If we've learned anything from the pandemic's crisis conditions, it's that we have to be proactive when it comes to educating ourselves. We've learned to not rely on schools being in session or universities being open for in-person classes; indeed, quite a few agile and curious minds have taken the initiative to learn on their own, away from the familiar academic trappings.
Of course, we have far greater advantages than past students, in that regard. We have technology that can turn our bedrooms into multimedia centres and a wealth of online courses to choose from; some free and some for a fee.
Is that really all it would take to learn fashion design at home?
Unfortunately not. Unlike memorizing formulae to pass a maths test or grammar and vocabulary for a foreign language exam, learning fashion design requires a multi-faceted approach.
| Steps to establish yourself as a fashion designer: |
|---|
| 1. Learn everything you can about fashion design. |
| 2. Develop your drawing and sewing skills. |
| 3. Find your niche: which types of clothing will you design? |
| 4. Build your brand through social media and networking. |
| 5. Train yourself to work on a deadline and under pressure. |
As you can see, fashion design is not simply a matter of knowing how to sketch and sew; you also have to understand the business aspects of the fashion industry.
Let's go over these steps and others you can take to fulfil your runway goals.
What's Your Unique Selling Point?
Even as you contemplate how you can learn fashion design at home, your should focus your thinking on this question: what makes your designs unique - better than everyone else's? What is it about your designs that will make people want to buy them?
To understand how vital this point is, let's look at how Sweaty Betty got started.
Tamara Hill-Norton, the label's creator, discovered that after an active, athletic life around the world, London had little to offer female fitness enthusiasts, both in the practice of sports and in sports apparel. She could have resigned herself to wearing what every other female fitness devotee in the UK wore at the time - loose and bulky men's apparel, or she could design a sports apparel line specifically for active females.
Ms Hill-Norton found her USP by sheer happenstance. There was a gap in the market; she stepped in to fill it.
Fashion designers today aren't likely to be that lucky. We enjoy a glut of fashion choices; pretty much everything that could be done to clothe humans has been done. Or has it?
Fashion designers may draw on their heritage for inspiration, or take note of social trends and reflect them in their designs. Often, designers create entirely new style categories; the distressed look is a prime example of such. You may have an affinity for formal wear with a twist - maybe a classic cut but with modern, outrageously patterned fabrics and accents?
As early as possible on your journey to becoming a designer, think about what you want to express or highlight with your designs. In other words, find your unique selling point.
Develop Your Skills
Once you've discovered your USP, it's time to start developing your skills, which begs the question: which skills do fashion designers need?
Besides the technical aspects of design that you'll learn through a fashion design course (more on that in a mo), you need to hone your drawing skills and, if you're not yet proficient with computer-aided drawing software and other digital drawing tools, you should get good with them, quickly.
You will also need to continuously improve your stitching and various sewing techniques such as ruching, gathering, pleating, draping and so on. You should practice working with various types of fabrics, too. It's essential to know which fabrics hang well together and which ones are harder to work with. Also, you should get used to the tools - dressmaking forms, slopers and the various types of shears.
Finally, as seasoned a social media user as you might be, once you launch your fashion business, your social media profiles will be in a whole other league: professional, enticing, eye-catching and attractive.
Thus, developing photography skills is essential, as are presentation skills. You will want your collections seen in the best possible light and targeted to your desired audience, so it's important to hit all the right notes on your first post.
Take Online Fashion Design Courses
You may be a fashion drawing prodigy turning out sketch after sketch - or CAD-ing piece after piece, and you may be the envy of all your friends because you can put amazing outfits together from whatever happens to hang in your closet. And aren't you already notions royalty?
All of that means you could have a bright future in fashion, but only if you learn design fundamentals; things like:
- essentials of garment construction
- how to choose the right fabrics for your projects
- mastering fabric technical aspects
- pattern placement in garment creation
- deconstructing and reconstructing fabrics
- detail sewing: zippers, buttonholes, seams and binding
- using garment-making tools: slopers, forms and various cutting tools
And then, you should expand your knowledge base to include concepts like how to generate ideas and create a mood board, populate a presentation board and build your sketchbook.
You will also need to know about the importance of swatch books and how you can start yours, why you should keep accent pieces - buttons, laces and trim on hand; and gathering, draping and flat pattern techniques.
Of course, you could google video after video or, if you're lucky, find a channel that will take you from the basics of fashion design to runway ready. But wouldn't it be more efficient to take a course in fashion design; one that has all of the necessary elements laid out for you?
After all, we can never know what we need to know until we need to know it - unless we're told we need to know it ahead of time.
With a query to your favourite internet browser, you can find online design courses to suit your budget and schedule; rest assured that there's no lack of them. The British Academy of Fashion Design would be a great place to start because they offer both certificate and diploma courses, but they are far from the only school you can learn the basics of fashion design from.
Also, while you're searching for courses, consider taking business and marketing courses.
Fashion design is equal parts of creativity and pragmaticism; you'll need to know all about fabrics and how to work with them - that's the creative side, but you'll also have to know how to budget your enterprise, maintain inventory and promote your products.
You won't need a degree in business (but you're welcome to pursue one, of course). However, you certainly need to know how to manage a business and, as with a fashion design course, it's more efficient to get all your knowledge from a single, reputable source.
After all, with creative ideas just bursting forth, you hardly have the time or patience to poke around online, looking for discrete nuggets of knowledge, do you?
Find sewing courses here on Superprof.
Find sewing course London here on Superprof.
Build Your Brand
In today's hyper-commercial world, branding is everything. The Nike swoosh and Cola wave are recognised the world over; indeed, Nike has outsourced its shoe design enterprise to focus on its branding (and R&D). In other words, your new Nikes aren't designed by Nike; they just bear the brand.
We needn't think so big; we're aiming more for the type of branding social media influencers build for themselves. Later, when you become a global fashion sensation, you can pursue global branding strategies.
These days, anyone can build their brand. Athletes do it and reality TV stars, too. Makeup artists and beauty experts; gamers and... you.
Before you even create your first collection, you should start building your brand - both on social media and on the web. This activity should be apart from your personal social media profiles or any blogs/vlogs you might already author; it should promote your work in fashion exclusively.
Getting started is easy: create a website (or hire a webpage designer to do it for you), and link to it from your current social media accounts. To gain extra traffic, make use of the tools from Google and add your site to online directories.
Don't worry if building your brand is slow going, at first; in fact, that works to your advantage. It gives you time for trial and error; to discover what works and doesn't work for you and the message you want your designs to convey.
This learning curve is an essential part of getting started studying fashion. No designer - of fashion or other products, hits upon the perfect formula for success their first time out the gate.
But, by studying diligently the fundamentals of fashion design, discovering your fashion 'voice' and learning how to express yourself in your designs, and mastering the business aspects of the fashion industry, you won't have to worry about being a small but passionate presence on the fashion scene.
Indeed, you may find yourself among the top designers at the London fashion week sooner than you thought you would.
Good luck!
Find sewing classes in Edinburgh here on Superprof.
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Hi
I have a son interesting in learning fashion design.
Please let me know full details on-line course.
Hi there,
Thanks for reaching out! For online fashion design courses, here are a few options you might explore:
Course Content: Typically includes fashion illustration, garment construction, textiles, pattern making, and design theory.
Platforms: Check out reputable online learning platforms like Coursera, Udemy, or specialized institutions like the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the London College of Fashion. They offer various courses ranging from beginner to advanced levels.
Duration: Courses can range from a few weeks to several months, depending on the depth of the content.
Cost: Prices vary widely, from free introductory courses to more comprehensive programs costing several hundred dollars.
Accreditation: Some courses offer certificates upon completion, which can be valuable for future studies or career opportunities.
Hope this is helpful, best of luck!