Fashion Design

What is Fashion Design?

Fashion Design is the creative process of assembling clothing and accessories by cutting, sewing, and adorning materials like textiles and leather with aesthetic elements like patterns, motifs, shapes, cuts, and color characteristics to various cultures.

Fashion Design - Source: The VOU

Fashion design is the craft of fashion designers who draw inspiration from various subcultural aesthetics, worldwide fashion styles, and contemporary fashion trends.

Compared to artistic design, Fashion Design directs designers to create aesthetically pleasing but also functional clothes and accessories.

The History of Fashion Design

Pre-1850, clothing creation is described as costume design.

Fashion design started in 1858 with Charles Frederick Worth - an English fashion designer and the father of haute couture - when he introduced design practices like sewing his name into his creations.

Charles Frederick Worth fashion design by House of Worth (France, 1858 – 1956) - Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Compared to the garments made by anonymous seamstresses, Worth's fashion designs resembled popular high fashion worn at royal courts and reached massive success with the general public.

In the 19th century, fashion design houses hired artists to sketch garments and accessories.

Fashion sketch 90th Century - Source: Victoria and Albert Museum

Rather than going straight into manufacturing, the images were shown to clients to gain approval, saving the designer time and money.

If the client liked the fashion design, the patrons would commission the designer to produce the client's garment in the fashion house.

Modern Fashion Design

Modern fashion design can start as drawings on paper or a computer, followed by draping fabric onto a mannequin.

The design process comprises various steps and procedures and is unique to each designer.

When the designer is satisfied with the fit of the toile (or muslin), a professional pattern maker will make the finished, working version of the pattern out of card or via a computer program.