Fashion design is a discipline that allows the design and manufacture of accessories and clothing.
Fashion design is a career chosen by people with aesthetic sensitivity and a creative spirit who wish to acquire technical knowledge in the making and design of garments and other products.
It is important to highlight that this field of work allows designers to devise accessories and clothing taking into consideration both social and cultural styles and influences. When a pattern is repeated and a way of dressing or a particular piece is imposed at a popular level for a certain period of time (generally brief), the notion of fashion trends gains relevance.
The idea of a seasonal collection , meanwhile, takes center stage when brands or fashion creators launch throughout the year (it is usual for two to be presented per period: one for autumn/winter and another for spring/summer), a series of textile elements. Official presentations, or collection previews, are usually carried out through a fashion show , an event that draws on models on a catwalk in order to make visible shoes , designer bags , bridal fashion , sportswear , lingerie or jewelry items, depending on each case.
Types of fashion design
Fashion design is segmented into several groups according to the work methodology and the final result of each creative process.
If we focus attention on the link between fashion and technology , to indicate a possibility, then a modern modality comes to light that involves the development of computer fashion design . In this framework, the projects require the use of programs (for this you must be trained in the use of fashion design software ) and digital fashion design tools .
Ready-to-wear fashion , on the other hand, seeks to distinguish itself by offering garments of a certain exclusivity but ready to wear. In this context in which mass production is produced, there is a system of sizes (or standard sizes) that seeks to encompass, in some way, all types of bodies.
There is also haute couture fashion , also defined as haute couture or custom-made , in an artisanal way, considering the physical particularities of each client. Each of these designs is made by hand and pursues the highest possible quality (that's why the best fabrics and luxury materials are prioritized).
There is, to add another alternative as a reference, the fast fashion model . This segment is born from a rapid dynamic of production, sale and use of garments or accessories. Unlike it, sustainable fashion demonstrates that it is possible to design, make, market and consume textile products in a way that respects the planet.
Events such as Fashion Week serve to make visible, globally and through fashion shows, the best and most current in fashion design.
Brands and designers of global significance
Over the years, a wide variety of brands and different designers have achieved global significance thanks to their excellent contributions to the fashion industry .
In many cases, the names or surnames of creatives have become brand symbols. This has happened, for example, with the Venezuelan Carolina Herrera . This designer and businesswoman went on to build an empire that, to this day, encompasses fragrances , accessories , ready-to-wear fashion , makeup and more.
The prestigious Valentino , which bears the identity of its main promoter; Christian Dior Louis Vuitton Kenzo and Versace are other brands that made their founders immortal and recognized worldwide.
Coco Chanel , Giorgio Armani , Karl Lagerfeld , Óscar de la Renta , Yves Saint Laurent and Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada have also left an indelible mark, to add more references of various nationalities.
Cutting and sewing courses invite you to learn, for example, how to design fashion and make custom-made garments.
Basic elements of fashion design
In fashion design , as happens in each of the productive activities, there are different basic work elements, steps to follow and techniques or practices appropriate for the work.
Firstly, it is necessary to obtain (or have available) specific materials and tools (sewing machine, pencils and paper, sewing measuring tape, etc.) and fabrics .
Taking a silhouette as inspiration also advances in the choice of creative criteria, which can respond to artistic, cultural, technological or historical influences . The designer can choose to accentuate or conceal the natural shapes of the organism based on resources used in pursuit of distance (looser garments) or the accompaniment of tight clothing, tight to the body.
The color palette is also important (in this regard, you should know that more flattering color combinations are achieved than others in relation to skin tones, eyes, hair), as are the shapes and sewing patterns .
In the beginning stage of the design , experts on the subject indicate actions such as trend research , the development of sketches and patterns , the development of a design prototype (a mold to check that the garment is what is intended or has been imagined a designer), make adjustments or corrections and close or terminate the production .