Who doesn't love flicking through the latest fashion magazines... not me.... until now. Well I did enjoy looking but I tended to buy out of necessity instead of maybe considering what I would actually like to wear. In fact, as trends came and went, I would have years of thinking "These aren't the styles I wear" or "I don't like these colours, when is (green) coming back.
Looking into fashion forecasting, I have come to "anticipate" what could be and start thinking a little more about what actually goes into fashion/style/ women's clothing. As I've come to read and analyse more of what I see and learn from experience, I have come to be a more confident shopper and start thinking about more interesting styles to wear based on what is in the shop. No more "where's the purple dress with blue spots and round neck" rather looking at what's "in" and considering what suits me and what style am I comfortable to wear.
So, what's the tools to get there....
* Fashion magazines
* Pantone colour forecasts for the next season (how great is this little tool!)
* Pintrest for ideas
* Polyvore to start mixing and matching so I can see "the look"
* Fabric swatches to mix and match. Placing them on drawn models really helps get an idea of what it might look like.
* Information about body shape is great too. In fact, this is pretty essential to keep in touch with because though I might have started off a certain shape, I'm certainly not that shape now. I need to "grow" (LOL) with my shape while still acknowledging the styles I like and changing with these styles.
Probably the most useful tool when designing and creating is a journal of ideas. I've always kept a gardening journal so i knew what was in the vegie patch and when it was due to announce its arrival (and check if it was indeed a weed or the chives I'd planted). Recording design ideas for craft, clothing or a special textile is really helpful and useful to see your style develop.
Source - www.pantone.com
Source - https://loveoffamilyandhome.net/2012/07/how-to-create-fashion-mood-board-using.html
Source - www.pinterest.com
I'll talk about these tools in the following blogs. Keep posted!!
This is obviously not an exhaustive list, rather the highlight tools to help inspire creativity for planning and designing your own textile creation.
At a recent textile vacation school, I was required to design, create and ultimately make my own textile creations. I was a beginner at using these tools but particularly found pintrest helpful to start making boards around topics of interest: tie dyeing, working with felt, sewing ideas, textiles and stitching. My designs were still very structured and "me" but that is really what gives fashion designers their name. We relate certain styles to a brand.
I'm not sure what my brand would be but here's a few of my creations.
So, I started with lots of fabrics, threads, dye, zippers, buttons, ribbons etc with no ideas what would unfold
My most challenging task was to make a feltie! I drew some designs and looked on Pintrest for ideas.I made a bag with different flower embellishments. Again Pintrest led me to ideas and the pictures usually referenced the website link. This was handy for tutorials. My flower garden consisted of yoyo flowers, zipper roses (pintrest page), Bead embellished felt flower brooch and a chiffon burnt flower. I loved these flowers but can imagine the CARA in Home Ec to cover students using lighters!! As a non-smoker, I actually struggled to hold the flame alight.
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