Fashion design is part of the apparel production process. Designers must be well-informed about the entire process in order to design products that can be easily or profitably manufactured and that customers will want to purchase and wear.
Fashion is an industry . Most fashion designers work for corporations where market research determines the kinds of products the designers will develop. Designers who work independently also must understand their potential customers, what they will want to buy, and how to make the garments.
Fashion designers are successful when they work together with specialists in the other areas of apparel production to satisfy customer demand. As businesses in a highly competitive industry, apparel production companies need to be profitable. This requirement places limits on product development and requires designers to create within a budget .
As in any business venture, the management of a fashion business must first decide what kind of product will be made and for what market. For example, will the business produce clothing for teenagers in the junior (younger women’s) market? If so, will it make sportswear separates or evening wear? Will the garments be expensive or moderately priced within the chosen apparel category? Strategic questions are answered based on market research that includes researching potential buyers and analyzing trends (styles).
Brand and label awareness are particularly important factors in developing the concept for a clothing line. Sketching of clothing that matches the concept begins after management has approved the basic concept. Design ideas for the whole line are presented in a series of drawings called presentation boards or storyboards that include sketches of garments, color ideas, and fabric suggestions. Management then decides which designs should be taken to the sample stage, and patterns and production specifications are developed. Initial sample garments are made, and the costs of producing each piece in the line are estimated. From these first samples and estimates, further decisions are made about what finally will be included in the line. For example, the fabric selected initially may be determined to be too expensive, and a cheaper fabric may be substituted. If a sample garment does not fit as expected, the pattern will have to be altered. Some garments may be removed from the line entirely.
After the first samples are discussed and the specifications refined to reflect the changes, final samples are produced and approved. Costs are agreed upon, and the production of the clothing line can begin. To decide how many garments should be made, the finished samples are shown to retail buyers who place orders.
Corporations featuring the work of a well-known designer label may present their samples in a runway fashion show. Such a show is aimed at stimulating interest among the buyers for retail stores, the fashion press, and potential retail customers.
Choosing where the clothing line will be produced is a critical management decision and is determined both by cost and the quality desired for the final product. Quality control during production demands that representatives of the company check on each stage of the process. Different manufacturers may make different parts of the line. For example, if the company is making separates, the tops may be made in one country, the bottoms in another, and knitted components in yet another. Manufacturing can take place almost anywhere in the world. Production is carefully organized so that the finished garments can be shipped and distributed in advance of each fashion season.
Companies specializing in logistics arrange the global transportation needs of the fashion industry. Logistics, in business, refers to the transporting of goods to customers.
People seeking a career in fashion design may study in a variety of post-secondary academic institutions, with two-, three- or four-year degree programs. A prospective student should understand the fundamentals of drawing and sewing before enrolling in a fashion design program. Design courses generally include classes in drawing and fashion illustration. Classes are also offered on the principles of both conceptual and technical design, as well as color theory, fabrics, and how to determine trends.
Other areas of study include pattern making; garment construction and how to analyze fit; fashion and textile history; and how to communicate garment specifications to production companies. Most academic design programs result in the actual production of a collection of several garments to be presented publicly. The global fashion industry employs millions of people in the various processes of apparel design, production, distribution, and retail.
