is needed for it to fit the wearer. The gold shoe above

shows how this would look. The images at the top of the page illustrate how the two would look together.

This design was rejected as it looks chunky and stiff, which would not suit the customer. I could now see clearly

how another design from my developments file would work.

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As the previous design did not

work, I reverted to my original

design choice. I was advised

that this construction would not

work, but once I had mocked

up the previous design I could

see clearly how this one would

be made.

After enquiring how the

previous product would be

manufactured in a factory,

a separate last piece would

need to be made for each size

- which could prove costly

especially if it would be only

used for one season.

A/W 2012/13

ROCOCCO Stone

Suede Upper

Dark NavySheep lining

Navy BlueKid Lining

Burnished GoldDesign Detail

Zip puller and brass teeth, used on all designs with exposed zip. Shoe backmoulded before Back part stitched as lapseam.

The new design choice means

that it will not require an inside

part to hold the foot as it is

fitted at the back and the vamp

point is high enough for the

boot to stay on.

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Mock-up 3

Back part

Change to lap seam

I was really pleased how this

quick mock-up turned out and I

felt I made the right decision to

change designs.

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Corrections to be made

- Add cushion between lining and upper to create

comfort as the heel may be stiff against the ankle

(see sample box for different glue and sponge

experimentations.)

If the heel is pressed into the leather to leave an

imprint, this will make it look like it fits even if it is

not perfect.

- The heels positioning must avoid the ankle bone.

- The upper leather is perfect as it is heavy and

luxurious but the lining sample is stiff, cheap and

plastic looking - a better option is to be sourced.

- The opening at the top of the zip looks unfinished.

If the edges were coated, this would make it more

aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

- A zip guard is needed.

- The back part of mock-up 3 was slotted into the

upper and stitched in but after doing this I realised it

is not necessary and can be left as a raw edge as the

side heel will cover it.

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- On the inside of the boot, the back part

should be extended to the stitch line of the zip

and be attached in the second line of stitching

around the zip. The upper edges along the zip

should be folded and the lining left raw and

unseen.

- When making, I must pay closer attention to

the ensure the top lines are parallel .

- The leather needs a backer to ensure it holds

the shape and achieves the angular effect.

- The closed seam at the front inside should

look parallel to the zip from the inside view.

- I must be careful not to leave any gaps at the

front when stitching and any viable threads are

tucked in.

- When originally making the pattern I did

not have a seam at the back but decided it was

better to be fitted so inserted a seam. I thought

the counter would then not be seen under the

back part but it was so this will be changed to a

full closed seam down the back.

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Mock-up 4

After applying all the changes from previous mock-ups I went on to made a full shoe.

Corrections:

- The backer I used was too stiff and although it gave the shoe a good shape, in parts, like the toe, it made it look

bulky and unrefined.

- It was more obvious that the pattern was wrong as the front line was tilted forward too much. This is to be

corrected.

- The gap for the zip is too wide and should be close to the zip teeth.

- The stitching length is too big and needs to be neater.

- When lasting, the closed seam on the inside at the front must be pulled so that it is parallel to zip.

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Further Corrections:

- The lining has a top rim with is attached to the bottom part with a lap seam, this

should be changed to a closed seam.

- The top rim of the lining should be gold and the bottom be navy sheep skin

- The top rim at the back has a closed seam which makes it look bulky. This seam can

be removed as it is unnecessary as there is a split where the zip is.

- The zip guard should be stitched with the upper as it is too low at the minute.

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Mock-up 5I made this shoe, with the thought that it

would be my final piece, but there were

some changes that I wanted to make.

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Corrections:

- The top line of the lining is not stiff enough and looks flimsy. More experimentations with binding, cord

and backer must be done before finalising a solution to this problem. (see sketchbook)

- Even though I glued down the edges of the lining at the zip opening, it still looked untidy. (see more

samples in sketchbook)

- The folded edge of the upper which meets the zip edge looks bulky and needs to be skived more to create

a clean line. Careful attention must be paid when stitching down this line.

- The back part is not stiff enough. This needs a small bit of back stiffener to create the same look as

mock-up 4.

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The above images illustrate the particular parts which worked well and hope to carry over to the

final shoe. Overall I feel this mock up was very close to what I imagined the design to look like,

and by following all the final corrections I hope to have a more successful final product.

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Zip pullerDesign Detail

I decided to make a feature

out of the zip by leaving

it visible and creating an

unusual puller. The piece

in the picture was a found

jewellery piece. I have tried

various ways of making it a

workable piece. (See sample

box for original)

I sanded off two holes on each side at the back leaving two holes available to insert a screw bar.

Using a Dremel I carved out a space for it to slot into the zip mechanism.

I glued on a piece of suede as the back was quite rough. When making the final zip pulls, the amount

of glue used must be reduced as it pushes through the design and is visible.

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The zip puller shown above would be used in all the designs within the collection which require a zip. The suede

used on each one should be the same colour as the upper. The image below shows an example of the zip puller

of the ‘ Guilded Statue’ design.

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Final Product:

Rococco Stone

The production of this shoe

went very smoothly. There

were a few minor corrections

I made the decision to make

whilst making. Snapshots of

the process, the corrections and

issues faced are illustrated in the

following pages.

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Having reexamined the previous mock ups, I

decided to keep the opening of the zip simple.

Instead of having a boxed off zip puller, the

opening has two straight clean lines.

Mock upFinal product

Cording added to top line of lining. Corners of cord binding skived very thin and

end with folded edges.

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Back part stitched on last with the second row of

stitches around zip.

Did not stitch back part on until back-moulded.

Inserted padding between upper and lining.

It was decided not to add glue as originally planned

as the heel shape was not fully finalised. If in

production, this would be done.

Back moulded then back part stitched in so not to

damage it in the process.

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Lasting the upper was a particular challenge. As there is five layers

altogether as well as backer it took careful precision to make it look good.

I was really pleased with the results - once hammered down it obtained a

good look and a refined silhouette.

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Heel Development

Original vintage brass piece

I originally planned to use the rapid-prototyping

method to redesign this vintage piece but due to

financial restraints, choose a different route. These

images show my first attempt at trying to mould

the piece into my chosen design. Firstly heating up,

hammering and bending around the shoe. This was

difficult to do because brass is quite brittle and it

eventually snapped in two.

I then attempted to build up the piece with Milliput

and mend the broken piece with a view that I would

cast it in wax and use the lost wax process to then

cast a new heel in brass. This again did not give

the desired affect and I realised it would be easier

to work in wax and carve the piece from scratch.

This way I could change and adapt the design to

my preferences. The following pages illustrate this

process.

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An object was placed inside the shoe to resemble the foot and ankle bone, it was pitched at the right height

and then measurements taken of the outside of the boot.

These measurements were then transferred onto hard wax.

The general shape was cut out and sanded down to the approximate shape.

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The wax piece was slowly heated up in the oven to 90 degrees and let cool down slightly before pressing it into

the shoe in position.

This was then strapped down to hold its position and let cool completely.

As the wax block was not big enough to cut the hole shape out in one, a second piece was cut out and carved.

This was then melted together with the side piece and sanded down to blend together.

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I carved the wax, firstly by using a Dremel to get the

correct shaped outlines and then using specialised wax

carving tools, I etched more details.

The wax heel was then separated into three pieces as it

is easier to make moulds from simpler shapes.

A hole was drilled and a metal rod was inserted into

each piece and glued in place. This would create a tun-

nel through which the moulten wax would travel.

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A boundary box was made for the mould using

plastic sheets and a hot glue gun. 15mm extra space

was left surrounding the wax carving which is the

right thickness for the silicone mould to be.

A hole was drilled through the boundary boxes and

the wax carvings on metal rods were placed through

the hole and sealed with putty.

The cone like shape surrounding the rod and

entrance to the hole is the entrance for the wax to

flow through.

Boundary boxes for heel and base.

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The ‘40 shore silicone’ which was used to create the

mould is very dense, and so was placed in a vacumizer to

remove all the bubbles.

Silicone was poured into mould delicately, so that the wax

carving was not damaged.

The silicone was left for 24 hours until solid and then

taken out of boundary boxes.

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The silicone mound was slit in two using a long

scalpel, following the horizontal line of the wax

carving, being careful not to scratch it.

The original wax was then taken out to leave a perfect

mould.

Holding the mould horizontal tightly, moulten wax

was then pumped into the mould.

The wax was left to cool for four minutes before being carefully taken out.

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- The same process was repeated for the other two

moulds. I make several moulds as sometimes trapped

air bubbles can ruin the casting. (samples can be found

in the Heel and Mould Samples box)

- This process was completed in order to provide

me with spare wax carvings. Once the wax carving

was sent to Quality Castings to be cast in brass I

would lose control over the process. Taking a number

of extra wax carvings provided insurance should

anything go wrong during the brass casting process.

- The three wax pieces where then melted together to

create the whole heel. I then spent some more time

touching up and sanding down the wax to ensure

perfection prior to casting in brass.

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The brass casting process was a success, it was sent on a

Tuesday and came back on the Thursday. The price was

prearranged at £60.

During the brass casting process the heel became distorted and no longer fitted as perfectly as the wax carving did.

There were two options to make the heel fit again. One (on the left) was to hammer the heel at the part touching

the sole or the second was to hammer it on the side part. I made the decision to use the first option, which made it

fit perfectly. A slight distortion also caused the side heel part to tilt forward towards the front of the shoe whereas

it should have been little straighter. I tried heating it up and hammering but this would only cause the rest of the

heel to distort. In this case I decided to leave it as it was as I didn’t want to break it. If time had permitted I would

have used the spare wax mouldings and had them recast!

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As brass has different properties and

different casting companies use different

brass, the original and the new one

differed in colour. I experimented

with different methods of changing

this including oxidation, bleaching and

inking.

With this version I blackened it with

polish and then buffed the highlights,

but it was still wrong.

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Final brass heel

The final process to acquire an

antique look to the heel required

dipping in a copper oxidising

solution followed by soaking in

vinegar. Excess particles were

rubbed off. The piece was then

inked to the required colour. I

was extremely happy with the

outcome and felt I had achieved

exactly the look I desired. I

finally soldered on a cap rivet on

to the inside of the heel o that

once it was screwed into position

n the shoe I could piece a hole

for the ritet to ensure the side

heel sits flat against the boot

without having to use any glue.

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Rococco StoneFinal Product

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Mock-upsChosen Design 2.

Whilst designing this boot I created some mock ups of the top of the boot to get an idea what would flatter the leg.

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Embroidery Placement

This placement of shapes and designs on samples of the knee area of the boot gave me an idea of

how it would look as it is a very important part of the design and was considered when making the

mock-ups.

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Mock-up 1

After the initial fitting of the boot (samples can be found in ‘Guilded Statue Mock-ups’ bag) I then moved on to

make a mock up of the boot.

The first mock up fitted well but some of the main design features needed to be changed.

- The vamp which runs up the front of the leg is too wide and needs to be reduced in length and width (as drawn

on the mock up)

- Try a different shape at the knee part to see what it wold look like on and add elastic at the back.

- Zip is placed too far to the back of the boot, and needs to be moved to the middle.

Mock-up 2 on the next page had further changes to be made. The vamp was cut out in a different colour

so I could see the shape better and get a better idea of how it worked.

- The change in the top knee pard did not work as it is really unflattering and I decided to revert to the original

design. It is also too long and goes too far up the thigh

- Do not include elastic.

- The vamp is too wide and needs to be much narrower - try 20mm on next attempt.

New vamp shape

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Mock-up 3

Corrections to be made to the mock-up below

- Zip to be parallel to vamp running up front of leg.

- Shorten vamp by 100mm

- Wings of vamp should not run all the way around the heel and need to be like the original pattern where it

was 30mm from back of heel.

- Add 40mm of elastic at back of knee bend.

Mock-up 2

Place elastic here

New zipplacement

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Mock-up 4

I was really pleased with the outcome

of the mock-up including the lining

but decided not to last it as there were

a few minor changes I want to make

before making a full mock up.

- Change zip positioning

- Change top line of boot to be bagged

edge, turning into folded edges around

elastic.

New zip positioning

Bagged edge

Folded edge

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- Getting the elastic positioning was difficult with this mock

up, it was taken out and replaced a few times to get it right.

Sourcing the right elastic colour so that it doesn’t not look

cheap was very difficult, so I tested dying it here. (See sample

box for further elastic experimentation.)

- There is too much elastic and should be half the amount.

- The vamp has a folded edge but looks chunky and not as

elegant as I thought it would. The next mock up should be

tested with a skived raw edge.

- The corners of the top of top line stick out and it would

look better if it curved around the leg. Place wire in the lining

to create shape. (See sample box for corner piece experiments.)

- As part of the design, the boot leg which goes over the knee can be rolled down over itself so that you can no

longer see the embroidery and it becomes a knee high boot. This mock up I used a lap seam but think it would

look and work better as a closed seam - this is to be tested on the next mock up.

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This mock up worked really well even

thought the coated leather was poor quality

it was good to see it in a close colour to the

final product. I managed to crudely stitch

together the vamp and upper after it tore

(because of too much skiving), so that I

could see the shape and how it would look.

Corrections to be made to final piece:

-Do not skive around vamp as it makes it

weak. Instead wax around raw edges.

- Change bagged edge at top to a run and

turn seam all the way around.

- Ensure closed seam on lining is hammered

down enough so it is not visible on the

outside of the boot.

- I originally planned that the sole would

be made from the same leather as the

upper and waxed around the edge like the

vamp and this would show off the brass

heel. When mocked up I didn’t like this so

decided the sole would be waxed and buffed

leather.

- I decided after much deliberation to

remove the elastic from the design. When I

tried it on, I could walk easily without it and

it did not fall down or move much and I felt

it was an unnecessary design feature which

would take away from the embroidery on

the knee area.

Mock-up 5

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Final Product:‘Guilded Statue’

The making process for this product went

very well without many issues.

- The heel stiffener used did not work well,

although it eventually gave the right shape it

was difficult to manipulate and in hindsight

would have used a different type.

- Leather stretch liquid was used in abun-

dance so that both the upper and lining

would stretch to the right shape of the last.

If it were to be done again I would have

hand blocked it for a longer period of time.

- The main concern when lasting the shoe

was that because of the height of the last,

the vamp upper would be difficult to last

around the toe without causing wrinkles

and buckling. It was a long process trying to

get the shape of the toe right and a mixture

of steaming, heating, pulling and tacking

was used and finally the wrinkle chaser was

used to create the shape and even out all the

creases.

- I was extremely pleased with the end result

and the simple design and shape worked

well and I have achieved the look I wanted.

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After completing the prototype there still remained one main problem.

Although the product looked great, when folded down over the knee it

became bulky an inelegant. If I had more time to redo this I would split

the upper and lining more and decrease the thickness of the padding in

the embroidery. Another option would be to reconsider the location of

the seams around the centre back folded area as the build up of leather

has caused it look unsightly. Unfortunately at this stage I did not have

time to go back to change it.

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Heel Development

Original vintage piece.

I decided to use the actual vintage piece to create my heel. I was originally going to re-cast it to include the

brass plate, using the same process as the ‘Rococco Stone’ heel, but believed I can get a similar effect by

soldering one on to match the worn look of the original piece.

- The plate would then be attached using two Chicago screws which are soldered onto the back of the brass

plate and slot into two holes made in the sole. The ends of the screws are then tightened on the inside to fit on

the heel.

- After completing the shoe I could get the right pitch

and knew exactly where to sand down the heel to be

level with the sole and leave enough space for the 3mm

brass plate.

The next page illustrates how the brass plate was made.

Sand off this much

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Plate hammered to fit flush against sole Plate sanded into shape

Outline of shape measured.

Sole bevelled out using a Dremel.

As it was impossible to get the plate to sit

flush against sole, I decided to made a dent

in the sole for the plate to sit in.

Two holes drilled out

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Chicago screws Chicago screws soldered onto back of plate

in this position.

Soldered plate to heel.

A/W 2012/13

Guilded Statue

4mm

33mm

127mm

36mm

8mm 70mm

6mm

Screw head

Sole

The heel was then cleaned and dipped

in oxidising fluid to restore it back to its

antique look. It was polished with black

polish so that it would get into the cracks to

emphasise and darken them. A heel tip was

then made from leather and attached.

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Guilded StatueFinal Product

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Guilded Statue

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MaterialMarketing

As CMA will be sold through stockists and will initially not have a shop premises, there will be a certain

amount of control lost over how the product is displayed and sold. Therefore due care has been made to

ensure the product offers something extra to the customer.

Point of Sale

Package which customer would receive:

Heavy weight branded paper bag, with gold trim handles

Navy branded box with barcoded label on the side

Navy tissue paper

1x Gold dust bag

Navy envelope containing information on the footwear designer

and current collection, care tag and contact details card.

2x Perfumed shoe cushions

Pair of shoes

Examples can be found in prototype box for ‘Rococco Stone’

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The advantages of display and

promotion of the product in a

stand alone store are obvious and

in order to highlight the quality of

the product when presented for sale

in stockist stores a brief synopsis

of the product and company are

included in the product box, as

many clients like to know the

background of the company.

Although they are not able to

enjoy the same luxury experience

that an own store would offer, the

additional items included in the box

adds a personal touch and makes

the buyer feel emotionally attached

to the brand.

- Brand name is always embossed in

dark metallic gold foil, usually in the

right hand corner.

- Burnished gold trim is used on the

bag handles, shoe bag drawstring

and also to bind the perfumed

cushion.

- Magnetic, snap shut boxes come in

a range of sizes, as do the bags.

- Label on side of boxes hold key

information about the product

inside. (example below left).

Catherine McAleer

Ref. Style: 1215; 100mm‘Rococco Stone’

Colour: Deep Navy, Burnished Gold

Size: 37

705,00 GBP Made in Ireland

Baroque

The first collection released by Irish designer, Catherine McAleer, holds a deep memory of the

past, which has been thrust into the future. This Autumn/Winter 2013 luxury women’s footwear

collection combines traditional Irish craftsmanship techniques, with modern silhouettes. The

collection of designs are inspired by the juxtaposition of ideas; strong influences from the

Baroque era, contrasting with minimalist design details, creating dramatic statement pieces. Much

emphasis is placed on the quality and the construction used within the making of the products

which are produced in Ireland.

EmpireProduct Care

You have purchased a beautiful pair of Catherine McAleer shoes or boots. In order to maintain

their beauty and care for them, ensure they are stored in their orginal shoe bag to protect them

and keep away from direct sunlight when not in use. Use suede or leather brushes to clean the

leather.

We uphold a strong duty of care to our customers and hope that you are happy with your

purchase. In the case that you may require a repair, you are welcome to send the products to us,

and they will be mended free of charge.

Riverhouse Millbrook,

Naas,

Co. Kildare,

Ireland

+353 (0)45 876879

www.catherinemcaleer.com

enquiries@catherinemcaleer.com

Pantone 533c Pantone 871c

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The shoes will also be available for sale online and it is essential to have an easy to use website. I feel the concept

‘less is more’ is something which is needed for the CMA brands online presence. A snapshot of how the ‘Home’

page may look and be used by the customer.

atherineMcAleerAutumn/Winter 2012/13

Home Contactcollectionsabout Press

PresenceOnline

atherineMcAleerAutumn/Winter 2012/13

Home Contactcollectionsabout Press

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PhotoshootLocation

A location photoshoot was held at Westland London. A lot of inspiration for the designs in the collection were taken

from the antique pieces sold at this company. I felt it was fitting to capture the essence of the place and create an

editorial-like shoot.

Baroquen WarriorThis page:Gold necklace, vintage;Silk shirt, stylists own; grey tights, Donna Karan; leather boots, Catherine McAleer.Photographer: Jessica SeamenModel Hannah O’Brein

Sumptuous fabrics, pewter and gold metals. Encrusted details bring a bit of edge to

this 17th Century Baroque royal, bringing her out of her period and into the modern

day. This warrior is ready to on into the season in fierce elegance.

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Baroquen Warrior

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