There are three main categories of fashion design, although these may be split up into additional, more specific categories:
Haute couture The type of fashion design which predominated until the 1950s was "made-to-measure" or haute couture, (French for high needlework). The term made-to-measure may be used for any garment that is created for a specific client. Haute couture, however, is a protected term which can only be officially used by companies that meet certain well-defined standards set by the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture. Nonetheless, many ready-to-wear, and even mass market labels, claim to produce haute couture, when in fact, according to established standards, they do not. A couture garment is made to order for an individual customer, and is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric, sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Look and fit take priority over the cost of materials and the time it takes to make.
Ready-to-wear Ready-to-wear clothes are a cross between haute couture and mass market. They are not made for individual customers, but great care is taken in the choice and cut of the fabric. Clothes are made in small quantities to guarantee exclusivity, so they are rather expensive. Ready-to-wear collections are usually presented by fashion houses each season during a period known as Fashion Week. This takes place on a city-wide basis and occurs twice per year.
Mass market These days the fashion industry relies more on mass market sales. The mass market caters for a wide range of customers, producing ready-to-wear clothes in large quantities and standard sizes. Cheap materials, creatively used, produce affordable fashion. Mass market designers generally adapt the trends set by the famous names in fashion. They often wait around a season to make sure a style is going to catch on before producing their own versions of the original look. In order to save money and time, they use cheaper fabrics and simpler production techniques which can easily be done by machine. The end product can therefore be sold much more cheaply. Increasingly, many modern high-end designers are now beginning to turn to mass market retailers to produce lower-priced merchandise, and to broaden their customer base.
Designing a garment
The design: Different designers work in different ways. Some sketch their ideas on paper, others drape fabric on a dress stand, pinning, folding and tucking it until the idea for a garment emerges. A third method is to adapt their own patterns from previous seasons (this method can give continuity to a fashion studio's output).
Making a toile or muslin: After making a rough paper pattern, or life-size 2-D plan, of the garment, a sample machinist (or skilled sewing machine operator) then makes a trial version of the garment from plain-colored calico. The toile (called a muslin in the U.S.) is put on to a dress stand (or a model) to see how it fits and whether it hangs properly.
Making a card pattern: When the designer is completely satisfied with the fit of the toile (or muslin), they show it to a professional pattern maker who then makes the finished, working version of the pattern out of card. The pattern maker's job is very precise and painstaking. The fit of the finished garment depends on their accuracy.
The finished dress: Finally, a sample garment is made up in the proper fabric and tested on a fit model.
Areas of fashion design
Many professional fashion designers start off by specializing in a particular area of fashion. The smaller and the more specific the market, the more likely a company is to get the right look and feel to their clothes. It is also easier to establish oneself in the fashion industry if a company is known for one type of product, rather than several products . Once a fashion company becomes established (that is, has regular buyers and is well-known by both the trade and the public), it may decide to expand into a new area. If the firm has made a name for the clothes it already produces, this helps to sell the new line. It is usually safest for a company to expand into an area similar to the one it already knows. For example, a designer of women's sportswear might expand into men's sportswear. The chart below shows the areas in which many designers choose to specialize.
Most French fashion houses are in Paris, which is the capital of French fashion and of the world. Traditionally, French fashion is chic and stylish, defined by its sophistication, cut, and smart accessories. Among the many Parisian couture houses are Chanel and Christian Dior, who present exclusive fashion shows in their salons; other designers display their work at the designer collections that are held twice a year.
As in France, the majority of British fashion houses are based in the capital, London.Where as the French are considered the epitome of style and fashion in ladies' garments, the pinnacle of men's is considered to be London, Savile Row in particular. British fashion houses are associated with a very traditional, British style: elegant, yet conservative cuts, fine yet not overly extravagant materials and a sort of noble, even 'imperial' elegance, such as that of traditional 'Fifties debutantes' gowns, compared to the French 'chic'. The first fashion designer, Charles Worth, was a native of Britain, although he made his name in Paris in the 19th century. In the 1920s, Norman Hartnell became known for elaborate evening gowns, and went on to design Queen Elizabeth II's world-renowned wedding and coronation gowns, along with others for many members of the British royal family. Famous BritishDesigners include Vivienne Westwood, Sir Hardy Amies, Paul Smith, Christopher Bailey and Christopher Kane.
American fashion design
The majority of American fashion houses are based in New York, although there are also a significant number in Los Angeles, where a substantial percentage of clothing manufactured in the US is actually made, and Chicago, which was once a center of American fashion. American fashion design is dominated by a clean-cut, casual style, reflecting the athletic, health-conscious lifestyles of many American city-dwellers. A designer who helped to set the trend in the United States for sport-influenced day wear throughout the 1940's and 50's was Claire McCardell. Many of her designs have been revived in recent decades. More modern influences on the American look have been Calvin Klein (known for classic coats and separates), Ralph Lauren (known for casually elegant clothes in natural fabrics), Uriel Saenz (known for his luxury detailing and superb craftmenship), Anna Sui (known for her unique styles of clothing and for creating new trends), Donna Karan (known for practical, sophisticated women's wear), Kenneth Cole (know for a modern, casual look), Marc Jacobs (known for a diverse style and influences), Michael Kors (for a fresh appeal), and Tommy Hilfiger (known for preppy, modern American style). Also, among the younger American crowd, Hollister, American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, Aéropostale, and Coach predominate.
Italian fashion design
Most of the older Italian couturiers are in Rome. however, Milan is the Italian fashion capital because it is base to most of the well-known designers, and it is the exhibition venue for their collections. Italian fashion features casual elegance and luxurious fabrics. The first Italian luxury brand was Salvatore Ferragamo (who has exported exquisite hand-made shoes to the U.S. since the 1920s); among the best-known, exclusive fashion names are Valentino ("Rosso Valentino" [Red Valentino] line), Gianfranco Ferrè (boldly-cut, brightly-colored clothes), Giorgio Armani (subtle masculinity for men and women), Gianni Versace (beautifully-cut leather clothes), and Dolce & Gabbana (classic-to-modern avante-garde appeal); per BusinessWeek.com, Gucci is the greatest-selling Italian fashion brand, with world-wide sales of $7.158 billion dollars. [1]
Japanese fashion design
Most Japanese fashion houses are in Tokyo. The Japanese look is loose and unstructured (often resulting from complicated cutting), colours tend to the sombre and subtle, and richly textured fabrics. The most famous Japanese fashion designers work in Europe and the U.S.A., but the Tokyo designer collection presentations are major international fashion event. Famous Japanese designers are Kenzo (layered looks, highly original knitwear), Issey Miyake (masterful drape and cut), and Rei Kawakubo, who developed a new way of cutting (comparable to Madeleine Vionnet's innovation in the 1930s).
Fashion design terms
A fashion designer conceives garment combinations of line, proportion, color, and texture. He or she may or may not know how to sew or make patterns. Formal training is not always essential, yet most fashion designers are formally trained (apprenticed) and schooled.
A pattern maker drafts the shapes and sizes of a garment's pieces with paper and measuring tools, and, some times, an AutoCAD computer software program, or by draping muslin on a dress form, the original way. The resulting pattern pieces must compose the intended design of the garment and they must fit the intended wearer. Formal training is essential for working as a pattern marker.
A tailor makes custom designed garments made to the client's measure; suits (coat and trousers, jacket and skirt, et cetera).
A textile designer designs fabric weaves and prints for clothes and furnishings. Most textile designers are formally trained as apprentices and in school.
A stylist is the person who co-ordinates the clothes, jewelry, and accessories used in fashion photography and catwalk presentations of clothes collections. A stylist also is a designer whose designs are based upon extant things, trends, and the collections of other designers.
A buyer orders stocks of clothes for shops, chain stores, and other types of stores. Most fashion buyers are trained in business studies.
A seamstress sews seams wither manually or with a sewing machine, either in a garment shop or as a sewing machine operator in a factory. She (or he) may not have the skills to make (design and cut) the garments, or to fit them on a model. A seamstress is not synonymous with dressmaker.
A teacher of fashion design teaches the art and craft of fashion in art schools and in fashion design school.
A custom clothier makes custom-made garments to order, for a given customer.
A dressmaker specializes in custom-made women's clothes:day, cocktail, and evening dresses, business clothes and suits, trouseaus, sports clothes, and lingerie.
An illustrator draws and paints clothes for commercial use.
A model wears and displays clothes at fashion shows and in photographs.
A fit model wears and comments on the clothes during their design and pre-manufacture.
A fashion journalist writes fashion articles describing the garments presented, for magazines or newspapers.
An alterations specialist (alterationist) adjusts the fit of completed garments, usually ready-to-wear, and sometimes re-styles them. NOTE: despite tailors altering garments to fit the client, not all alterationists are tailors.
A wardrobe consultant or fashion advisor recommends styles and colors that are flattering to the client.
A photographer photographs the clothes on fashion models for use in magazines, newspapers, or adverts.
On The Bravo Channel's "Project Runway," hosted by model Heidi Klum, contestants compete for a contract to become a top fashion and clothes designer. Visit www.projectrunwayonline.com for more information, and watch "Project Runway" on Bravo, featuring top designer Michael Kors as a judge
