GATHER YOUR TOOLS The designer's tools are fabric, a dress form, pins, scissors, and a tape measure. As a new design student, you will soon be using these essential tools along with other tools outlined in Section 2. These are the first few key tools needed to begin working as a fashion designer. Ill. 1 shows the designer at work with these essential tools. NOW LET'S GET STARTED Fashion designers have a "passion for fashion" and love working in the rush and bustle of its seasonal calendar. It is easy to get caught up in the creativity and vibrancy of the fashion industry. The rewards are great-they may not be ones of fame and fortune, but other rewards such as working in a fun and creative environment are enticing. THE FASHION DESIGNER The fashion designer is an artist. Many students want to become fashion designers because they think it will be a glamorous job, and to some degree it's . Students are also attracted to the artistic component of the job. Students can imagine themselves working in a charming design studio sketching marvelous collections for the rich and famous, and playing with amazing fabrics. And of course in between designing collections, trips to Paris, Milan, New York, and London would be a necessity. Yes, this can be part of what a fashion designer does but it's not the whole story. Some fashion designers work in this type of environment, but only a few make it to the very top. Depending on the size of the company, the designer may be involved with the whole design process or be part of a design team and occasionally do humdrum work. The designer is the fashion library of the factory. The designer is often called on to resolve manufacturing or quality control problems. These problems could be assessing poor-quality fabric, badly made patterns, wrong color fabric, poor stitching, or a fitting problem. Having knowledge of all aspects of the design process will prepare the design student for what is ahead. Ill. 2 sets out all the steps involved in the design process from the conceptualization of ideas to the production. Fashion design programs teach a vast number of design subjects, including sketching, d at tern making, draping, designing, textiles, clothing construction, and grading, along with important computer subjects in the course curriculum. This comprehensive education prepares design students so they do have a working knowledge of the skills needed to work in the fashion industry. Notice it says a working knowledge; this doesn't mean you have to know about everything! However, the more you know, the better you will be as a designer. When creating a collection, a designer may produce as few as 10 or as many as 60 or more coordinating garments. As the designer develops the collection, all the components-the fabric, patternmaking, construction, and trims should be in his or her mind as each aspect connects together (Ill. 3). Sometimes students struggle with learning how to sew, especially when they have had no stitching background. This process can be hard-however, stitching is an essential part of the design process, which will become clear as this guide unfolds. So don't give up if you find stitching tough-it takes time and patience to learn! THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING CONSTRUCTION KNOWLEDGE Clothing construction refers to the stitching of garments and all the sewing techniques involved in this process. Construction techniques involve stitching darts, pockets, seams, tucks and pleats, zippers, waistbands, ruffles and flounces, collars, facings, cuffs, sleeves, hems, linings, and closures, all of which are covered in this guide. Clothing construction also involves understanding fabric, the sewing machine, and the equipment needed to accomplish this task. A student once commented, "Skip the stitching and let's just design!" This comment shocked us! A fashion design student needs to see the relevance in learning how to sew garments and realize how connected it's to the design process. Obviously this person hopes to be the designer described at the beginning of this section, who sits in a design studio sketching and playing with fabrics and is uninvolved with the whole production of the collection. Two questions we would ask the student are, 'How can you design if you can't sew?" and , "How can you design if you don't know patternmaking?" These two aspects are closely linked. Having these skills equips a designer to oversee manufacturing or the production of a collection. Very often the designer instructs the sample hand (the person who stitches the first prototype, or "proto," sample) how to stitch the garments in the collection. Without these skills, the designer is limited in her or his ability to oversee the quality of garments. Mac Bosen, a very successful designer, has arranged his studio in the style of a European atelier so he can be involved in the production of his collections. He notes, "Nearly all of the studio is given over to actually making up clothes, with all the sewers and patternmakers, so that we can oversee the quality construction.” The most exciting thing about teaching in a fashion design program is seeing how each element of the design process, from research to the final garment, interconnects. Ill. 2 illustrates how the design process connects from concept to production; each aspect of the design process needs the others. The first step in the design process is to research trends for inspiration. A designer's inspiration can come from anywhere-architecture, cars, landscapes, color, different cultures, or movies, just to mention a few. The design process progresses to fabric, sketching, designing patternmaking, draping, cutting, stitching, fitting, notions, and trims, which all contribute to making the first "proto" sample garment. The design process is repeated over and over as the collection is built. From there the final sample goes into production, where the patterns are graded in preparation for manufacturing the garment. [[IMPORTANT: To know fabric ...
The only way to learn about fabric is by actually work in a with different ones. Then, eventually, like the experienced designer, the design student will be able to look at a fabric and envision the designs into which it can be made. In Section a, "Know Your Fabric" will explain more about the qualities of each fabric type. ]] THE DESIGN PROCESS The sections of the design process outlined in Ill. 2 are explained here to emphasize how each connects together, and the importance of having this knowledge. The Importance of Fabric to the Designer The designer is a fabric sculptor. Design students need to become experts in fabric. Choosing a suitable fabric for the design is one of the most important aspects of the design process. Fabric selection and style development act in tandem. If an unsuitable fabric is chosen for a style, then the design won't work. Start by understanding the variety and qualities of each fabric before they are applied to a design. This involves learning the differences between natural and synthetic fibers, fabric weaves (plain, twill, satin), and woven and knitted fabrics. These fabric details are important, as each type of fabric can influence the design. Each fabric has a different structure, and understanding each will help the designer design to the fabric. For example, knit and woven fabrics need very different designs, because knit fabric stretches and woven fabrics don't. For this reason, it's advisable to use fewer design lines in a knit garment than in one of woven fabric. Becoming knowledgeable about fabric also involves observing different fabric surface patterns and textures, and this is discussed more fully in Section 2. We suggest you take a peek at Ill. 2.15, as it illustrates this point. Notice the interesting one-way fabric print and the simplicity of the design. The designer in this case has observed the fabric surface pattern and lets the fabric speak for itself. The design is uncomplicated, with no design lines to speak of, except for the side seams; too many design lines would spoil this bold fabric pattern. To get acquainted with fabric, the designer also plays and drapes with fabric on the form to determine how it performs when pleated, folded, tucked, gathered, or scrunched. By draping two very different fabric weights, such as silk taffeta and silk georgette, it will become obvious how different each looks on the form. Taffeta is crisp to the hand and when gathered, gathered or tucked it holds its shape. On the other hand, while silk georgette is soft to the hand, sheer, and delicate, and it drapes softly to skim the body when cut to its best advantage. Some designers like to draft flat patterns mathematically using specs and measurements, others like to drape the fabric on the form, then take the draped fabric pieces and make the pat Why the Designer Needs to Know How to Sketch Sketching is the first part of the design process. It is the fundamental tool used to communicate a seam, a dart, a pocket, a zipper, topstitching, or buttons, so it's not only an artistic pleasure but also a phase during which functional and structural design need to be taken into consideration. Why the Designer Needs to Know How to Draft Patterns Learning how to construct patterns mathematically and knowing where to place each line for darts, seams, pockets, ruffles, and other design details empowers the designer in knowing how line in design can be used to enhance a woman's body. Structuring patterns is like architecture-we use line and shape to build form. Making patterns is all about using line, proportion, balance, and shape as each pattern is drafted. Each seam is placed to fit the curves of a woman's body-placement isn't arbitrary. Many students find line placement difficult because they haven't thought this through at the sketching stage. Why the Designer Needs to Know How to Cut Fabric Knowing how to cut fabric following the grainlines is essential, as they must be correctly placed parallel to the selvage. Refer to Section 2, "Placing the Patterns 'On Grain.'" Placing the grainlines in certain directions can also change the look of the fabric surface. The fabric surface can have a texture, a bold large print, stripe, check, one-way pattern, or have a furry pile. The designer needs cutting knowledge so that when the darts, seams, gathering, and tucks are stitched, the fabric surface looks its best. This is explored in Section 2, "Laying Out and Cutting Fabric." Why the Designer Needs to Know HOW to Drape Fabric. Some designers like to draft flat patterns mathematically using specs and measurements, while others like to drape the fabric on the form, then take the draped fabric pieces and make the pattern from them. Draping fabric helps the design student understand the shape of the form and how fabric can be molded to enhance a woman's body. This in turn empowers the designer with more design possibilities for placing line in the design. Why the Designer Needs to Know How to Sew Garments The designer needs to learn how to sew darts, pockets, seams, zippers, ruffles, tucks, pleats, waistbands, collars, facings, cuffs, sleeves, hems, and linings, and how to embellish fabrics and stitch closures. All empower the designer by-imparting an overall knowledge of design. Not every fabric is stitched in exactly the same way; seams and hems are not stitched in a uniform way on every garment. The construction method needs to match the type and weight of fabric, as we shall see in Section 2. Why the Designer Needs to Know about Notions and Trims Notions and trims are all the supplies needed for constructing garments other than the fabric. Notions can be buttons, snaps, zippers, thread, tape, elastic, ribbon, piping, interfacing, or a lace trim. The designer needs to be involved in choosing these details and therefore needs an artistic eye to harmonize them with the fabric and design. A designer can learn what notions and trims are available by researching the Internet for the latest items. The designer also directs the choice of what basic items to use, such as the type, weight, and length of a zipper; the type, size, and design of a button; and the color of the topstitching. The notions and trims that are used matter, as you will learn by using this guide. For example, the weight of the zipper needs to suit the fabric weight, and the zipper needs to be long enough so the garment will open comfortably, allowing the customer to get in and out easily. The type of button (glass, metal, wood, or leather) needs to be compatible with the fabric type and suitable for laundering. The interfacing also needs to suit the fabric weight and the part of the garment in which it's being used. All these aspects of the construction process will be discussed as you read further in the guide, in Sections 3 and 7. Why the Designer Needs to Know about Production Being involved in production is an aspect of the design process that fashion designers often find difficult and irksome, as they just want to get on with designing clothes and back to the design studio! How involved the designer is with production depends on the size of the company. In a large company the designer's role in production may be minimal, but students who plan to have their own design business in the future will need to be totally involved. Designers need to keep their eyes open and look at the quality of garments being produced, and at the top of the list is quality stitching. As the collection develops, the designer may be involved with ordering fabrics and trims, an important part of the design process. In some companies, designers may also be involved with grading patterns into larger and smaller sizes that are ready for production. When the garments are completed, quality control personnel may also call on designers for their expertise when a stitching or fabric problem occurs. The production of a collection keeps to a strict schedule, and completing your assignments by their due dates is a great way to learn how to organize your schedule. This is excellent practice for your future responsibilities as a designer! Why the Designer Needs to Know about Functional, Structural, and Decorative Design A designer needs to address these three aspects-functional, structural, and decorative design--when designing garments. Each of these aspects has equal value. If these areas of design are ignored, it can ultimately affect the sale of the collection. And without sales, the designer doesn't have a job! It is the designer's responsibility to create clothes that function, feel comfortable, and are user-friendly in the way they work. Garments that represent interesting designs made in quality fabrics that are comfortable to move in, and stitched with quality stitches, are what women want! This is what makes one design and designer stand out from the rest. Coco Chanel, one of the most famous designers in fashion history, knew how important this was. Chanel said, "I make fashion women can live in, breathe in, feel comfortable in, and look younger in."' Her revolutionary designs changed the way women dressed, from being confined to feeling comfortable. As design students, let's continue Chanel's tradition! Each of the garments in Ill. 4, Ill. 5, and Ill. 6 demonstrates each area of design: functional, structural, and decorative. Functional Design Functional design refers to how the garment works physically on the body. This is an important aspect on which the designer needs to focus. Garments need to work physically for the purpose they are made for (police or firefighter's uniform, ball gown, swimwear, and more). Garments need to feel comfortable on the body and be made from pleasant-feeling fabric. Garments need to provide adequate room for movement yet hold their shape to the form. Garments need to be made in a suitable fabric type and weight to suit the style and provide protection, warmth, or coolness. HOW THE GARMENT WORKS PHYSICALLY This aspect of designing is the designer's responsibility. A customer trying on a garment doesn't want to struggle getting in and out of the garment. If the garment is complicated to put on, or uncomfortable in some way, or too tight to walk in, the customer will leave the fitting room and look for another brand. Busy people don't want to be bothered with complicated openings and uncomfortable clothing. Here are a few practical tips pertaining to some areas of functional design that the designer needs to attend to when designing clothes: The closure of a garment must work simply and efficiently. Buttonholes need to fit comfortably over the button and not feel too tight or too loose. Snap closures need to hold the garment securely closed. Dysfunctional closures that easily "pop" open are not going to sell. All of the garments in Ills 1.4, 1.5, and 1.6 have closures-do take a look at them. A pocket needs to be positioned so the hand enters at a comfortable level. The size of the pocket needs to be generous enough for the hand to rest in it, and maybe hold keys and some cash. Notice that the pants in Ill. 4 and the raincoat in Ill. 5 show comfortable, adequately sized pockets. In Section 5, "Pocket Styles" will explain more about the placement and size of pockets. A skirt vent must be long enough to allow a person to walk easily. Similarly, a jacket vent allows room for the jacket to spread when a person is sitting. Ill. 4 illustrates how important a vent is for functional design in a jacket and skirt. Refer to Section 15, "Vent." A strapless bodice must be structured with underlining and boning so it won't slip down when the wearer is on the dance floor-a customer doesn't want to keep tugging at the garment to keep it up all evening-this would be dysfunctional design. The zipper also needs to open from the top edge of the garment to 7 inches below the waistline so the customer can comfortably get in and out of the garment (see Ill. 6). Refer to Section 3, "Underlining," and Section 6, "Boning." Neck openings must be large enough in a knit or woven fabric to slip comfortably over the head without feeling too tight-women don't want to spoil their hair! Men also don't want to feel choked or suffocated. Many students forget about this aspect of functional design-a garment is utterly dysfunctional when it can't slip over the head. In Ill. 4 a knit top has been slipped comfortably over the head and paired with the jacket. COMFORT Comfort is all about how the garment feels when it's worn. Customers should not feel restricted when sitting in the office, walking the dog, jumping for joy, running to catch the train, crouching to pick up the baby, or reaching for that hidden candy on the top kitchen shelf. To enable comfort and movement in a garment, "ease" is incorporated into the garment at the patternmaking stage. Ease is the excess fabric that can be pinched from both sides of your garment. Different amounts of ease will be added depending on the style, silhouette, and fabric type-some fabrics have more "give" than others-and the age group of the target customer also defines the amount of ease used. For example, the strapless dress in Ill. 6 wouldn't have any ease in the bodice, as it must fit tightly to the body. In comparison, the raincoat in Ill. 5 needs excess fabric ("ease"), as it's worn over other clothing. FABRIC SELECTION NEEDS TO SUIT THE FUNCTION OF THE GARMENT The function of the garment influences the fabric selection. This aspect of functional design is the designer's responsibility. Some examples to consider: A raincoat is designed to keep out rain; therefore, the fabric needs to be weatherproof or waterproof (or both). The cut of the coat must be large enough and long enough to wear over other clothes with the neck high enough to help keep the rain out-this is an example of functional design (Ill. 5). Winter coats need to be made from fabrics that keep wearers warm and insulate the body from the cold; fabrics such as wool, cashmere, fur, or leather are ideal choices. A coat underlined and lined will also have added warmth. Refer to Section 3, "Underlining." A summer jacket needs to be made from breathable fabrics that keep the wearer cool. Natural fibers such as cotton, linen, or silk are ideal choices. When a business wear collection is designed, the fabric choice becomes very important, especially when traveling is part of the job. Fabrics with synthetic fibers prevent crushing-this is how fashion meets function (Ill. 4). Fabric needs to be taken into consideration when designing for sportswear; the fabric must stretch in the width and length so it can move with the body when a person swims, runs, or jumps. For functional sportswear, the following attributes in the fabric are advantageous: lightweight, heat and moisture regulated, stable when wet, good air and water vapor permeability, low water absorption, absence of dampness, quick to dry (to prevent feeling cold), durable, easy to care for, and soft and pleasing to touch. However, it's not possible to achieve all these properties in one simple structure of fabric using one fiber.' So a fabric with moisture-wicking properties is needed to regulate the body temperature, improve performance, and delay exhaustion. Ill. 7 FUNCTIONAL, STRUCTURAL, AND DECORATIVE DESIGN: SWIMWEAR STRUCTURAL DESIGN: This is achieved by placing the right type of fiber in the right place. Blending the fibers will not achieve this; however, fibers in a multilayer structure will. The layer closest to the skin absorbs, evaporates, and pulls moisture away from the skin. Ill. 7 illustrates a swimsuit. The customer wants it to be functional, so part of the designer's responsibility is to choose synthetic high spandex knit, elastic in both vertical and crosswise directions. Spandex is an elastic fiber that's often mixed with other yarns to produce combinations such as nylon/spandex, cotton/spandex, and polyester/cotton/spandex. Spandex gives a fabric excellent stretch and recovery so the garment retains its shape and doesn't sag. Swimwear is commonly made from nylon spandex to enable it to be ill.-hugging, fast-drying, flexible enough for movement, and shaperetaining5 Garments made in fabrics that have spandex don't need zippers; however, they do need to be stitched with stretch seams. (Refer to Section 6, "Stretch Seams.") Even though swimwear and active wear are made from fabrics with spandex, elastic also needs be applied to the garment edges to help it stay put and cling to the body.6 To see where swimwear elastic (which is especially treated to stand up to chlorine) has been applied, refer to Ill. 7. Also refer to Section 6, "Stretch Seams." Spandex isn't just limited to use in knit fabrics; it can also be added to woven fabrics. For example, the jacket, pants, and skirt in Ill. 4 could be made in wool/spandex. The amount of spandex isn't added in the same % as swimwear but a minimal amount would offer extra comfort when wearing these garments. Refer to Section 2, "Some Differences between Knit and Woven Fabrics." Structural Design The second aspect the designer needs to attend to is the structural design. Structural design refers to all the seamlines that are stitched to hold the garment together. It also refers to the thread used for stitching. When choosing the stitches and seam finishes, the wear and tear of the garment must be considered. The first and most important area of structural design, which is necessary to pass quality control, is to have quality permanent seam stitching. A certain number of stitches per inch securely hold the seams together. Too few stitches will not hold the seam adequately; too many stitches may pucker the fabric. Refer to Section 2, "Stitch 1-engths." Garments made from stretch fabrics need to be stitched with stitches-wear, that stretch so the seams can stretch during. If stretch stitches are not used, the stitches will "pop" open and eventually the garment will split apart and he returned to the manufacturer. Refer to "Knits" in the section "Stitching Seams in Tricky Fabrics" in Section 6. Buttons are another example; they need to be stitched for closures using quality thread with enough stitches will not hold the buttons permanently to the garment so they don't fall off. Refer to Section 17, "Stitching Buttons." Decorative Design Decorative design refers to the decorative additions to the fabric surface. Decorative design is an important aspect of design because ultimately it may be what attracts a customer to purchase the garment-the special detail that distinguishes one garment from another. Embroidery, lace, ribbon, bows, buckles, and buttons are just a few of the many items that can be used for decorative design. Choosing, just the right decorating item requires time and patience. Decorative design can also encompass the vibrant fabric color or fabric texture, print, or pattern. This is the case in Ill. 4. Observe the vibrant variegated color in the fabric, which is quite eye-catching. In Ill. 5 the decorative design details are the buttons and topstitching used to define the seamlines. In Ill. 6 the beaded lace and the bow represent the decorative design. The swimsuit in Ill. 7 also attracts the eye by using an all-over, energetic fabric pattern. When you hear the following statement about the garment you have designed and manufactured, then you have combined functional, structural, and decorative design together as one: "This garment is so comfortable (functional design) and beautifully stitched together (structural design), and wow. . . this beaded lace adds just the touch that makes the garment stand out from the rest (decorative design)." All three aspects are working together to create one fabulous garment! REVIEW CHECKLIST: Do I understand that learning how to sew is a necessary part of designing clothes? Do I understand that knowing how to make patterns and stitch garments empowers my knowledge as a design student? Do I understand that a designer needs to be connected with every aspect of the design process in order to have a good general knowledge of producing fashion? Do I see the importance of functional, structural, and decorative design and how they combine fashion and function? Do I see that great designs that function well, have quality stitching, and are made in fabrics that are "just the right weight" are all key to achieving excellent sales? Do I understand that designers need to keep their eyes on the entire design process when overseeing the birth and production of a collection? |
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