L’EMBRAYAGE

l’embrayage—meaning “the clutch” in French—is a prototype developed at the Rochester Institute of Technology and represents my first experience in soft goods design. The project was inspired by the brand Longchamp, in alignment with the course objective to design a bag that seamlessly integrates into an existing product line.

The final prototype I sewed entirely by hand and constructed using felt as a stand-in for leather—the intended production material—with a cotton lining.

Prior to the final build, I created a series of paper and sewn prototypes to better understand bag construction and the process of translating flat pattern pieces into a three-dimensional form. This iterative exploration was a challenge I particularly enjoyed working through.

Longchamp S/S 2015

Serving as the primary inspiration for this project.

TREND RESEARCH S/S 2015

I initially focused on S/S colors featured in Longchamp’s existing palette and clean, classic handbag silhouettes.

Preliminary Ideadtion

Experimenting with quick forms and possible design details.

FINAL CONCEPT

The final concept followed my design research. I aimed to keep an elegant, sophisticated profile that was straightforward in design. Sketching concepts helped me work through what smaller details I wanted to pair with this soft, luxurious look.

TECHNICAL PACKET SPECS

This project marked my first experience creating technical specification packets. While the process was straightforward, it was also challenging due to the high level of detail required. I quickly learned the importance of taking the time to clearly define every material, fabric, and design detail—including logo and label placement—to ensure accurate manufacturing.

SAMPLE DEVELOPMENT

Sample development proved to be the most challenging phase of the process. Beginning with paper models allowed me to quickly translate the design from 2D to 3D and visualize each section of the bag as an individual pattern piece. When transitioning to my sewing samples, it took several iterations before I achieved a result I was satisfied with. The most difficult aspect of sewing was constructing the interior pockets correctly, but after refining the pattern through multiple sample attempts, I was happy with the final outcome!