The Ultimate Beginners Guide to become a Fashion Designer
Fashion Design for Beginners
Becoming a fashion designer doesn't come easily, for it requires extra efforts to hone the skills and move the craft to the next level. A fashion designer is a person with an eye for details and passionate about fabrics, colors, and textures, among others.
Fashion designing is an art that employs creativity; however, you need to identify your niche market, fashion merchandising, and market analysis.
Therefore, fashion design is a broad topic than just what you see on the runway. It touches on clothes, shoes, and other accessories. A fashion designer applies art when generating designs that are attractive and appealing to cultural, economic, geographical, and social conditions. Therefore, fashion design and courses related to it offers you the structure, direction, and knowledge of this field.
Estimated reading time: 14 min
Table of contents
1. Brief History of Fashion Design
The first fashion designer is believed to be Charles Frederick Worth, who created garments that had his label sewn into them in early 1858. However, people have been wearing clothes since the time of creation when a long garment was given to Adam and Eve. Since then, people have been wearing clothes not only to cover themselves but to establish their individuality and social status.
Initially, clothes were made from animal skins, bones, and plants. Seamstresses and dressmakers dealt directly with their customers; thus, there were no ready-to-wear attires you see today. Further, these clothes were made in the household, and this workload was eliminated when storefronts selling ready-to-wear clothing were established.
Several design houses hired artists to create patterns for garments, and the designers approached clients with these designs for orders. Therefore, the concept of showing clients designs, taking orders, and stitching the garments began in the 19th century. Before this, tailors were making finished garments and presenting them to the clients.
In the 20th century, fashion began in Paris and spread to other parts of the world. Thus, designers created new styles for the Paris' clientele and then distributed the surplus to the rest of the world. As a result, Paris was labeled as the Fashion Capital, and the design was purely haute couture, which means that clothes were designed specifically for individuals.
In the mid-20th century, the fashion industry experienced tremendous changes like mass production of garments, and there were more choices of garments. Peoples became more aware of fashion by the end of the 20th; thus, they began picking their clothes based on their style and comfort instead of relying on the prevailing market trends. Some of the first couturiers of the 20th century were Jeanne Paquin and Jaques Doucet, and Mariano Fortuny.
Today, there are several fashion design houses, fashion magazines, institutions offering courses in the arena of fashion, and specialization has come into being. Further, there are many software packages reserved for designers and garments production.
2. Career Paths in the Fashion Industry
The fashion industry has a broad range of career paths and specialties.
Fashion designers pursue a glamorous job and create accessories, apparel, and footwear. They continuously study fashion trends as well as develop products that are appealing to consumers throughout the year.
More so, together with their team members and other fashion designers, they choose the theme from various collections and create a prototype for every design they have.
Clothing Designers create apparel for men, women, and children. These designers make multi-purpose clothing such as evening and casual wear, sportswear, swimwear, maternity, and intimate. Most of the experienced designers specialize in a single line such as sportswear and outwear.
Identical Positions of Fashion Designers and Clothing Designers
Both fashion designers and clothing designers have to use CAD programs when creating potential designs. They also visit shows to select colors, find samples of new fabric or additional embellishments.
They attend fashion shows when their line of products is ready to showcase their designs. The two also markets their products to retail stores or directly to customers, and they supervise the production themselves.
Major Differences between Fashion Designers and Clothing Designers
A fashion designer brings together different products to enrich a particular theme. For instance, they select outfits, shoes, and accompanying accessories to enhance a look.
Clothing designers may also follow a particular theme, but they only deal with clothing options. These designers work independently while associates and team members always surround fashion designers.
Other experts in the fashions industry
Seamstresses: These experts adjust clothing, repair worn out or torn items, make items from patterns, and add embellishment.
Tailors: They perform fittings and alter clothing to fit the wearer. Therefore, they take measurements and make fitting clothes as specified by the customers.
3. The Role of Fashion Designers
Fashion designers make apparel from scratch. They draw inspiration from various sources like history, pop culture, art, and nature.
Designers produce a single or a line of items based on their proclivity. A designer can establish their line, work for a well-established firm, or work on commission for wealthy clients.
The following are some roles that designers are known for.
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They select and experiment with different fabrics. This involves mixing textiles, textures, and bringing together diverse elements into a design.
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They hand-sketch unique design elements or use computer-aided sketching programs to create their desired product.
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Designers specialize in clothing, footwear, and accessories such as hats, eyewear, outerwear, and more. Their goal is to complement their unique designs with accessories.
4. Types of Fashion Designers
Fashion designers conceptualize new styles, sketch new apparel designs, and coordinate the most desired accessories across the world.
These designers spend the entire day and night working to meet tight deadlines, predicting the season's hottest designs and trend-spotting to remain at the top of the game before the season gets there.
The fashion industry has three categories of fashion designers, namely accessories, shoes, and apparel, as highlighted below.
Apparel Fashion Designer
These are designers that focus their efforts on designing and creating styles for a wide range of people. They develop and make clothes for Hollywood starlets as well as main street workers across the world.
Mass market experts and costume designers work under the title apparel designer. The category is split further into four classes of apparel design.
Kitsch Fashion Designers makes out-of-fashion designs that are worn to make a statement. However, today these designs have a minimal market.
Mass Market Fashion Designers target the general population with new styles. Therefore, the new outfits are produced in large-scale and are sold on the open market. Further, the mass-market apparel doesn't require custom fitting and has no limited editions. This is the most popular option for new entrants in the field of fashion.
Pret-A-Porter Fashion Designers are also known as ready-to-wear designers because they create apparel for the masses. Additionally, these designers put some effort into selecting fabrics, making a perfect cut, and presentation for the wearer. However, their apparels are produced in limited numbers.
Haute Couture Fashion Designers serve wealthy clients. They specialize in making custom apparel for the specific customer. Thus, they deal with one person at a time and creates custom garments based on the client's exact measurements.
Accessory Designers
These designers focus on designing jewelry such as bracelets, necklaces, scarves, hats, belts, and handbags, among others. Thus, these designers deal with all other accessories that are not considered apparel but are used to accessorize them.
Footwear Designers
Shoe fashion designers have different divisions such as formal, casual, party wear and athletic footwear
5. Fashion Design Tools for Beginners
Each fashion designer dreams of starting a successful fashion career. For that reason, they showcase their strong working power and creativity against the aggressive competition. Beginners can only face their competitors when they have appropriate design tools.
Fashion design tools and equipment have different categories as shown below
A. Draping Tools
Draping is an essential technique that entails positioning and pinning garments around an outfit to create a structure of it. The following are some of the vital tools required in this process.
a.Measurement tape
b. Dressmaker pins
c. Muslin
d. Styling curve
e. Plastic ruler 18”
f. Adhesive and non-adhesive style tape
g. Pencil and pencil sharpene
h. Yardstick
i. L Square
j. Tracing and sketch paper roll
B. Dress Forms
It's usually used for draping and fitting clothes when designing and sewing a garment. More so, beginners can use it when fitting, creating new designs, making patterns, and draping. The following are accompanying tools.
1. The dress adjustment kit
2. Full and half female body dress form for size ranging from 2 to 18
3. Male dress form for size S, M, L
4. Adjustable dress form for sizes S-M, M-L
C. Art and Sketching Tools
The following are vital tools that you need when sketching a new design.
1. Sketchbook
2. Sketchpad
3. Color pencil and normal drawing pencil preferably Hb, 2b, 4b, 6b,
4. Eraser
5. Clear plastic ruler
6. Graph and carbon paper
7. Black liquid marker
8. Drafting table of different sizes
9. Tracing and sketching paper roll
10. Poster color, water, and brush
D. Pressing Tools
You need to straighten the fabric before beginning the draping and cutting process. The following are some of the tools that will help you.
1. Steam press
2. Steam iron
3. Fabric steamer
4. Portable fabric steamer
5. Tabletop ironing board
E. Sewing Tools
It's an essential kit for beginners since it helps them when making outfits, during photoshoots when something goes wrong and for adding final touches before hitting the runway. The following are part of the sewing tools
1. Sewing machines
2. Sewing and hand needles
3. Threads
4. Thread cutter
5. Small scissors
6. Decorative trimmings
7. Glue
F. Fabrics
Every designer should be conversant with different materials and patterns. Fabrics are classified based on the fiber used to make them, their comfort, durability, fabric construction, and cost, among others. A fashion beginner should be able to differentiate various fabrics based on these features.
G. Computer Assisted Design (CAD) Tools
Advancement in technology has improved various aspects of the fashion world. Thus, designers are using various computer-assisted design tools to develop creative designs. The following are some of the tools that you can use for this purpose.
Adobe illustrator
Adobe photoshop
TUKAcad
Ps, Ai among others
H. Pattern Making Tools
These are tools that help you to understand the measurement techniques, sizing, and dimensions. The following are some of the tools that can help you.
Pattern papers
Tracing paper
Tracing wheel
Yardstick
Measurement tape
Paper scissors
French, hip, and styling curves
Pencil, sharpener, and eraser
i. Cutting Mats
These mats are available in different sizes and are used by both professionals and students to get accurate fabric or paper designs.
6. Types of Fabrics Materials: Fabric Study
There are a variety of textile fabrics available in the market. The materials are used to make different clothing attires.
Chiffon: The insubstantial material was initially made from silk and had a smoother feel than Georgette. The material can be dyed to any color of choice and is mostly used in making evening wear and gowns.
Cotton: It's a natural fiber that is light, soft, thin, and skin-friendly. The fabric is available in different colors, thus popular in making a variety of outfits. It’s used mostly in making t-shirts and other garments.
Denim: It's cozy to feel, a vivid texture, and long-lasting. The material is sturdy, rugged, and mainly used to make jeans.
Georgette: The fabric has a creped surface, dull appearance, and is lightweight. It's also heavier and opaque than chiffon. The material has a high demand and mostly used in making designer clothes.
Lace or Net: It's a transparent material with a web-like pattern. The fabric is soft, decorative, and delicate in nature. It's used in outfits to add elegance, thus popular in children's clothing and wedding gowns.
Leather: it's a stylish and robust material that keeps the body warm in cold weather. The fabric has a classy look, thus used mostly in making shoes, jackets, belts, bags, and other accessories.
Linen: It's a strong and durable fabric that requires regular ironing. The material absorbs water easily, and for years it's used to make bed and table coverings as well as apparel.
Nylon: This is a synthetic material made up of polymers. The fabric is strong and has high elasticity properties. It can last longer because it's not affected by wear and tear; however, it can catch fire easily.
Polyester: It's a synthetic material like nylon that is soft, strong, and wrinkles free. The fabric is popular in the fashion industry because it's resistant to wear and tear.
Rayon: It’s made from cellulose fiber and has a smooth look and texture. The fabric resembles silk’s appearance and feel. It’s mostly used for making outfits for humid conditions and summer.
Satin: The fabric was initially made from silk, is softer and brighter. It's primarily used in making skirts, inner lining, corsets, wedding dresses, evening gowns, and ties, among others.
Silk: It's a luxurious fabric with a glistening look, soft, smooth touch. This natural fabric is strong and durable, thus mostly used in making scarves, evening, and wedding gowns.
Wool: The long-lasting material is used to make woolen socks, sweaters, gloves, and other warm clothes to be used during the cold season.
Velvet: it's a smooth, shiny, and very luxurious material. The fabric has a wide price range based on the quality and texture. Thus, you can find a very thin or coarse fiber material. It’s mostly used to make shawls and blouses.
Viscose: It's made from cellulose, and like Rayon, it has a soft and smooth feel. The fabric is used for making shirts, gowns' lining, and jackets.
7. Starting a Clothing Line
Most companies were born out of a need in the market. Thus you can start a clothing line due to a shortage of clothes for a specific category of people. For instance, some adults have petite bodies; therefore, they struggle to find clothes that work for them among the adult section and the kid's section.
Others are plus sizes, and it's challenging to find clothes that fit them properly or leaves them feeling attractive. Therefore, every iconic brand started somewhere and encountered peaks and valleys along the clothing business journey.
The following are tips for becoming a fashion entrepreneur.
A. Target Market
The world of fashion is noisy, but as a beginner, you don't have to join this confusion. One way of avoiding this is by finding a niche and trying to fill the gaps in it. Avoid supplying a product that the market doesn’t need and hoping to create a demand for it.
Think of the petite community that finds it difficult to get fitting pants or dresses. Catalina Girald launched a lingerie brand dubbed Naja to provide inclusiveness and empowerment. Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart established a winter coat brand named Vaute to meet the needs of vegan seeking cruelty-free options.
B. Business Plan
This is a blueprint for your entire journey as a clothing manufacturer and fashion designer. The plan should have an ultimate goal, target market, and the price. If you intend to create a private label or premium brand, then you should start where you want it sold. For instance, do you want it sold in New York City or Los Angeles or even at H&M or Target?
C. Understand the Target Audience
The step seems to be similar to number one, but there is a huge difference. While the first step is to find a niche, this step involves understanding what they want. This means knowing how they think, what they want to shop, the style they want, and their struggles.
Thus, if you are targeting young adults who are petite, then you should consider factors such as style-consciousness, availability of funds, and their brand loyalty. For instance, middle-aged customers are working, thus unlimited access to money and can afford to pay a higher price. On the other hand, they are not style-conscious but are very loyal to well-established brands.
D. Brand Name, Logo and Market Profile
A beginner should strive to produce clothing items at a reasonable cost as they build their public profile. Thus, you should create a business name, logo, and slogan. Another important item is the website with an eCommerce platform. These facets should be put in place before the start of the manufacturing of the outfits for you to be able to sell the goods online as they are made and thus reach a wider audience beyond your location.
E. Start Designing
This is your chance to shine. Therefore, work on the first collection that you release to the market, for it tells the world what to expect from you. In other words, it's your calling card. On the other hand, the outfits should be produced cost-effectively because successful fashion design is a blend of the ideal and attainable.
F. Working With a Tiny Team
The most successful fashion designer started with two people. Others sew all their garments themselves or outsourced. Thus you can recruit a colleague, work from a home studio, and look for a fabric supplier.
Alternatively, you can get a fully humming factory to prepare a limited supply of outfits for your boutique. You can produce mass supply for the established brand you’re working with. Most of the clothing manufacturers are based in China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, or Bangladesh.
Therefore, you can travel to these countries to these manufacturers in person and negotiate with them. On the other hand, you can vet them on phone and email, particularly now that you are a new fashion designer with a limited budget.
Another option is to manufacture the outfits locally when your goals are less ambitious when you don't require a stylish logo on your label. A local print-on-demand screen printing company can do the job at a reduced cost.
G. Price Point for the Outfits
You should choose the price point of your apparel that covers the cost of production and doesn't set you against your customers. The price should be guided by the knowledge you have about the target market and the fact that you are new and starting the journey in the fashion industry.
H. Marketing Process
You need to create brand awareness by telling people about your new line of fashion. You can start this by choosing the less costly methods but with a wider audience. These are platforms that are mostly used by your target audiences, such as Facebook and Instagram. Actually, most fashion designers use Instagram to promote their new brands online.
I. Realistic Distribution and Sale Goals
An entrepreneur's journey can be challenging and lonely; however, you can choose to make it lively by partnering with a business professional. For instance, why not stick to the design and production process and look for a partner that can help you with the distribution part. This will help you to grow as you hit the sales goals.
J. Launch Your Product
You can launch your business even with the limited quantities and then loop in investors and partners. Every entrepreneur desires to own a business and keep their profits. However, you will realize as your business grows that you need capital to scale up and meet the increasing demand. One of the ways to get capital is by inviting an angel partner in exchange for shares or profits in the future.
8. Clothing Designs
There are different terms used in the fashion industry. These are words that differentiate fashion from the trend.
Trend
These are mainstream styles that are available in the market at the moment. Trends are influenced by movies, celebrities, or a collective move towards a particular element of fashion.
Some characteristics of trends are;
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They come and go quickly
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They fade away easily
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Some trends may come back in the future because they are hot and popular
Some examples of a trend are the high-rise jeans, tie-dye apparel, and bell-bottom pants.
Fads
These are short-lived fashions that are referred to as flashes-in-the-pain.
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They are highly unconventional or unusual
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Fads don’t make sense in the long run for they are not durable
Examples of fads are rubber dresses, parachute pants, high-heeled sneakers
Classic
These are designs that never go out of style.
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The outfits evolve, but they remain as traditional staples of the wearer's wardrobe.
Examples of classic fashion are blue jeans, dress suits, penny loafers, little black cocktail dress, pea coats, white button-down shirts.
9. Tips for Promoting Your Fashion Brand
You need to promote your business no matter the outfits you are selling you. Those intricate evening gowns and screen-printed shirts need to get into the hands of people. This can be achieved only through an effective and measurable promotional campaign.
Most of the marketing content that is available online is talking about promoting your brand on social media, how the clothing line can gain visibility, and build trust as well as use traditional promotional methods.
Create a Website
Your brand needs a website where you can carry out all your activities. Selling on a marketplace is not enough; thus, you need an independent web store.
A website gives your brand life, help visitors to discover your brand online, and assist in building a relationship with customers.
Multichannel selling entails providing apparel online and on marketplaces. Both channels are powerful for they help you to reach many people.
A website provider should build an eCommerce platform that can handle w broad range of variants. That means it should display the same clothing items in different colors and sizes.
The site should be versatile in the sense that it should allow users to see new arrivals and collections.
Use Social Media
Being active on social media goes beyond selling products; it also involves socializing with your followers.
You can incorporate exclusive giveaways and discount codes to grow the following on social media. A beginner can effectively offer giveaways by partnering with other brands operating in the niche.
For instance, an apparel designer can partner with an accessory or footwear designer to promote their products on social media. The cross-promotion will help the two brands to grow their followings and sales as a result of high-quality engaged followers.
However, you need to post relevant, exciting, and engaging content regularly. Otherwise, you will quickly lose them if you're boring.
Personalize Your Brand
Your brand should capture the attention of your visitors within 7 seconds of landing on the web-store. That means your customers should feel like goldfish, thus higher sales.
More so, you should help your followers to remember your brand after visiting your web page. You can achieve this by witty copywriting or providing an excellent product description alongside every image on your profile.
Custom packaging helps first time buyers and website visitors to remember your brand. This motivates customers to share every purchase they make with their friends and family on social media.
Avoid bad photography because they will ruin your brand. For that reason, a fashion designer, even with a tight budget, should spend effort, time, and money to produce quality photography.
Create about us page that contains your story, mission, goals, and team. More so, avoid sending your customers to a nonexistence page. Thus instead of showing a page that reads "404-page errors", let it read 'This isn't the thing you're looking for."
Blogging
Ensure that your site has an educational and informative blog to build trust with your followers. Discuss what is happening in the fashion industry and how it affects them.
Blogs make it easy to find the website on the search engine. Thus, high-quality posts will improve organic SEO. You should add keywords to supercharge the traffic to your site.
Sell a Look
Your product page should have clear, simple, and concise images of the apparel you're selling. Look-books are used to showcase your outfits in an organic and natural environment.
Therefore, display a well-designed look-book to convey a vibe and excite your viewer. You can also allow bloggers and media houses to display your product photography on their website to enhance your general organic visibility by acquiring links from different authoritative platforms.
Run Campaigns on Email
Emails have been around for several years, and email marketing is part of eCommerce. The strategy allows you to update customers or potential ones that have expressed an interest in your products or brand.
Your fashion brand can create personalized customer experiences through email marketing, for it accords you an opportunity to focus on the needs of individual customers. Thus, you can continually communicate with subscribers, thus driving conversion and sales.
You can build an email list by creating a box on the web page with a line asking visitors to subscribe to your newsletter. Alternatively, you can motivate them to leave their email address and get 10% off their initial purchase.
Study the Numbers
Statistics play a vital role in the growth and development of your brand. Thus, even if they are scarier than words, they will give insight into initiatives or strategies that are working or not working rather than relying on instinct.
You can use numbers from Facebook’s Audience and Google Analytics to study what your visitors are interested in besides your products. This will help you to create a marketing message and a design that resonates with them and convert them.
Media Coverage
Press can help you understand what your target customers focus on. For instance, magazines and blogs will help you know which social media networks they visit and what influences their decisions.
It's vital to understand your Unique Selling Point (USP), for this is the reason why a person chooses to buy your brand as opposed to buying from your competitor.
A good PR will increase email subscribers, website traffic, leads, and sales. The avenue will help to position you as an expert and probably help you land a speaking opportunity with a more extensive media or an invitation to a fashion show.
Success won’t Happen Overnight
You need a lot of enthusiasm and energy since you're starting. However, don't over promise and bite off more than you're able to chew. Thus don't aim too high to avoid frustration and disappointment. Hence, try and achieve small victories that can help you grow and evolve naturally but getting your name in a magazine like Vogue.
10. How You Can Become a Fashion Designer
Do you love sketching fashion designs as well as sewing them in your free time? Do you follow the fashion trend and leading designers across the world?
The fashion design industry is glamorous and highly competitive, and the same applies to the profession. Thus, a lot is involved besides having a keen eye for details and loving clothes.
Designing apparel and sketching designs requires technical knowledge. Thus a degree in fashion designer will help you to get a sound footing in the industry.
Another option is to create a website, feature your designs, receive orders, and send them to manufacturers or recruit a team with appropriate skills in the field of fashion design. Although the later route is a viable option, you will need a lot of connections to survive in this cutthroat world of fashion design.
Most fashion schools work with established names in the industry. They allow their students to participate in their projects, and well-established designers critique their students' designs. Thus the best talents are either allowed to establish contact with industry pillars or are awarded financial support to pursue their studies.
For that reason registering for a fashion degree program will give you a chance to get noticed by leading fashion designers and probably get hired upon graduation.
Additionally, the program will help you to develop your design portfolio, which will help you when seeking employment. Most employers require a prospective fashion designer to submit their portfolio before hiring them. Further, the program will deepen your knowledge in the industry. For instance, you are required to participate in internship programs and contests.
11. Fashion Design Books
An ambitious fashion design beginner can embark on a creative journey to work with a leading fashion house, or even establish their fashion label.
The fashion designer profession is demanding and competitive; thus, you need to study successful people' stories, understand the industry, make connections as well as promote yourself, among other things.
For that reason, a student embarking on an educational path can learn how to express their ideas and grasp drawing concepts by studying the following books.
a. Fashion Design Essentials: 100 Principles of Fashion Design by Jay Calderin
The book is an excellent source of inspiration for beginners in the fashion industry. The author is a tutor at a school of fashion design in Boston.
He is also a fashion design guru; thus, the book offers young and aspiring fashion designers a solid foundation. The book has iconic fashions photos, well-explained design concepts with imagery, and essential lessons on styling.
b. Fashion by Chris Breward
The book is used in most design schools, for it helps the learners to understand the wild history of fashion and how it has changed over time.
Therefore it’s a valuable resource for a beginner that is getting into the fashion industry. The book will help you understand what fashion is really is.
c. Fashions Design: Process, Innovation, and Practice by Kathryn McKelvey & Janine Munslow
The two renowned experts analyze the logical processes to establish the success of the fashion industry commercially.
A beginner will discover the CAD design, versatility, and experimentation development as well as work opportunities.
Kathryn McKelvey has a wealth of experience in fashion research and visual communication while Janine Munslow owns a fashion design label with both fashion outlets and international wholesale.
d. Patternmaking for Fashion Design by Helen Joseph -Armstrong
The author is considered an expert in pattern creation. Thus, she guides tailors and seamstresses to get their clothing line going. The book is easy to read and follow as well as provides you with the necessary skills in patternmaking.
e. 9 Heads: A Guide to Drawing Fashion by Nancy Riegelman
The fashion design book is helpful for novice designers, for it helps them to understand how an end product show look like or what is expected of it and how a beginner can achieve design excellence.
The author is an accomplished fashion illustrator at various top institutions, such as the Paris Fashion Institute, Parsons, and FIDM.
Thus, Riegelman has used her brilliant talent and years of experience to provide beginners with key points on presentation and finished drawing of elements of the modern fashion.
f. Colors for Modern Fashion (CFMF) by Nancy Riegelman
The author offers modern ideas on drawing methods using photo sequences, colored markers, and textural explanations.
The book covers topics such as concepts illustration with examples, color and design theory, and the use of a broad palette of materials in contemporary fashion design.
g. The Fashion Designer Survival Guide by Mary Gehlhar
The guide focuses on design and marketing elements, thus helping the fashion designers to have a considerable following.
The author is a consultant that deals with outstanding designers such as Zac Posen. Therefore, reading the guide will expose you to an expert’s brain.
h. Fashion Sketchbook 6th Edition by Bina Abling
The author is a tutor at Parsons School of Design and Fashion Institute of Technology. The book uses colorful images and instructions to reveals the fashion drawing process.
Thus, the book has easy-to-follow instruction, very clear interpretation, and drawing lessons to target beginners in the fashion design.
Some of the topics that are covered in this book are diverse drawing skills, details of garments, runway and showroom photos, women, men, children drawings in addition to figure poses.
i. Color: How to Use It by Marcie Cooperman
The author is a leading voice when it comes to dealing with color in the fashion industry. She is an expert in putting together color pairings, thus inspiring designers and rocking photoshoots for decades.
Therefore, the book discusses how important color is in fashion design, and for that reason, it’s regarded as the best fashion design textbook.
j. Fashion Design Course: Principles, Practice, and Techniques: The Practical Guide for Aspiring Fashion Designers by Steven Faerm
The author is the New York's Fashion Design at Parsons' BFA Director. Faerm has targeted the future professional fashion designers with a clear explanation of design principles, the history of the fashion industry, and influential designers.
A beginner will benefit from the over 450 color images, tutorials, illustrations, and exercises on design topics such as accessories, activewear, business garments, cocktail and evening wear, denim, and sportswear.
12. Leading Fashion Designers
The fashion industry is one of the oldest sectors in the world. However, there are a few brands that have managed to appear in the top ten positions across the globe. The following is a 2017 list of the best brands in the fashion industry.
A. Louis Vuitton
The company is the most expensive brand in the world. It’s valued at $28.1 billion, and its revenue collection stands at $10.1 billion.
The company is famous for its excellent tailoring of ready to wear dresses, trench coats, shoes, watches, jewellery, sunglasses, and books in addition to several other accessories.
B. Gucci
Guccio Gucci started Gucci in 1921 to offer quality clothes that can be worn in red carpet events. The brand is valued at 12.4 billion and has a revenue above $4.5 billion.
Thus the brand produces luxury clothing that makes it one of the most expensive companies in the fashion industry.
C. Hermes
Thierry Hermes established the brand in 1837. The company is valued at $10.6 billion and has a revenue of $5.3 billion.
It's famous for silk scarves and Kelly bags. More so, the brand is an expert in the production of sportswear riding gloves for men and women as well as belts.
D. Prada
Mario Prada is a famous Italian leather manufacturer and established this fashion company in 1913. The brand is valued at $7.3 billion, and its revenue stands at $3.7 billion.
The company provides clothes with fantastic style, design, and color. Thus, their outfits make women feel special.
E. Chanel
Coco Chanel established the company. Today the brand is valued at $6.8 billion and has a revenue collection of approximately $5.4 billion.
It's famous for providing women's clothing, and the timeless little black dress (LBD) is Chanel's innovation. Chanel is ranked among some of the most expensive brands across the globe.
F. Ralph Lauren
The brand is valued at $6.6 billion, and its revenue is $7.1 billion. The company focuses entirely on luxury; thus, its products help people to live their desired life.
Therefore, most of its customers are famous personalities across the globe. Polo is part of Ralph Lauren’s brand.
E. Burberry
The brand is a British company that is valued at $5.87 billion and with $4 billion in revenue. It's associated with Audrey Hepburn and is known for its renovations.
More so, it has obtained a royal warrant, launched an exclusive premier skincare range, thus making it one of the most expensive brands in the world.
F. House of Versace
The Italian brand was established in 1978 by Gianni Versace and is valued at $5.5 billion. Its present revenue is $1 billion, thus making it one of the most profitable lifestyle brands globally.
Versace is famous for its vivid print, intrigued embellishments, and fantastic cocktail as well as iconic gowns. The brand has continuously introduced different types of clothing.
G. Fendi
Paola Fendi founded this brand in 1925, and today the brand is worth $3.5 billion. The fashion line produces world-class bags, dressing, and other accessories.
Baguette is one of the handbag series that was introduced in 1997 and also owned its atelier.
H. Armani
The brand is valued at $3.1 billion and provides glamour and amazing dressing and impeccable tailoring. Most of its loyal customers are Hollywood stars.
Further, the brand makes suits with luxurious fabric condition, and some of the most expensive clothing under its umbrella are Emporio, Armani, and Exchange. Some of its other products are leather bags, shoes, belts, perfumes, glasses, and other materials.
