How Custom Mannequins Are Made

A custom mannequin can help your retail store brand become more powerful and have instant recognition even from the display window out front. This is one of the main reasons why you might want to consider this option, others include personalization of your space and creating meaningful window display and store interior designs. But talking about budgets, custom mannequins are likely to cost a lot more, so be sure to consider this aspect before deciding.

Custom mannequins can be either already existing ones, modified to a customer's specific requirements(assuming you have a clear vision in mind) or an entirely new one can be crafted to meet these specifications, the latter, of course, being more expensive. For this, you will require the exact pose, photographed from all angles possible, in the case that the subject is an actual person. Measurements have to be precise and highly detailed, they being total height, shoulder to shoulder, shoe size, arm length, leg length and, of course, the bust, waist and hips.

A clay model is constructed which can be altered and transformed if clients change their minds along the way. After the final clay form is done, the final consultations take place to ensure that this is the desired outcome. The final finishes are afterward done, this including skin color(any color, silver tone, matte finishes, high gloss, wooden, chrome, gold and so on), make-up and wig, if they are required or desired. In writing this process seems simple enough, but, in reality, it takes a lot of time, close to two months, depending on each manufacturer's individual methods of creation and of course shipping times.

If you consider the option of custom mannequins you must understand that in a large retail store, a single one will not achieve the desired effect. With this in mind, think about how many mannequins you will need in order to create a strong brand voice or a very specific image.

If this really piques your interest, you should listen to NPR's story on life-like mannequins as well:

NPR Story