About Emma Zuckerman
Emma Zuckerman, a New Jersey native, graduated from the University of Delaware in 2016 with a degree in Apparel Design. During her time at UD, she actively participated in the FASH program and engaged in extracurricular activities related to her major. Emma conducted research on functional fashion with Dr. Martha Hall and held positions on the executive board, eventually becoming the President of Synergy Fashion Group in her senior year. She also founded a club dedicated to creating adaptive garments for children with disabilities. After graduation, Emma commenced her career in technical design with Under Armour (UA), accumulating six years of experience across various apparel categories and fabrications. She began in youth basketball, then transitioned through a range of products, from underwear to seamless leggings, woven jackets, and pants. In her later years at Under Armour, she played a significant role in the launch of Curry Brand and the introduction of UA’s first inline women’s basketball apparel line (non-uniform). Presently, Emma holds the position of Senior Technical Designer at Nike, where she contributes to the development of ACG and Nike SB product lines.
In her free time, Emma loves working on personal sewing, patterning, and draping projects. She also loves hiking, skateboarding, baking, swimming, and painting!
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this interview are those of Emma Zuckerman and do not reflect the views or positions of her employer or any affiliated organizations.
Sheng: What does a technical designer do? Can you walk us through your typical day as a technical designer? Also, what makes you love your job?
Emma: Technical designers work on developing clothing – we work with factory partners to take a style from a conceptual sketch to bulk production. For each style, we start by working with our design partners to understand their vision. We create detailed construction sketches, measurement charts, and sometimes original patterns, then compile those into a tech pack along with our designer’s garment sketch and a Bill of Materials outlining all garment components. A factory partner uses the information in that tech pack to make a sample to send back to us. We fit that sample with our team, cutting and pinning until we achieve the desired fit and aesthetic. The factory uses our feedback to create a second sample, and this process repeats until the style is finalized and approved for production. Throughout the process, we keep the tech pack up-to-date and ensure it accurately reflects the style we’re developing.
There are so many things I love about my job! The subjects of fitting and patterning are fascinating to me, and there will always be so much to learn about them. I love that throughout my career, there will be no limit to how much I can learn and how much my skills can grow. I exercise my creativity while also exercising the mathematical side of my brain, so my job is constantly challenging me in really interesting ways. I get to work with people around the world, learn about other cultures, backgrounds, and communication styles, and collaborate with amazingly talented teammates.
Sheng: How does a technical designer get involved in a fashion company’s sourcing process?
Emma: A technical designer’s level of involvement in the sourcing process varies from company to company, but it is always extremely helpful to work closely with our sourcing team. Since both technical designers and the sourcing team communicate with factories, we often check in with each other to make sure the information we’re sending is consistent. We (technical designers) can help provide feedback on factory capabilities and sample quality. Understanding the sourcing process helps us gain insight into why our sourcing partners allocate certain styles to specific factories (for example, a factory might have expertise with woven fabrics, outerwear, or embroidery; a style might qualify for a lower duty rate if sourced from a specific region; some factories may reach their maximum capacity for new styles more quickly than others).
Technical designers work most closely with our sourcing partners during costing conversations. Factories send cost sheets for every style at several key points during development. These cost sheets break down every element that contributes to the final cost of making the garment, from materials to trims, to time spent. One major role of a sourcing partner (or, at some companies, a product developer) is to process these cost sheets and advise the rest of the team on how much cost needs to be saved, and/or what steps can be taken to save cost, to ensure the style is profitable. Technical designers can use our garment construction and patterning expertise to effectively contribute to these conversations (which leads nicely into the next question)!
Sheng: We know production cost is a critical sourcing factor for fashion brands and retailers. From a technical designer’s perspective, what factors affect garment production and its sourcing costs? What strategies can be employed to manage these costs, beyond labor wages?
Emma: So many factors affect production cost – at the top of my mind are material cost (for fabric yardage and individual trims like zippers) and cut/make time (which includes labor cost and factory overhead). Material usage and cut/make time are both factors that technical designers can heavily influence during costing conversations with our design and sourcing teams.
Material usage: Marker efficiency refers to the amount of fabric used per garment compared to the amount wasted. The more closely pattern pieces can fit together, the less space for fabric scraps between them and the more efficient a marker will be. A technical designer can use their patterning experience to advise pattern shapes that will contribute to marker efficiency. For example, adding or removing a seam may allow pattern pieces to fit more closely together. Choosing where and when to engineer print placements – for example, matching stripes across a seam – will also impact the way pattern pieces can be arranged and, therefore, how efficient a marker can be. An efficient marker will both save cost and minimize fabric waste.
More on material usage, and cut/make time: Each construction choice contributes to the final cost of making the garment. For example, when it comes to finishing seam allowances, binding a seam allowance will take longer and use more material than an overlock stitch. For that reason, binding a seam allowance will also be more expensive. As garment construction experts, we lead conversations about style details, the time it will take to construct them, and other options that could potentially save time and material. This helps our team make informed choices that consider both cost and aesthetics.
Sheng: What are your thoughts on the trend of fashion companies using more sustainable materials like recycled cotton in their products?
Emma: I support fashion companies making an effort toward more sustainable & ethical production, and using recycled materials is an important step. Fabric with recycled fiber content can be more expensive and more difficult to source than traditional fabric, which may discourage some companies from moving in that direction. I’m hopeful that this trend will continue and that as it gains popularity, fabric with recycled fiber content will become easier to source over time.
Speaking of ethical production, I also would like to see fashion industry brands take additional steps toward a more earth-positive and people-positive existence, including:
- Considering local labor laws, worker wages, and working conditions when selecting factories
- Implementing garment repair programs to extend the lifecycle of their styles
- Improving accuracy of demand planning to reduce excess inventory and/or considering donation or upcycling of excess inventory
- Expanding size ranges and accurately grading sizes to fit well on plus-sized consumers
- Moving away from gendering clothing as “men’s” or “women’s;” during sample development, checking that samples fit well on lots of body types (including individuals who have had gender-affirming care, individuals who haven’t, individuals who may be wearing gender affirming garments like binders)
- Diversifying the company workforce at every level, from entry-level to leadership to c-suite
- Expanding representation in advertising campaigns to reflect the diversity of global consumers
- Supporting nonprofit agencies whose work aligns with company values
Some companies are doing a great job of fulfilling some, most, or all of the items on my above wish list, but we know that the fashion industry has a long way to go when it comes to impacting our earth and our societies positively. I think it’s our job as newer fashion industry professionals to speak up about all of this and start to push our industry in a better direction.
Sheng: What other key industry trends will you closely monitor in 2023?
Emma: I am so interested in the increased use of 2D and 3D patterning software. Programs such as Gerber, Optitex, Clo, and Browzwear are already changing the design and development process in fascinating ways. Experience in any of these programs has already become a very valuable asset for job applicants. I’m curious whether garments will ever be sold to consumers based only on 3D renderings, and if body scanning will become a more mainstream part of the shopping process.
I’m also curious how the increased use of 2D and 3D patterning software will impact more traditional design processes, like paper patterns and draping. Will these arts be preserved? Are there types of apparel that will always need to be draped or patterned physically? Will students 20 years from now still learn to pattern and drape the way we did, or will these skills be fully computer-based?
Sheng: Any reflections on your experiences at UD and FASH? what advice would you offer current students preparing for a career in fashion after graduation?
Emma: I feel so lucky to have had the experience that I did at UD and within the FASH program. I learned so much in my patterning, draping, collections, textiles, and sourcing classes (big shoutout to Dr. Lu!) that has stayed with me and helped me find success in my current job.
I have so much advice! If you’re looking for a career in technical design, practice any patterning software you can access as much as you can. As you begin applying to jobs, try to reach out to contacts at the companies you’re applying to (even if it means sending a random LinkedIn message to a fellow UD grad, or asking a professor/another student to help connect you with someone). Start your career with curiosity and an open mind – you will learn so much on the job that isn’t covered in school. Try to find a mentor, or several mentors, who’ve had work experiences similar to yours. A mentor who you can trust and rely on for advice makes a huge difference when work gets challenging. Speaking of which – work does get challenging, and that’s okay! Work on learning to identify situations that you can work through and learn from (which are hugely beneficial to your personal growth and career development), compared to work environments that are more consistently unhealthy or not providing what you need (which are an indication that it’s time to make a change). If you have coworkers you trust, sharing salary information openly is a great way to make sure everyone’s skills and contributions are being valued appropriately.
Enjoy your time in college and in the FASH program. I miss it!
–The END–
FASH455 Global Apparel & Textile Trade and Sourcing 
A great inspiration on actual technical designer’s scope of work
I really appreciate Emma’s perspective and expertise on technical design and working with factories. I’ve always been curious about sustainability and sourcing strategies when it comes to sampling which seems very relevant in Emma’s role. While I’m sure sampling processes differ amongst types of apparel, I’m wondering how the sampling process differs regionally? Do factors like rules or origin or factory distance impact how many samples are developed for example? Does Nike utilize any digital sampling techniques in order to cut down costs when not utilizing FTAs? As mentioned in the interview, production costs are crucial for sourcing strategies, so I’m wondering how significant sampling is in comparison to other production costs?
I am also curious about what happens to samples after they are done being utilized in the product development process? Are the materials reused? Are they stored somewhere? Are employees allowed to take them?
Although i do not have the answers to your questions, it does seem critical that the product development team and the sourcing team (with knowledge about FTA and tariffs) in a fashion company work closely !
Emma’s insights into technical design offer a comprehensive view of the collaborative and multifaceted nature of the fashion industry, emphasizing the intersection between technical design and fashion merchandising. I am studying both technical design and fashion merchandising so knowing the connections between the two and how to access the industry field through both lenses is very useful. She provides context on cost management, sourcing process, collaboration, industry trends, and sustainability that can directly be considered for each positions responsibilities. Emma draws attention to how closely the sourcing team and technical designers work together. Their cooperation guarantees that feedback on factory capabilities and sample quality is given, and that information communicated with factories is consistent. This cooperation is reflective of the cross-functionality of the entire fashion industry, where different departments cooperate to guarantee the efficient and timely manufacturing of goods. This display of such a cross section and connection between the two really opens up my mind to the endless opportunities I will be able to explore post grad. In short Emma really offers insightful guidance to me as a student aspiring to work in the fashion industry. Her focus on networking, curiosity, adaptability, and practical abilities is in line with the traits that are widely sought after in the fast-paced world of fashion merchandising. I will most definitely be taking her advice to look for mentors and overcome obstacles they speak to the value and prevalence of resilience and mentoring in the fashion industry.
As a fashion merchandising major with less experience and familiarity with the design side of the industry, it was fascinating to understand the technical design side and also understand how it is so closely related to sourcing. I like how she touched on the ways fashion design is changing with the use of technology and how she mentioned the different directions the industry can go with this technology. It is interesting to hear how her job as a technical designer and the insights she has can directly affect consumers and the ways consumers shop. She mentioned body scanning and how she wonders if that will become a normal component of the shopping experience and that is something so interesting to think about. I also loved how she talked about sustainability and her personal wishlist for the direction the industry goes in terms of sustainability. I feel as though people in roles like Emma’s have so much influence over the direction the industry goes in terms of sustainability, so hearing how she is passionate about it and hopes for a more sustainable future feels very promising. Overall, it was really interesting to gain a bit of understanding into what she does as a technical designer and how all parts of the industry are so closely related and interconnected, and how it can be related back to the course and all we have learned.
One aspect of this interview I found interesting was how even though Emma Zuckerman is a technical designer, she still has to work closely with the sourcing team. She stated in the interview that as a technical designer it is important to have all the same information about the factories Under Armour is working with in order to work together more cohesively. It was especially interesting hearing that the technical designers have to work closely with the sourcing team on costing. This is one aspect about designing and sourcing that I did not think about until Zuckerman mentioned it in the interview. She stated that factories send over cost sheets that break down the cost of every item and the elements that go into them. This is important for both the design and sourcing teams because they both need to know if they can afford to source the garments they want from certain factories. This is also important to designers because they need to know if they are able to add all the elements they want to a product. Sourcing directors use their expertise on costing to make recommendations to the technical designers while the technical designers use their design expertise to advise what elements are important to garments and how to make these elements less expensive. Overall it this part of the interview made me realize that sourcing impacts every part of the industry and it is important to have knowledge on the topic. As a fashion merchandising major I do not have a lot of knowledge on the design aspect of the fashion industry, but I would of never realized that souring and financials were such a big part of their job.
As a fashion design major, I was fascinated to see how sourcing can be so closely related to technical design. Specifically with cost, I was intrigued to get a more behind-the-scenes view of production cost. As a designer myself, I have an understanding of the costs that go into production aside from labor, such as materials, fabrics, trims, etc. However, this article helped give me a better understanding of the difference between technical and fashion design, and their importance in sourcing conversations. Technical design relates more closely to sourcing, and all the important manufacturing details that go into a garment’s final product, rather than just designing the garment like fashion designers do. Overall, this article revealed a side of the sourcing and production industry that strongly appealed to me. In a class with students who mostly study fashion merchandising, I like how this article appeals to the few design majors in our class and helps us understand our importance as designers in the sourcing industry.
I found this interview this Emma to be very interesting and insightful, especially from former student who was in my shoes not too long ago. It is fascinating to see the role technical designer play in shaping the industry. Her insights on sustainable practices and the impact of patterning software are interesting to think about when considering the future of fashion design. I found her advice very helpful as she emphasized the importance of networking, mentorship, and staying open minded.
It was intriguing to learn about the technical design side of the business and how closely it relates to sourcing as a fashion merchandising student with less exposure to and knowledge of the design side of the company. I appreciate how she touched on the ways that technology is influencing fashion design and the various ways that this technology may lead the business. It’s intriguing to learn how her work as a technical designer and the knowledge she possesses might influence customers and their purchasing behaviors directly. She talked about how fascinating it is to consider whether body scanning may eventually become a standard part of the shopping experience. I also really like her discussion of sustainability and her wish list for the industry’s future trajectory in this area. I think that individuals in positions such as Emma’s have a significant impact on the sustainability of the industry, therefore learning that she is enthusiastic about sustainability and looks forward to a more sustainable future excites me tremendously. In general, it was rather fascinating to hear a little bit about her work as a technical designer, how everything in the business is intertwined, and how all of this relates to the course and everything we have studied.
I really enjoyed reading about what Emma had to say. It was really interesting to hear about her role in the industry, more specifically how she collaborates with brands and factories in order to develop clothing. I also enjoyed hearing about how she thinks that 2D and 3D patterns will play a bigger role in the design industry. I agree with this, because as technology advances, people are continuing to find “shortcuts” to some current issues. This technology can make the whole design process much quicker. Overall, I felt that this was especially impactful, considering she was a student here at UD not too long ago!
This article was interesting to me as I learned a lot about what being a technical designer entails. I have heard the term used before, but I did not know the full context of what the role entailed. One of the responsibilities of the role that I found most interesting was the construction of the tech packs. The sketching and initial configuration of the garment then leads to the tech pack being created, which includes measurements, patterns, and colors of the garment. The tech pack is then sent out to the factory to create a sample that is then modified into the acquired product. Emma’s career path is also interesting and additionally inspiring to me. Looking for my starting job in the fashion industry, it feels that there are only starting positions available. Seeing how Emma has moved up in the industry throughout different positions and markets gives me inspiration and hope for my future career.
Emma did some incredible things at UD as well as in her career! I think her work founding a club dedicated to creating adaptive garments of rchildren with disabilities is amazing as I was a member of the Runway of Dreams club here at UD over the last few years which has a similar mission. As a fashion merchandising major who does not know much about design I found it very interesting to hear about her technical design experiences. I was unaware of the role a technical designer plays in a company’s sourcing process. Both teams communicate with factories so it is important that they keep each other in the loop. Additionally, it’s important for technical designers to have insight on a company’s sourcing strategies to understand why they may use a certain vendor. I also found it interesting to learn about what technical designers look for sourcing locations and vendors as opposed to the sourcing team. From her perspective, she looks for material cost and usage as well as lead times,.
I enjoyed reading this interview with Emma Zuckerman, and I was excited to read that she worked with Dr. Hall as she was one of my favorite professors here at UD! It is very exciting to hear that she is in such an amazing position at Nike, and it was interesting hearing what her role entails. Unfortunately, I definitely do not have the artistic and design skills to be a technical designer, but it seems like such an amazing position. It is always interesting reading these interviews and learning how all roles in the industry are truly connected. Even as a technical designer, Emma mentions that she works closely with the sourcing team. I really like how the industry is really a collaborative effort, and it takes employees from all teams to make a product successful. I also liked reading her predictions for the future of design and what she is going to be closely monitoring. I think she is definitely right, there will be a major increase in use of 3D design programs, as we are even learning how to use applications like CLO here at UD!