To explain the types of fashion designers

To identify the elements and principles of design used to create fashion

To name the steps in the fashion design process

Collection- a group of clothes designed an produced for a specific season

Color- a visual characteristic representing hue and tone, that is one of the most important elements of fashion design

Silhouette- the overall form, or outline, of a garment

Line- distinct elongated mark that directs the eye movement when viewing the garment

Texture- a characteristic of the surface of a material in terms of how it feels and looks

Principles of Design- the standards for creating good design that include proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis, and harmony

Computer-aided design (CAD)- computer programs that perform many design functions to create fashion designs

Keep fashion changing Ultimate goal of creating new trends to

increase consumer spending Anticipate what their target market will

buy Produce fashion at prices consumers

will pay for

Create original designs and select the appropriate fabrics that will sell

Monitor the process from pattern making to sample production to manufacture of the completed line

Monitor assistants who carry out their ideas

If they are self-employed the must also:› Develop new business contacts› Examine equipment and space needs› Perform administrative tasks

Self-Employed Designers-› Create original garments as well as clothing

that follows established fashion trends Design-House Designers-

› Produce 2 major collections each year Designers for Manufacturers-

› Most designers work for manufacturers› Can specialize in a particular classification of

clothing› Or might work only on accessory items› Create designs for home furnishings

Elements should always be chosen according to the Principles of design, and then combined to create harmony

Elements of Design:› Color› Silhouette› Line› Fabric› Texture

Most important design element When choosing color designers must

consider:› Setting the Tone› Occasional Colors› Cultural Colors› Seasonal Colors

Hue- the name given to a color Value-the lightness or darkness of a

color› Tint- you are adding white to the color› Shade- you are adding black to the color

Intensity-the brightness or dullness of a color› Fuchsia vs. Olive Green

The silhouette gives the garment shape

Often the key design feature that every one thinks about

Common Silhouette’s› Tubular› Bell-shaped› Back Full

Structural Lines and Decorative Lines

The fabric used and the texture of that fabric can determine the success or effectiveness of a design

Texture is determined by:› Fibers› Yarns› Method of construction

Examples of Textures› Shiny› Smooth› Shaggy› Rough

Texture influences the shape:› Rough makes the shape bulky› Smooth makes the shape slender/clingy

The drape of the garment is also affected by texture

Softness and drape-ability of a fabric may spark an idea

Proportion› The relationship of all the spaces of the

garment› Make sure all the parts are visually in

proportion to each other› Is determined by how the total space of a

design is divided› Sometimes unequal proportions can be

pleasing

Balance› Is the relationship of one side of the

garment to the other› Symmetrical (Formal) balance- is the same

on both sides of the design center› Asymmetrical (Informal) balance- when the

parts are not equally placed, on either side of the design center

Rhythm› Gives a sense of movement through the design› repetition of lines, shapes, and colors

Emphasis› The center of interest, or focal point, of the

garment› Draws attention to a certain part of the design› Designers do not place emphasis at

unattractive parts of the garment› Garments usually have only one point of

interest

Harmony› Is achieved when both elements and

principles of design have been used correctly

› Is apparent in couture designs or formal wear

› Elements and principles of design are not as always obvious in mass-produced and ready-to-wear apparel

Begins each season before marketing periods begin› Marketing period is generally 6 months

before consumers will purchase the merchandise

Designers must be ready 2-3 months before that

Step 1-Basic Decisions› Considerations to be made:

Fabric Choice The season it will be sold with determine the weight

and color of the fabric

Design Ideas Number of items to be made and sold Type of promotion to retail stores

Step 2-Design Concept and Samples› Sketches/diagrams are prepared

Includes colors and fabric choices

› Then patterns and samples are produced› Not all proposed designs for a line are

actually produced› Editing and changing of the design

concepts happen during this step › They design by hand or by computer

Computer-aided design (CAD) features:› Sketch pads with electronic pens› Zoom features› Scanning features› Electronic graphics features› 3-D imaging

Allows for quick production

Step 3-Sales Research Analysis› Keeps records that show the history of

styles, prices of styles that sold› This helps determine how much should be

produced, but also what merchandise should be offered

› Once the line is previewed and evaluated by retail buyers, then they may produce a greater selection of styles and increase the quantity of certain sizes

Step 4- Design Presentation› New line/collection is ready to be shown› May participate in fashion weeks› Others show merchandise for preview to

buyers in their showrooms in fashion centers

› Times new collections are introduced varies according to each market Women’s is shown at different times than

men’s wear and children’s wear

Step 5- Purchase Orders› Retail buyers begin purchasing merchandise

for their stores› Certain styles may be eliminated from a line,

due to the number of orders placed by the retail buyers

Step 6-Production› Final samples and fittings take place› Then final patterns are made, and sewing is

happens› An assembly-line method is used for

production› Computerized equipment aids in construction

Organized into 3 main divisions› Design

Aware of the company’s target market when creating new collections/lines

Can be divided into fabric, color, trend› Productions

Responsible for producing items in sizes that retail stores have ordered

› Sales Markets the lines and acts as the coordinator

between the manufacturer and the retail store Individuals work directly with store merchandise

buyers or owners

What is the role of the fashion designer?

What are the five basic principles of design?

What are the basic steps in the fashion design process?

To identify the steps in the garment production process

To compare haute-couture production and prêt-a-porter production

To explain how women’s and men’s apparel is sized.

Patternmaking- the process of transforming the design into the appropriate pieces needed to produce an apparel item

Grading- the technical process of increasing or decreasing the sizes of a pattern to correspond to a garment size

Wholesale- the price that retail buyers pay for goods they purchase from manufacturers

Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM)- a system that automatically moves the garment parte through each phase of the cutting-and-sewing process

Prêt-a-porter- French term for designer ready-to-wear clothing

Sizing System- a set of sizes based on common assumptions and methods of development