It also attracts young fashion enthusiasts who might buy one and cherish it, eventually repeating that pattern up the designer price ladder as she earns and spends more.

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First comes the idea, then the sketching, then the draping of white toile (muslin), first over a mannequin and later over a live model, and finally the cutting of samples on a pattern that translates the temporary magic of the toile into a permanent garment in the fabric and colours of the designer's choice.

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He studied both English and Japanese pattern-cutting techniques at Leggatts Design Academy (his graduate collection was all reversible) and worked as a costume designer before launching Black Coffee in 1998.

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