FASHION DESIGN

PROCESS
What is Fashion
Design Process?
• The fashion design process is a
step-by-step creative and technical
journey that designers follow to
turn an idea into a finished
garment or fashion collection. It
combines creativity, planning,
technical skills, and market
awareness.
 Key Steps of
Fashion Design
Process:

• 1. Research & Inspiration

• 2. Concept Development
• 3. Design Ideation & Sketching
• 4. Selection of Materials
• 5. Design Finalization
• 6. Technical Drawings & Spec Sheets
• 7. Pattern Making
• 8. Garment Construction
• 9. Fitting and Adjustments
• 10. Presentation & Promotion
 1. Research &
Inspiration

• The research and inspiration is

the foundational step in the
fashion design process. It involves
systematic investigation and
creative exploration aimed at
generating original ideas and
defining the direction of a fashion
collection. This stage is important
because it sets the direction for
the entire design process.
 • Types of Research
A. Market Research:
Market research is conducted to understand
the needs, preferences, and behavior of the
target customer.
It includes:
• Demographic analysis (age, gender,
income level),
• Psychographic profiling (lifestyle, values)
• Purchasing habits
• Competitor analysis to see what is
already in the market.
 B. Trend Research and
Forecasting:
Trend research involves
studying current and
anticipated movements in
fashion, including color
schemes, silhouettes,
fabric preferences, and
styling techniques. This
involves studying what is
popular now and what
Designers look at: might be popular in the
future.
Fashion shows

Trend websites (e.g: WGSN)

Magazines

Social media etc

 ➢ Sources of Inspiration
Inspiration helps designers come up with creative
ideas. It can come from many places, such as:

•Nature – colors, textures, flowers, animals

•Art and Architecture – paintings, buildings, design
styles
•Culture and History – traditional clothes, customs,
old fashion styles

•Music, Films, and Literature – emotions, themes, visuals

•Travel and Global Styles – clothes and cultures from different
countries
•Personal Life – memories, feelings, or personal stories

This inspiration helps the designer choose a theme or story for

the collection.
• Inspiration Board/ Theme board:
An inspiration board is a visual collage of images,
textures, colors, and other references that reflect
the designer’s creative source of ideas for a fashion
collection. It captures the look, feel, and essence of
what inspired the designs.

Purpose of an Inspiration Board:

•To visually communicate the source of inspiration

•To guide the direction of the collection
•To provide a creative foundation for the mood
board, and design sketches
•To ensure design consistency
 What does an inspiration board
include?

1.Images of the inspiration source: These can

be from nature (flowers, oceans, forests), art
& paintings, history or culture, travel locations,
architecture, personal experiences etc.
2. Textures or surfaces: not the actual fabric
texture but a visualization of the textures
such as if its like natural surfaces (like wood,
stone, sand), etc.
3. Color references: Not a full palette, but
images that hint at the tones of the collection
4. Keywords or short phrases: Descriptive
words such ‘’dreamy black’’ or ”vintage
dreams"
 • Mood board:
A mood board is a visual tool used in fashion design to
show the emotion, feeling, and atmosphere of a
collection. It includes carefully chosen images, colors,
textures, and words that reflect the mood the designer
wants to show through their work. It helps the designer
turn creative ideas or emotions into a clear visual
style that guides the design process.

Purpose of a Mood Board:

•To show the emotional direction of the fashion collection

•To give visual ideas for choosing colors, fabrics, and styles
•To help keeping the design consistent and focused
•To clearly share the mood or feeling of the collection with
others (such as team members, clients etc.)
 What does a mood board include?

1.Visual Images:
• Includes photos, magazine cuttings, or digital
pictures
• Can come from fashion, art, nature, or interior
design.
• Chosen to match the mood of the collection
(e.g., calm, romantic, bold)

2. Color Palette:
• Usually includes 4 to 8 selected colors
• The colors reflect the mood, such as warm tones
for a cozy feeling or cool tones for a calm look

3. Textures and Fabrics

• May include pictures or real fabric samples
• Help show how the mood feels—soft, rough, shiny, or smooth
4. Keywords or Emotions:
• Short words or phrases
that describe the mood,
such as “soft,” “futuristic,”
or “dreamy”

5. Style Elements (Optional):

• May include references to
clothing shapes,
accessories, or fashion
details
• Helps give early ideas
about the possible style of
the collection
THEME/INSPIRATION BOARD

MOOD BOARD
 2. Design ideation and
Sketching
• Design ideation and sketching is the stage where designers begin
turning their concept into visual form.
• It involves brainstorming and generating creative ideas for
garments that align with the chosen theme or concept. Designers
experiment with different silhouettes, styles, details, and garment
types during this phase.
• Through freehand sketches or digital drawing tools, designers
explore a variety of design possibilities—such as necklines,
sleeves, hems, and decorative elements.
• These sketches are often quick and expressive, focusing on
capturing the mood and form of the garment rather than perfect
details.
• This stage allows the designer to experiment freely, refine their
ideas, and select the strongest designs to develop further.
IDEA SKETCHES
 3. Selection of
Materials
• The selection of materials is a critical step in the
fashion design process, as it directly affects the
appearance, functionality, comfort, and cost of
the final garment. Once the concept and initial
designs are in place, designers choose suitable
fabrics, colors, textures, and trims that best
reflect the theme and purpose of the collection.

• Designers consider various factors when selecting materials, such as the drape, weight, stretch, durability, and
feel of the fabric. For example, lightweight fabrics like chiffon or silk may be chosen for a soft, flowing look, while
denim or wool might be used for a structured or winter collection. Color is also a key consideration, as it must
align with the color palette of the collection and evoke the intended mood.
• Accessories and trims, such as buttons, zippers, lace, or embroidery, are also selected to enhance the garment's
aesthetic and usability
Denim ruffle dress

Silk ruffle dress

 5. Design Finalization
• Design finalization is the stage where the best
sketches and ideas are developed into clear and
detailed designs.
• After trying many different concepts in the sketching
phase, the designer chooses the strongest designs
that fit the collection’s theme, target audience.
• At this point, the focus changes from exploring ideas
to making the designs precise and clear. This stage
often includes creating polished fashion illustrations
that are more detailed and realistic than the first
sketches.
• Design finalization also ensures that each design
matches the others in style, color, and shape.
• Design finalization changes creative ideas into a clear
and organized collection that is ready for the next
steps of production.
 6. Technical drawings and Specification sheets
• Once the final designs are confirmed, designers create technical drawings and specification sheets (spec
sheets) to communicate detailed information needed for garment production.
• Technical drawings, also called flats, are clean, black-and-white line drawings that show the garment from
multiple angles (usually front and back).
• It focuses on accuracy and clearly show construction details like seams, pockets, stitching lines, zippers,
buttons, pleats, or any functional or decorative elements.
• Spec sheets provide written technical information alongside the drawings. This includes:
➢ Garment measurements for different sizes
➢ Fabric and trim details (e.g., cotton jersey, metal zip)
➢ Color codes
➢ Stitch types and seam finishes
➢ Labels and placement instructions
➢ Washing or care instructions

• Technical drawings and spec sheets serve as a guide for pattern makers, sample makers, and manufacturers to
ensure that the garment is made exactly as the designer intended.
Technical Drawing and Spec sheet
 7.Pattern Making
• Pattern making is the process of translating a garment design into a set of templates used to cut fabric
pieces for construction. It is a crucial technical step that connects the designer’s ideas with the physical
garment.
• There are three main methods of pattern making:
➢ Flat Pattern Making – creating patterns using basic blocks or slopers on paper, based on body
measurements.
➢ Draping – pinning and shaping fabric directly on a dress form to create the desired silhouette,
then transferring it to paper.
➢ Digital Pattern Making – using software (e.g., CLO, Gerber, Optitex) to create and modify
patterns digitally for precision and ease of reproduction.

• Pattern makers must consider ease, seam allowances, and fit adjustments to ensure comfort and accuracy.
A well-made pattern ensures that the garment fits properly, functions well, and reflects the designer’s
vision.
Flat pattern Digital Pattern
Draping
 8. Prototype Garment
Construction
• Garment construction is the process of putting fabric pieces
together to create a finished garment.
• Using patterns and technical instructions, the flat fabric pieces
are sewn, shaped, and finished to make a three-dimensional,
wearable item.
• After the fabric is cut according to the final patterns, the pieces
are joined by sewing seams, adding shaping details like darts or
pleats, attaching sleeves or collars, inserting zippers or buttons,
and finishing hems and edges. Each step must follow the design
and technical guidelines to make sure the garment fits well and
looks as intended.
• Garment construction can be done by hand in high-end design
or by machines in large-scale production.
• Quality control is important throughout to ensure neat sewing,
correct fit, and good alignment of design details.
• Garment construction is an essential step that brings the
designer’s ideas to life, making sure the final product is
functional, comfortable, and attractive.
9. Fitting and
Adjustments

• Fitting and adjustments is an important step in the fashion

design process where the garment is tried on a live model,
dress form or mannequin to check its fit, comfort, and
appearance.
• This step makes sure the garment fits the body as per
measurement and meets the designer’s expectations.
• During fitting, designers, pattern makers, and sometimes
clients carefully observe how the garment sits on the body.
They look for problems like tight areas, loose parts, pulling, or
unevenness. They also check how the garment moves and
whether the shape and proportions are right.
• Based on what they see, changes are made to the patterns or
sewing. This can include adjusting seams, adding or removing
ease (extra space), changing lengths, reshaping darts, or
altering other design details to improve fit and comfort.
• Several rounds of fitting may be needed, especially for complex
or tailored designs, to get the perfect fit before final
production.
 10. Presentation and Promotion
• Presentation and promotion are activities used to show a finished fashion collection to buyers, the media,
and consumers. This stage is important for increasing visibility and attracting interest in the designs.
• Presentation can take different forms, such as fashion shows, lookbooks, photoshoots, or showroom
displays.
➢ In a fashion show, models wear the clothes on a runway to show how they fit and move.
➢ Lookbooks are carefully arranged photo collections that focus on the style and details of each piece.
➢ Showrooms let buyers see and feel the garments in person before making purchases.
• Promotion means sharing the brand and collection’s story through marketing channels. Good promotion helps
build the brand’s image, draws customers, and increases sales. This can include:
➢ social media posts
➢ press releases
➢ working with influencers, advertisements, and events etc.

Both presentation and promotion need careful planning to match the collection’s idea, target audience, and
current market trends. They are important steps in linking the designer’s creative work to the business side of
fashion.
Presentation
Promotion
Thank You