Pattern maker for technical down jackets and insulated outerwear.

The specialisation that defines the studio

Atelier modArch is an industrial pattern-making studio founded in 2017 by Teresita Piacentini, focused on a single class of garments: luxury technical outerwear. Down jackets with complex channel work, structured coats with floating linings, multi-layer luxury sportswear, technical insulated vests. The most difficult typologies to develop properly — where an imprecise pattern translates into months of prototyping iterations, production waste and garments that don't fit on the shop floor.

Twenty years of trade — couture ateliers, pattern-making services, technical departments of manufacturing companies — concentrated on this technical niche. It's the precondition for getting a down jacket right at the first prototype, not the sixth.

Why technical outerwear is the hardest garment to construct

A standard technical down jacket can contain twenty distinct components: outer body, floating lining, reinforcement interfacings, collar/hood, sleeves with bartacked seams, pockets with sealed zips, adjustment cords, retractable hood, internal channels for insulation, quilting points, heat-sealed tape along critical seams.

Each component has its own pattern, its own size grading, its own seam allowances calibrated on the specific fabric (waterproof membrane, soft-shell, ripstop). Managing all this — preserving construction balance from XS to 3XL — requires expertise that cannot be improvised.

A poorly constructed pattern on a down jacket isn't visible immediately. It becomes visible later: when the first prototype doesn't fit, when the second iteration doesn't either, when the production lab reports anomalous fabric consumption, when the garment reaches the store and the customer returns it because "it pulls under the arms". By then you're past the season and the error costs tens of thousands of euros.

What pattern development for outerwear includes

• Base pattern. Construction of the main pattern (front, back, sleeve, lining, interfacings, details) from designer sketch, existing physical sample, or direct body measurement.
• Defect correction. Correction of all construction defects in the base pattern — balance, neckline curves, dart rotations, collar drape — before moving to size grading.
• Down-jacket specific technique. For insulated garments: design of channels (geometry, dimensions, density), placement of internal baffles, calculation of insulation retention (down feather or synthetic), management of visible quilting points.
• Proportional size grading. Construction of additional sizes from base size, with increments calibrated on specific points (neck, shoulder, chest, waist, hips). Visual and metric verification of every size to identify proportional distortions.
• Interfacing and reinforcement management. Selection and placement of fusible interfacings in relation to outer fabric structure and required garment performance.
• Optimised marker. Layout of all pieces on fabric to minimise waste. Accounts for grain direction, naps, prints, plaids. On high-end technical fabrics, consumption optimisation translates immediately to industrial cost.
• Complete tech pack. Component bill, seam and allowance list, assembly sequence, control measurements, sewing instructions. The operational document the production lab uses.
• CAD files in required formats. Native Lectra Modaris, Optitex or Gerber AccuMark + universal DXF compliant with AAMA/ASTM. Compatible with all industrial automatic cutting systems.

CAD software used in the studio

• Optitex / Lectra Modaris / Gerber AccuMark — for 2D construction, grading and marker making; DXF AAMA/ASTM output
• Lectra Modaris — historical standard of Parisian maisons, prevalent in haute couture and European luxury RTW
• Gerber AccuMark — common in American production environments and structured Italian groups
• DXF AAMA/ASTM output — universal format for inter-software exchange and automatic cutting machines (Lectra Vector, Gerber Z7, Bullmer, Morgan Tecnica)

Garment typologies handled daily

• Women's and men's technical down jackets, from 100g/m² to 350g/m² insulation, in goose down or synthetic high-loft
• Structured coats with point, shawl, peak, notched lapels; double-breasted, single-breasted, asymmetric
• Multi-layer luxury sportswear with waterproof membrane and heat-sealed seams
• Technical soft-shells with four-way stretch and sealed zips
• Insulated technical vests and structured sleeveless outerwear
• Classic trenches and structured parkas with floating lining and tailored interfacings
• Leather and shearling outerwear with couture construction
• Limited-edition luxury sportswear and runway sample garments

Quotation

Final quote provided after brief review and reference sample/sketch analysis. Preliminary assessment is free and delivered within 24 working hours.

Typical timelines

• Base pattern + size grading + 1 fitting + tech pack: 10-15 working days (plus prototyping lab times, external to studio).
• Seasonal variation on validated pattern: 4-6 working days.
• Defect correction on existing client-supplied pattern: 3-5 working days (if file is in good condition; we evaluate file state for free before accepting).
• Complete seasonal package (5-8 garments): 6-10 calendar weeks depending on overlap and client priorities.

Working with the studio from outside Italy

British brands call it pattern cutting, American brands call it pattern making. It is the same work: turning a design into the pieces a factory can actually cut and sew, and making sure the garment repeats at every size. The studio works in the vocabulary you use: first pattern, grading, fit sample, tech pack, defect correction.

Most of the work has always been done at a distance, including for clients in the same country. Distance changes the logistics, not the method.

1. You send the brief. A tech pack, a sketch, a reference garment, or an existing pattern that is not behaving. If it is an existing file, its condition is assessed before anything is accepted.
2. The NDA is signed first. Before any file is exchanged. Patterns, tech packs, sample images and the existence of the collaboration itself stay confidential.
3. The pattern is developed and graded. You receive DXF AAMA/ASTM files, which open in Lectra, Optitex and Gerber, so your factory or your internal team can work with them directly.
4. The prototype, if you want one. It can be made in Italy and shipped to you, or you can prototype in-house and send back photographs and measurements for the fitting corrections.

What the studio does not do

No design, no styling, no manufacturing at scale. The studio builds patterns and prototypes for garments someone else has designed and someone else will produce. That limit is the reason the work is precise.

Contractual confidentiality

Every project is covered by an NDA signed before any file sharing. Patterns, tech packs, sample images and the existence of the collaboration itself remain confidential. We don't share briefs with third parties, don't archive on shared cloud, don't use client files for other projects or as promotional material.

The names of the maisons the studio works with are never disclosed, in either direction — which is also the reason you will not find a client list on this website.

Discretion isn't an additional service: it's the studio's condition of existence. Luxury maisons choose technical partners who understand that confidentiality is worth as much as pattern-making expertise.

Frequently asked questions

Open a conversation with the studio

If your project fits the typologies listed above, Teresita responds personally within 24 working hours with a preliminary technical assessment. Free, non-binding, under preventive NDA if requested.

Contact the studio    Download the technical brief checklist