APXPRESS
Collection 2020-2022
Denim Trims & Branding Collection
A two-year freelance engagement designing production-ready textile accessories: hangtags, buttons, snap caps, and labels: from trend research through to factory-ready 2D and 3D data.
BRAND
APXPRESS
PROJECT
Trim & branding design . 3D product development
ROLE
Product Designer
TIMELINE
2020-2022
Freelance
Two years turning seasonal trend signals into factory-ready denim trims: hangtags, labels, buttons, and badges delivered as production data.
BRIEF
Design cohesive, trend-informed accessory collections a denim brand could adopt as a full kit, each arriving factory-ready with 2D drawings, 3D models, and finishing specs.
MY ROLE
FREELANCE PRODUCT DESIGNER:
owning the full pipeline: trend research, concept direction, 3D modeling and rendering, color and finishing specs, and production data delivery.
3 KEY DECISIONS
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Three narrative directions per season (Back to Basics, Humble, Pop-up)
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Every design validated in Rhino/KeyShot before production
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One-page production documents: drawing + render + specs + concept statement on a single sheet.
OUTCOME
Multiple collections shipped over two years, and a repeatable system for turning a brand cue into a producible, costed, decision-ready trim family.
Full case study below · ~4 min read
PROJECT
OVERVIEW
Over a two-year collaboration with APXPress Holland, I worked as a freelance product designer developing textile accessory collections: covering the full process from trend research and concept development to technical design, 3D visualization, and production-ready delivery.
THE CLIENT
APXPRESS designs, develops, and supplies branded trims to many of the most recognized names in fashion, operating across the UK, Europe, Turkey, the Far East, and India; with sustainability built into their product lines since 2017.
DESIGN BRIEF
The work centred on cohesive denim accessory collections: hangtags, jacron and woven labels, jeans buttons, snap caps, diecast badges, rubber labels, that a denim brand could adopt as a full kit, each carrying a consistent brand story and arriving factory-ready.
ROLE &
SCOPE
The objective was to create cohesive, trend-informed accessories that could integrate seamlessly into apparel collections.
The challenge was to translate seasonal fashion trends into tangible, production-ready designs across different materials, ensuring consistency while adapting to various technical constraints.
Over the engagement I was responsible for the full design pipeline on each item:
01.
RESEARCH & IDEATION
Trend research and concept direction for each collection
02.
COLLECTION APPROACH
Drafting design direction and narrative
03.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Translating concepts into resolved, producible objects
04.
2D TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
Dimensioned drawings and construction details
05.
3D MODELLING & RENDERING
Photoreal models for stakeholder buy-in
06.
COLOUR & FINISHING
Palettes and finish specs (emboss, engrave, brush, enamel, paint, gilding)
07.
CONCEPT STATEMENTS
Written rationale for each item
08.
PRODUCTION DATA & DELIVERY
2D/3D data and presentation pages for factories
APPROACH &
PROCESS
RESEARCH & TREND ANALYSIS
Each concept began with structured research using WGSN, translating shifts in colour, material, and finishing into applicable directions rather than replicating trends directly.
This groundwork defined the palette, finishes, and typographic direction for the collection.
CONCEPT & DIRECTION
Based on research insights, three directions per season are created: Back to Basics (earth-warmed tones, raw textures), Humble (pastel tones, mindful simplicity), and Pop-up (digital brights, playful rebellion).
Each concept combined a defined narrative with material choices, finish strategies, and a consistent design language.
Back to basics
The beauty of stillness
Earth-warmed tones, cosmic shadows, and raw textures softened by light.
Minimal forms meet tactile surfaces, where unfinished details feel intentional and quietly luxurious.
Metallic reflections emerge like hidden moonlight between layers,
bringing depth to simplicity.
Clean trims, subtle textures, and organic contrasts create a contemporary calm,
grounded, refined, and timeless.
Humble
A quiet expression of calm
where softness, balance, and simplicity exist in harmony.
Pastel tones melt into one another, creating a serene atmosphere with effortless ease.
Matte textures and gentle shines reflect light with subtle grace,
while tone-on-tone details and minimal logos keep the look pure and understated.
Fresh yet grounded, each piece is designed with mindful simplicity
soft on the eye, soft on the earth.
Pop-up
A collision of color, contrast, and energy
where bold statements emerge from clean foundations.
Digital brights, blocked tones, and graphic branding create pieces that refuse to fade into the background.
Glossy surfaces, rubber textures, and wiped embossed details add movement and attitude,
while paint splatters and transparent plastics bring an unexpected edge.
Layered over minimal silhouettes, each element feels louder, sharper, and alive
a fresh expression of playful rebellion.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & 3D VISUALIZATION
In the development phase, concepts were translated into detailed, production-ready designs. Design decisions were continuously refined to align with manufacturing processes, balancing aesthetic quality with technical feasibility across materials.
Precise 2D drawings and specifications, validated through Rhino models and KeyShot renders are created to reduce decision-making uncertainty.
MATERIAL, COLOR & FINISHING EXPLORATION
A key part of the process involved exploring finishes and material variations to enhance product identity.
This included testing metal coatings, leather embossing techniques, rubber textures, and paper treatments to ensure that each concept achieved the desired level of tactility and visual depth while remaining feasible for manufacturing.
PRESENTATION & PRODUCTION-READY OUTPUTS
I structured decks in Illustrator/Photoshop, and complete manufacturing files for a smooth transition from design to production. These presentations supported informed decision-making and alignment throughout the design process.
Final deliverables included complete production files prepared for manufacturing. These consisted of technical drawings, artwork, material specifications, and finishing instructions.
TOOLS &
METHODS
My workflow integrates research, design, and visualization.
This allowed me to move seamlessly from concept to production-ready design while maintaining both visual clarity and technical accuracy.
Fashion trend research and colour forecasting
3D modelling of every metal and dimensional products
3D modelling of zamac products
Photoreal rendering and finish validation
2D technical drawings and layout
Presentation finishing and post-production
SELECTED
WORK
The collection comprises five product categories. Each piece draws from the same vintage denim vocabulary but explores a distinct material story: cork-inlaid diecast, multi-ring brushed constructions, hammered brass belt loops.
The collection is designed as a menu: brands can select individual pieces or build a cohesive accessories package across categories.
PAPER HANDTAGS
Three directions from premium to playful, including a hot-press pennant tag and a recycled-stock ‘Humble’ tag
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A pennant-cut tag in two paper finishes, built around a hot-press logo that combines emboss and engrave for a tactile, layered mark. The handwritten "Details make it better" and optional stitched accent give it an authentic, hand-finished feel.
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"Humble*" a sustainability-led tag on recycled or marble-textured stock with a single monochrome mark and a short brand message to the customer.
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A "Back to Basics" tag in tone-in-tone recycled paper, using a simple geometric graphic and contrast rather than colour to draw the eye, with rounded edges echoing the graphic language.
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A transparent-and-translucent construction, humble in material, but the shifting overlap makes it quietly eye-catching.
JACRON LABELS
Jacrons sit between paper and leather, durable enough to wash, soft enough to feel considered. Three directions, from energetic to message-driven.
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A "Back to Basics" jacron with a gilded logo on textured paper stock, framed by the repeated brand phrase. The gilding and frame give a heritage, authentic sense.
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The "pop-up" label, built on a colourful confetti pattern I drew by hand, set against a bold geometric colour block for the logo.
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A "1980 / Details make it better" label using customizable stitched motifs to turn a label into a small, caring message from the brand to the wearer.
LEATHER LABELS
These four leather labels push engrave, emboss, hardware, and pattern against each other.
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An 80×40 mm label carrying an engraved-and-embossed organic pattern of changing-width lines across the whole surface, with the logo set into the texture.
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A slate-blue "Basics" label combining metal and leather, with a new press form that creates the fixing hole as part of the design rather than an afterthought.
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A compact "Denimwear" leather label with an engraved hot-press logo, an eyelet, and a stitched edge.
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An alternative "Back to Basics" leather direction with an emboss-and-engrave logo and a press-rivet detail, sized and finished as a heavier, more utilitarian counterpart to the others in the family.
WOVEN & RUBBER LABELS
Two material studies in how colour and dimension create energy on a small footprint.
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A woven label with embossed PU lettering in SS22 trend colours, set against an engraved tonal ground so the colour "pops up" off the surface. Designed to fold and stitch into the garment as well as lay flat.
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A TPU rubber "Basics" label in a bedded form, half transparent and half a bold neon body, with the logo treated in contrast: colored on the clear half, engraved into the bold half.
METAL BUTTONS & SNAP CAPS
Items are based on the exploration of how finish, depth, colour, and form turn a functional fastener into a brand signature.
The studies move from elegant and restrained through trend-led colour to vintage workwear.
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A two-tone jeans button / snap cap pairing brushed metals (silver and brass) with a circular engraved logo. A premium look achieved from a single component, presented in two variations.
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A one-piece zamac button with a long body and minimal side logo, finished for a vintage workwear feel.
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A press button combining soft pastel color with a colored-enamel fill in a deep central engraving, plus an engraved logo on the side surface that earns attention through finish.
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A vintage long-body sew-on shirt button carrying "Back to Basics", with painted colourways that lift the raised detail.
ANATOMY OF
A PRODUCTION PAGE
Every page is a working production document:
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A dimensioned 2D technical drawing
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A photo-real 3D render
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A specified font set
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A finishing strategy
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A concise concept statement
letting a stakeholder decide and a factory begin tooling from the same single page.
OUTCOME
Over two years, I contributed to multiple accessory collections, strengthening my ability to translate trend insights into manufacturable products.
The value was the system: a repeatable way to take a brand cue and a trend signal and return a producible, costed, decision-ready family of trims.
A repeatable way to take a brand cue
A trend signal and return a producible, costed, decision-ready family of trims.