The creation of a fashion collection is much more complicated than it might seem at first sight. It consists of many important stages. Let’s find out more!
Main idea
Like any piece of art, a fashion collection has the main idea (a problem). We are talking about the problems, small or global, that affect the real world. It can be climate change, drug and alcohol addictions, fighting against discrimination, finding yourself, any psychological traumas, etc. Themes of this kind are aimed to draw the attention of society. Of course, there are also positive issues like the wonders of nature, current scientific inventions, space exploration, and so on.
Couture or ready-to-wear collections?
Surely, you have seen fashion shows where some models were wearing very strange things and some, on the contrary, – ordinary dresses. Actually, all designer collections are divided into 2 areas: Haute Couture and Prêt-à-Porter.
The couture collection contains clothes that are not created for ordinary life. These clothes often present some creative and futuristic ideas and look like museum pieces.
Prêt-à-Porter or ready-to-wear is a collection of clothes made for everyday life. These clothes can be worn to the office or on the street by ordinary people. We can say that these clothes are made for sale.
Moodboard
Every collection has its own mood. To catch the mood accurately Emerging Designers get some kind of research. They look for photos, illustrations, and sketches of other designers that are connected with the theme.
There are two ways of creating a moodboard. You can use real photos and illustrations from magazines and newspapers to create a paper collage or make a digital moodboard using web resources like Pinterest or Canva.
At this phase, designers choose not only the mood of the collection but also the colors, prints, and factures. If the collection deals with nature you should decide which factures and colors you are going to use: animals, plants, space, or any nature elements. As you can see the theme is wide, and the main goal of this stage is to narrow down the topic.
Skatches
Sketch − a rough drawing or painting of the future collection. It is kind of a plan. Here are some tips to follow to make good sketches.
Materials for drawing
First you make a sketch − a figure in the form of a model, which serves as the basis of the drawing. The point is not to draw a realistic figure, you are like sketching out a canvas on which you will “try on” various illustrations of dresses, skirts, blouses, accessories, or whatever you decide to create.
You can use any materials and techniques you like: markers, paints, pencils, or tablets.
Symbol
There must be an element that runs through the whole collection like a red thread. If the collections deal with the defense of women, for example, a designer can add any protection accessories: masks, glasses, unusual headdresses, and so on.
Composition and final look
A fashion collection can be compared with a book or a movie. It has a composition. It can consist of any amount of outfits. As a rule opening outfits are reserved. Then go brighter and more interesting images. The final image is the icing on the cake. It brings the main idea. It Is the brightest piece of the collection. it is made to evoke the audience’s emotions, sometimes provoke, surprise, and draw attention.
Silhouette and fabrics
Many mistakes at the finish line are associated with the wrong choice of fabric for future clothes items. For example, a designer has found fabric and likes it. But the fabric is not malleable enough to create the desired silhouette. At this moment dissonance arises, and it becomes impossible to implement the idea in the form it was conceived. To prevent this more attention should be paid to the diversity of new fabrics, and the study of their properties and textures. It is important to make more layouts, even draw draperies, in order to better understand how a particular fabric will behave in the product and to feel its plasticity and weight.
Sewing
The run of the last phase, sewing, depends on the designer’s skills and the size of the collection. Designers are allowed to hire a sewing team or sew it on their own.
Create and remember that emerging fashion does not have boundaries!
