There are a ton of steps when planning a project and even more if you want to get into a collection. For now, I am sticking to creating my first "real" outfit.
Some people already have a bunch of ideas that they just can't wait to put on paper. Personally, I had my design set so I didn't have to do too much on the creative site. If you love constructing but might be lacking on the creative side the best thing to do is take some time and look for inspiration. Creating Pinterest, looking through your favorite online stores, watching fashion shows, browsing through magazines are great ways to figure out what you would like to create. Having a target audience, season, and/or use for your piece can also be super useful.
Once you have your idea set on what you want, if you are a beginner or even just working on projects for fun looking at fabric stores is next. Big chain brands and high-end designers usually buy directly from factories or specific sellers and they are able to create fabrics if necessary. But beginners usually working on a budget (such as myself) need to be a little more flexible with fabrics. Keep your original design a little broad when browsing for fabrics, because it's very unlikely for you to find exactly what you imagined. Think of colors, fabric types, durability, and textures without getting too specific. This step is usually when your design changes the most. Once you find your fabric DO NOT BUY IT YET! You need to see your final design on paper before you make that commitment.
I am making this sound like a super serious intense thing but it really is not. You should be having fun, even though it may get a bit stressful.
Ok, so you have your design set in your head, have picked out options for fabric. Time to put it down on paper. Before I get into drawing fashion figures I really super roughly sketch the flats for my outfit. I am looking to create a blue floral statement pant with a basic knit sweater/top. I used colored pencils, markers, and pens to draft out my design. This is not only so you don't forget your idea, but also so you can see if there are any changes you want to make to it before the final design.
Fashion Figures! Okay, this is a more technical aspect to design, but extremely necessary as well. It's way too long for me to go on explaining now, and I don't want to bore you soo I'll post all my tips, tricks, and how to make them on a different post!
You got this! We've have gotten through one of the most important parts when it comes to creating projects!
xoxo,
Carmen (your 16-year-old design teacher)
Originally published on July 28th, 2020
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