1. The Design Process
Chapter 7

2. You Will Learn: To explain the types of fashion designers
To identify the elements and principles of design used to create fashion
To name the steps in the fashion design process

3. Key Terms:
Collection- a group of clothes designed an produced for a specific season
Color- a visual characteristic representing hue and tone, that is one of the most important elements of fashion design
Silhouette- the overall form, or outline, of a garment
Line- distinct elongated mark that directs the eye movement when viewing the garment

4. Key Terms:
Texture- a characteristic of the surface of a material in terms of how it feels and looks
Principles of Design- the standards for creating good design that include proportion, balance, rhythm, emphasis, and harmony
Computer-aided design (CAD)- computer programs that perform many design functions to create fashion designs

5. The Role of the Fashion Designer
Keep fashion changing
Ultimate goal of creating new trends to increase consumer spending
Anticipate what their target market will buy
Produce fashion at prices consumers will pay for

6. Designer Tasks
Create original designs and select the appropriate fabrics that will sell
Monitor the process from pattern making to sample production to manufacture of the completed line
Monitor assistants who carry out their ideas
If they are self-employed the must also:
Develop new business contacts
Examine equipment and space needs
Perform administrative tasks

7. Types of Designers Self-Employed Designers- Design-House Designers-
Create original garments as well as clothing that follows established fashion trends
Design-House Designers-
Produce 2 major collections each year
Designers for Manufacturers-
Most designers work for manufacturers
Can specialize in a particular classification of clothing
Or might work only on accessory items
Create designs for home furnishings

8. Elements of Design
Elements should always be chosen according to the Principles of design, and then combined to create harmony
Elements of Design:
Color
Silhouette
Line
Fabric
Texture

9. Color Most important design element
When choosing color designers must consider:
Setting the Tone
Occasional Colors
Cultural Colors
Seasonal Colors

10. Color Hue- the name given to a color
Value-the lightness or darkness of a color
Tint- you are adding white to the color
Shade- you are adding black to the color
Intensity-the brightness or dullness of a color
Fuchsia vs. Olive Green

11. The Role of Silhouette and Line
The silhouette gives the garment shape
Often the key design feature that every one thinks about
Common Silhouette’s
Tubular
Bell-shaped
Back Full
Structural Lines and Decorative Lines

12. The Role of Fabric and Texture
The fabric used and the texture of that fabric can determine the success or effectiveness of a design
Texture is determined by:
Fibers
Yarns
Method of construction
Examples of Textures
Shiny
Smooth
Shaggy
Rough

13. Texture and Design Texture influences the shape:
Rough makes the shape bulky
Smooth makes the shape slender/clingy
The drape of the garment is also affected by texture
Softness and drape-ability of a fabric may spark an idea

14. Principles of Design Proportion
The relationship of all the spaces of the garment
Make sure all the parts are visually in proportion to each other
Is determined by how the total space of a design is divided
Sometimes unequal proportions can be pleasing

15. Principles of Design Balance
Is the relationship of one side of the garment to the other
Symmetrical (Formal) balance- is the same on both sides of the design center
Asymmetrical (Informal) balance- when the parts are not equally placed, on either side of the design center

16. Principles of Design Rhythm Emphasis
Gives a sense of movement through the design
repetition of lines, shapes, and colors
Emphasis
The center of interest, or focal point, of the garment
Draws attention to a certain part of the design
Designers do not place emphasis at unattractive parts of the garment
Garments usually have only one point of interest

17. Principles of Design Harmony
Is achieved when both elements and principles of design have been used correctly
Is apparent in couture designs or formal wear
Elements and principles of design are not as always obvious in mass-produced and ready-to-wear apparel

18. Design Process and Schedules
Begins each season before marketing periods begin
Marketing period is generally 6 months before consumers will purchase the merchandise
Designers must be ready 2-3 months before that

19. Steps of the Design Process
Step 1-Basic Decisions
Considerations to be made:
Fabric Choice
The season it will be sold with determine the weight and color of the fabric
Design Ideas
Number of items to be made and sold
Type of promotion to retail stores

20. Steps in the Design Process
Step 2-Design Concept and Samples
Sketches/diagrams are prepared
Includes colors and fabric choices
Then patterns and samples are produced
Not all proposed designs for a line are actually produced
Editing and changing of the design concepts happen during this step
They design by hand or by computer

21. Computer Design Computer-aided design (CAD) features:
Sketch pads with electronic pens
Zoom features
Scanning features
Electronic graphics features
3-D imaging
Allows for quick production

22. Steps in the Design Process
Step 3-Sales Research Analysis
Keeps records that show the history of styles, prices of styles that sold
This helps determine how much should be produced, but also what merchandise should be offered
Once the line is previewed and evaluated by retail buyers, then they may produce a greater selection of styles and increase the quantity of certain sizes

23. Steps in the Design Process
Step 4- Design Presentation
New line/collection is ready to be shown
May participate in fashion weeks
Others show merchandise for preview to buyers in their showrooms in fashion centers
Times new collections are introduced varies according to each market
Women’s is shown at different times than men’s wear and children’s wear

24. Steps in the Design Process
Step 5- Purchase Orders
Retail buyers begin purchasing merchandise for their stores
Certain styles may be eliminated from a line, due to the number of orders placed by the retail buyers
Step 6-Production
Final samples and fittings take place
Then final patterns are made, and sewing is happens
An assembly-line method is used for production
Computerized equipment aids in construction

25. Apparel Company Divisions
Organized into 3 main divisions
Design
Aware of the company’s target market when creating new collections/lines
Can be divided into fabric, color, trend
Productions
Responsible for producing items in sizes that retail stores have ordered
Sales
Markets the lines and acts as the coordinator between the manufacturer and the retail store
Individuals work directly with store merchandise buyers or owners

26. Quick Check What is the role of the fashion designer?
What are the five basic principles of design?
What are the basic steps in the fashion design process?

27. You will learn:
To identify the steps in the garment production process
To compare haute-couture production and prêt-a-porter production
To explain how women’s and men’s apparel is sized.

28. Key Terms:
Patternmaking- the process of transforming the design into the appropriate pieces needed to produce an apparel item
Grading- the technical process of increasing or decreasing the sizes of a pattern to correspond to a garment size
Wholesale- the price that retail buyers pay for goods they purchase from manufacturers

29. Key Terms
Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM)- a system that automatically moves the garment parte through each phase of the cutting-and-sewing process
Prêt-a-porter- French term for designer ready-to-wear clothing
Sizing System- a set of sizes based on common assumptions and methods of development