About Mikayla DuBreuil
Hello, my name is Mikayla DuBreuil, and my passion is to bring designers’ creative visions to life. I have a diverse background in apparel design, from intimates and compression wear to dresses and jeans, and everything in between! My resume consists of technical design positions at Under Armour, Marena, Anthropologie (URBN), Lee & Wrangler, and, most recently, SPIRIT HALLOWEEN.
Above all, my joy in apparel design lies in pattern-making. Designers are the artists, and pattern makers are the engineers who bring their designs to life. I love problem-solving to create fantastical designs and reduce physical sampling. Most of my work is in CAD 3D software, specifically CLO 3D. I am also a certified super user in the 3D CAD software, Vstitcher, and experienced in the 2D CAD patterning software, Accumark and Optitex.
Note: Mikayla Dubreuil graduated from the University of Delaware (UD) with a Master of Science in Fashion and Apparel Studies. She also graduated from UD with a Bachelor’s Science in Apparel Design in 2018. She received the International Textiles and Apparel (ITAA) Sara Douglas Fellowship for Professional Promise-Masters in 2019. Mikayla’s master’s thesis Traditional vs. big-data fashion trend forecasting: An examination using WGSN and EDITED was published in the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education and have been cited by more than 100 other scholarly papers.
Sheng: What are your main responsibilities as a technical designer? Can you walk us through your typical day? Also, what makes you love your job?
Mikayla: A technical designer’s job is to ensure the proper execution of fit and construction of a garment to meet the designer’s & buyers’ expectations whilst keeping cost in mind.
This involves creating detailed tech packs with key measurements, i.e., specs like waist, front neck drop, across shoulder, sweep, and front length from high point shoulder, measuring garments, conducting fittings on a live fit model, and submitting fit comments. A common technical design goal is to approve a design with as few physical samples as possible.
Some technical designers’ responsibilities are more rooted in construction and creating tech packs, whilst others focus on fit.
However, in my opinion, the best technical designers have a strong pattern-making and construction background. By having a strong pattern-making and construction background, technical designers (TDs) can communicate to designers what silhouettes and constructions are feasible. In this manner, TDs can find creative solutions to execute the designer’s vision and improve fit.
As an Associate 3D Technical designer, my typical day consists of taking design set-ups/hand-offs, pattern making the designs in CLO 3D, and attending buyer review meetings.
I love my job at Spirit Halloween because I can build garments in 3D, both bringing the designer’s vision to life and improving sustainability by reducing sampling. I also have an incredible manager, which is very important.
Sheng: How does a technical designer collaborate with the sourcing department, and in what ways does your work influence sourcing decisions?
Mikayla: To preface, the sourcing department is responsible for deciding what fabrics and trims will go into the garment.
Technical designers collaborate with the sourcing department or buyers by recommending ideal fabrics to achieve the desired look of a garment. For example, for a bodysuit, technical design would recommend a stretch knit fabrication. TDs affect sourcing decisions by providing knowledge on how the garment will execute in the desired fabric.
Ultimately, it is often sourcing/design/buying’s decision—the call varies from company to company—to choose the fabric. Ultimately, technical design commonly doesn’t make the call on what fabric is used.
This impacts our work because technical designers will base their specs and patterns on the fabric and desired silhouette. For example, a stretch denim pant would have smaller specs than a non-stretch denim pant since the stretch denim has more ease.
Further, the sourcing department affects our TDs’ work because it determines which vendor is making the garment. As a result, this affects our decision on whether to make the pattern internally or externally, based on the vendor’s expertise & capabilities.
Sheng: Our students are particularly interested in fabric sourcing. From your experience, what factors do fashion companies weigh most heavily when selecting fabrics, and how do these influence design and production decisions?
Mikayla: Cost. Cost and fabric drape.
However, designers and technical designers can push back if a lower-cost option is executing poorly. Buyers can make the decision to increase the retail price to meet initial markup goals to accommodate higher fabric costs.
Alternatively, the team may choose to use the low-cost fabric option in a less high-profile area of the garment and spend more on a high-quality fabric in a statement area of the garment.
On a separate note, if there is liability fabric, i.e., extra fabric that is not being used, buyers often reallocate the fabric to a different or new silhouette.
Sustainability is also at the forefront of mind, especially at denim brands. There is a shift to move towards recycled cotton.
Sheng: Many fashion companies are incorporating “preferred sustainable fibers” such as recycled, organic, or regenerative materials. From your perspective, what are the opportunities and challenges in integrating these fibers into apparel?
Mikayla:Cost and fit are both challenges in integrating these fibers into apparel. For example, many consumers want stretch in denim jeans, but it can be difficult to achieve that effect when switching to certain “preferred sustainable fibers”.
Additionally, it’s difficult to source a “sustainable” faux fur for a teddy bear costume. The plush material is so specific, resulting in a lack of sustainable choices.
One opportunity is using fabrics that are composed of a single fiber. Fabrics with fiber blends are much more difficult to recycle. A lot of opportunities are available to the consumer! Buy fewer and higher-quality items. Wear clothes more than once before washing.
Sheng: Looking ahead, what industry trends will you be keeping a close eye on in the next 1-2 years, and why?
Mikayla: Tariffs!! Tariffs impact our ability to source and distribute our garments. Also, pop culture matters, since many want to dress up as the latest phenoms!
Sheng: Reflecting on your time at UD and in FASH, what experiences helped prepare you for your career? What advice would you give to current students as they plan their career paths?
Mikayla:Think about what you want and your goals. I am so glad that I attended the FASH Grad program, which gave me exposure to CLO 3D and ultimately led to my current role. While I was at UD, I was proactive by working with professors on projects that gave me industry visibility. For example, I worked on an Optitex project that allowed me to attend a training at the Under Armour HQ, which helped me earn a spot as a technical design intern and catapult my career.
–The End–
FASH455 Global Apparel & Textile Trade and Sourcing 
After reading Mikayla DuBreuil’s interview, one thing that really stood out to me was how much technical designers rely on both creativity and engineering-style problem-solving. I honestly never realized how big a role pattern-making and construction knowledge play in turning a designer’s idea into something that can actually be produced. Her point about reducing physical samples through 3D programs like CLO 3D was especially interesting to me. It’s cool to see how digital tools are changing the industry and also helping with sustainability.
I also didn’t know how much fabric sourcing influences the technical design process. It surprised me that cost and drape are still the biggest deciding factors, even before sustainability. Her comment about how some “preferred sustainable fibers” can actually make it harder to get the right fit made me think about how complicated these decisions really are. It’s easy to say “use sustainable fabric,” but behind the scenes it clearly affects pattern sizing, stretch, and even whether certain silhouettes are possible.
Overall, I appreciated how honest she was about the challenges in balancing cost, fit, and sustainability. It made me think differently about how many tiny decisions go into each piece of clothing we buy.
A key takeaway for this interview with technical designer Mikayla DuBreuil was her comment on co-collaboration between departments. When asked about the relationship between a technical designer and a sourcing department, Mikayla said that her work influences souring through “recommending ideal fabrics to achieve the desired look of a garment.” Technical designers are well versed in the feasible design of a garment. They communicate to the sourcing department what fabrics would work the best with a given design. Mikayla’s primarily goal is to achieve a final product with as little physical samples as possible, which is achieve through extensive work with CAD and CLO 3D.
I really appreciated hearing about Mikayla’s time in UD’s fashion apparel studies graduate program. Specifically, she mentioned that she developed extensive skill in CLO 3D, which ultimately led her to her current role as a technical designer at Spirit Halloween. I was really great to hear about such a positive outcome, and is encouraging to graduate student.
What I found most interesting in this interview was how Mikayla explained the technical designer’s role as the bridge between creativity and actual product execution. It made me realize how much of the job is problem-solving and translating ideas into something factories can realistically make. I liked how she talked about using CLO 3D to reduce sampling because it shows how digital skills are becoming just as important as traditional pattern-making. Her points about how fabrics, stretch, and vendor capabilities all impact the rest of the garment gave me a better understanding of how design decisions connect to the full sourcing process. I also appreciated her honesty about the challenges with sustainable fibers, especially when they affect fit or performance, because it shows that “sustainable design” isn’t always as straightforward as people assume. Hearing how she used UD projects to get real industry opportunities was super motivating, and it made me think more intentionally about the skills I want to build while I’m still in school.
I found Mikayla’s comments about collaboration in the workplace and sustainability in production most insightful. I found it very interesting that the designer does not have the final say in the fabric used for the garment; this isn’t something I’ve ever thought about before. The amount of collaboration and communication necessary for the buying team to be able to execute the designer’s ideas is something that seems so simple yet its importance can’t be overstated. Each team must work harmoniously to maintain gross margins, keep costs low, and still provide a decent product for the customer. It was also interesting to hear about the factors that are important in her everyday tasks. Mikayla mentioned that pop culture is a huge aspect in designing at Spirit. She has to be up to date with current pop culture topics to be able accurately represent character costumes. This is something I would not have considered typically, but I feel that this aspect can also be translated into traditional designing as well. Pop culture, especially with the growth of social media, is an extremely important aspect that directly impacts fashion. Consumers look to social media influencers for the latest trends, and designers must be aware at all times. It goes to show how impactful pop culture has become in overall design choices.
I thought Mikayla’s interview was super interesting, especially how much she emphasized the engineering side of technical design. I never fully realized how much pattern-making and construction knowledge shapes what’s actually possible in a garment, or how technical designers end up influencing sourcing even if they’re not the ones making the final call. Her points about cost and fabric drape basically driving most sourcing decisions felt very real, like you always hear about “innovation,” but at the end of the day, if the fabric is cheap and executes well, that’s what wins. I also liked how honest she was about the challenges with sustainable fibers, especially the fit issues in denim and the lack of realistic options for things like faux fur. It makes sustainability sound way less straightforward than people assume. Overall, it was cool to hear how 3D tools like CLO actually reduce sampling and help bridge design, tech design, and sourcing.
Mikayla DuBreuil described how sourcing plays a major role in her position as a technical designer for Spirit Halloween. She talked about collaborating with the sourcing department to determine what fabrics are best suited for garments. Technical designers provide the information on specifications for fabric and how it will affect the construction of the final product. The sourcing team, on the other hand, determines which vendor is making the garment based on expertise and capabilities. This dynamic connects back to our class discussions as it’s we’ve discussed how important sourcing is in the textile and apparel industry. Sourcing teams must collaborate with various teams to ensure that the best choices are made for sourcing fabrics. Another point that she brought up was the challenge of sourcing sustainably, depending on the garment. For example, DuBreuil described that a faux fur teddy bear costume would be difficult to make sustainably because of the specific plush material. This shows that there can be various challenges in sourcing materials, creating a need for collaboration between designers and sourcing teams.
I really enjoyed learning about Mikayla’s perspectives on these topics and was able to better understand the process of turning a design into a product. I liked how she explained how different teams and departments work together to make decisions, which helped me get a grasp of how many people are involved when creating a product. So many people give their input and share their opinions when it comes to construction and fabrics, which is what I think can make a product so strong. Her comments about sustainability were also interesting, sharing how it can be very difficult for brands to prioritize it. I liked how she made sure to share how many opportunities there are available to consumers to be sustainable because I think it is on both the producer and the consumer to make change regarding sustainability, not just producers.
This interview offered such a valuable look into the world of technical apparel design and how closely it connects with sourcing decisions. I really appreciated Mikayla’s explanations of how designers must think about fabric performance, manufacturing capabilities, and supply chain limitations from the very beginning of the design process. It reinforces how important cross functional knowledge is, and designers today can’t just be creative, they also need to understand global sourcing realities.
This was a very fascinating and valuable interview to read, especially as a senior looking for jobs post-grad. Hearing what Mikayla’s main responsibilities were was very helpful, especially because I have learned a lot about tech packs in my FASH180 class this semester, so reading that people apply the things we learn in class to their real-world jobs is always really interesting. I also found her collaboration with the sourcing team to be very insightful. I never really considered how closely her team and the sourcing team work together and how the sourcing team’s decision on one type of fabric could ultimately impact the entirety of the design.
I really enjoyed this interview because it highlighted how essential technical design is in bringing together creativity and execution. Mikayla’s point about pattern makers being the “engineers” of fashion really stood out to me. It reinforces how much technical knowledge shapes the final garment, from the silhouette to the fit all the way to final production. I also found her insight on sourcing very insightful. I think that it is easy to assume fabric decisions are purely creative, but her explanation showed how interconnected sourcing and technical design truly are. The discussion on sustainable fibers was also interesting to hear about. It is important to acknowledge that integrating recycled materials in fashion often brings challenges in cost and performance. However, Mikayla’s point about single fiber fabrics improving recyclability is a good takeaway for the future. Overall, the interview emphasized how technical designers need to be problem solvers and collaborators, more than just fit experts.
This blog interview with technical designer Mikayla DuBreuil was very interesting and helped to explain the large sense of collaboration when it comes to fashion production. She explains that first she works with designers to bring the designs to life in tech packs, she then collaborates with the sourcing team with what fabric best meets the needs of the design. It is interesting though because although this is a collaboration between technical designers and the sourcing team they have the final say mostly impacted by price and fabric behavior. This is so interesting because there are so many different conversations that need to be had during fabric sourcing conversations because the brand has to weigh all the best options. For example when creating a garment there are considerations of how much the finished garment will cost consumers versus the quality of the clothing. This conversation also highlights important issues around sustainability where many consumers want brands to use sustainable fibers but many times these more sustainable fibers do not meet the needs of the garment. This further emphasizes how much opportunity there is for further development of sustainable fabrics.
This exclusive interview was very interesting and gave me insights on Mikayla and her own career. With experiences in compression wear, denim, costume design, and dresses, she has contributed her knowledge to well-known brands like Under Armour, Anthropologie, Spirit Halloween, and more. I loved hearing about how passionate she is about pattern-making and more regarding her role as a technical designer. I valued learning about the process: the construction and brainstorming as well as fabric choices. Not only this, but I was very interested to gain more insights on her use of 3D tools and how at work they use that to improve sustainability. Mikayla also discussed sourcing and how their sourcing department makes decisions on what fabrics will be used in the garment, whereas the technical designers work with sourcing by recommending fabrics that will align with the designer’s wanted look. Overall, I truly enjoyed listening to Mikayla speak and was thrilled to learn more about the creativity that goes into her role.
As someone who’s used CLO, I found this interview incredibly interesting. I was introduced and taught the very basics of CLO 3D in my FASH433 course, which I also found difficult so I have a lot of admiration for Mikayla’s use of the program. I found it interesting how the designers and technical designers work with the sourcing team. Of course the fabric affects the fit and look of a garment in addition to the feel, so I imagine the difficulty that technical designers must feel, especially now, if there is a fabric that their company is unable to source and they must rework their design. This connected back to much of what I learned interning which is that collaboration across teams is key!
I especially like that Mikayla is finding ways to be sustainable in her role through minimizing physical samples. I think this shows the way different technologies can help us to actually be more sustainable long term. And of course as we have talked about all semester, tariffs will have a huge impact on every decision in the business!
This interview with Mikayla connects us back to what we learned about how tech design has to work very closely with the sourcing team. Mikayla’s main focus on trying to reduce samples by using 3D, ties directly into the sustainability aspect of sourcing. The fabric choices that the sourcing team and tech designers decide on, ultimately affects the companies whole supply chain and cost. I was completely unaware of how much thought is put into choices the specific fabrics. If a fabric is too much money, they must pick a whole new fabric to work with. She also explained well how buyers could raise retail prices if they see that a better fabric is needed for a garment. Is it going to be possible in the next couple of years for brands to only use 3D designs, or will this present too many challenges?
Mikayla’s interview offers such an insightful look into the technical design side of the industry, especially how pattern making, fit, and construction intersect with sourcing decisions. As someone who uses CLO, I was interested in how 3D tools accelerate development while reducing physical sampling, showing how sustainability and efficiency can go hand in hand. Her points about fabric choice, especially the trade-offs between cost, drape, and sustainable fibers, highlight how complex and collaborative sourcing really is. I also appreciated her honest discussion of the challenges with integrating preferred sustainable fibers and how tariffs continue to influence sourcing strategy. Her career path and advice underscore the importance of skill-building and embracing new technologies for anyone entering the fashion industry.
One major insight I took from Mikayla DuBreuil’s interview was how important collaboration is to technical design. She explained that technical designers play a key role in guiding sourcing teams by recommending fabrics that support a garment’s construction and intended appearance. Because they understand what is feasible, they help ensure that fabric choices align with fit, silhouette, and functionality. What also stood out was how much technical designers balance creative decisions with structural problem-solving. Fabric cost, drape, stretch, and performance often outweigh sustainability, and she noted that some eco-friendly fibers can complicate fit or limit certain designs. Hearing this made me appreciate how complex fabric selection really is.
I think Mikayla DuBreuil’s interview tied in with so much that we are learning about in our fashion courses, and it’s so interesting to hear about how the topics we are learning about in class relate to the real-life industry. It was interesting to hear how her technical design perspective connects so much with sourcing decisions that you wouldn’t normally assume it does. I always assumed designers picked fabrics based on creativity, but Mikayla made it clear that cost and drape are still the most important parts of sourcing decisions, even before sustainability is talked about. It was also interesting to learn how 3D tools like CLO help lower physical samples, which not only cuts costs but realistically supports sustainability efforts. Overall, this interview made me think more about how many behind-the-scenes teams and decisions go into making a garment feel and fit.