avenue Submit Forms CONTENTS I. Statement of Purpose Explanation of Effective Color Evaluation Color Standards Lab Dip Process

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2 CONTENTS I. Statement of Purpose II. III. IV. Explanation of Effective Color Evaluation Color Standards Lab Dip Process a. Requirements b. Lab Dip Timing c. Submit Procedure V. Pattern Development a. Requirements b. Prints c. Yarn Dyes VI. Color Approval Procedure a. Light Source b. Color comments c. Light Box d. Production Fabric Color Review e. Avenue Performance Requirements VII. avenue Submit Forms a. Lab Dip Submit Form b. Print Submit Form c. Yarn Dye/Handloom Submit Form d. Bulk/ Production Headend Submit Form e. Trim Submit Form Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

3 I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE At avenue, we believe in giving our customers nothing but the best. To do this we need all of our vendors to become our partner. Following is the avenue Color Manual; here we have put into writing our color approval and submission process. This manual outlines what is expected of our vendors as our partner in the color approval process. II. EXPLANATION OF EFFECTIVE COLOR EVALUATION Visual color assessment is a subjective method for color evaluation. It is a matter of individual perception and interpretation, and relies on individual eye brain limitations. It also depends on viewing conditions, light sources, and many other variables. However, when a customer makes a purchase decision, visual color assessment is the only means of color acceptance. Therefore, we place strong emphasis on visual color quality control. avenue requires our vendors and mills to follow our guidelines for visual color evaluation. III. COLOR STANDARDS Handling of Standards Clean hands; free of oil and dirt (wear gloves if handling excessively) Minimal contact with standards - handle standards by corners only Maintenance of Color Standards Must be covered and not exposed to light when not in use Replace color standards when worn or dirty Color Lab Requirements Stable temperature (+/-2F) and humidity (+/-5% relative humidity) Smoke free No direct sunlight or unspecified light source should interfere with light box Light box must be clean and free of other lab dips while doing evaluations IV. LAB DIP PROCEDURES A. REQUIREMENTS All submissions must represent the fabric characteristics as received from the mill, prior to cut and sew. This includes such properties as sanding, brushing, peaching, fabric washing, etc. If the after treatment cannot be represented in lab dip form, mill needs to inform colorist in advance and send a reference of sample yardage for final color approval. Fabrics that will be physically altered after cut and sew (i.e. garment wash, garment dye, etc.) must be submitted for color approval after washing/dying. For garments whose color comes from the layering of fabrics, both fabrics must be submitted together, indicating the combined effect in the Vendor Comments section of the submittal form. Evaluation comments will be returned from the combined effect, rather than from the individual fabrics or color. avenue BODY vendors are expected to follow the same requirements and procedures outlined in this manual. For garments with multiple components such as lace, elastic, d- rings, etc., lab dips for the base quality must be submitted first. Once a base quality lab dip is approved, submits for coordinating components should follow. These components should be submitted together with a swatch of the approved base quality. Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

4 B. LAB DIP TIMING The first round of lab dips should be sent directly to the respective avenue Product Manager within 10 days from the initial receipt of standards. Corrected lab dips (re-submits) should be sent within 1 week from receipt of evaluation comments on previous submits. Allow two working days from the time avenue receives lab dips for evaluation comments. C. SUBMIT PROCEDURE In order to ensure the most efficient color evaluation process, vendors and mills must understand our lab dip timing requirements and use appropriate evaluation forms provided by avenue. The following requirements apply to all (solid, heather, print, etc.) submits for color approval: All required fields on the top portion of the avenue submit form must be filled out completely and accurately. (i.e.: Date, Submit Status, avenue Color Name, Vendor/Mill, Fabric info). Incomplete information will cause delays in the approval process. All submits must include the avenue style number. Use the comment section to indicate if the program is a dual or multi-sourced program, if the fabric is optically brightened, or any other information pertinent to the color approval process. On-going neutrals and carry over colors (black/white/navy) that have been approved by avenue must be resubmitted each season for color approval. We expect our vendors to achieve a color match within 3 rounds of lab dips. Each submit must include a minimum of 4 lab dips per color. To ensure accurate evaluation, the lab dip size must be no less than a 2 x2 fabric swatch. For this reason, any lab dips smaller will not be evaluated and therefore rejected. Lab dips must use correct fiber and fabrication as specified and ordered by the avenue Product Manager. DO NOT back or attach lab dips with glue, staples, cardboard, or write on any portion of the lab dip. Attach lab dips with double-stick tape so that they can be easily removed. Lab dips must be kept clean of any lint or soil. Do not use optical brighteners in lab dips, unless the production color will also contain brighteners. If optical brighteners are to be used on production, you must note that on the submit form. It is the vendor s and/or mill s responsibility to evaluate lab dips in below specified light sources. Do not re-submit until you have received comments on prior submissions. Please evaluate lab dips before sending. Any off colors should not be sent but rejected internally. SOLIDS (include all exhaust, continuous, and garment dye methods) Use avenue Lab Dip Submit Form (see attached form toward back of manual). One color per form, with a minimum of 4 different variations per color. Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

5 Always label your lab dips in sequential order, i.e., First submit (A, B, C, D) Second submit (E, F, G, H), etc. SWEATER KNITS HEATHERS Please follow same steps outlined above for solids. Lab dips must be submitted in form of 2 x 2 knitdown. Yarns alone are not sufficient and will be returned to vendor without review. The appearance of heathers (also known as mélange) is determined by the proportional content and precise color of the different fibers that make up the fabric. Heathered fabrics can be created by mixing different colors of the same fiber in the yarn spinning process, or by spinning different fiber types in the same yarn and then piece-dyeing the fabric with one or more colors (and classes) of dye. Either type can be overdyed to alter the appearance. In order to evaluate the appearance of heather, it is thus important to consider the process by which the fabric was created. Use avenue Lab Dip Submit Form. (See attached form toward back of manual.) If production is a mill stock color, please submit a 2 x2 swatch that represents that current production. Please indicate if it is a top dye heather. If production is a dyed to match color, send at least four 2 x2 lab dip variations. Always number your lab dips in sequential order. V. PATTERN DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURE A. REQUIREMENTS B. PRINTS Please confirm receipt of CAD artwork and pitch sheet from colorist and advise exdate for first strike off/handloom. Colorist will highlight the key colors of print that coordinate back to other items in the line. It is mandatory that these colors are exact matches of the colors submitted on the pitch sheet. Please use avenue Print/Pattern submit form when sending strike offs/handlooms. Please identify variations of strike off s/handlooms with letters (A/B/C/D). Each strike off/handloom must be large enough to show the pattern repeat. Please submit each strike off with color windows (1 x1 individual blocks of colors) for proper color evaluation. Any color, which has less than 20% coverage in all color ways of print design, will be evaluated within the context of the of the overall print strike off, not from drag downs. Colors that are utilized in fractional values (i.e., halftones) will be evaluated in the context of the overall print. A first strike off should be submitted within 3 weeks, restrike off s should be submitted within 10 days. C. YARNDYES Please submit a handloom for layout approval and enclose yarn skeins of each color for color approval. Any colors that are rejected must be resubmitted within 10 working days. A first handloom including yarn skeins should be sumitted within 2 weeks. Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

6 VI. COLOR APPROVAL PROCEDURE avenue colors will be evaluated in two different light sources to verify that clothes will match reasonably under varying light conditions. A. LIGHT SOURCE a. Daylight (D 65) b. TL 84 *We will check for metamerism under Daylight and TL84. B. COLOR COMMENTS 1. Color comments are based on the following three properties: a) CAST (Hue) too yellow too blue too red b) CHROMA (Distance from neutral grey to saturated color.) clean / dirty bright / dull more saturated / less saturated richer / washed out c) DEPTH (Lightness) dark / light 2. Lab dip comments will address the properties that need correction. 3. The following terms should be used to indicate the degree of adjustments required: slight/more. 4. Percentages will not be given as a reference in color comments. They are only relative to each viewer. 5. Lab dip comments/ Examples: C. LIGHTBOX Copyright 2012, avenue Stores a) All properties need adjusting: Blue #a is slightly too yellow/dirty and light, should be slightly redder/cleaner and darker, pls relab. b) 2 properties need adjusting, 1 property is ok: Blue #b is slightly too yellow and dirty, s/b slightly redder and cleaner, pls relab. c) 1 property needs adjusting, 2 properties are ok: Blue # c is way too yellow, s/b much redder, pls relab. d) All properties are ok/color is acceptable for production: Blue # is ok for stock. (We use abbreviation stk for stock.) 6. If a color is flaring under secondary light sources, the dyer will be asked to resubmit a new set of lab dips/ reformulate the dye solution formula. No need to make specific color comment in this case. The only way to comment on color is in the light box. Therefore, it is critical that all avenue suppliers will evaluate colors in the light box (Macbeth or compatible brand). 1. When making color evaluations: All clutter should be removed from the light box Room light should be off or curtain pulled around the light box

7 Neutral Grey is the most appropriate background for viewing all color. However, for most critical color evaluation the background may vary: a) White pastel colors: White background b) Medium colors: Neutral grey background c) Dark saturated colors: Black background 2. Viewing distance: View lab dips 2/3 back in the booth, at a 30 degree angle (as table in light box) For most accurate color commenting: a) If lab dip is same size than color standard, they should be butted together, not separated. b) If lab dip is much smaller than color standard, it should be put on top of the bigger sample. D. PRODUCTION FABRIC COLOR REVIEW The correct execution of color begins with the stock approval of a lab dip. An approved lab dip signifies an agreement between the Avenue and the vendor/mill, that the color of bulk fabric will be an acceptable color match to the stock approved lab dip. An initial bulk dye lot must be submitted for color approval prior to submission of dye lots. If approved, bulk dye lots should be submitted according to shade bands that the vendor has separated and is recommending for cutting. The shade bands will be evaluated against the approved lab dip and initial bulk. Bulk submits will be rejected if the color does not match the approved lab dip and vendor will be asked to resubmit. The avenue requires vendors to submit headends of all bulk production dye lots for all approved lab dips to assure that proper color match is being achieved. The dye lots should be submitted to the avenue Color Department. If head ends of bulk production are not received by the avenue before production ships the vendor will be held liable and responsible for color matching on the selling floor. E. avenue PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS See avenue Performance Testing Protocols for all Color Performance Standards and Testing Methods. VIII. avenue SUBMIT FORMS Following is one copy of each of our avenue Submit Forms. All vendor submits must be sent on the respective Avenue submit form with all required information completed. 1. Lab Dip Submit Form 2. Print Submit Form 3. Yarn Dye Submit Form 4. Bulk/Head End Submit Form 5. Trim Submit Form Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

8 Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

9 Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

10 Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

11 Copyright 2012, avenue Stores

12 Copyright 2012, avenue Stores