top of page
  •  Women's wear design, Sweaters, Knitwear, Soft wovens, Cut and sew, Design concepts
    - Color narratives, Trend direction, Seasonal fabrication, Yarn selection
    - Trim concepts, Trim innovations, Fit samples, Prototypes, Showroom samples, CAD sketching, Colorways,  Tech packs, Design construction details,  Design fittings
    - Technical execution, Fit assessment, Design vision. Team management, Staffing strategy, Problem-solving
    - Profitability improvement, Vendor sourcing, Production balancing, Trend recognition
    - Creative design solutions, Silhouettes, Fabrication, Color and print usage, Graphics design, Embellishment layouts, Garment fit, Browzwear software
    - Blender, Daz3D,  Midjourney AI, Stable Diffusion AI models, Cross-functional collaboration, Print development, Embellishment design, Embroidery design, 3D Technical Design collaboration

About me.

I am a 3D fashion designer (and 2D too!) with in the field of women's and men's fashion design.

 

My expertise lies in knitwear, sweaters, cut and sew, and soft wovens for the contemporary and mass market., as well as athleisure and athletic clothing. My services cover everything from design concept to technical design (and tech pack design), with a focus on digital product creation (DPC) using 3D digital fashion visualization and 3D simulation with Browzwear, Style3D and Blender. This allows me to provide my clients with the most cost-effective and sustainable option for creating their designs. In my work, I am always thinking about the potential of digital technology in the fashion industry, from digital and phygital fashion to the use of augmented reality (AR) in presenting the designs. #3dappareldesigner #3dfashionsimulation

I see my personal brand and design sensibility as a fusion of contrasting elements, combining innovation with tradition and redefining classic silhouettes with unexpected details.

 

I like to design “hybrid” garments that seamlessly blend different fabrics, textures, and techniques, creating pieces that are both avant-garde and wearable. My philosophy revolves around versatility and a unique approach to layering, where garments are designed to be dynamic and transformable. My creations are not only innovative in structure but also in their vibrant use of color.

 

I love bold, unexpected hues that add an extra dimension to my designs, infusing each piece with energy and a playful yet sophisticated aesthetic.​​

 

Offered services: 

1. Design Concept Development and Trend Analysis

  • Expertise in creating concepts, color stories, and design narratives, with a strong focus on knitwear engineering and soft woven garment construction for the contemporary market.

  • Knitwear: fully-fashioned sweaters and knitted garments

  • Cut&Sew: dresses, tops and bottoms, soft drapes, athleisure and athletic styles

  • Fashion consulting services, including trend analysis, market research, and competitive analysis to inform and guide client collections.

  • Expertise in identifying emerging trends and translating them into commercially viable designs.

  • Direction and development of seasonal fabrications, trims, and yarn selections to ensure consistency throughout collections.

 

2. 3D Digital Fashion Visualization

  • High-quality 3D garment visualization using tools like Browzwear, Style3D, and Blender to create realistic digital prototypes.

  • Use of 3D fashion simulation to help clients visualize the final product, reducing the need for physical samples and minimizing waste.

  • Showcasing AR experiences for digital lookbooks and enhanced e-commerce platforms, offering clients an interactive way to view garments.

 

3. Technical Design and Tech Pack Creation

  • Detailed technical design services, including the creation of comprehensive tech packs that provide all necessary specifications for production.

  • Expertise in developing accurate measurements, construction details, and fabric specifications to ensure precise and efficient manufacturing.

 

4. Digital Product Creation (DPC)

  • Complete digital product creation service, from initial concept to final digital rendering.

  • Emphasis on cost-effective and sustainable design processes through digital methods, optimizing production timelines and minimizing resources.

 

From becoming a master couture tailor to fulfilling her career in fashion design, we were so excited to have the opportunity to sit down with Astrid Hanenkamp and learn about her journey to reaching 3D and how it has impacted her career.    

Astrid grew up in Germany with her grandmother and mother teaching her to knit and sew from a young age, which sparked her interest in fashion. She had always recognized her creativity, and before she went to study fashion design, she trained to become a couture tailor to see if fashion design was something that she seriously wanted to do. After finishing her apprenticeships, Astrid decided that fashion design was certainly on the cards for her. She went ahead and got her BFA in Fashion Design from the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg.     

During her studies, Astrid was offered an internship in New York in the knitwear team at Mark Eisen. Although Astrid did not yet have any experience in knitwear, her technical and creative side allowed her to explore and learn how to take different yarns and manipulate them into multiple patterns to create the final product.    

After completing her studies, she decided to pack her things and move to New York, working as a knitwear designer and subsequently as the Head of Design for Design History, a contemporary sweater and knits resource. While working at Design History, Astrid caught her first glimpse of 3D through a Chinese supplier who utilized digital garments throughout the design cycle. However, between 2018 and 2019, the company restructured, and Astrid took this as an opportunity to start her freelancing career as a designer.   

Going into 2020, when the pandemic hit, Astrid relocated to Mexico part-time, where she and her husband built a studio, as the shift from working in the office to working remotely soon became the norm. When scrolling through LinkedIn, she stumbled upon an article that spoke to her technical and creative interests, introducing her to Browzwear’s solution.   

“I was so excited to learn about Browzwear when reading the article. At the time I was aware of the impact that 3D technology had in transforming the fashion industry and I wanted to learn more about what Browzwear had to offer,” says Astrid.    

Astrid began to dig deeper into the concept of 3D apparel design and instantly knew it was something she had to get her hands on. She explored different solutions before deciding to apply for the Browzwear Indie Program, which she launched in mid-2020. During the Indie Program, Astrid was able to put her technical and creative skills into practice, which enhanced her abilities in pattern making, V-Ray rendering, and colorway solutions, which she still finds useful for her work today. Astrid is now designing 3D styles for her clients, from independent designers, mostly woman-owned and minority-owned, to large companies.  Astrid still aims to explore the capabilities of the open platform as she continues to broaden her skills.    

 “Browzwear spoke to me more in terms of how intuitive the platform is compared to other platforms. The opportunity to learn from Browzwear University, which is a well-organized program, was amazing. I am now able to experiment with pattern making and so many other capabilities.”   

Astrid currently uses Browzwear as a presentation tool to showcase garments to her clients and people who are new to fashion design. By presenting an ultra-realistic 3D garment as opposed to a flat technical sketch which may be challenging to visualize, her clients can gain a clear understanding of what the end product will look like, in a variety of styles, fabrics, and colors. By sharing 3D renders, as well as presenting the designs through various digital showcasing platforms, her clients can fully engage with the designs in 3D.   

 “Browzwear’s video tutorials and frequent masterclasses allow me to dig deeper into all the different capabilities that the software has to offer.  For example, the animation workflow webinar with the Diigitals totally blew my mind and spurred me to learn more and more about it,” says Astrid.    

Astrid also expressed her excitement about our recent integration with Fashion Snoops, which enables apparel designers to access a variety of emerging trends by allowing them to create iterations using predefined 3D blocks.  “I’ve already started modifying the blocks that are available in Browzwear’s library. It’s great to work with garments that are already draped and add your vision to it.”   

Now Astrid shifts her focus toward garment presentations, and she aims to continue broadening her digital skillset to keep up with the direction that the fashion industry is moving toward.  “I’ve been looking into applying my designs to real-life settings so that I can combine virtual reality with everyday street scenes. By being able to showcase my designs in an interactive way, such as virtual fashion shows, people can simply tune in from their phone or laptops, from anywhere in the world, and see the 3D designs come to life,” says Astrid.   

When it comes to 3D, Astrid believes that “everyone needs to look at their workflow and process and use 3D to whatever level they are comfortable with, but 3D helps the fashion industry shed the image of being a wasteful industry”.  We are so excited to see how the rest of Astrid’s digital path unfolds, so be sure to follow her journey.

Browzwear interview article about Astrid Hanenkamp

what i am good at:

  • Design development of women's wear across category disciplines for sweaters, knits (cut&sew) and soft wovens

  • Creating concepts, color and narratives in design and ability to work across categories in creating designs, with focus on knitwear engineering & garment construction

  • Providing trend direction for seasonal fabrication, trims, and yarn selection, ensuring consistency throughout the collection.

  • Developing new ideas around trim concepts and innovations.

  • Managing and overseeing creation of all fit samples, prototypes and showroom samples, sketching CAD and colorways

  • Managing tech packs and design construction details.

  • Leading design fittings, assisting with technical execution and fit, executing design vision.

  • Hiring, training and motivating design team along with strategizing staffing needs.

  • Problem-solving product-related issues to balance the needs of the business with the requests of the brand price points.

  • Improving profitability by sourcing with vendors best suited for specific projects, partnering with sourcing and production teams to balance factory matrix.

  • Ability to recognize trends, conceptualize ideas and design products

  • Capable of thinking outside the box to find creative and innovative design solutions

  • Expert in silhouettes, fabrication, color/print usage, graphics, embellishment layouts and trim

  • Strong knowledge in garment fit and construction

  • Extensive knowledge of Browzwear software, Blender and Daz3D, Midjourney AI and Stable Diffusion AI models

  • Proficient at communicating and collaborating effectively with cross-functional partners

  • Developing prints, embellishments, and embroidery

  • Working closely with (3D) Technical Designers to ensure sketch, fabric/trim selections, construction and fit are accurately translated

bottom of page