Fashion Design Basics – Where to Start
Fashion design is a highly competitive industry which is constantly changing and evolving. If you have decided to choose this career path, you have a long, exciting road ahead of you, and here are a few pieces of advice to help you along this way.
Perfect the Art of Drawing
You do not need to be illustrator extraordinaire, but the better you are, the easier it will be for you to communicate your designs visually. The saying „Practice makes perfect“ totally applies here. Take time to practice diligently every day, take up a drawing class or study books on drawing. You should be able to draw your designs onto a human form so that you can show how it fits the body.
Study Colours and Patterns
Today you can do no wrong here. Experiment with colour combinations, contrasting colours, patterns that work together and those that do not.
Learn How to Sew
You can always hire a master dressmaker to do your sewing for you, but you need to know the basics in order to understand how it is actually done, how particular fabrics behave when being sewn, and what works and what does not. To sew a garment you have to know how it is physically put together, so take your time to study pattern making.
Invest in a Dummy
In order to see what your garment would actually look like on a body, you should have a dressmaking dummy. You can either buy it or make one yourself.
Learn as Much as You Can about Fashion
There is more to becoming a praised fashion designer than being stylish and knowing how to dress well. Revolutionary fashion designers are always one step ahead creating the next big thing, so designing garments that are ‚in‘ right now is not a good option. Seasonal collections are presented many months in advance, and they can give you inspiration of what will be trendy in the future.
Be Up-to-date with the Technology
Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop can come in very handy when it comes to drawing, and you should take advantage of these tools because they are there to help you. Investing in a pen tablet is an excellent idea if you prefer sketching on a computer.
Create Your Portfolio
Take quality photos of your work as you go. Use live models and pay attention that the garments are fitted on them. Do not forget about the accessories, hair and makeup because these details can change everything. Document the process to showcase your creativity. Make sure to show that you are versatile and that what you are designing is unique. Do not copy or take someone else‘s work and present it as your own.
Brand Yourself and Make Your Website
Social media is now everything. Represent yourself on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Create your website having in mind that the accent should be on your clothes, and not on the web design. Having a visual identity which stands out is extremely important.
