Fashion Design Essentials (Gnv64)

Design Essentials
Text 201 1 by Rockport Publ i shers

Desi gn 201 1 by Rockport Publ i shers
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1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
I SBN-1 3: 978-1 -59253-701 -3
I SBN-l0: 1-59253-701-4
Di gi ta l edi ti on publ i shed i n 2011
eI SBN-1 3: 978-1 -61 058- 043-4
Di gi ta l edi ti on: 978-1 -61058-043-4
Softcover edi ti on: 978-1 -59253-701-3
LbraryolLongressLatalogng-n-PubIcatonDataavalabIe
Desi gn: Kathi e Al exander
Photographs and i l l ustrati ons by Jay Cal der i n unl ess otherwi se noted.
Pri nted i n Chi na
Design Essentials
100 Principles of Fashion Design

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Jay Calderin
CONTENTS
I ntroducti on t t t t t t t t t t t t t 7
THOUGHT
1. Hi stori cal Reference and Reverence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2. Emulati on and I nnovati on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3. Trends: On, Off, and Adjacent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. Corroborati ng Couture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4
5. Forging I dentity t . . t . . t . . t t t 1 6
6. Sensi ng Styl e . . t . . t . . t . . t 1 8
7. Fashi on Equati ons . . t t t t . . t t t . 20
8. Sui ts of Armor . . t . . t . . t t t t 22
9. Cl i ent Compati bi l ity t . t . . t t t t 24
10. Customizati on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
11. Restrai nt, I mpul se, and I mpact t . . . . 28
12. Mi nd Mappi ng t . . t . . t . . t t 30
13. Net and Narrow t . . t . . . . t t t 32
14. Di sposabl e as I nvestment t . . . . t t t 34
15. Envi ronmental Context . . t . . t . . . . 36
I NVE NTORY
16. Acqui si ti ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
17. Col laborati on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
18. Arti cul ati on of Styl e . . . .
19. Bui l di ng and Breaki ng Templates
. . . . . . . . 42
. . . . . . . 44
20. Pattern I nstruments . . . . t . . t t t 46
21. Stitchi ng Tool s . . . . t . . t t t 48
22. Renderi ng Media t t t . . t t t t t 50
23. Tami ng Texti l es t t t . . t t t t . 52
24. Letters: Siopers t t t . . t t t t t 54
25. Words: Garments t t t t t t t t t t 56
26. Sentences: Ensembl es t t t t t t t t t t 58
27. Stori es: Col l ecti ons t t t t t t t t t t 60
28. Punctuati on: Detai l s t t t t t t t t t t 62
29. Cl osures t t t t t t t t t t t 64
30. Speci al ty Requi si tes . . . . t t t t t t 66
31. Mi scel laneous Markers t t . . t . . t 68
32. Care and Feedi ng of a Garment . . t t t 70
33. Anci ent Tool s and Techni ques . . t t t 72
34. Accessory Cl oset t t t . . t . t t t 74
35. Vi ntage Pati na . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
TECHNI QUE
36. Fashi on Translati ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
37. Four Seasons: A Ti mel i ne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
38. Rote, Rul es, and Roughs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
39. Hand to Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
40. Checks and Bal ances t t t t t t 86
41. Machi ne I nterface . . . . t t t t 88
42. Cut, Drape, and Fol d t t t t t 90
43. Underpi nni ngs and Assembl y t t t t t 92
44. Mani pul ati ng Ful l ness t t t t t t 94
45. Body Mappi ng t t t t t t t t 96
46. Uni formi ty t t t t t t t t t t t 98
47. Fi t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t 100
48. Mend and Al ter t t t t t t t 102
49. Deconstruct and Reconstruct t t t t 104
50. Structure and Scal e t t t t t 106
51. Anatomi cal l y Correct t t t t t 108
52. Roads Less Travel ed t t t t t 110
53. Camoufl age and Compl ement . t t t 1 1 2
54. Cl othes That Carry t t t t t 1 1 4
55. Desi gn unto Others . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 6
56. Reshape and Reconfigure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 8
57. Resu rface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
58. A Cut Above . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 22
59. Fringe and Fray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 24
60. Add, Subtract, and Preserve t t t t t 1 26
61. Change Agents . . t t t t t 1 28
62. Drawi ng the Eye . . t t t t t 1 30
63. A-Symmetry . . . . . . . . . . 1 32
64. I ntarsia: Puzzl es and Mi ssi ng Li nks . . 1 34
65. The Reveal t t t t t t t t t t 1 36
ARTI STRY
66. Cul tivated I nfl uence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 38
67. Curated Experi ence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
68. Cul ture Fi l ter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
69. More I s More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
70. Less I s More . . t t . t t 146
71. Medi tati on on a Dress . . . . . . . 148
72. Bui l di ng on Basi cs t . t t . t t 1 50
73. Desi gn of Di ssent t . t t . . t t t 1 52
74. Atti tude Adjustment t . t t . t t 154
75. Myths and Archetypes t t t t t t t 156
76. Wi t t t t t t t t t t t t 158
77. Bl ackouts and Ful l I mmersi on t t t 1 60
78. Representati on and Abstracti on t t 1 62
79. Symbol s t t t t t t t 164
80. Dynami cs t t t t . . t 1 66
81. Trompe L'Oei l t . t t . . t 1 68
82. Space and Scul pture t . . . . . t 170
83. Matters of Si ze: Addressi ng Curves t 1 72
84. Dressi ng for Bowi e t . . . . . t 174
85. Objects of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 76
NAVI GATI ON
86. A Desi gner's I nheri tance . . . . . . . . . . . .
87. Luxury Washi ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 1 78
. . . . 1 80
88. Copi es Degrade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
89. Pl atforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 84
90. Label Maker . . t t t t . . t t 1 86
91. Master and Apprenti ce . . . . t t 1 88
92. Designi ng the Job t t t . . t t 1 90
93. External I nfl uences t t . . . . 1 92
94. Li festyl e: A Rosetta Stone t t . . t t 194
95. Fashi on Portal s t t t t t t t 1 96
96. Di versi fi cati on and Speci al i zati on t t t t 1 98
97. Crowdsourci ng Styl e t t t t t t 200
98. Labors of Love: Diy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
99. Rapi d Prototypi ng:
Twenty-Four-Hour Fashi on t t . . . . 202
100. What I s Good Fashi on? t . . . . 204
Contri butor I ndex t t t t t t t t t t t 206
Acknowl edgments t t t t t t t t t t 207
About the Author t t t t t t t t t t 208
Pi erre Cardi n coat and hat,
Autumn/Wi nter 1959/60
PHOTO BY RDA/AGIP/GETTY IMAGES
INTRODUCTION
Creative ideas are elevated by experience and
expertise. Thi s book sets forth a chal l enge to
fashi on desi gners: Conti nue to expand your hor i
zons, hone your ski l l s, and experi ment wi th st rat
egi es. The i dea behi nd col l ecti ng and catal ogi ng
the essenti al pr i nci pl es of fashi on design i s to
bui l d a framework for artfu l exami nati on that the
desi gner can revi sit regul arl y for i nspi rati on and
i nstructi on. Thi s book i s for anyone devoted to
fashi on-whether you are a professi onal desi gn
er, a desi gn student, or a fashi on DI Y enthusi ast.
The worl d of fas hi on desi gn i s constantl y
changi ng-what was i n styl e l ast month may be
ol d hat now, but i f you know how to stay ahead
of trends and keep your desi gn ski l l s sharp, you' l l
al ways be ahead of the curve. Fashion Design
Essentials offers pr i nci pl es, tool s, and processes
for succeedi ng i n al l fashi on endeavors.
Edi ti ng the l i st to one hundred concepts i s meant
to hel p organi ze and pri ori ti ze thi s i nformati on
for maxi mum effi ci ency. The references i n each
l ayout have been sel ected because they hone i n
on the essence of the topi c wi th preci si on, whi l e
al l owi ng f or di verse rei nterpretati on, not si mpl y
reproducti on.
Five primary areas of investigation provi de the
structure for the book. I n many ways, they can be
descri bed as a set of best practi ces for cul ti vat
i ng creati vi ty:
Thought
Intellectual exercises that a re i ntended to serve as
catal ysts for channel i ng creati vi ty
Inventory
Definitions and applications for usi ng or repur
posi ng tool s, manpower, and raw materi al s for
fashi on desi gn
Technique
Fundamental skills for i denti fyi ng and executi ng
fashi on desi gn i deas
Artistry
Creative rituals that hel p conj ure and cul t i vate the
i magi nati ve i nsti ncts of a fashi on desi gner
Navigation
Diverse strategies desi gned to al l ow a fashi on
desi gner to negoti ate a cl ear path to success
Each essenti al concept i s ul t i matel y a source of
sti mul i that must be deci phered and then shaped
to fi t t he proj ect at hand. Dedi cati on and atten
ti on to det ai l duri ng that exami nati on wi l l hel p
l everage a desi gner' s vi si on.
I n an attempt to round out the whol e experi ence,
some phi l osophi cal debates are woven i nto the
i deas t hroughout the book, such as t he benefi ts
or far-reachi ng i mpact today's fashi on desi gners
wi l l have on the foreseeabl e future.
7
THOUGHT
1 Historical Reference and Reverence
I t i s sai d that those who don't l earn from hi story
are doomed to repeat i t. Wi thi n the frame of
fashi on, those who don't l earn from hi story are
doomed to waste a weal th of i nspi rati on. Three
mai nstays i n the fashi on worl d t hat are restyl ed
t i me and agai n a re corsets, aprons, and ki monos.
The corset, origi nal l y a foundati on garment,
sti l l rei gns supreme on the fashi on l andscape.
Commonl y associ ated wi th goth, fet i sh, and
most recentl y, Steam punk fashi ons, couturi ers
such as Thi erry Mugl er and Jean Pau l Gaul ti er
have been responsi bl e for rai si ng the corset to
an i coni c stat us.
The apron at i ts most f uncti onal protects cl oth
i ng from wear and tear. Aprons at thei r most
gl amorous have graced the runways of Al exander
McQueen, Mi u Mi u, and Marc Jacobs as fashi on
accessori es. Short-wai st aprons made i n practi
cal fabri cs as wel l as decorati ve hostess aprons
speak t o a ti me when homemaki ng was a way
of l i fe for most women. Long versi ons such as
the bi st ro apron are among many that are used
i n the servi ce i ndustry. The bi b-styl e apron can
take shape i n l eather, rubber, or heavy canvas for
more rugged uses. The pi nafore i s a decorati ve
styl e of apron that conj ures up i mages of l i fe on
the pra i ri e-a l ook that was very popul ar i n the
1 970s. The cobbl er apron i s a pul l over styl e wi th
a front, a back, and ti es on the si de. Whether i t i s
i ncorporated i nto a col l ect i on by way of nostal gi a
or uti l ity, the apron sti l l makes stri des i n fashi on.
The ki mono i s a ful l - l ength, T-shaped robe.
When part of a t radi ti ona l ensembl e, i t i s sec
ured wi th an obi sash. The ki mono i s made from
a tan, whi ch i s a fi xed bol t of fabri c measuri ng
1 4 i nches by 1 2. 5 yards (35 cm x 1 2 m). The
l ength i s cut i nto four panel s of fabr i c that make
up the two si des of the body and both sl eeves.
A col l ar and l apel -styl e panel s are added wi th
smal l stri ps of fabri c. Ki monos were origi nal l y
di sassembl ed for cl eani ng and reconstructed
by hand.
8 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EHIl5
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1.Corset Dy1Oe Carl
2. Vintage apron-Poor Little
Rich Girl
3. "Old Japan" Bridal Kimono
(circa 1VbUSJ
4.Corset
b.Apron
. Kimono
French model Audrey
Marnay in a tweed corset
sui t by Thi erry Mugl er, haute
couture col l ecti on, Autumn/
Wi nter 1998/99
THOUGHT
2 Emul ation and Innovation
Emul ati ng styl es from the past often wi l l go a
l ong way i n fashi on desi gn, as everyt hi ng eventu
al l y makes a comeback. The grace of Greci an
gowns forever i mmortal i zed i n stone i s a pri me
exampl e of the power of a fashi on i dea that does
not si mpl y survi ve, but thri ves i n the i magi na
ti ons of fashi on desi gners t hroughout h i story. I n
the 1 920s, Madel ei ne Vi onnet was i nfl uenced
by the dances of I sadora Duncan who, i n t urn,
was i nspi red by Greek scul pt ures. Whi l e Vi onnet
commanded t he bi as, Hal ston summoned the
spi ri t of these enduri ng drapes and fol ds wi th the
kni t j ersey i n the 1 970s. The House of Hal ston
conti nues to pay homage to that aestheti c today.
At every l evel of t he marketpl ace and from every
corner of the gl obe, t he goddess gown conti n
ues to spr i ng from the col l ecti ons of desi gners
who can appreci ate i ts beauty and who wi sh to
i nterpret i t for themsel ves. Designers can take a
cue from t hi s exampl e and expl ore t he degrees of
separati on that l i nk them and any of thei r i deas
to ki ndred h i stori cal counterparts.
10 5HIOH E5IH 55EHII5
Below: Greek-i nspi red statue
Right: Fl oor-l ength
Madel ei ne Vi onnet dress,
September 1935
Hal ston fashi on show
Autumn/Wi nter 2008/09
New York City
THOUGHT
3 Trends: On, Off, and Adjacent
Al though t rends a re no l onger di ctated, desi gn
houses spend a great deal of t i me and money
tryi ng to predi ct t rends and/or set them i nto
moti on. Desi gners l ooki ng to fi nd thei r pl ace i n
the market must know whet her t hey i ntend to
be on-trend, t rend-adjacent, or off-trend al to
get her. They must consci ousl y deci de whet her
they wi l l l ead, fol low, or i gnore a trend. Al though
trend- consci ous desi gners ri de the wave of the
medi a and the publ i c's cl amori ng for exampl es of
the l atest fashi ons, desi gners who i ntenti onal l y
mi ss the bandwagon someti mes fi nd that thei r
i ndependent perspect i ves i nadvertentl y tri gger
trends or countertrends of thei r own. On-trend
col l ecti ons wi l l be boi l i ng over wi th the concept.
An al ternati ve approach to the l atest craze may
be to fi nd smal l er and subt l er ways to embrace
i t wi thout maki ng i t the focus. The consumer
breaks down t he same way, and a desi gner who
has a cl ear understandi ng of where she stands
on trend wi l l connect wi th the ri ght audi ence for
her product.
Leopard and other ani mal pri nts get pul l ed out of
rel ati ve obscuri ty and a re presented as fresh and
new every few seasons. I n fai rness, desi gners
wi l l be moved by a t rend i n di fferent ways from
season to season, resu l ti ng i n new and i nterest
i ng i nterpretati ons of i t. I f a desi gner deci des to
offer t he trend du j our as a statement garment,
accent pi ece, and accessory, she makes i t easy
for cl i ents to adopt at l east one i nterpretati on of
i t on t hei r own terms. Then, of course, t here are
those who wi l l want to have nothi ng to do wi th
i t. The fashi on fi l m cl assi c Funny Face depi cts
the character of fashi on edi tor Maggi e Prescott
pai nti ng the town pi nk. Someone on her staff
asks, " I haven' t seen a woman i n two weeks i n
anyt hi ng but pi nk. What about you?" Prescott
repl i es, "Me? I woul dn' t be caught dead." Truth
i s, many t rends are not merel y forecasted, but
often made by an i ndustry.
12 |5H'OH LE5IH L55EHII5
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Above: Model Naomi

Campbel l i n l eopard pri nt
hat, 2004
Below: Anna Wi ntour i n
l eopard pri nt jacket, 2007
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Publ icity portrait of actress
Audrey Hepburn as she
wears a wi de-bri mmed hat
and whi te bl ouse duri ng the
fi l mi ng of Funny Face, di rected
by Stanl ey Donen, 1957
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THOUGHT
4 Corroborating Couture
Fashi on hi story i s t he next best t hi ng to a ti me
machi ne for the fashi on desi gner. Contact wi th
authenti c art i facts bri ngs the true essence of
a t i me i nto sharper focus, whether those arti
facts are t he actual garments and accessori es,
or i l l ust rati ons, photos, and f i l m cl i ps. Eras are
composed of compl exi ti es that i nvol ve every
t hi ng from sci ence to cel ebri ty. The 1 950s, for
i nstance, coul d be a source for fashi ons i nformed
by the Col d War, teenage cul ture, foundati on
garments, rock-and-rol l , or popul ar tel evi si on
programs such as I Love Lucy.
Paco Rabanne's fashi ons i n the 1 960s were
consi dered "out of t hi s worl d." At a ti me when
the race to the moon was heati ng up, vi si ons of a
fut ure i n space fuel ed the i magi nati ons of many
desi gners. Rabanne' s foray i nto fi l m l ed hi m to
team wi th desi gner Jacques Fonteray. Together
they created the costumes for t he cul t cl assi c
fi l m Barbarella. Al though many of the cl othes i n
thi s genre now seem dated, el ements of thei r
fashi on predi cti ons f or the fut ure l i ve on.
Hal l marks of the 1 970s i ncl ude the expl orati on
of androgyny and a growi ng i mportance for the
rel ati ons hi p between fashi on and cel ebri ty. Uni
sex fashi on bl urred t he l i nes between the sexes,
and even though genderl ess j umpsui ts never
became a mai nstay, pants pl ayed a bi gger part
i n women's fashi on t han ever before. Fashi on
became about l abel s, so much so t hat they were
no l onger on the i nsi de of garments but bol dl y
di spl ayed on t he back pocket of desi gner j eans.
Everyt hi ng was bi g i n t he 1 980s-hai r, jewel ry,
bel ts, and most of al l , shoul der pads, whi ch
were served up i n dramati c proporti ons. Fashi on
desi gner and tel evi si on cost umer Nol an Mi l l er i s
best known f or creati ng the fashi ons f or the cast
of the popul ar 1 980s tel evi si on seri es Dynasty.
Careful study of bygone eras (or the current one)
can l ead desi gners to consi der how they may be
abl e to best defi ne t he ti mes they are l i vi ng i n.
14 |5HIOI LE5II L55EHII5
Right: Maureen McCormi ck
and Barry Wi l l i ams rehearse
on the set of The Brady Bunch
Hour, 197
Below: Linda Evans, John
Forsythe, and Joan Col l i ns,
who starred i n Dynasty
THOUGHT
5 Forging Identity
"Age cannot wi ther her . . . " These words from
Shakespeare best descri be Betsey Johnson' s
stayi ng power i n the fashi on i ndust ry. A Betsey
J ohnson runway show i s not compl ete unt i l the
brand's namesake takes her bow i n the form of
a cartwheel . Gymnasti cs asi de, the spi ri t of the
gest ure i s what i s i mportant. The brand's the
t hi ng i n fashi on, and i n thi s case, consi stency
youthful spi ri t, fl i rty femi ni nity, and a wi l d-chi l d
pl ayful ness-i s responsi bl e for maki ng Betsey
J ohnson such a recogni zabl e l abel .
Great brands have one t hi ng i n common: They
del i ver messages, products, and servi ces that
evol ve, but never devi ate too far from the f un
damental s t hat generated them. Desi gners can
craft an i denti ty wi th every choi ce they make.
1 6 |5HIOH LE5IgH L55EHIIl5
Desi gner Betsey Johnson
does a si gnature cartwheel
after her spri ng 2009
col l ecti on show at Mercedes
Benz Fashi on Week, 2008,
i n New York City.
THOUGHT
6 Sensing Styl e
Each of the fi ve senses pl ays a si gni fi cant rol e
i n how we i nterpret fashi on, and each shoul d be
consi dered i n the desi gn process.
Sight
Thi s i s easi l y the fastest way to assess whether
somet hi ng i s pl easi ng or not. How do shape and
scal e rel ate t o each other? How vi brant i s t he
col or? How dramati c i s t he contrast?
Touch
Thi s i s the second most i mportant factor. How
does the materi al feel agai nst your ski n? Does
the garment conform to your body and feel com
fortabl e? I s the materi al soft and pl i a bl e, or sti ff?
Sound
I magi ne the cl i cks of l oose beads knocki ng i nto
each other; cri sp, papery fabri cs that rustl e as
they sway on t he body; t he syntheti c squeak and
crunch of pl asti c as i t strai ns t o move.
Smell
Scents have been desi gned and a re chosen to
transform envi ronments, camoufl age, or se
duce. For exampl e, the Thomas Pi nk l abel , whi ch
pr i mar i l y sel l s dress shi rts for men a nd women,
pi pes a fresh l aundered scent i nto i ts stores as
part of i ts retai l strategy. Al though subt l e, detai l s
such as t hi s serve as a psychol ogi cal tri gger,
hei ghteni ng t he fashi on experi ence t hrough
aromatherapy.
Taste
Edi bl e garments mi ght seem l i ke the excl usi ve
domai n of naughty novel ti es, but food and
fashi on have al ways had a mut ual l y i nspi rati onal
rel ati onshi p. Jean Pau l Gaul ti er's dress scu l pt ures
made of bread mi ght make the mouth water
i nasmuch as they coul d i nspi re t he col or, text ure,
and form of an actual garment. The Sal on du
Chocol at i s a chocol ate expo that recogni zes the
bond between the foodi e and t he fashi oni sta. A
fanci ful fashi on r unway show i s a hi ghl i ght of t he
event, and feat ures model s cl ad i n every ki nd of
cocoa confecti on.
18 |5H'OH LE5IH L55EHI'5
Fashi on desi gner Jean
Paul Gaul ti er poses wi th
a scul pture of one of hi s
dresses made of bread
by French bakers for an
exhi bi ti on at the Carti er
Foundati on i n Paris, 2004.
Lef: Jon F i shman' s Soni c
Rhythm Dress by Alyce
Santoro, Soni c Fabri c 2003.
Soni c fabric i s woven from
50 percent recorded audi o
cassette tape and 50 percent
pol yester thread. When
gloves equi pped with tape
heads are rubbed against the
fabric the dress makes sound.
Below: Y i ng Gao's Wal ki ng
Ci ty pneumati c fashi ons,
whi ch are triggered by
movement, wi nd, and touch.
-
c
c
C
r
>
c
z
Human beings have more

than just five senses. Con
si der the sense of bal ance,
accel erati on, temperature,
ki nestheti c, pai n, and the
sense of di recti on. Royal
Phi l i ps El ectronics of the
Netherl ands i s worki ng on
projects that promi se a new
l evel of interacti on between
apparel and the wearer.
Texti l es i nfused wi th sensors
that read and respond to
movement, biol ogical varia
tions, and external factors
hi nt at the future of fashi on.
One exampl e is the SKI N:
dress, whi ch uses pattern
and color changes to di spl ay
a person's emoti onal state.
THOUGHT
7 Fashion Equations
The basi c ari thmeti c of dressi ng can be a useful
way to bui l d a col l ecti on. Top pl us bottom i s easy
enough, but whi ch top? Whi ch bottom? Once
the desi gner fi gures out whi ch basi cs wi l l fi t i nto
a col l ecti on as wel l as i nto a cl i ent's wardrobe, he
can begi n to cal cul ate the var i abl es.
Desi gn detai l s asi de, customers have other
demands, such as practi cal ity and comfort, when
it comes to mi xi ng and matchi ng. The desi gner
must anal yze those needs, desi gn components
that wi l l fi t i nto the archi tecture of the col l ecti on,
and engi neer the garments themsel ves. Broaden
i ng a customer's wardrobe of basi cs or a de
si gner's core l i ne i s easy to do. Havi ng more than
one vari ati on of each f undamental garment i s an
effortl ess way to i ncrease the number of opti ons.
Once a structure i s i n pl ace, i t i s easy to pul l i n
accessori es to keep t hi ngs i nteresti ng.
I n 1 985, the fi rst Donna Karan col l ecti on was
l aunched and it featured her Seven Easy Pi eces.
The ori gi nal Easy Pi eces were the bodysuit, a
wrap ski rt, a chi ffon bl ouse, a bl azer, a l onger
j acket, l eggi ngs, and a dress; they al l remai n
rel evant today. Thi s system of dressi ng was an
i mportant tool for women i n the workforce who
had a desi re to repl ace thei r " power sui ts" wi th
more fashi onabl e choi ces, and to streaml i ne the
deci si on-maki ng process so that they coul d put
together outfi ts for the offi ce, travel , or a soci al
occasi on at a moment's noti ce. I n 2009, Donna
Karan rei ntroduced her versi on of the Easy Pi eces
with an updated l i st of must-haves: a turtl eneck,
a ski rt, the pant, a j acket, a coat, and j eans.
20 |5HIOI LE5II L55EIII5
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS BY MARIE-EVE TREMBLAY
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THOUGHT
8 Suits of Armor
The i nst i nct to cover our bodi es for protecti on
came before t he desi re to decorate oursel ves,
i ni t i al l y from the el ements and eventual l y from
each other. Combat necessi tated the shi el di ng of
vul nerabl e parts of the body duri ng warfare. The
maj or secti ons of a rmor broke down i nto hel met
(head), gauntl ets (forear ms), gorget ( neck),
breastpl ate (torso), greaves ( l egs), and chai n
mai l (for areas t hat di d not al l ow for ri gi d pl ates).
I t i s i nteresti ng to note that some of t he earl y
versi ons of bul l etproof fabri c were made of many
l ayers of si l k due to the strength of the fi bers.
Al though Kevl ar' s bal l i sti c fabri c i s currentl y the
standard, experi ments wi th spi der si l k are fi ndi ng
that i t has not onl y comparabl e strength, but al so
el asti ci ty.
Modern-day fashi on desi gn can provi de protec
ti on i n new, i nnovati ve, and rel evant ways. I n a
soci ety t hat val ues mobi l ity, the devel opment
of l i ghtwei ght, wearabl e archi tect ure speaks to
fashi on desi gners concerned wi th soci al i ssues
such as survi val and homel essness. Contempo
rary vi sual arti st Lucy Orta created the Habi tent
as part of her exhi bi ti on cal l ed " Refuge Wear and
Body Archi tect ure (1 992-1 998). " These works
exami ne t he common factors that both archi tec
ture and fashi on desi gn share. They al so address
a shi ft i n gl obal consci ousness regardi ng what
we produce and why.
22 |5H'OH LE5IH 55EHI'5
Right: A model wears a si l ver
ensembl e from Jean-Charles
de Castelbajac's ready-to
wear show, 2010.
Below: Refuge Wear
Habi tent: Al umi num-coated
pol yami de, two tel escopi c
al umi num pol es, whi stl e, and
compass; copyright 2011 by
Lucy Jorge Orta
A model wears an armor
i nspi red, si l ver metal dress
by desi gner Jean-Charl es de
Castel bajac, 2010,
THOUGHT
9 Cl ient Compatibil ity
Desi gners, l i ke arti sts, are often court i ng thei r
muses for i nspi rati on. They must al so cul ti vate
a ri ch and meani ngful rel ati onshi p wi th t hei r
patrons and those who wi l l partner i n promot
i ng t hei r work, such as styl i sts and cel ebri ti es.
Hi story provi des exampl es of many successf ul
pai r i ngs of art i ste and muse. Yves St. Lau rent
had several promi nent sources of creati ve i l l umi
nati on: for mer model and fashi on i con Betty
Catroux, desi gner Loul ou de l a Fal ai se, and ac
tress Cather i ne Deneuve, whom he al so dressed
for fi l ms from Belle de Jour to The Hunger. A
l i feti me fri endshi p was t he basi s of the rel ati on
shi p between desi gner Hubert de Gi venchy and
act ress Audrey Hepbur n. Over the years, many
l ovel y women have i nf l uenced the House of
Chanel , but recentl y, head desi gner and creati ve
di rector Karl Lagerfel d anoi nted actress Kei ra
Kni ghtl ey as the Chanel muse. And on the ot her
si de of the camera, fi l m di rector Sofi a Coppol a
i s recogni zed as one of Marc J acobs' strongest
i nfl uences.
Havi ng a h i ghl y vi si bl e i ndi vi dual i ncorporate
your desi gns i nto her wardrobe can have a
profound effect on a desi gner. U. S. Fi rst Lady
Mi chel l e Obama i s responsi bl e for shi ni ng a
l i ght on many tal ented designers, such as I sabel
Tol edo and J ason Wu. Tol edo has been desi gn
i ng si nce 1 985, but i t was the i naugu rati on sui t
that she desi gned for Mrs. Obama that put her
name on everyone's l i ps. Later that day, Jason
Wu, a rel ati ve newcomer, havi ng debuted hi s
fi rst col l ecti on i n 2006, experi enced t he same
transformati on when Mi chel l e Obama wore the
now-famous whi te gown he designed for her to
the many i naugurati on bal l s.
Whether i t i s the muse, t he benefactor, or the
mai nstay of every busi ness-the customer-the
best rel ati onshi ps are symbi oti c ones where both
si des l earn and benefi t from each other.
24 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EHI'5
Di rector Sofia Coppol a
wi th desi gner Marc Jacobs
backstage pri or to the Marc
Jacobs Spri ng 2009 Fashi on
Show
=
L
|-OOBY VA||w||>O:/CL|VACL>
u.s. First Lady Mi chel l e
Obama stands wi th i naugural
dress desi gner Jason Wu i n
front of the gown she wore
to the i naugural bal l s. The
gown i s now on di spl ay at
the Smi thsoni an Museum
of Ameri can Hi story,
Washington, DC.
25
THOUGHT
10 Customization
Even though the des i re to fi t i n i s strong, the i dea
of i ndi vi dual ity al l ows a person to feel speci al .
Faster, more faci l e manufacturi ng now al l ows
customers to benefi t from l ower pri ces, whi l e
sti l l al l owi ng t hem t o enj oy owni ng somet hi ng
that i s t r ul y uni que, because they contri buted to
the desi gn process. Desi gners of many di fferent
types of products are taki ng advantage of both
the tool s and consumers' i nterest i n f i ndi ng thi s
bal ance between the two.
Compartmental i zed desi gn al l ows the customer
to sel ect how the el ements of a product are
fabri cated, creat i ng one-of-a-ki nd combi nati ons.
9tai l ors produces qual i ty shi rts. Mi xi ng fabri cs
and choosi ng speci fi c desi gn detai l s, such as
col l ar, pl acket, pocket pocket posi ti on, cuff, and
cuff button, al l ows a customer to transform a
9tai l ors shi rt i nto an ori gi nal . Converse produces
the i coni c Chuck Tayl or Al l Star hi -top sneaker,
a styl e that i s offered i n t he tradi ti onal canvas,
suede, or l eather-but that i s j ust t he foundati on.
Customers have many choi ces when i t comes
to the desi gn and customi zati on of the shoe, as
wel l as a wi de assortment of col ors, resul t i ng i n
i nfi ni te desi gn vari ati ons.
Based i n the Net herl ands, fashi on desi gner
Berber Soepboer and graphi c desi gner Mi chi el
Schuurman desi gned the Col our- I n Dress, a
si mpl e sl eevel ess dress wi th a n A- l i ne ski rt. The
t hi rd part ner i n the desi gn process i s the wearer.
She can use t he text i l e markers provi ded wi th
the dress to make i t her own. The graphi c pattern
on the text i l e l ends i tsel f to bei ng i nterpreted
i n many di fferent ways. The dress al so has the
potenti al to be a work i n progress, shoul d t he
wearer deci de t o add more col or each t i me i t
. worn.
The whol e customi zati on process i s parti cul arl y
successf ul when the garment i tsel f i s fami l i ar and
t he modi ficati ons are easy t o i magi ne. Desi gners
mi ght be wary of gi vi ng up compl ete control , but
i n al l of these exampl es, the product desi gners
have the uni que opportuni ty to see t hei r desi gn
through the eyes of t hei r customers. The exerci se
provi des val uabl e i nsi ght i nto what thei r audi
ence wants.
26 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EII'5
The N3 Zi pper Dress by arti st
desi gner Sebasti an Errazuriz.
Made of 1 20 zi ppers_ thi s
dress al l ows the wearer
to customi ze neckl i ne,
openi ngs, and l ength si mpl y
by zi ppi ng or unzi ppi ng
segments.
Above: Col our- I n Dress by
Berber Soepboer and Mi chi el
Schuurman, 2008
Right: Customi zed Converse
sneakers
27
THOUGHT
11 Restraint, Impul se, and Impact
Desi gn i s as much a bout what you add to the mi x
as what you el ect not t o add. The fabr i cs, t he cut,
and the fi ni sh must be beyond reproach, be
cause t here are no di stracti ons-what you see i s
what you get. Neutral col ors and the a bsence of
adornment are often used to defi ne a restrai ned
aestheti c. Fashi on wi th more of a pop usual l y
rel i es on somet hi ng more. Thi s type of design
has a pul se, somet hi ng that can be tapped i nto,
whether i t i s t he vi brant pl ay of col or, a sti mul at
i ng pattern, or the hand of a texture.
I mpact can have many of the qual i ti es of i m
pul se, but i t i s not restrai ned t o passi on or t heat
ri cal i ty. Someti mes thi s type of forcef ul fas hi on
can be downri ght h i deous. The rol e of ugl y fash
i on i s t o chal l enge. Observers can' t hel p but be
engaged, whet her they f i nd themsel ves i nt ri gued
or offended. The l ove-hate rel ati onshi p teeters
on desi gn sensi bi l i ti es. Wi l l purposeful l y dowdy,
di scordant, or gari sh creati ons be i nteresti ng?
Or does a runway oddi ty di sturb and unsett l e
you? The poi nt i s t hat regardl ess of whether you
l i ke somethi ng you don' t understand you cannot
di smi ss i t, because i t has grabbed your attenti on.
I t can be appreci ated merel y for havi ng been abl e
t o shake t hi ngs up and penetrate establ i shed
standards of beauty far enough to chal l enge you.
28 5IOH E5IH 55EHII5
A model weari ng a Hussei n
Chal ayan creati on, 201 0
THOUGHT
1 2 Mind Mapping
A tr ul y creati ve mi nd i s one that bui l ds a founda
ti on wi th the l eft brai n so that the ri ght brai n can
make gi ant l eaps of fancy. I t's easy to i dentify
and focus on what our brai n has a natural ten
dency to be good at, and to di sregard weakness.
St rengtheni ng those shortcomi ngs i s a key to
success. Lefti es are anal yti cal , techni cal , cri ti cal ,
and l ogi cal . They need to stretch to tap i nto the
part of thei r brai n that al l ows them to be more
i ntui ti ve, i magi nati ve, and i nnovati ve. The same
l evel of effort shoul d be put i nto pl anni ng, orga
ni zi ng, and bui l di ng st ructure for a ri ght-brai n
i ndi vi dual .
Si mul taneousl y entertai ni ng opposi ng needs and
desi res can be a tough t hi ng t o contai n i n your
brai n. I n order t o overcome natural tendenci es
that l ean to one si de or t he other, a desi gner
needs to move the process outsi de of her head.
There are several ways to map out a successful
creati ve strategy t hat al l ows the desi gner to
see, sort, and shuffl e everyt hi ng i nvol ved.
Left-brai n fashi on thi nki ng
can be found i n a designer's
abi l ity to analyze the
needs of the market;
make reasonabl y l ogi cal
deci si ons; craft l anguage
that wi l l best represent thei r
vi si on; have an awareness
and basi c comprehensi on
of i nnovati ons i n sci ence
and technol ogy; and be
wel l-versed i n the val ue of
numbers i n patternmaki ng
as wel l as i n busi ness.
Right-brain fashi on
thi nki ng can be found
i n a desi gner' s abi l ity to
consi der the process of
desi gn thoughtful l y; trust
thei r i ntui ti on when maki ng
deci si ons; always be open
to creative i nsights and
exercises; appreciate the art
of fashi on; and fi nd the musi c
that creates an appropriate
setting for thei r work.
Talk it out. Every desi gner can use a soundi ng
board. Heari ng i deas out l oud i s a great real ity
check, made even better when others provi de
you wi th feedback.
Write it out. Commi tt i ng i t to paper al l ows one
thought to l ead to another on t he page, wi thout
the ri sk of l etti ng any i dea sl i p t hrough your
fi ngers.
Lay it out. The wi de open space of a tabl e, a
bul l eti n board, or a wal l al l ows the desi gner
to spread out al l aspects of an i dea. When a
desi gner can see the whol e pi ct ure she wi l l begi n
to recogni ze rel ati onshi ps between the many di f
ferent el ements.
Mappi ng t hi ngs out i s a way to fi ne-tune the
process and enhance the potenti al for ori gi nal
t hi nki ng.
31
THOUGHT
13 Net and Narrow
The worl d of haute couture i s so el i te and excl u
si ve that many desi gners feel they need t o al l ude
t o i t i n thei r work, i f not aspi re t o i t . Al though i t
has a very nar row audi ence, couture has a com
pel l i ng al l ure because that audi ence i s composed
of some of t he ri chest, most famous, and most
powerf ul fashi on cl i ents i n the worl d. Thi s n i che
crowd certai nl y has i ts perks, i f onl y by associ a
ti on. Servi ng thi s a ri stocrati c caste of couture
wel l wi l l often come wi th cri ti cal accl ai m, but
not al ways economi c success. Fashi on desi gners
who support thei r vi si onary projects wi th more
mai nst ream creati ons are t he ones who have
stayi ng power.
Ready-to-wear reaches the peopl e en masse. The
onl y l i mi tati ons when servi ng vast numbers a re
manufacturi ng outl ets and devel opi ng products
that have mass appeal . Casti ng such a wi de net
not onl y generates greater sal es, but al so bui l ds
name recogni ti on. J ust because i t i s off t he rack
doesn' t mean i t cannot have great i nfl uence. I n
1 994, rapper Snoop Dogg wore a Tommy Hi l fi ger
shi rt on an epi sode of Saturday Night Live. The
bl ack, urban, rap subcu l ture responded al most
i mmedi atel y. Hi l fi ger's work was adopted and
adapted by hi p-hop fol l owers everywhere. Hi l
fi ger cul t i vated rel ati onshi ps wi th other l eaders
i n t hi s communi ty and a retai l star was born.
Thi s was enough to pl ace Hi l fi ger on the map,
but he real i zed he needed to serve t hi s audi -
ence by scal i ng the cl ot hes up i n s i ze, styl i ng hi s
work to refl ect the cul t ure, and t urni ng hi s l ogo
i nto a h i ghl y vi si bl e status symbol i n t he fashi on
communi ty. Hi s l arge customer base cont i nues
to i nform the di recti on of hi s work. The rest i s
fashi on busi ness hi story.
Musi ci an/actor LL Cool J
and desi gner Tommy Hi lfiger,
2007
L
F
L
THOUGHT
14 Disposabl e as Investment
Nontext i l e proj ects a re commonl y used to
stretch a fashi on desi gner's creati ve muscl es.
Many fashi on programs offer at l east one course
that requi res a student desi gner to bui l d a body
coveri ng wi thout fabr i c and conventi onal sewi ng
methods. The expl orati on of thi s type of wear
abl e art i nvol ves a great deal of experi mentati on.
What a re the objects of choi ce? How wi l l t hey
be assembl ed or woven i nto a surface? How wi l l
components such as t he bodi ce, ski rt, and sl eeve
be put together? What ki nd of method of cl osure
wi l l be devi sed? The f i nal product takes shape
as a form scul pted to f i t the body and mi mi c
tradi ti onal apparel .
Dependi ng on the nature of the raw materi al s i n
a garment of t hi s category, i t mi ght not have a
l ong l i fe span-a t i ssue-paper gown's days a re
numbered. So, why i nvest i n such a di sposabl e
pi ece of fashi on? The novel ty and arti sti c val ue
of garments made out of paper bags, pl asti c
spoons, or duct tape are i nherent, but there i s a
greater val ue to be found. The resul ts of br i ng
i ng fashi on desi gn sensi bi l i ti es to nontradi ti onal
proj ects i ncl ude unexpected probl em-sol vi ng
methods and i nspi red techni ques. Composi ti ons,
col or schemes, textures, and constructi on sol u
t i ons that mi ght not have otherwi se been used to
create conventi onal cl othi ng become apparent.
A new set of ski l l s and a fresh perspecti ve can
ki ck-start a col l ecti on.
34 5IOI LE5II L55EHII5
Left: Nontexti l e dress
constructed out of penni es
by I nes Anti gua
Right: Nontexti I e dress
constructed out of tea bags
by Kathryn Feel ey
35
THOUGHT
1 5 Environmental Context
Geographi cal regi ons devel op a styl e of t hei r
own. I n t he Uni ted States al one, the North and
t he South have di sti nctl y di vergent tastes for
cl ot hi ng. The West Coast and t he East Coast
have very di fferent takes on the defi n i ti on of
fashi on. The Mi dwest has another standard of
styl e al together. I nstead of maki ng val ue j udg
ments about the wort hi ness of a certai n sensi bi l
ity, a good desi gner wi l l del ve i nto t he roots these
assessments stem from. These foundati ons are
usual l y based on t he many aspects of an envi
ronment t hat woul d col or our choi ces: hi stori -
cal events, cu l tural i nfl uences, geography, and
cl i mate. When t hi s concept i s extended gl obal l y
there are even subt l er di fferences to be studi ed.
A good fashi on compass wi l l hel p uncover t he
reasons for understandi ng why a wardrobe
of bl ack has become synonymous wi th urban
sett i ngs such as New York. I s the i ncl i nati on to
adopt such a dark pal ette j ust a practi cal choi ce?
I s the overal l l ook harder and more i nti mi dati ng,
somet hi ng that mi ght give you an edge when
deal i ng wi th the gri tty real i ti es of the ci ty?
What is the expl anati on for an i ncl i nati on toward
bri ght col ors and bol d patterns i n the South?
Does the weather pl ay a part i n i t? Do these
choi ces refl ect the l andscape? Thi s exami nati on
assi sts desi gners i n del i veri ng thei r product to a
market that i s al ready prone to recei ve i t wel l .
Left: Vintage Yves Sai nt
Laurent dress i n bright,
col orful fl oral pri nt
Right: Sophi sti cated, dark
brown cascade col l ar sui t by
Sara Campbel l
I NVENTO RY
1 6 Acquisitions
Setti ng up a busi ness or starti ng a proj ect re
qui res t hat desi gners shi ft i nto hunter-gat herer
mode. What are t he means by whi ch they wi l l
be abl e t o devel op work? How wi l l t hey amass
resources?
Good fashi on hunters wi l l fami l i ari ze themsel ves
wi th a terrai n, track thei r target, and acqui re i t.
I denti fyi ng the r ight machi nery and the proper
tool s i s essenti al . Not al l cutti ng i nst r uments
are created equal . For i nstance, the di fference
between sci ssors and shears i s l ength; the l atter
must measure more t han 6 i nches ( 1 5 cm). De
si gn rooms wi l l reserve shears for cutt i ng fabri cs
versus sci ssors for cutti ng paper. Pi nki ng shears,
appl i que sci ssors, and sni ps each make speci fi c
j obs a l i ttl e easi er.
Fashi on gatherers are a l i ttl e more subj ecti ve.
They wi l l forage t hrough the many choi ces of
fabri cs and noti ons to procure the i deal raw ma
teri al s, based on aestheti c needs and seasonal
demands.
Once a workroom i s outfi tted and i ts shel ves
are stocked wi th suppl i es, a workforce must
be assembl ed. I n doi ng so, t he desi gner must
deter mi ne how each member of the staff fi ts i nto
the communi ty bei ng crafted. Next, the desi gner
must bui l d a cul ture, an envi ronment, systems,
and technol ogy.
I n some cases, it is a smart i dea to accumu l ate
reserves. A sur pl us can mean the di fference be
tween endur i ng and t hrowi ng i n the towel when
faced wi th si tuati ons that chal l enge survi val .
However, stockpi l i ng i sn' t hel pful unl ess t he
goods are rel evant and are actual l y put t o use.
The val ue of a desi gner's i nventory-compr i si ng
machi nery, raw materi al s, manpower, or fi ni shed
product-depends on how cohesi ve it al l i s.
Right: Design studi o:
button bi ns
Far Right: Desi gn studi o:
fabri c and pattern storage
PHOTO: JOEL BENJAMIN
I NVENTO RY
1 7 Col l aboration
Some very successf ul fashi on desi gn teams
prove that two heads are often better t han one.
A creati ve col l aborati on can resul t i n desi gns
that are more compl ex and i nnovat i ve than those
that ori gi nate from a si ngul ar vi si on. Partnershi ps
wi th buyers, edi tors, cl i ents, and other desi gners
al l have the potenti al to foster successf ul i deas
and enhance the creati ve process.
Some exampl es of successf ul fashi on design
teams i ncl ude:
Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren of Vi ktor o
Rol f met whi l e studyi ng fashi on at the Arnhem
Academy of Art and Desi gn i n The Nether
l ands. Thei r team approach to fashi on conti n
ues to surpri se and charm the fashi on el i te.
Parsons School of Desi gn i n New York Ci ty
was where Lazaro Hernandez and Jack
McCollough both studi ed before goi ng on to
form the l abel Proenza Schoul er-a name t hat
keeps it al l i n the fami l y, ori gi nati ng from t he
mai den names of both desi gners' mothers.
Domenico Dolce met Stefano Gabbana
whi l e worki ng for the same desi gn fi rm i n
Mi l an, I ta ly, and are now the force behi nd
I tal i an l uxury house Dol ce and Gabbana, a
mul t i mi l l i on- dol l ar fashi on empi re.
Si bl i ng camaraderi e, not ri val ry, i s at t he
heart of the si ster t eam of Kate and Laura
Mulleavy for Rodarte, a company al so named
after thei r mother's mai den name. They have
col l aborated wi th the Gap as wel l as Target,
provi ng they understand how to i nterface wel l
wi th others.
Power coupl e Isabel and Ruben Toledo
represent t he husband and wi fe duo that
i mpact cul ture on mul ti pl e fronts. She i s a
fashi on desi gner and he i s an art i st.
40 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EHI'l5
Above: Ruben and I sabel
Tol edo
Right: Dutch designers Rolf
Snoeren (l eft) and Viktor
Horsting (right), of Viktor
& Rol f, shake hands at the
end of thei r Autumn/Wi nter
2010/11 ready-to-wear
col l ecti on show in Paris.
O
~
c
l
c
-
c
41
I NVENTO RY
1 8 Articul ation of Styl e
Use your words. A desi gner benefi ts great l y from
a mastery of l anguage-not merel y havi ng an
extensi ve vocabul ary, but al so possessi ng the
abi l i ty to craft words i nto i deas, messages, and
stori es. Whether compl ex or uncompl i cated, t he
i ntent behi nd t he words that are used t o descri be
and defi ne t hi ngs hel ps to i nspi re and devel op
desi gn concepts. Through l anguage, a desi gner
can di scover a di recti on for a project.
Usi ng col or as an exampl e, the adjecti ves used
to narrow the defi ni ti on of a col or can affect t he
context i n whi ch t he f i nal product i s percei ved.
J ust red? I t shoul d never be j ust red. Per haps i t
i s ruby, a red as ri ch and l uxur i ous as t he gem
stone. Or cher ry red, a col or you can a l most
taste. When you t hi nk of Ferrari the associ ati ons
a re sport, speed, and I tal y, whi ch makes Ferrar i 's
co-brandi ng of sneakers and athl eti c sportswear
a natu ra I fi t.
Al t hough desi gners may work from a broad
pal ette, they can al so become cl osel y associ ated
wi th a part i cul ar col or. El sa Schi aparel l i i s forever
l i nked wi th shocki ng pi nk, j ust as Val enti no wi l l
al ways be remembered for hi s si gnat ure red.
I t may just seem l i ke semanti cs, but the same
i s tr ue of al l the vi tal components i nvol ved i n
devel opi ng a garment or a central theme for a
col l ecti on. A smooth text ure can be descri bed
as havi ng a gl ossy, pol i shed, or sati n f i ni sh,
whereas a grai ny texture can be descri bed as
rough, porous, or eart hy. Cl ever wordpl ay i s at
the heart of how fashi on i s di scussed i n the me
di a, so why not start that di al ogue i n- house on
the desi gner' s terms.
42 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EII'|5
Model s in red, Val enti no' s
si gnature col or, wal k on the
catwal k for a grand fi nal e,
2008.
43
I NVENTO RY
1 9 Buil ding and Breaking Templ ates
Establ i shi ng standards provi des a fashi on de
si gner wi th reference poi nts. Fi ndi ng the mi ddl e
i s i mportant. The "average" shoul d not be con
si dered a death sentence to creati vi ty, when i t i s
posi ti oned as the starti ng poi nt. Once speci fi ca
ti ons are i n pl ace, understood, a nd respected, a
desi gner can bend, if not break, al l the rul es.
The basi c sl oper i s empl oyed as a fou ndati on
for fl at pattern maki ng because i t contai ns al l
the vi tal measurements t o bui l d a pattern that
wi l l correspond to the body i t i s bei ng designed
for. Wi th those measurements i n pl ace, al most
any modi fi cati on is possi bl e, whi l e sti l l keepi ng
the f uncti on and fi t of the garment grounded
i n real i ty. A fi tt i ng musl i n i s a garment that can
be used i n much the same way. Thi s garment i s
constructed so that a desi gner can mani pu l ate
the desi gn and customi ze t he fi t.
Good croqui s fi gures are based on the propor
ti ons of the human body. When the rel ati onshi ps
between parts of the body are mai ntai ned, t he
fi gure can be exaggerated t o extremes wi thout
ri ski ng abstracti on. The transformati on may
refl ect the desi gner's styl e tendenci es, but the
fi ni shed product wi l l remai n recogni zabl e.
f
)

(
tI

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"
44 5IOH E5IH L55EHII5
)
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\\ \
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Left: Average l ength and

el ongated croquis
Right: Various croqui s
exaggerati ons desi gned to
accentuate overal l si l houette
45
I NVENTO RY
20 Pattern Instruments
A sharp penci l , some paper, and a rul er -it
seems si mpl e enough, but patternmaki ng de
mands that desi gners fi l ter t hei r vi si on of a gar
ment t hrough a stri ct mathemati cal gri d. There i s
no gett i ng away from the fact that wel l -executed
patterns rel y heavi l y on geometry and are the re
sul t of t hi nki ng l i ke an engi neer. Desi gners shoul d
be very fami l i ar wi th the purpose of each tool of
the t rade and fl uent i n the l anguage of whatever
uni ts of measurement t hey are worki ng i n, down
to the smal l est fracti on.
Preci se measurements and cl ear notati ons are
key when maki ng pi eces fi t together. Notches,
for i nstance, provi de the sti tcher wi th speci fi c
pl aces where pi eces are to be j oi ned. They serve
as anchor poi nts, whi ch hel p to ensure proper as
sembl y. Seam al l owance can be l ooked at as the
breakdown l ane of sti tchi ng l i nes, because t hey
gi ve us room to handl e t he fabr i c whi l e we are
sewi ng and provi de room for al terati ons after t he
fact-too much a nd you have unwanted bul k; too
l i ttl e and seams begi n to fal l apart . Beyond taki ng
each fl at pi ece and attachi ng i t to another, t hese
two-di mensi onal pi eces may al so be mani pul at
ed i nto more nuanced three-di mensi onal shapes.
Tai l ori ng a garment to the human form might
requi re darts that el i mi nate unwanted ful l ness,
or gathers that add i t where desi red.
A commerci al pattern comes wi th a set of
i nstructi ons that take the consumer through t he
most effi ci ent way of putti ng a garment together.
Part of the desi gn process for the desi gner
shoul d i ncl ude creat i ng a si mi l ar al gor i thm for a
pattern addressi ng whi ch methods of construc
ti on wi l l be used, and what the speci fi c sequence
of steps wi l l be.
Above: Traci ng wheel ,
notcher, and awl
Right: Pattern rack
1
l
I NVENTO RY
21 Stitching Tool s
Sewi ng i s a sensory experi ence. Fol l owi ng
i nstructi ons that are provi ded i n a book, a vi deo,
or a l i ve demonst rati on i s a start, but t here
i s no substi tute for exper i ence, a nd l ots of i t,
when i t comes to sti tchi ng a garment together.
Easi ng the cap of a sl eeve i nto an ar mhol e i s
defi ni tel y easi er sai d t han done. Onl y repet i ti on
wi l l provi de the experi ence needed to handl e
t he fabri c expertl y, sel ect the proper t hread, a nd
understand how to control and maxi mi ze the
tool s you a re worki ng wi t h. Not hi ng i s perfect,
but practi ce certai nl y gets you cl ose.
There are many choi ces when i t comes to what
type of sti tch to use for any gi ven j ob, and each
can be executed by hand or on a machi ne:
Loose si ngl e-thread sti tches f or basti ng
Bl anket or overl ock sti tches to fi ni sh an edge
Pad st i tchi ng to secure l ayers of fabri c together
Back sti tches or tacki ng to rei nforce a reas
Zi gzag or top sti tchi ng to decorate the surface
Chai n, cross, or sati n sti tches for embroi dery
Buttonhol e sti tches to f i ni sh and rei nforce the

openi ng for a button cl osure
Bl i nd sti tches for hemmi ng

I n every case, a l i ght, seemi ngl y effortl ess touch
i s the mark of the professi onal .
48 |5HIOH LE5'H L55EIII5
Above Left: Hand sewing
Above Right: Machi ne
sewi ng
Right: Basting samples
Far Right: Hand basti ng
I NVENTO RY
22 Rendering Media
Fashi on render i ngs are usua l l y created i n penci l ,
mar ker, or pai nt. Today, the pi xel i s another
medi um for drawi ng fashi on wi th the ai d of
computer software. Whether i t' s a fashi on note
on a napki n, styl e schemati cs i n a notebook, or
fashi on shorthand i n chal k on a chal kboard, the
goal i s t he exchange of i deas.
There i s a mysti que around t he art of fashi on,
as though onl y a sel ect few are enti tl ed t o even
attempt to create i t. Al though not everyone who
si ts down to draw wi l l produce art to ri val t he
work of Steven Sti pel man or Antoni o Lopez, i t' s
i mportant to remember t hat these masters are
i l l ustrators and not desi gners. Honi ng the ski l l s
requi red t o commi t concepts t o paper i s pri mar
i l y about hand to eye coordi nati on, whi ch onl y
comes wi th t i me and practi ce.
A careful l y concei ved drawi ng, i n whi ch styl e
l i nes, desi gn detai l s, a nd proporti ons have been
thoughtful l y pl anned out, wi l l hel p make the next
step-drapi ng a nd/or patter nmaki ng-move
that much faster.
b |5HIOI LE5II L55EHII5
Right: French desi gner Yves
Sai nt Laurent usi ng chal k to
sketch fashi on desi gns on
a chal kboard i n the atel i er
of the House of Chri sti an
Di or, where he has just
been named as successor
to couturi er Chri sti an Di or,
Paris, November 1957.
L
I NVENTO RY
23 Taming Textil es
Texti l es are a very tangi bl e source of i nspi rati on.
Much l i ke t he marbl e that i nforms the scul p
tor what i t wants to become, fabri c wi l l suggest
what shapes and types of mani pul ati on wi l l
transform i t i nto a work of art .
The same pattern for a garment wi l l assume
uni quel y di fferent characteri sti cs, dependi ng on
whether i t i s made of si l k chi ffon, ri bbed kni t,
r i pstop nyl on, Lycra, taffeta, or wool fel t. The de
si gner can desi gn wi th fabri cs based on how they
coordi nate and cont rast wi th each ot her. Wei ght,
body, and weave wi l l provi de further di recti on.
Col or, pattern, and text ure a l so del i ver a whol e
set of addi ti onal choi ces.
A desi gner can take i deas for a col l ecti on i nto
new terri tory by swi tchi ng fabri cs. Subst i tuti ng
fabri cs l i ke deni m for taffeta, chiffon for oxford
cl oth, l eather for l i nen, and l ace for tweed i s one
way to tri gger unpredi ctabl e i nnovati ons. Bl ock
i ng wi th col or, pattern, and text ure i s another
way to shake t hi ngs up. Combi ne these methods
wi th techni ques usual l y reserved for di fferent
fabri cs, and the desi gn choi ces mul ti pl y. Appl y
a top-sti tched fl at-fel l ed seam, commonl y found
on deni m, to si l k organdy and i t bri ngs together
two seemi ngl y unrel ated areas of fashi on, creat
i ng somethi ng fresh and unexpected.
52 5HIOH E5IH 55EHII5
Right: Medi um body: Sara
Campbel l floral jacquard skirt
Below: Ful l body: Viktor &
Rol f si l ver di pped sati n skirt
c
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~
c
r
>
.
Light body: soft sati n
charmeuse bl ouse
I NVENTO RY
24 Letters: Si opers
A sl oper i s a templ ate for any pattern pi ece that
does not i ncl ude seam al l owance. Starti ng from
scratch i s not al ways necessary. I t i s used to
devel op vari ati ons on patterns and i s a great tool
for brai nstor mi ng and test i ng out desi gn i deas
wi thout havi ng to go back to square one. Si nce
a good sl oper al ready i ncl udes a l l the measure
ments that wi l l ensure a proper fi t, the desi gner
has the freedom to concent rate on aestheti cs.
The desi gner can mani pul ate the posi ti on of a
dart, add ful l ness, l engthen or shorten, as wel l
as cut away or bui l d areas onto t he ori gi nal .
Each sl oper pi ece i s l i ke a l etter i n t he DNA of a
garment. Each of these base patter ns i s desi gned
to conform to a di fferent part of the body as wel l
as i nterfaci ng wi th other pi eces. Every templ ate
has el ements that are uni que to that pi ece. I n a
sl eeve, the seam that cl oses it does not rel ate to
any part of another pattern pi ece. But the cap of
the sl eeve must fi t i nto an ar mhol e that i s cre
ated when the front bodi ce i s connected to the
back bodi ce at the shoul der and si de seams. The
most essenti a l aspect of desi gni ng somethi ng
that goes from two di mensi ons to three i s fi t
how t he pi eces fi t toget her and how they fi t
the purpose.
Getti ng wrapped up i n the mi nuti a of t hi s bl ue
pri nt for a garment may seem l i ke t he excl usi ve
domai n of pattern makers, but desi gners can use
thei r own sensi bi l i ti es to sol ve desi gn chal l enges
wi th t hi s as wel l .
54 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EIII5
Slo
pers
55
I NVENTO RY
25 Words: Garments
Every garment makes a val uabl e contri buti on to
an overal l l ook. I t mi ght be cast i n the starri ng
rol e or as a supporti ng pi ece. I ndi vi dual i tems of
cl othi ng can be t reated l i ke the words that wi l l
be expressi ng t he desi gner's vi si on. Bi g words
as wel l as l i ttl e ones shoul d be carefu l l y chosen,
because even the sl i ghtest vari ati on i n defi n i ti ons
can make a big di fference.
The ori gi nal st i mul us for a desi gner's i nspi rati on
can be di sti l l ed i nto subt l e but powerful det ai l s
i n even t he si mpl est of garments. I n addi ti on to
bei ng appreci ated by the true connoi sseur, these
touches add a compl exity that makes these
garments di sti nct. Al though some i tems are
i ntended to emphasi ze a more domi nant pi ece,
they shoul d never be t reated l i ke an afterthought.
I f they are desi gned as i ndependent enti ti es, they
wi l l stand al one i n terms of desi gn and qual i ty.
A si mpl e white bl ouse
by Viktor & Rol f, made
di sti ncti ve wi th button
detai l , 2006

o

I NVENTO RY
2 6 Sentences: Ensembl es
Assembl i ng an ensembl e i s l i ke stri ngi ng words
together to form a sentence. I n the best of si tu
ati ons, the resul tant fashi on phrase i s a wel l -cal
i brated combi nati on of references that i nspi red
the desi gn process i n the fi rst pl ace.
Mi xi ng drasti cal l y di fferent col ors can punch up
a l ook. Bl endi ng more har moni ous shades wi l l
resul t i n a gentl er t ouch. At ei t her end of t he
spectrum or anywhere i n between, col or shoul d
al ways al l ude t o t he i mpact the desi gner wi shes
to have on hi s audi ence.
The i nterpl ay of textures and patterns can al so
be used t o sti mul ate or rel ax the person wear i ng
those speci fi c garments. Fi ndi ng the ri ght bal
ance between di fferent shapes i s an i mportant
factor, whether the desi gner wants the compl ete
l ook to have a reserved si l houette or one wi th
dramati c f l ai r. Ornament can be scal ed to di ffer
ent proport i ons so that i t has t he desi red effect.
The l ack of i t can be j ust as bol d i n i ts auster i ty.
Desi gners need to consi der t hat these sets of
garments wi l l not exi st i n a vacuum, and they
need to make thei r mark on the observer-the
cl i ent' s ci rcl e, the medi a, and the general publ i c.
Every desi gner has t he abi l i ty to make cl ear
statements of styl e wi th every composi ti on.
PHOTO: JESSICA WEISER
Sami ra Vargas ensembl es
featuri ng a mi x of texture and
pattern, 2010
59
I NVENTO RY
27 Stories: Col l ections
A vari ety of l ooks can be brought together to
i l l ustrate a bi gger i dea. The mi x i tsel f i s an exten
si on of t he concept that i nspi red each el ement
of t he col l ecti on to begi n wi th. Many choi ces a re
i nvol ved i n desi gni ng a si ngl e garment, creati ng
correspondi ng pi eces to put together an outfi t,
and then doi ng that numerous ti mes unti l you
have al l the i ngredi ents necessary to tel l your
fashi on story: a col l ecti on.
The desi gner must t hi nk l i ke a styl i st and con
si der how these pi eces wi l l go together to craft a
bi gger, more compl ex pi ct ure. Ask the questi ons
that woul d hel p you craft a good story. Have you
a made consci ous choi ce to j uxtapose contrast
i ng el ements to create confl i ct and drama? I s
humor woven i nto t he col l ecti on that connects
wi th your audi ence through wi tty choi ces? I s
there a sense of harmony i n how you r choi ces
come together? Does each ensembl e feel l i ke
it represents a character i n your story? Do you
have a strong start and an exci ti ng fi ni sh?
The speci fi c deci si ons a desi gner makes-putti ng
emphasi s on what she sees as i mportant-wi l l
ul ti matel y set her apart from other desi gners
and thei r col l ecti ons. Thi s process i s j ust as
i mportant as t he garments themsel ves, because
i t pl aces the desi gner' s vi si on i n a context of her
own creati on.
Chri sti an Lacroix Col l ecti on,
2006
61
I NVENTO RY
28 Punctuation: Details
Once the structure of a garment has been cl earl y
defi ned and the materi al s bei ng used to fabri cate
i t have been chosen, i t i s ti me to contempl ate
the detai l s. These poi nts wi l l fi ne-tune the desi gn
and ensure t hat a desi gner' s aesthet i c sensi
bi l i ti es are consi stent t hroughout. Wel l - pl aced
embel l i shments wi l l punctuate t he desi gn, but
not di stract from i t.
Decorati ve buttons or snaps hel p to mi x form
and f unct i on. One bi g, bol d button on an other
wi se understated coat serves as an excl amati on
poi nt. Most fans of the cl assi c Western-styl e
shi rt woul d agree that pearl snaps are an es
senti al fi ni shi ng touch. Bi g brassy zi ppers stress
uti l ity, and when used del i beratel y they can make
a statement. Exposi ng t hat ki nd of heavy hard
ware and havi ng i t sl ash t hrough a del i cate dress
defi ni tel y makes a decl arati on.
Stri ctl y ornamental detai l s such as embroi dery
or beadi ng are strai ghtforward enough, except
when t hey are strategi cal l y pl aced i n unexpected
l ocati ons. A smal l godet i nserted at the end of a
seam can provi de ease but al so i nterest. Top
sti tchi ng wi th t hread i n an accent col or i s one
way to under l i ne the styl e l i nes of a garment.
The edge of a garment may be dotted and
dashed wi th a decorati ve bl anket sti tch.
For many fashi on desi gners, "the devi l i s i n the
detai l s" because that i s where they mi ght fi nd
the process the most di ffi cul t or chal l engi ng.
I t i s al so a way t hat desi gners can subtl y si gn
thei r masterpi eces.
Above: Beaded Mary
McFadden gown
Right: Decorative zi pper
detai l by Aey Hotarwaisaya
Beaded, bowed, and gi l ded
dress by Chri sti an Lacroi x,
2006

f
--
/
I NVENTO RY
29 Cl osures
Cl osure methods are pri mari l y pract i cal consi d
erati ons, but they can al so be used as promi nent
desi gn detai l s that compl ete a l ook. Al most any
fastener can be steal t hi l y hi dden wi t hi n a pl acket
or a seam, or camoufl aged when covered i n fab
ri c, to achi eve a cl ean appearance. There a re al so
speci al consi derati ons for each type of cl osure
that wi l l affect the fi t and f i ni sh of a garment.
Fl at buttons a re common i n most i nstances, but
shanked buttons are often used when the t hi ck
ness of the fabri c requi res greater space to al l ow
for that bul k to be buttoned. A standard zi pper
can be centered, l apped, or i nserted wi thout any
extensi ons of fabri c t o i ntenti onal l y remai n vi s
i bl e. The i nvi si bl e zi pper i s desi gned to pul l t he
fabri c on both si des together t o mi mi c a seam.
Hooks and eyes as wel l as snaps are ava i l abl e
i n di fferent si zes, col ors, and types. I n some
i nstances, they are covered to bl end i nto the gar
ment. Both al so are avai l abl e on a tape that can
be sewn i n. Vel cro i s commonl y not vi si bl e and
can be appl i ed i n segments or conti nuous stri ps.
El ements such as ti es, bel ts, frogs, and toggl es
are usual l y chosen for t hei r decorati ve contri bu
ti on as wel l as thei r useful ness.
64 |5HIOH LE5'H L55EII'5
Top: Pi nk bias ri bbon l aci ng
Above: Bl ue fabri c-covered
buttons

I NVENTO RY
30 Speci al ty Requi si tes
Speci al materi al s are often requi red to achi eve
desi red effects, provi de speci fi c functi onal ity,
and ensure qual i ty workmanshi p. Sol vi ng u ni que
desi gn chal l enges requi res di fferent materi al s.
I f the ri ght i ngredi ents don' t exi st, an i nnovati ve
desi gner wi l l be i nspi red to i nvent them.
A ful l -fl owi ng ski rt wi l l benefi t from a band of
horsehai r brai d sewn i nto the hem. Ori gi nal l y
made of actual horsehai r, t hi s mesh i s now made
of nyl on. One of i ts uses i ncl udes provi di ng a
fl exi bl e sti ffness that rei nforces the edge of the
hem. The ski rt mi ght be made wi thout i t, but i n
cl udi ng i t resul ts i n a rounded, bi l l owi ng heml i ne
t hat seems t o rol l as i t moves.
I n weatherproof outerwear, a l ack of breat habi l i ty
mi ght requi re the i nserti on of a nyl on mesh i nto
strategi cal l y pl aced vents. Doubl e zi ppers al l ow
the garment to be parti al l y opened at ei ther end
wi thout compl etel y exposi ng the wearer to the
el ements.
Thread i s at the heart of putti ng together most
garments. Each proj ect wi l l requi re a di fferent
type of t hread. The si ze and wei ght of a t hread
i s i ndi cated by a set of numbers, such as 50/3.
The fi rst number refers to the di ameter of each
strand (the h i gher t he number t he fi ner the
t hread) and the second to the number of strands
t hat have been twi sted together t o create that
t hread. Fi ner t hreads a re i n keepi ng wi th hand
work and del i cate fabri cs. Strong t hreads wi l l
hol d up t o heavi er fabri cs and can be used i n
si tuati ons when t here wi l l be addi ti onal stress, as
i n gatheri ng sti tches and buttonhol es. Syntheti c
t hreads provi de a l i tt l e more gi ve when sew-
i ng kni ts. Embroi dery t hread i s more commonl y
refer red to as fl oss and i s usual l y composed of
si x l oosel y twi sted strands.
I n addi ti on t o di fferent l engths and di ameters, t he
shape of the poi nt of a needl e i s very i mportant.
For i nstance, needl es used for kni ts need to be
sl i ghtl y rounded at the poi nt so they don' t snag.
66 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EIII|5
Clockwise: Decorative yarns;
heavy-duty zi pper ; thread;
horsehai r
67
I NVENTO RY
31 Miscel l aneous Markers
I n fashi on, everythi ng revol ves around the new
and the unexpl ored. Li ke anythi ng el se, even
the fashi on i ndustry can fal l i nto a rut, and onl y
random wi l d cards are abl e t o shake t hi ngs up
and shi ft the fashi on l andscape j ust enough to
i nfl uence change. I n truth, they deserve t hei r own
custom, someti mes compl ex, l abel , but because
i t i s di ffi cul t to fi t them i nto a category, these
fashi on fl a res are usual l y f i l ed under "Mi scel l a
neous." Thei r randomness shoul d not bel i e thei r
i mportance i n terms of i nspi rati on and di recti on.
Now that vi rtual l y everyone has a bl og of hi s
own, t he bl ogosphere' s i mpact seems di l uted a nd
commonpl ace. However, the bl oggi ng l andscape
i s sti l l a pl ace where di amonds i n the rough can
be found. These undi scovered gems refl ect facets
of fashi on that may not have been on anyone' s
radar unt i l one of these wri ters chooses to focus
on i t and spread t he word. Some are descri bed
as bei ng on t he front l i nes of fashi on, so tappi ng
i nto t he ri ght combi nati on of onl i ne voi ces wi l l
provi de i nsi ght, resources, and i nspi rati on for the
fashi on desi gner.
Bl ogs are j ust one exampl e. Movements toward
sustai nabi l i ty and fai r t rade have been bui l d-
i ng momentum i n t he fashi on i ndustry, but
they rarel y gai n tracti on i n the hi gh-end fashi on
worl d. However, i n the J une 2009 i ssue of Vogue,
Cameron Di az was featured weari ng a pai r of
eco-fri endl y/hi gh-end fashi on shorts by Goods
of Consci ence, a fashi on l abel created by Father
Andrew O' Connor, a Cathol i c pri est based i n
the Bronx, New York. The unexpected source
certai nl y generates i nterest, but t he busi ness
model and the message l ay the groundwork for
the evol uti on of an i ndustry.
Desi gners need to be l ooki ng for si gns of the
fut ure on al l fronts-who i s shi ni ng a l i ght on a
di fferent perspecti ve and how t hat wi l l fuel t hei r
creati ve process.
Father Andrew O' Connor,
(ri ght), created Goods
of Consci ence i n answer
to the needs of several
communi ti es. The company
empl oys both Mayan I ndi an
weavers and underemployed
Bronx sewers, supporti ng
local producti on i n both
l ocal es. The l i ne uses a soft,
lightweight materi al made
of organi c cotton, cal l ed
Soci al Fabric, whi ch is made
i n the Guatemal an tradi ti on
of back-strap weavi ng. The
manufacturi ng of the fabri c
and garments takes i nto
account i mportant issues of
sustai nabi l i ty and fai r trade
that face the fashi on i ndustry
as wel l as the consumer.
=1
Tavi Gevi nson is an

Ameri can fashi on bl oggi ng
phenomenon. She started
"Style Rooki e" in 2008 at
the age of el even and her
fol l owers i ncl ude Mi uccia
Prada, John Gal l i ano, Rei
Kawakubo, and the Mul l eavy
sisters. These design stars
say she "gets it," and they
are taking noti ce.
I NVENTO RY
32 Care and Feeding of a Garment
I t's i mperati ve to consi der the l i fe of a garment
when desi gni ng i t, such as how t he garment wi l l
hol d up over t i me, t hrough wear, cl eani ng, and
steami ng. Thi s can make the di fference between
havi ng an object that i s a keepsake and one that
i s rel egated to the dustbi n. I n some cases, i t i s
the pati na that devel ops duri ng the agi ng process
that adds to i ts desi rabi l i ty. I n others, the val ue
comes from t he i tem's abi l ity to retai n a good-as
new appearance over ti me.
Wi l l the garment' s fabri c and constructi on stand
up t o machi ne washi ng, or wi l l i t requi re hand
washi ng or dry cl eani ng? Wi l l a l i nt br ush or an
adhesi ve rol l er be abl e t o cl ear the surface of l i nt,
hai r, and fuzz?
Does the fabr i c requi re pressi ng or steami ng?
I n the case of vel vet or corduroy fabri cs, wi l l a
needl e press board or pad hel p mai ntai n t he pi l e?
When i roni ng the garment, how wi l l a tai l or's
ham, a press mi tt, a seam rol l , a poi nt press, or a
sl eeve board work for the user? Wi l l a press cl oth
or pad hel p to prevent the fabri c from shi ni ng
or si ngei ng?
After a l ength of t i me, fol ds can become perma
nent and weaken the fabri c, so proper storage i s
essent i al . Whi ch type of hanger best sui ts that
part i cul ar garment? Wi l l packi ng wi th ti ssue and
cardboard for ms hel p keep t he body of t he gar
ment i n shape and wr i nkl e-free? Woul d i t be best
to store t he garment on the hanger i n a pl asti c
bag or a cl oth bag, or i n a box wi th aci d-free pa
per? Wi l l basti ng pockets and vents cl osed hel p
prevent saggi ng or twi sti ng?
Desi gners may not al ways have t he ti me to test
the endurance of a gar ment, but they can be
come fami l i ar wi th how fabr i cs and constructi on
techni ques wi l l stand up to t i me and use, hel pi ng
them t o make the best choi ces.
Faux furs can be brushed gentl y to
prevent matting, al so removi ng dust and
debri s. May be machi ne washed and
hung to dry. No dryer or di rect heat.
Sturdy cotton (canvas, deni m twi l l ) can
be l aundered-hot water for whites;
warm or col d for col ors. Shri nkage can
be addressed with prewashi ng.
Heavy wool tweeds and sui ti ng may be
dry cl eaned or spot cl eaned wi th a damp
sponge. A steamer i s the recommended
way to take out wri nkl es.
Nyl on, polyester, and other syntheti cs
used for outerwear may be machi ne
washed or dry cl eaned. They can al so be
pl aced in a dryer at a low temperature.
Dry cl eani ng is preferred for most
del icate si l ks. They may al so be gentl y
hand washed with mi l d soap. Lay fl at to
dry on a noncol ored towel .
Hairy fabrics (angora, mohai r, al paca, or
vi cuna) shoul d be dry cl eaned or gently
washed. Do not wring or agitate; dry fl at.
Steam; do not i ron fl at.
Raw si l ks and l i nens can be dry cl eaned
or gentl y hand washed. They may be
pressed at a l ow heat from the reverse
si de of the fabric or steamed.
Fabri cs wi th metal l i c or pl asti c threads
should be dry cl eaned. A press cl oth
shoul d be used when i roni ng on l ow
temperature from the reverse side.
Pi l e fabri cs (velvet, terry cl oth, or
corduroy) can be cl eaned according
to fi ber content. Steam onl y from the
reverse si de or on a needl e press board.
Right: For the desi gner
worki ng wi th exoti c tri ms
such as fur or feathers, it is
a good i dea to desi gn the
garment so that these secti ons
are removabl e for cl eani ng
purposes. Gown by desi gner
Nara Paz
I NVENTO RY
33 Ancient Tool s and Techniques
For the fi rst t i me on record, the woman who has
been charged wi th creati ng brai d wor k used to
decorate Chanel sui ts si nce 1 947 was i nt roduced
to t he publ i c i n t he documentary Signe Chane/.
Madame Pouzi eux creates t he famous fashi on
brai ds on a one-of-a-ki nd anci ent l oom. Wor ki ng
the l oom i s second nature to her, but many ap
prenti ces have been confounded by i t s i ntri ca
ci es. The House of Chanel i s a l oyal patron of
her work, because t hi s type of brai d tr i m can be
found nowhere el se.
Thi s story i l l ust rates one exampl e of how val u
abl e and uni que ol d-worl d techni ques can be, not
to menti on anti que tool s and machi nery. New
sewi ng machi nes wi th bui l t-i n computers can
be programmed to do many wonderful t hi ngs,
but for power and stabi l ity, not hi ng compares
to ol der i ndustr i al machi nes. Whi l e the ma
chi nes can st i l l be found, the knowl edge and ski l l
requi red to mai ntai n them i s becomi ng hard to
fi nd. Many tal ents are al so fadi ng i nto obscu-
ri ty, because t hese vi ntage crafts are not bei ng
passed on. Al t hough automati on affords the
desi gner the abi l i ty to produce faster, t he process
of researchi ng, l ear ni ng, and i mpl ementi ng
ol d-fashi oned methods may prove to be a useful
creati ve exerci se.
Left Above: Vintage sewing
machi ne
Left Below: Loom
Right: Assorted braids by 18
73
I NVENTO RY
3 4 Accessory Cl oset
Whi ch comes fi rst t he sui t or the sti l ettos?
What about the cur rent "i t" bag or a smart pai r
of gl asses? A great accessory can be t he cen
terpi ece of a great outfi t . I f the shopper can take
that approach, why can't the desi gner? Great
accessori es that straddl e the l i ne between f unc
ti on and art are worthy of a desi gner's attenti on.
Studyi ng t he mi crocosms of styl e may generate
i deas that a desi gner can expand upon, and pos
si bl y bui l d a col l ecti on around.
Hats are not a must for today' s fashi onabl e
woman t he way they were i n t he 1 950s and
1 960s, but t hey have not gone away. Mi l l i ners
are regul ar l y requi red to ri se to the chal l enge of
empower i ng t hei r customers wi th the confi dence
to don these artfu l expressi ons of fashi on. Ap
parel desi gners can take a cue from the craft and
arti stry behi nd thei r work.
Shoes have become one of the most i mportant
fashi on accessori es, because unl ess the opti on
of goi ng barefoot i s on the tabl e, a pai r of shoes
i s techni cal l y a necessity. Accordi ng to Answers.
com, on average, women between the ages of
twenty-fi ve and fi fty own from forty to si xty pai rs
of shoes. As a fashi on category, shoes r ul e!
Clockwise: Fashi onabl e
eyewear; Shaunt Sari an
bag; Zack Lo shoes
|-OO.>|V||uAL|-OOCA|-
Mari e Gal vi n hat
I NVENTO RY
35 Vintage Patina
Younger si bl i ngs everywhere compl ai n about
hand-me-downs, but i n fashi on, a secondhand
garment has the potenti al t o be a t r ul y coveted
i tem. I ts degree of val ue stems from many t hi ngs:
I s the garment sti l l rel evant? A great
motorcycl e jacket sends j ust as powerful a
message as it ever di d.
Does a desi gner l abel count? I denti fi abl e
markers speak to the power of brandi ng
fashi on.
I s i t a symbol i c part of h i story? The u l tra
femi ni ne si l houettes of the earl y 1960s have
greatl y i nfl uenced contempora ry fashi on
t hanks to t he popul ari ty of the tel evi si on seri es
Mad Men.
How rare i s the i tem? One-of-a- ki nd pi eces are
sought after regardl ess of the category.
Who wore i t? The provocati ve dress that
Mari l yn Monroe wore to si ng " Happy Bi rthday"
to Presi dent J ohn F. Ken nedy i n 1 962 was
noteworthy i n i ts day, but has cont i nued to
i ncrease exponenti al l y i n both popul ari ty and
val ue si nce then.
Does i t possess gl amour by associ ati on?
Desi gners and j our nal i sts are often gui l ty
of foster i ng rel ati onshi ps between cl ot hi ng
and cel ebri ti es, even i f there i s no credi bl e
affi l i ati on between the two. Descri bi ng a l i tt l e
bl ack dress as "very Audrey Hepbur n" may be
a sort of tri bute to her, Gi venchy, and Breakfast
at Tffany's, but t here i sn' t a real connecti on.
I n what way can today's desi gners brush the
pati na of a vi ntage gar ment over t hei r work?
I t need not be as l i teral as tar ni shed buttons
and buckl es or di stressed and faded fabri cs.
The subt l e use of col or schemes that refl ect
the aestheti cs of another ti me i s an opti on.
The appl i cati on of ol d-worl d pattern maki ng,
constructi on, or f i ni shi ng techni ques is another.
The use of si l houettes that reference speci fi c
peri ods i n fashi on hi story can al so provi de the
desi gner wi th a sense of anot her era. Vi ntage
sources are now vari ed and pl enti ful . Local
bouti ques, regi onal mar kets, and onl i ne retai l ers
are useful barometers that al l ow a desi gner to
spot ti mel y vi ntage trends.
76 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EII'5
Eveni ng gown featuri ng
a di sti nctive geometric
si l houette of the 1980s
Right: "I T' S MI NE! " A Daily
News front-page headl i ne
from October 28, 1999.
Col l ector Bob Schagri n
pays $1.1 mi l l i on for Mari lyn
Monroe's dress.
PHOTO: NY DAILY NEWS ARCHIVE/GETTY
IMAGES

N E W 8 B U 8 l N E 8 8 F E A T U R E 8 8 P 0 R T 8
GORE GOES
ON OFENSIVE
IN DEBATE
PAGES 4 6 5
17 MIWON
HOT DOGS
RECAll ED
PAGE 2
LOPS GO
HOME WITH
SCHOOL KIDS
SPECIAL REPORT
PAGES 32 6 33
77
TECHNI Q UE
3 6 Fashion Transl ations
Fashi on i nfl uences come from many di fferent
sources, i ncl udi ng sports, cl ubs, soci al and eco
nomi c cl ass, and di fferent cul t ures. I t's up to the
desi gner to transl ate and adopt these i nfl uences
to fi t i nto the mai nstream.
The rugby shi rt, for exampl e, a l l ows t eams to
i denti fy themsel ves wi th team-speci fi c col ors
i ncorporated i nto the fi ve or si x hori zontal stri pes
cal l ed hoops. The " rep" ti e i s used by school s,
cl ubs, a nd mi l i tary regi ments to di spl ay thei r af
fi l i ati ons. The term rep refers to the r i bbi ng of the
fabri c' s weave, not the col or and confi gurat i on of
stri pes (a common mi sconcept i on). How mi ght
the i dea of wear i ng your "col ors" fi gure i n the
desi gn process?
I nteresti ng di st i ncti ons devel op among di ffer
ent soci al and economi c cl asses. I n the Uni ted
Ki ngdom, costermongers, who sol d frui t and veg
etabl es from market stal l s, woul d set themsel ves
apart from ot her vendors by sewi ng a row of
pearl buttons al ong the seams of t hei r garments.
The resul t was cal l ed a Fl ash Boy outfi t. A l arge
cargo of pearl buttons from Japan in the 1 860s i s
sai d to have contri buted to the devel opment of
thi s t rend among the tradesmen.
Henry Croft was a part of that community, and
he i s cred i ted wi th creati ng t he uni que Pear l y
Ki ngs and Queens l ook i n 1 875. Croft, a teen
age orphan who had a desi re to hel p those i n
need, understood that he needed to set hi msel f
apart to be noti ced, so he covered an enti re sui t
wi t h pearl buttons. The fi rst "pearl y" was born.
The worki ng cl ass adopted the Pear l y Ki ngs and
Queens tradi ti on t o conti nue t he "whi p around,"
whi ch i s what they cal l ed maki ng col l ecti ons for
those i n need.
Deni m garments have been i nterpreted a nd
rei nterpreted over the years. I ntroduced as work
cl othes and then adopted as fashi on by teenag
ers, deni m went on to serve as a canvas for such
embel l i shments as meta l studs, hand pai nt i ng,
and r hi nestones. Someti mes the fusi on of two
di fferent fashi on l anguages can resul t i n a fresh
new i dea-deni m and pearl y buttons.
Mary and Fred Ti nsl ey,
Pearl y Queen and Ki ng of
Southwark, London, 1949
Decorative button detai l on
deni m from Art by T
TECHNI Q UE
37 Four Seasons: A Timeline
The seasons hel p compartmental i ze fashi on. The
practi cal demands of weat her al one cause us
t o focus on t he el ements of desi gn that shi el d a
person from the rai n, sun, wi nd, or snow. How
ever, the natural aestheti cs of each peri od al so
i nfl uence desi gners wi th regard to the col ors,
patterns, and text ures they choose. Each season
i s potent wi th reference poi nts; even for peopl e
l i vi ng i n a cl i mate that doesn' t change dramati
cal l y from season to season, there are degrees
of di fference that have an i mpact on thei r fashi on
choi ces, whether they are the desi gners or the
consumers.
What seasonal associ ati ons mi ght someone
make? Spri ng coul d br i ng showers and gardens
to mi nd. Summer may evoke sunshi ne a nd
sunfl owers. Fa l l might conj ure up a caval cade of
col or as the l eaves change. And wi nter has the
potenti al to st i r up frosty i mages of snow and i ce.
Al though these are accurate refl ecti ons of spr i ng,
summer, fal l , and wi nter, each designer has a
uni que set of var i abl es that she br i ngs to the
tabl e based on her personal exper i ences.
These fashi on t i mel i nes are not si mpl y l i near.
They are a set of paral l el l i nes that begi n at di f
ferent poi nts on the cal endar. I t' s a bal anci ng act
for desi gners, because whi chever season you' re
actual l y experi enci ng, as a fashi on professi onal
you are desi gni ng for at l east two seasons ahead,
produci ng for one season ahead, and del i veri ng
i n the present day.
80 |5HIOI LE5II L55EHII5
Below: Spri ng i nspi rati on
Right: Col orful ensembl e
featuri ng fl oral embroi dery
by desi gner Nara Paz
Below: Summer i nspi rati on
Right: Vintage hand-pai nted
cotton dress from Poor Little
Rich Gi rl
Below: Fal l i nspi rati on
Right: Copper l eather shi rt
and sati n stripe skirt by
desi gner El ena Sanders
Below: Wi nter i nspiration
Right: Bl ack-and-white wool
coat by desi gner Pavl i na
Gi lson
TECHNI Q UE
38 Rate, Rul es, and Roughs
A fashi on desi gner may be tempted to avoi d
steps i n the creati ve process to meet deadl i nes
or si mpl y reap the rewards a l i ttl e sooner.
Whether i t's i n sketchi ng, pattern maki ng, or
sewi ng, bypassi ng steps coul d under mi ne the
fi nal outcome.
Sketchi ng: A sense of the shape and fl ow of

a garment can often i ni t i al l y be found i n a
rough sketch. Repeati ng that process on paper
provi des a pl ace where detai l s can be fi nessed
before the actual garment i s bei ng devel oped.
Pattern maki ng: Measure twi ce, cut once.

Mathemati cs i s a uni versal l anguage, and
there i s l i ttl e room for i mprovi sati on when i t
comes to accuracy. How pattern pi eces i nter
l ock, how they are based on cl ear and detai l ed
notati ons on a pattern, and how they adhere
to the body' s measurements are al l based on
a system of r ul es.
Constructi on: Basti ng seems l i ke the bi ggest
waste of ti me, unt i l somethi ng goes wrong. I n
the end, t hi nki ng a bout basti ng usual l y wastes
more ti me than actual l y doi ng i t. These tem
porary sti tches serve much the same f uncti on
as a rough sketch. They l et you assess how the
garment i s comi ng together wi thout taki ng per
manent, and i n some cases i rreversi bl e, steps.
I n addi ti on to getti ng i t ri ght the fi rst ti me, each
and every phase of preparat i on provi des an op
portuni ty for i nspi rati on. The r ul es don' t neces
sar i l y change, but the ones you appl y, as wel l
as how, when, and where you appl y them, i s a
creati ve act i n i tsel f.
First stage of sketch:
the rough
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83
TECHNI Q UE
39 Hand to Eye
The connecti on between the mi nd's eye and the
hands of the desi gner i s easi l y taken for granted.
Thi s l i nk must be rei nforced through consci ous
exerci se and expl orati on. I f the communi cati on
between the two i s f l ui d, a desi gner' s dexteri ty
i n executi ng i deas becomes effortl ess and, after
a t i me, second nat ure. Bui l di ng strong bonds re
qui res equal parts arti st, archi tect, and construc
ti on worker. I t's easy to pl ay to your strengths,
but a good desi gner wi l l have a cl ear comprehen
si on of cause and effect i n every area.
A sti tcher who understands how a pattern i s
desi gned to come together produces better work.
The sequence of constructi on and detai l pl ace
ment wi l l make a bi g di fference i n the fi ni sh of
the f i nal product.
The qual i ty of a sketch i s hi gher when i t benefi ts
from knowl edge of constructi on techni ques
and experi ence wi th a wi de vari ety of di fferent
fabri cs. Renderi ng the rol l of fabri c cut on the
bi as has a di sti nctl y di fferent feel than drawi ng
somethi ng cut on the l engthwi se grai n.
Patter nmakers who can vi sual i ze how a gar
ment wi l l be sewn wi l l be sure to i ncl ude the
ri ght i nformati on i n the pattern they' re drafti ng.
I ncl udi ng wel l - pl aced notches, the appropri ate
seam al l owance, or enough ease i s essenti al i f
the sti tcher i s goi ng to be abl e to do hi s j ob wel l .
A desi gner shoul d be abl e to navi gate between
vi sual mode where the i magi nati on and aesthet
i cs are paramount, the bl uepri nt phase that
documents and communi cates how each desi gn
wi l l be executed, a nd bui l di ng somethi ng that re
spects and refl ects the ori gi nal vi si on and i ntent.
The more di rect the path between the desi gner's
i magi nati on and the real i ti es of produci ng it, the
better the work.
Above: Fashi on sketch
of a design by Victoria
Domi nguez-8agu
Right: Desi gn by Vi ctori a
Domi nguez-8agu
Right: Fashi on sketch
of a design by Victoria
Domi nguez-8agu
Far Right: Design by Victoria
Domi nguez-8agu
'
7
r
*
Z
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-
85
TECHNI Q UE
40 Checks and Bal ances
One of the most i mportant stages i n the desi gn
process i s sel f-correcti on. There may be a sense
of somethi ng bei ng off, but i t's di ffi cul t to pi n
poi nt t he probl em. To do t hi s obj ecti vel y, t he
pi ece needs t o be taken out of context. There are
several ways to check the work.
Whi l e renderi ng a two-di mensi onal representa
ti on of a desi gn, t ur ni ng the sketch upsi de down
so that i t can be seen as an a bstract object
hel ps to make i mbal ances obvi ous. A versi on
of a sketch on t raci ng paper can be fol ded i n
hal f down t he fi gure' s center t o avoi d unwanted
di storti ons.
The custom of worki ng on the hal f i s al ready
practi ced i n pattern maki ng and drapi ng because
i t cuts down on human error when tryi ng to
properl y bal ance both si des of the garment. Even
patterns for some asymmetri cal garments can be
started on the fol d to ensure proper fi t i n areas
that shoul d refl ect each other, al l owi ng for the
asymmet ry to then be i ncorporated i nto
the patter n.
When consi deri ng the fabri cati on of a desi gn, col
ors shoul d be checked i n di fferent types of l i ght
to have a cl ear vi si on of how the col ors wi l l read.
Fabri c shoul d al so be tested for t ransparency to
avoi d unwanted overexposure.
Throughout constructi on, doubl e-checki ng seam
al l owance, dart l engths, and hems for consi stency
i s a good practi ce to devel op. Fi ni shi ng hems that
fal l on the bi as, l i ke a ci rcul ar ski rt, shoul d fi rst be
al l owed to hang for at l east twenty-fou r hours,
because most fabri c wi l l end up saggi ng i n those
areas. Thi s wi l l al l ow the desi gner to ensure an
evenl y di stri buted ski rt l ength.
Col or i n a fabri c under natural l i ght appears
cool , wi th a bl ue cast.
Col or in a fabric under i ncandescent l i ght
appears warm, wi th a red cast.
Col or i n a fabri c under fl uorescent l i ght
has a green cast.
When a tri ed-and-true basic
sl oper i s used to generate a
new pattern wi th an asym
metri cal feature, starti ng
the process on the fol d wi l l
hel p ensure that the fit i s
consistent. Once the pi ece i s
opened and l ai d fl at, al most
any al terati on to i ncorporate
asymmetry i nto the new
model can be made. The bal
ance i s al ready bui lt i n.
87
TECHNI Q UE
41 Machine Interface
The owner's manual wi l l provi de the funda
mental s for usi ng a sewi ng machi ne, but there
i s more to the rel ati onshi p between sewer and
machi ne t han basi c i nstructi ons. A successful
i nteract i on requi res a commi tment from the de
si gner to "get to know" the machi ne. I t's easy to
attr i bute human characteri sti cs, even personal i
ti es, t o a machi ne that i s used on a regul ar basi s.
Some desi gners devel op such a strong bond that
they go as far as nami ng thei r machi nes. Thi s can
be a good t hi ng because i t means the operator of
that equi pment i s responsi ve to feedback she's
gett i ng. Audi bl e, vi sual , and tact i l e cl ues uni que
t o every machi ne hel p the sewer make deci si ons
duri ng the producti on process.
Al though most sewi ng machi nes work i n pretty
much the same way, there are l i ttl e di fferences
and subtl e nuances regardi ng how they work.
Threadi ng, bobbi n type, power, and speed of the
motor are a few of the most obvi ous t hi ngs that
wi l l vary among machi nes.
I f the desi gner i s abl e to recogni ze machi ne parts
and understand thei r functi on, she can sol ve
probl ems more easi l y. A foot pedal , power cord,
spool hol der, bobbi n wi nder, tensi on di scs, sti tch
l ength, wi dth and needl e posi ti on adj ustments,
take- up l ever, presser foot, pressure adj ustment,
throat pl ate, feed dog, hand wheel , motor, bel t,
thread cutter, sl i de pl ate, bobbi n, and bobbi n
case are the parts common to most machi nes.
Become i nti matel y acquai nted wi th you r ma
chi ne. Read the manual .
Cl eani ng, l ubri cati on, and mechani cal adj ust
ments are a part of basi c mai ntenance that en
sures consi stent resul ts. Safe practi ces are often
based on common sense. Don't rush, don't force,
keep the a rea neat, and keep fi ngers away from
the needl e. I f fabri c i s bei ng fed i nto the machi ne
properl y, there i s no reason why hands shoul d
ever be cl ose enough t o cause i nj ury.
An i nvestment of t i me and energy is requi red i f
desi gners are goi ng to have a good exper i ence
and posi ti ve resu l ts.
I nsi de an overl ock machi ne
I nsi de a buttonhol e machi ne
TECHNI Q UE
42 Cut, Drape, and Fol d
Cl ose exami nati on of how fabri c is mani pul ated
by cutti ng, drapi ng, and fol di ng al l ows the
desi gner to bui l d subt l e and dynami c el ements
i nto a desi gn. Devel opi ng al ternati ve cutti ng
strategi es, wrappi ng the fi gure i n soft fol ds,
or desi gni ng systems of pl eats, permi ts the
desi gner to transform a ny si l houette.
The rol e of the cutter i n a desi gn room seems
si mpl e enough-cut the pi eces-but i t i s a j ob
that demands great preci si on and attenti on to
detai l . How the garment i s cut especi al l y when
usi ng patterned fabri cs l i ke stri pes, checks,
and pl ai ds can resul t i n di fferent appearances.
Pi eces can be cut on di fferent grai ns or the bi as
for effect.
There i s a sensual i ty i nvol ved i n drapi ng fabri c
on and around the body. The sar i (or saree) i s
an i deal exampl e of a garment that uses artful
drapi ng. I t i s a l ength of fabr i c, approxi matel y
5 to 1 0 yards (4. 6 to 9.1 m) i n l ength, usual l y
featuri ng an ornamental border. I t i s not cut or
sewn i n any way. The contemporary sar i i s worn
over a chol i (sari bl ouse) and a petti coat. I t can
be draped i n a vari ety of ways, but the Ni vi styl e
i s the most popul ar.
Scott i sh tartans were ori gi nal l y draped i n a
fashi on si mi l ar to the sari , cal l ed the Great Ki l t
gi vi ng a soft toga- l i ke appearance. The ki l t has
evol ved over ti me to take on a more tai l ored
l ook, featuri ng preci sel y measured and perfect l y
pressed kni fe or box pl eats. The modern ki l t uses
6 to 8 yards (5. 5 to 7.3 m) of fabri c and can be
pl eated to set, whi ch al though pl eated, vi sual l y
mai ntai ns the t artan repeat. A ki l t can al so be
pl eated to stri pe, a method associ ated wi th ki l ts
for the mi l i tary. A proper tartan i s made of wool
twi l l and must be i denti cal i n both di rect i ons of
the warp and weft of the fabri c. Methods that
requi re an adherence to the ki nd of ri gi d rul es
i nvol ved i n ki l t-maki ng cul ti vate a beauty onl y
mathemati cs can provi de.
Ki l t by Hector Russel l ,
Edi nburgh, Scotl and
Straight-grai n top
Straight-grai n swatch
Bias top
Bias swatch
Cross-grai n top
Cross-grai n swatch
Vintage sari courtesy
of Shel l ey Chhabra
TECHNI Q UE
43 Underpinnings and Assembl y
Any garment, from pl ai n to i ntri cate, wi l l benefi t
from a sound i nfrastruct ure. Wel l -const ructed
garments rel y on many el ements that are not
apparent at fi rst gl ance. Good workmanshi p wi l l
depend upon speci fi c techni ques and addi ti onal
materi al s that best serve the design.
Choosi ng the best seam for a proj ect i s con
ti ngent on the effect the desi gner i s tryi ng to
achi eve and the nature of the mater i al s bei ng
used. Si mpl e garments may use pl ai n seams that
can be fi ni shed wi th pi nki ng shears or over l ock
sti tchi ng to prevent unravel i ng. Bound seams are
f i ni shed wi th a stri p of bi as-cut fabr i c and are
commonl y found i n unl i ned garments. A French
seam i s a seam wi thi n a seam, whi ch works wel l
wi th shear fabri cs. Lapped or fl at-fel l ed seams
can be found on j eans and are used for thei r
strength and durabi l i ty.
Faci ngs are used to f i ni sh off areas such as
a neckl i ne or an armhol e. Fusi bl e and sew- i n
i nterfaci ngs are found i n faci ngs, cuffs, col l ars,
pl ackets, and buttonhol es to add body, keep
shape, and support and rei nforce an area.
They are avai l abl e as woven, nonwoven, and
kni t materi al s.
Li ni ng i s the i deal way to professi onal l y fi ni sh a
garment. I nterl i ni ng i s used between the l i ni ng
and the garment to provi de warmth, whereas
under l i ni ng i s used to al ter the hand (drape and
feel ) of t he fabr i c, whi l e a l so stabi l i zi ng and
strengt heni ng i t. I t can be as l i ght as organza or
as ri gi d as buckram.
Boni ng i s another type of stabi l i zer and i s not
restri cted to use i n corsets, busti ers, and strap
l ess cresses. I t can be used al ong si de seams to
prevent saggi ng or as part of a neckl i ne to avoi d
gapi ng. I t can be appl i ed to any area to prevent i t
from col l apsi ng and taki ng away from the desi gn.
Dependi ng on the garment' s desi gn, there i s
al ways a l ogi cal order for i ts assembl y. How i t
i s assembl ed and f i ni shed al so affects the fi nal
product. Whi ch areas a re to be sti tched? Gl ued?
Taped? Fused? Every choi ce takes the garment i n
a di fferent di recti on, maki ng i t trul y uni que t o the
desi gner who concei ved of i t.
Clockwise: Boned bodi ce;
Overl ocked seam; Pi nked
seam
I nfrastructure of a Dani el
Faucher Couture bri dal gown
TECHNI Q UE
44 Manipul ating Ful l ness
The vol ume a nd bul k of a garment can be con
t rol l ed by vari ous methods.
Gatheri ng fabri c i s one way to add f ul l ness.
Ruffl es are made of gathered fabri c that i s re
l eased on one edge. Shi rr i ng i nvol ves gatheri ng
on opposi te edges, i n mul ti pl e rows, so that the
rows are contai ned. Both f l ounces, whi ch are cre
ated usi ng ci rcul ar shapes, and godets-wedge
shaped i nserts-are used to add fl ared ful l ness.
Smocki ng i nvol ves pi nchi ng fabri c i n patterns
such as the honeycomb. The si l houette of a gar
ment can al so be pumped up wi th qui l t i ng and
stuffi ng.
Fabri c can al so be fol ded to create many di fferent
types of pl eats that manage fu l l ness. Fl at pl eats
such as kni fe, fan, accordi on, box, and i nverted
box can be pressed or unpressed, can be parti a l ,
or can r un the f ul l l ength of the area. Broomsti ck
pl eati ng i s an i rregul ar, crushed type of pl eat.
Exampl es of proj ecti ng pl eats i ncl ude cartri dge,
pi nched, and t ubul ar. Tucks can be spaced,
graduated, doubl ed, and tapered, as wel l as bei ng
contoured, sl ashed, and cross-sti tched. Materi
al s that have a mi ni mum of 60 percent man
made fi ber have thermopl asti c properti es, whi ch
means they wi l l retai n shapes that are baked i n
wi th heat. These heat-treated fabri cs are i deal
for creati ng starburst pl eat i ng and vari ati ons on
Fortuny-styl e pl eati ng.
Darts are one of the most effi ci ent ways to el i mi
nate unwanted ful l ness and contour t he shape
of a garment. They are usual l y tri angul ar or
di amond shaped and sewn r ight si des together
so that excess fabri c can be fol ded or tr i mmed
away.
Many of these techni ques can be used i n concert
and the combi nati ons are endl ess. Devi si ng
a pl an for the appl i cati on of any of these pro
cedures can contri bute to both si l houette and
surface textu re.
Above: Gathers create
vol ume in a Chri sti an LaCroi x
dress.
Right: Empire dress
pleated at bust by Victoria
Domi nguez- Bagu
Box pl eats are gathered i nto
the bubbl e si l houette of a
cocktai l dress by Eddi Phi l l i ps.
TECHNI QUE
45 Body Mappi ng
The l eg bone' s connected to the knee bone,
the knee bone' s connected to the thi gh bone,
the thi gh bone' s connected to the hi pbone, and
so on and so forth. These are the roads to the
cartography of couture. A step further than
anatomy, body mappi ng i s about understand
i ng the rel ati onshi ps between di fferent areas of
the body, the experi ence of the wearer, and the
garment i tsel f. The concept of body mappi ng
rel i es on sel f-observati on and sel f- i nqui ry. The
desi gner has to gather the same ki nd of i nsi ght
by communi cati ng wi th hi s cl i ent.
Si mi l ar to usi ng a road map, a body map anti ci
pates needs to bui l d i n the structure, functi on,
and si ze. Does a strapl ess dress have enough
structural support to keep i t from sl i ppi ng down
the body as the wearer moves? I n the case of
garments bei ng used i n act i ve s i tuati ons, do the
garments al l ow for fu l l arti cul ati ons of j oi nts,
muscl e refl exes, and/or how the body expands
as i t breathes? I s there enough ease i n the seat
of a garment that i s worn by someone who si ts
most of the day? I f the answer to any of these
questi ons i s " no," the desi gner can make course
correcti ons whi l e devel opi ng the garment that
al l ow for effi ci ent, el egant movement and
comfort i n any si tuati on. These are al l physi cal
real i ti es, but there are al so abstract boundar i es
i nfl uenced by soci ety and a desi gner's sensi bi l i
ti es, such as how I ow a neckl i ne on a bl ouse can
and shoul d go.
96 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EIII5
CDesi gni ng a neckl i ne cl ose
to the base of the neck
shoul d take i nto consi der
ati on that the neck natu
ral l y l eans forward so as
not to constri ct the throat.
The hei ght of a col l ar may
i nterfere wi th the head's
range of moti on.
@The shoul der i s a pivot
point for the arm. When
engi neeri ng an arm-
hol e, the desi gner must
consi der how much ease
wi l l al l ow for ful l or l i mited
rotation of the arm. The
depth and breadth of the
armhol e wi l l al so be a
contri buti ng factor to fi t.
QThe fi t at the bustl i ne
must take i nto consi d
eration not onl y the
measurement and the cup
size, but al so the contrac
ti on and expansi on of the
l ungs-whi ch al so affects
the back. The back of the
garment i s subject to ad
di ti onal stress across the
shoul der bl ades due to the
natural tendency of the
arms to reach forward.
qThe el bow is a pri mary
stress poi nt for a sleeve.
A smal l dart at the el bow
wi l l al l ow the arm to bend
wi thout putti ng undue
wear and tear on the
sleeve whi l e sti l l retai ni ng
a snug fit. Addi ng vol ume
to the sl eeve at thi s poi nt
wi l l al so al l ow for freedom
of movement, but al ters
the si l houette.
The height and shape of
the rise i n a pant must
al l ow for any extensi on of
the abdomen, the ful l ness
and shape of the backsi de,
and the fact that the body
bends at thi s poi nt. When
the figure bends or sits,
the seat spreads.
{The knee is a pri mary
stress poi nt for the pant
l eg. The pant l eg may be
desi gned wi th a generous
amount of ease to mai n
tai n a smooth si l houette
or be i ntenti onal l y l acki ng
ease i n order to create a
shape that bunches up
and grabs at the knee.
(A pl eat, a sl it, or a wrap
detai l wi l l al l ow for a ful l
stride i n a ski rt wi th a
narrow si l houette. The
designer may l i mit move
ment by desi gn to bri ng
about a very specifi c way
to move in the garment.
Some exampl es i ncl ude
the t radi ti onal ki mono or
Paul Poi ret's hobbl e ski rt
of the 1910s.
97
TECHNI Q UE
46 Uniformity
Havi ng been rai sed i n I ndi a, where uni forms were
a fact of l i fe i n publ i c school , Sheena Mathei ken
had no probl em pl edgi ng to wear t he same dress
for 365 days (seven i denti cal dresses, one for
each day of the week). The chal l enge l ay i n styl
i ng and restyl i ng the dress so that no two days
were the same. The whol e proj ect was devel oped
as a fundra i ser for Akanksha Foundati on. The
concept i s a testament to putti ng a new face on
how much we can do to express oursel ves, even
wi thi n the constrai nts of a uni form, si mul tane
ousl y speaki ng to i ssues such as sustai nabi l i ty,
whi l e support i ng a great cause.
I n the a rena of more t radi ti onal uni forms, these
garments become symbol s associ ated wi th the
mi l i tary, l aw enforcement, protecti on, rescue,
and the servi ce i ndustry. Uni form desi gn has
i ts l i mi ts and may not have the gl amour of
trend-based desi gns, but the chal l enge comes
i n the form of professi onal standards of qual i ty,
comfort, durabi l ity, safety, and any of the speci fi c
requi rements of the j ob.
Right: Beyond the practi cal
there is the pageantry. Due
to the hi stori c and heroi c
nature of many of those who
wear a uni form, there are
often formal ceremoni es that
requi re a l i ttl e more grandeur.
Thi s mi ght be done gentl y
wi th ri bbons and/or wi th a
great deal more i mpact, as
i n the case of the Scottish
mi l i tary tattoo where l ong
standi ng tradi ti on di ctates
the fl ouri sh of detai l s.
Below: Bl auer pol i ce uniform
detai l s
Uniform Project dress

W
I
4 I 4
O
99
TECHNI Q UE
47 Fit
Gar ments can grab, ski m, or bag around the
wearer's body dependi ng on the desi gner's
aestheti c of fi t. A fl atteri ng fi t may be i n the eye
of the behol der, but as a r ul e, garments that
squeeze and cut i nto the body, or that over
whel m i t wi th vol ume, are not usual l y consi dered
attracti ve or properl y si zed. Ul t i matel y, opi ni ons
regardi ng fi t are a l ways subj ecti ve, due t o a wi de
vari ety of cul t ural i nfl uences that cul t i vate di ffer
ent standards of beauty.
A ti ght fi t wi l l sei ze the body, becomi ng a second
ski n, often creasi ng and fol di ng as i t strai ns to
cover the area.
A true fi t wi l l fol l ow the contours of the body,
usi ng a bal ance of gentl e tai l ori ng and ease to
retai n the i ntegri ty of the si l houette.
A l oose fi t's generous proporti ons mi ght al so be
consi dered rel axed or oversi zed because they
al l ow for a f ul l range of mot i on.
Other factors t o consi der when addressi ng the
f i t of a gar ment i ncl ude vani ty si zi ng, whi ch
more accuratel y refl ects the psychol ogy of the
customer rather than her actual si ze. Category
si zi ng, as in Mi sses, J uni or, Women's, and Peti te,
are used to i nform si zi ng for speci fi c body types.
There i s real l y no such t hi ng as one si ze fi ts al l ,
because al though you may be abl e t o get a gar
ment over your body, the fi t wi l l be di fferent from
person to person.
Customi zati on i s al ways an opti on when i t comes
to provi di ng the proper fi t for the customer, but
desi gners can al so devel op i n-house si zi ng stan
dards that refl ect speci fi c body measurements.
Armed wi th thi s useful tool , customers al ways
know what they' re getti ng.
Tight fit
Z
True fit
w
w
a *
&~
Loose fi t
101
TECHNI Q UE
48 Mend and Al ter
" Make Do and Mend" was the name of a cam
pai gn duri ng Worl d War I I whi ch encouraged the
repai r and repurposi ng of everyt hi ng that st i l l
had the potenti al to be useful . Waste was the
enemy, and thi s movement set a creati ve chal
l enge to women everywhere to do thei r par t and
sti l l be styl i sh. Bookl ets were di stri buted that i n
cl uded techni ques such as bi ndi ng frayed edges,
dar ni ng, taki ng garments i n and l etti ng them out,
recutti ng a garment i nto a new styl e, unpi cki ng a
kni t, rekni tti ng wi th the same yarn, and pl ai n as
wel l as decorati ve patchi ng. Necessi ty became
both the mother of i nventi on and fashi on.
Fi xi ng i mperfecti ons i s an exerci se i n f i ndi ng the
beauty i n fl aws. Even a l teri ng perfectl y good
garments can enha nce the overal l l ook and feel ,
and i n the end can create a uni que desi gn for
the wearer .

W
P
, 9
.
=
,
I
.
t
W 4 W W M
9 M M1 M 4 Y
+ %4 +
Make Do and Mend bookl et
102 |5H'OI LE5IgH 55EIII|5
1
2
4
5
Left: Recut and repurposed brown
pl ai d dress by Shannon Gl asheen
3
1. Origin: gray knit hoodie
sweatshirt
2.Origin: men's plaid flannel
jacket
3.Origin: herringbone pencil skirt
Right: Recut and repurposed col or
bl ocked dress by Shannon Gl asheen
6
4. Origin: men's red hoodie
sweatshirt and women's terry
cloth tank top
b. Origin: Vespa logo T-shirt
. Origin: African dashiki
103
TECHNI Q UE
49 Deconstruct and Reconstruct
I n the name of sustai nabi l i ty as wel l as styl e,
Shannon Gl asheen desi gns
many desi gners are taki ng unwanted cl othes
apart and refashi oni ng them i nto compl etel y
di fferent and ori gi nal garments. I n the i nterest
of maki ng good use of the mountai ns of di s-
carded fashi ons that si t i n cl osets, thri ft stores,
and warehouses around the gl obe-i f they have
not al ready been rel egated to l andfi l l s-these
desi gners t ransform the secondhand and the un-
sol d i nto rel evant new fashi ons. Thi s repurposi ng
resonates wi th a generati on of fashi on enthusi -
asts concerned wi th the envi ronment.
Desi gner Shannon Gl asheen appl i es al l her t rai n
i ng i n pattern maki ng and constructi on to repur
pose garments that may be outdated, wel l worn,
or mi sunderstood. Breathi ng new l i fe i nto pi eces
such as these requi res that the desi gner l ook at
each i tem as raw materi al and not as a fi ni shed
product. Once di ssected, there may al so be very
speci fi c sect i ons of a garment that can be reori
ented to serve a new purpose. Bui l di ng hybri ds i s
anot her vari ati on of thi s method, where el ements
from vari ous garments are remi xed i nto a
desi gner mashup.
For desi gners worki ng wi thi n the confi nes of
a busi ness model wi th di fferent demands, the
deconstruct/reconstruct approach to the desi gn
process can be i ncorporated as an aestheti c from
the start, uti l i zi ng it to devel op sampl e garments
that can then be repl i cated.
104 5'OH LE5IH L55EHII5
TECHNI Q UE
so Structure and Scal e
I n the wi l d, when confronted by an ani mal , some
experts suggest extendi ng you r arms over your
head or out t o your si des, or hol di ng your jacket
open, to gi ve the i mpressi on of bei ng l arger and
more threateni ng. Basi c rept i l i an brai n survi val
i nsti ncts mi ght be at the core of what dri ves us
t o reframe our bodi es to si mul ate more i mpos
i ng shapes. A col orful exampl e of fri ght or fl i ght
fashi on can be found among the costumes
desi gned by Ti m Chappel and Li zzy Gardi ner
for t he movi e Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Many
cost ume i deas for that fi l m came from ani mal l i fe
i ndi genous to Austral i a. One of those creatures,
the f r i l l -neck l i zard, has a ruff of ski n around i ts
neck that fl ares out when fri ghtened. The desi gn
ers emul ated that feature to dramati c effect i n a
col l ar on one of the cost umes. When the mal e
peacock fans out i ts feathers to attract a mate, i t
creates a very di fferent survi val i mpul se.
The hoop ski rt i s an undergarment that consi sts
of ri gi d concentri c ri ngs made of rope, osi ers,
whal ebone, steel , or nyl on, and suspended by
fabri c or bands of ri bbon. When stored, the
structure can col l apse i nto i tself, but when worn,
the whol e t hi ng functi ons as a support system
for a woman's ski rt. Parti cul ar shapes refl ect
the fashi on of any speci fi c peri od, but the scal e
al so provi des a measure of personal space that
keeps everyone at ar m's l ength. The French word
panniers refers to wi cker baskets that are sl ung
on ei ther si de of a pack ani mal . Panni ers used for
fashi on were fastened onto a woman's hi ps to
create an effect si mi l ar to the hoop ski rt.
Headdresses, shoul der pads, bust l es, and
trai ns a re al so used t o extend oursel ves and
our personal boundari es i n the name of fashi on.
At a t i me when fashi on was focused on the bust,
Vi vi enne Westwood i s credi ted wi th di verti ng us
t o t he rear wi th bustl es dubbed Faux Cui, that cel
ebrated, i f not exaggerated, a woman's derri ere.
106 5'OH E5IH 55EHII5
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TECHNI QUE
51 Anatom ica Il y Correct
I t i s no coi nci dence that one of the t hi ngs that
desi gner Geoffrey Beene i s known for i s l i berat
i ng a woman's body. He studi ed medi ci ne at
Tul ane Uni versi ty for three years before shi fti ng
gears and studyi ng fashi on at Traphagen School
of Fashi on. He understood the mechani cs of the
body, and therefore el i mi nated conventi onal
i mpedi ments such as unnecessary paddi ng,
i nterl i ni ngs, zi ppers, and fasteners.
Comfort i s one of the pr i mary concerns for
the contemporary consumer. A desi gner benefi ts
from understandi ng the body and how i t works,
such as what happens when a muscl e contracts,
rel axes, or extends. Wi l l a garment provi de unre
stri cted movement? Struct ures that encase the
body need to respond to the pl i abi l i ty of muscl es
and the ri gi di ty of bones. Studyi ng the anatomy
of mammal s, bi rds, i nsects, rept i l es, and aquati c
l i fe coul d provi de a weal th of desi gn cues. The
archi tecture of pl ant l i fe mi ght suggest al terna
ti ve methods i n sol vi ng creative chal l enges. Even
mi croscopi c organi sms can serve as a source of
i nspi rati on.
Athl eti c garments, medi cal garments, and under
garments take advantage of text i l e technol ogy
and engi neeri ng to address the i ssues associ ated
wi th mobi l i ty. Beyond range of moti on, the same
tool s can be appl i ed to compressi ng the body to
protect or reshape i t. A good comprehensi on of
the body and how i t works al so al l ows the de
si gner to i sol ate aspects of the desi gn process to
address speci fi c areas of the body, wi th each zone
offeri ng i ts own advantages and di sadvantages.
108 |5HIOH E5'gH 55EIII5
Haute Contour, the Dessert
Shapewear by SPANX,
l aunched i n 2009 is the
next step i n the evol uti on
of foundati on garments,
designed to achieve a
speci fi c si l houette whi l e al so
providi ng gentl er support
and more comfort than it's
predecessors-the corset
and the gi rdl e. What may
be i niti al l y taken for granted
as a si mpl e undergarment
is now i nfused wi th the
ki nd of sci enti fi c research
and technology that make
it a powerful partner in the
process of fashi on desi gn.
TECHNI Q UE
52 Roads Less Travel ed
A desi gner who focuses pr i mari l y on the front
torso when desi gni ng a garment i s mi ssi ng out
on an opportuni ty to expl ore and accentuate
other parts of the body. Here are other i mportant
areas to consi der:
Going Below
For some desi gners, the l ower hal f of the gar
ment or ensembl e i s an afterthought, somethi ng
that compl etes the l ook but remai ns secondary
and subordi nate to the top. The hem of a dress,
an embel l i shment on a ski rt, and the shape of a
pant al l have j ust as much power to set the tone
for the rest of the outfi t.
From Behi nd
Maki ng an entrance i s one t hi ng, but how some
one l ooks as she t urns and wal ks away has the
potenti al to have as much i mpact, i f not more
so. Pl ungi ng backs, ski rt tai l s, bows, fl owers, and
other f l ouri shes are j ust a few of the ways to
bri ng up the rear.
Side to Side
The sati n tr i m down the si de seam of a t uxedo
pant i s not the extent of detai l that can be pl aced
i n thi s a rea. The very seam i tsel f provi des myri ad
choi ces. Si de seams can spl i t to reveal , pl eat
to control ful l ness, i ncorporate a cl osure, or be
decorated.
Inside Look
Cl ose and careful attenti on to the workmanshi p
and speci al detai l s i nsi de a garment are t he mar k
of a f i ne product .
110 5'OI LE5II L55EHII5
Right: Ki ra McCl el l an si de
detai l
Below: Val enti no back detai l
Far Right: Aey Hotarwaisaya
design with focus on skirt
hem detai l
TECHNI QUE
53 Camoufl age and Compl ement
When i t comes to camoufl agi ng or compl ement
i ng the shape of a body, desi gners need to t hi nk
about how t o conceal or accentuate di fferences
i n body shape. A desi gner who t reats these de
vi ati ons from the average l i ke vari ati ons and not
fl aws i s al ready a step ahead i n the psychol ogy of
fashi on. Consi der that average i s j ust a reference
poi nt. I t usual l y i ndi cates bal anced proporti ons i n
a scal e that rel ates t o hei ght, wi dth, and wei ght.
These basi c body types benefi t from speci al
desi gn detai l s:
The Appl e
Broad shoul ders and nar row hi ps can benefi t
from somethi ng that breaks up the wi dth of the
shoul der, such as a hal ter neckl i ne.
The Pear
Emphasi zi ng the torso, especi al l y the shoul ders,
and downpl ayi ng the hi ps wi l l bal ance a frame
wi t h narrow shoul ders and a f ul l er hi p.
The Ruler
The combi nati on of nar row shoul ders and hi ps
creates a l ong, t hi n frame. That l ength can be
broken up wi th hori zontal l i nes as wel l as cups or
other detai l that enhances t he bust l i ne.
The Hourglass and the Ful ler Figure
Broad shoul ders, ful l bust, and fu l l hi ps benefi t
from asymmetri cal styl e l i nes. I f the mi dsecti on
i s ful l er, detai l s such as ruchi ng can create the
i l l usi on of a more tapered wai st l i ne.
Addi ng other factors i nto the equati on, such
as l ong wai st, shor t wai st, cup si ze, hei ght, and
wei ght, gi ves ri se t o nuances that may requi re
adj ustments and/or adaptati ons. Cut l ength,
styl e l i nes, asymmetry, detai l pl acement, pad
di ng, and corset i ng are some of the desi gn
choi ces that assi st i n the modi fi cati on of a body
type through cl othi ng. Transfor mi ng the appear
ance of a fi gure i s about redi recti ng attenti on,
and not a bout cor recti on.
Clockise:
Bathi ng suit drawi ngs: appl e;
pear; rul er; hourgl ass
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TECHNI Q UE
54 Cl othes That Carry
Whether it i s the smal l est of fi ve pockets on a
pai r of jeans meant for spare change, or a l arge
pouch on the front of a hooded sweat shi rt, a ny
type of pocket can be equal parts functi on and
desi gn. Even an i n-seam pocket, whi ch i s meant
to di sappear, hel ps to keep the l i nes of the desi gn
smooth whi l e si mul taneousl y provi di ng the
capacity to carry.
Worl d War I I is recogni zed as a peri od i n whi ch
many technol ogi cal advances were made i n
response to the demands of the day. Desi gns
devel oped duri ng that era al so refl ected needs
uni que to the t i me peri od, as i s evi dent i n the
creati on of the kangaroo cl oak. Thi s garment
was desi gned wi th huge pockets that al l owed
the wearer to qui ckl y stuff them wi th househol d
i tems when ai r rai d si rens went off.
Pockets can do doubl e duty dependi ng on how
they' re made and what they' re made of. Some
pockets can be t urned i nsi de out to envel op
a garment, l i ke a wi ndbreaker or rai n poncho.
When made out of fl eece, they can serve as hand
war mers i n outerwear.
Desi gni ng practi cal pockets for carpenter pants
wi l l be di ctated by the speci fi c tool s that need
to be car ri ed. Any type of pocket can have a fl ap
that i s fastened by buttons or Vel cro. Zi pper
pockets offer another type of cl osure. Pockets
can be i nserted i nto a sl i t i n the fabri c and em
bel l i shed/strengthened wi t h a wel t.
Accessori es that act as uti l i ty bel ts, such as the
fanny pack, pocket bel ts, bum bags, or hi p sack,
are popul ar for thei r versat i l i ty. Cl othi ng devel
oped for t he mi l i t ary or speci al acti vi ti es, such
as safari j ackets, fi shi ng vests, and photography
vests, provi des templ ates for pocket- dri ven
desi gn. The cargo pant i s standard i ssue i n the
armed forces, as wel l as i n many fashi onabl e
wardrobes.
114 |5HIOI LE5'H L55EIII5
Patch pocket wi th button fl ap
I nset zi pper pocket I nset welt pocket
115
TECHNI Q UE
55 Design unto Others
Desi gn unto others as you woul d have them de
si gn unto you. Thi s gol den r ul e shoul d al ways be
referenced duri ng the desi gn process, especi al l y
i n the worl d of fashi on. What are the customer's
concerns when i t comes to cl ot hi ng? A desi gner
must devel op a certai n l evel of empathy for cl i
ent s who pl ace di fferent demands on the apparel
they purchase.
Put yoursel f i n the pl ace of someone who i s es
peci al l y t al l , peti te, thi n, or ful l -fi gured, or whose
body proporti ons have unexpectedl y changed
dramati cal l y. I n addi ti on to the psychol ogi cal
concerns, there are undeni abl e physi cal aspects
to contend wi th.
Fashi on desi gn for the el der l y i s an i mportant
consi derati on as wel l . As we get ol der, our sen
si ti vi ty to changes i n temperature and textu re
i ncreases. Li mi ted mobi l ity i s al so consi dered
a factor.
Di sabi l i ti es that requi re the use of a cane, wal ker,
or wheel chai r provi de the desi gner wi th percep
t i bl e i ssues that must be addressed. Arthri ti s i s
a di sabi l i ty that i s l ess obvi ous. Button cl osures
that mi ght seem si mpl e enough at fi rst gl ance
coul d pose a chal l enge for someone l i vi ng wi th
arthri ti s. Possi bl e sol uti ons can be found i n the
most unpredi ctabl e pl aces. The l ong zi pper pul l
for the back zi pper on a wetsui t might be one
way to deal wi th a back zi pper on a dress for
someone wi th l i mi ted range of moti on.
Fashi on desi gners can take a cue from other
i ndustri es that have i ncorporated these pri n
ci pl es i nto thei r work as benchmarks of good
desi gn. For exampl e, the mi ssi on of the I nsti tute
for Human Centered Desi gn i s to expand and
enhance experi ences for peopl e of al l ages and
abi l i ti es t hrough desi gn t o i mprove qual i ty of l i fe.
Desi gners who can put themsel ves i n the shoes
of any of these cl i ents wi l l devel op sensi bi l i ti es
that i nf l uence and enhance thei r work.
116 |5HIOH LE5'H L55EHI'l5
Wetsui t zi pper detai l
When honori ng fashi onabl e
and el der cl i entel e, a designer
may fi nd i nspi rati on in the
form of the i coni c Ameri can
model Carmen Del l 'Orefice,
who began her career at the
age of fi fteen in 1946 and
conti nues to be a sought
after model on the runways
and in pri nt. With the muse
of maturity, desi gners can
counteract the agei sm of
the fashi on i ndustry and
trul y serve thei r customer,
Grandmothers are no l onger
relegated to thei r rocki ng
chai rs-i nstead they can
be fou nd at the gym on the
treadmi l l besi de you-not to
menti on the front row,
TECHNI Q UE
56 Reshape and Reconfigure
Once of the easi est ways to reshape a garment i s
to bel t i t. Whether i t serves to grab and control
vol ume or create a vi sual break, the effect i s
powerf ul . Consumers are l ooki ng for versat i l i ty i n
thei r wardrobes and desi gners can bui l d t hat ver
sati l i ty i nto thei r work by consi deri ng how tyi ng
off a garment at di fferent pl aces wi l l t ransform i t.
Contrasti ng bel ts create the most obvi ous break.
A sel f-bel t i s a softer way to ci nch a shape.
Drawstri ngs do t he same j ob but can be di s
creet l y hi dden wi thi n channel s posi ti oned al most
anywhere on a garment-under the bust, wi t hi n
si de seams, at the wai st, al ong t he sl eeve, or on
pant l egs and ski rt hems.
Si l houettes can al so be transformed when parts
of the garment can be attached or removed wi th
button, zi p, snap, hook, or Vel cro. Sl eeves button
off and t ransfor m a j acket i nto a vest. Pant l egs
zi p off to become shorts. A snap-on pepl um wi l l
take a day j acket i nto eveni ng. A ski rt or t rai n can
be bustl ed up wi t h hi dden hooks. Shoul der pads
Vel cro i n to create an exaggerated shape. Even
bul k can be adj usted wi th removabl e l i ni ngs.
118 5HIOH LE5IH L55EHIIl5
Viktor & Rol f bel ted
trench coat
TECHNI Q UE
57 Resurface
The i magi nati ve appl i cati on of decorati ve cou
ture detai l s al l ows for even t he most modest
of fabri cs to become extraordi nary. The use of
thread, beads, sequi ns, fl owers, appl i que, feath
ers, and ri bbon i s l argel y a decorati ve process
that i nvol ves raw materi al s that are not neces
sar i l y generated by the ori gi nal cl oth. Usi ng onl y
t he fabri c i tsel f, i t i s al so possi bl e t o transform
both the surface and the si l houette wi th ruchi ng,
bust l es, qui l t i ng, ruffl es, a nd pi ckups. The abi l
ity t o al ter, emphasi ze, and accent a concept i s
restri cted onl y by one's i magi nati on.
Beadi ng
Sequi ns
Qui l ti ng
Embroi dery Fabri c roses
Feathers Corded appl i que
Gol d sequi n dress by
Dani ela Corte
TECHNI Q UE
58 A Cut Above
Sci ssors are an essenti al part of a desi gner's tool
ki t, for obvi ous reasons. When i t comes to most
garments, a desi gner wi l l use shears to tri m away
excess fabri c and shape the overal l si l houette,
whi ch i ncl udes carvi ng out neckl i nes and arm
hol es. The l aser takes the art of the cut to a new
l evel of preci si on and effi ci ency.
Al though cutti ng hol es and t ri mmi ng edges i nto
scal l ops i s techni cal l y a process of el i mi nati on,
i t i s a l so a form of decorat i on. Shaped keyhol e
openi ngs have l ong been i ncorporated i nto the
desi gn of a cl osure, but these openi ngs can be
scal ed and even mu l t i pl i ed for dramati c effect.
The cutaway aestheti c i s al so the basi s of cut
work needl e l ace and embroi deri es. The edges of
any area that i s extracted may be l eft unt reated,
bound wi th thread, or fi ni shed wi th a faci ng.
Caref ul l y consi dered cutti ng proves that there
are t i mes when what i s removed i s as i mportant
as what i s added.
A model weari ng a ready-to
wear outfit featuri ng cut-outs
by desi gner Yohji Yamamoto,
2010
A model weari ng a cut-out

ensembl e from Jean-Charl es
de Castel bajac's ready-to
wea r col l ecti on, 2006
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TECHNI Q UE
59 Fringe and Fray
The outer edges of a si l houette need not be the
defi ni t i ve fi ni sh l i ne of a garment. Del i beratel y
addi ng some type of tri m to the edge of a gar
ment wi l l have a more organi c and l ess ri gi d
qual i ty. Fri nge softens a shape by el i mi nati ng
the hard l i ne by way of movement, and i n some
i nstances, i rregul ar l engths. Pompoms, tassel s,
beads, and feathers have al l been used to create
i nteresti ng and pl ayful edges. Even si mpl e eye
l ash fri nge on a fl apper- i nspi red dress wi l l dance
on the surface of the design wi th j ust the sl i ght
est of movements. Such an ani mated garment i s
compel l i ng and entertai ni ng.
A word of cauti on i s i n order for desi gners
who see frayed edges as an easy out from the
tradi ti onal and often chal l engi ng work of f i ni sh
i ng a garment. I ncorporati ng a raw edge i nto a
garment has i ts own set of chal l enges i f it i s to
be done wel l . I f the grai n l i ne at that edge i s not
properl y al i gned, i t wi l l end up frayi ng uneven l y.
I f the fabr i c i s prone to frayi ng, i t' s i mperati ve to
appl y a stay sti tch to control how far i t wi l l un
ravel . Nat ural frayed edges wi l l soften and rel ax
even t he most i coni c of tai l ored garments, such
as a Chanel sui t.
124 5IOH LE5IH L55EHIIl5
Dress by Ai da Lourenco with
frayed hem as the center
of i nterest
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A model i n fringed whi te sui t
by Chanel , 2005
125
TECHNI Q UE
60 Add, Subtract, and Preserve
A scul ptor i s afforded three basi c processes that
wi l l i nform the styl e of the f i nal work. She may
add, subtract. or preserve. A desi gner approach
es the use of materi al s i n much the same way.
Each has an i mpact on the spat i al rel ati onshi p of
a garment to the wearer as wel l as the envi ron
ment that surrounds i t.
Lady Gaga i s known for her hi gh-concept
fashi on sense, taki ng i nspi rati on from avant
garde desi gners such as Marti n Margi el a and
Al exander McQueen. Part of her haute cout ure
trousseau i ncl udes vari ati ons of a dress i nspi red
by Thi erry Mugl er. The desi gn of the dress
features mul ti faceted t hree- di mensi onal shapes
that project from her body l i ke an expl osi on of
crystal stal agmi tes. Costumes l i ke these use the
addi ti ve process, assembl i ng the fi nal shape by
bui l di ng onto a core garment.
The t ul l e gowns i n a Vi ktor o Rol f 2010 col l ec
ti on achi eved a l evel of sur real i sm that woul d
have i mpressed Sal vador Dal i . The meti cul ousl y
carved si l houettes were an exerci se i n the cre
ati on of negati ve space. These careful l y executed
voi ds defy comprehensi on and l eave most ask
i ng, " How di d they do that?" The Dutch desi gn
team assured envi ronmental watchdogs that the
mi ssi ng fabr i c was properl y recycl ed.
I n the a rt of ori gami , nothi ng i s removed or
added. Onl y t hrough fol di ng does the form take
and ret ai n i ts shape. The Marc J acobs col l ecti on
for Di or i n 2007 experi mented wi th the l i fe-si ze
appl i cati on of fol ds and pl eati ng used i n ori gami .
The gowns were obvi ousl y not constructed
from one al tered pi ece of square fabri c, but the
drapi ng and surface treatments do pay homage
to the gracef ul forms that resul t from thoughtful
fol di ng.
Lady Gaga i n a three
di mensi onal bl ack and gol d
dress, 2008
A model i n an ori gami
i nspi red gown from the
Christian Di or Haute
Couture Col l ecti on,
Spring/Summer 2007
s

=
A model weari ng a scul ptural

cut-out gown by Viktor &
Rolf, 2010
TECHNI Q UE
61 Change Agents
Cl ever couture that i s mul ti funct i onal by desi gn
i s not onl y a great i nvest ment, but al so a creati ve
exerci se for both the desi gner and the user. One
exampl e i s a gown desi gned by Nor ma Kamal i ,
excl usi vel y f or e Bay. I t can be worn i n several
di fferent ways: boatneck, one-shoul der, strap
l ess, hal ter, and cross- hal ter eveni ng gown, a l l i n
one. Bel ted and bl oused, t he gown transfor ms
i nto a dress for everyday. Some desi gners, such
as Karol i na Zmarl ak, are maki ng the concept of
convert i bl e cl othi ng a part of thei r brand DNA.
Athl eti c garments and cl othi ng meant for out
door acti vi ti es often benefi t from bei ng versati l e
as wel l . Bei ng abl e to pul l a drawstr i ng, button on
a hood, or zi p off a pant l eg al l ows the user to re
spond to a si tuati on i n short order. The novel ty of
these very practi cal appl i cati ons makes them an
attracti ve desi gn detai l t o i ncorporate i nto other
categori es of fashi on. More often these adop
ti ons a re more a bout aestheti cs than functi on.
Advances i n the sci ence of dyes i ncl ude UV
reacti ve photochromi c pai nts, whi ch change
col or i n the sun and gl ow under a bl ack l i ght.
When these pai nts are used i n t hread, fabri cs,
and beads, cl othes can take on a l i fe of thei r own
dependi ng on thei r envi ronment. I n the hands
of i nnovator Hussei n Chal ayan, the technol -
ogy of change i s more compl ex. The desi gner's
col l ecti on of transfor mer dresses pushed the
boundari es of fabri cati on wi th the hel p of the
London- based engi neer i ng fi rm 20: 30. Com
puter systems bui l t i nto the garment mechani
cal l y morphed i t i nto a di fferent shape and styl e
wi thout any external assi stance. I nter-i ndust ry
part nershi ps l i ke thi s one make it possi bl e for a
desi gner's creati vity to reach new hei ghts.
128 5'OI LE5IH 55EHII5
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converti bl e desi gn versions
Below: A model wearing a
garment that transformed
i nto a different si l houette
usi ng technol ogy by desi gner
Hussei n Chalayan, 2007
129
TECHNI QUE
62 Drawing the Eye
The desi gner i s i n the dri ver' s seat when it comes
to mappi ng a path for the eye to t ravel . A sense
of movement can be achi eved wi th repeat-
i ng patterns as wel l as the vari ati ons i n those
patterns that create rhyt hm. Acti on or i mpl i ed
acti on i n the form of anyt hi ng that poi nts i n a
speci fi c di recti on may use a graduati on of si zes,
col or, or i ntensi ty. The fashi on desi gner can con
trol where to pl ace el ements that bl ock or push
i n and around the body. Emphasi s wi l l domi nate
the composi ti on and ar rest attenti on. Equal bi l l
i ng cancel s everythi ng out; wi th no focal poi nt,
the overal l desi gn i s unremarkabl e. Careful ob
servati on and meti cul ous appl i cati on of potenti al
focal poi nts a l l ow desi gners to control t he pul se
of t hei r desi gn. Where does the eye l i nger? What
makes i t dart away?
Eddi Phi l l i ps' si l ver cocktai l
dress uses col or and
embel l i shment to create a
powerful focal poi nt.
131
TECHNI Q UE
63 A-Symmetry
Symmet ry and bal ance a re not necessar i l y the
same t hi ngs. Symmet ry i s defi ned by si des that
mi rror each other. I n thi s case, the bal ance wou l d
be consi dered formal . Symmet ry can al so be
achi eved t hrough radi al bal ance where al l el e
ments radi ate from a central focal poi nt.
An i nfor mal bal ance can be found i n desi gn that
i s asymmetri cal , l i ke a one-shoul dered gown.
When one si de does not refl ect t he other, there
i s an absence of symmet ry and a desi gner must
rel y on i nst i nct and experi ence to fi nd the ri ght
harmony. Wi th each si de worki ng i ndependentl y,
it i s i mportant to bui l d rel ati onshi ps between the
di ssi mi l ar-vi brant col or and neutr al col or; dark,
l i ght, and mi d-tones; fl at and t hree-di mensi onal ;
smal l and l arge; a vari ety of shapes; posi ti on and
rel ati ve pl acement; or sol i d and patter n.
Whether through symmetry or asymmetry, the
desi gner can draw del i berate attenti on to an area
by di rect i ng the observer wi th arrow-shaped/
tri angul ar obj ects. Zi gzags are another way to
take command of the vi ewer. As a r ul e, the bi as
can be a powerful tool because of the energy and
di sr upti ve nature of the di agonal l i ne.
A test of bal ance i n symmetri cal or asymmetri cal
garments i s to gauge how focused the observer's
attenti on i s. I f the vi ewer's eye travel s a round the
pi ece, taki ng i n the whol e, there i s an i ndi cati on
of bal ance. Even a seemi ngl y chaoti c di spersal of
detai l s can achi eve bal ance i f there i s an overal l
sense of uni ty. Many bal anced cout ure composi
ti ons, but not al l , tend to be vi sual l y wei ghted or
stabi l i zed at the bottom of the pi ece.
132 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EHIIl5
Right: Pavl i na Gi l son layers
an asymmetri cal desi gn over
a symmetri cal day dress.
Below: Mai son Marti n
Margi el a vest featuri ng
l eather straps, woven i nto an
asymmetrical pattern
Sami ra Vargas ensembl e
TECHNI Q UE
64 Intarsia: Puzzl es and Missing Links
Sol vi ng a mystery can be an i rresi sti bl e chal
l enge-so much so that we wi l l create them
oursel ves to sti mul ate our mi nds. Desi gners can
use the pr i nci pl es of puzzl e maki ng to test thei r
probl em-sol vi ng ski l l s. ' a desi gner can success
ful l y express hi s i deas i n a more compl ex fashi on,
those i ntri caci es have the potenti al to capti vate
the i magi nati ons of others. Patternmaki ng i s, i n
essence, one bi g mathemati cal puzzl e.
The nonogram i s a puzzl e aki n to mosai cs, whi ch
i s the art of creat i ng patterns and pi ctures by as
sembl i ng smal l pi eces of col ored mater i al . Once
the desi gner desi gnates the part i cul ar pl acement
of col or, i t becomes pai nt by numbers unt i l the
f i nal pi cture i s reveal ed. The process usual l y
i nvol ves squares or other speci fi c geomet ri c
shapes, but archi tect Antoni Gaud! used the
angl es and curves he observed i n nature to cre
ate hi s very uni que and organi c mosai cs. Pi eced
work or patchwork i s an exampl e of how t hi s
techni que can be appl i ed t o fabri c.
Computer di spl ays empl oy the same pr i nci pl es
of mosai cs, because thi s medi um i s based on
gri ds and ut i l i zes smal l rectangl es of col or cal l ed
pi xel s to bui l d digi tal i mages. Photomosai cs i s
an i nterest i ng al ternati ve to thi s process, whi ch
uses photographs i nstead of sol i d bl ocks of col or.
To create mu l ti col or patter ns i n kni ts, each new
col or i s i ntroduced by l i teral l y tyi ng i n a di fferent
yarn, but each sti tch corresponds to the pi xel
pr i nci pl e. Thi s techni que i s cal l ed i ntarsi a. Cl oth
i s woven by i nterl aci ng warp and weft t hreads.
The combi nati on of speci fi c weavi ng patterns
and caref ul l y chosen col ors can be used i n much
the same way.
A desi gner can connect the dots for her audi
ence or i ntenti onal l y tease. Provi di ng you wi th
al l but one cl ue, the questi on becomes "What i s
X`Obvi ous omi ssi ons are abl e to bui l d curi os
i ty around couture. Coded messages, and hi dden
meani ngs, entertai n a desi gner's audi ence by
al l owi ng them to sol ve the ci pher.
134 |5HIOI LE5'H 55EIII5
Peter Hi dalgo dresses
TECHNI Q UE
65 The Reveal
Di rector Al fred Hi tchcock i ntegrated a personal
cameo appearance i nto hi s fi l ms. Car i caturi st
AI Hi rschfel d i ncorporated Nina, hi s daughter's
name, i nto most of hi s drawi ngs. Both became
al most as famous for these vei l ed gi fts as for
the fi ne work they produced. Software, musi c,
books, art, and tel evi si on shows are j ust a few of
the medi a where " Easter eggs" can be hi dden.
Thi s l ong-standi ng t radi ti on of weavi ng i n speci al
hi dden surpri ses can al so be found i n fashi on,
wi th di scovery becomi ng as much a part of the
experi ence as the actua l cl ot hi ng.
There are some tradi ti onal target areas for the
pl acement of a hi dden treat. Cl assi c shi rts mi ght
hi de them on the u ndersi de of the col l ar, the col
l ar stand, or the i nsi de cuff. Some sort of decora
ti ve detai l mi ght al so be pl aced on the shi rttai l .
Addressi ng t he part of t he tradi ti on that requi res
"somethi ng bl ue," a bri dal gown can be desi gned
to i ncl ude t i ny bl ue bows sewn i nto the l i ni ng.
A si mpl e summer dress can make good use of a
contrasti ng fabri c to face the neckl i ne, ar mhol e,
or hem of the garment, hi nti ng at somet hi ng
more pl ayful . The ambi guousl y pl ayful message
" Lucky You" can be found on a l abel pl aced on
t he i nsi de zi pper of Lucky Brand jeans.
Pri vate moments a nd publ i c di spl ays of desi gn
can be caref ul l y crafted i nto any garment. Letti ng
your hand si nk i nto a pocket l i ned wi th t he soft
est fl eece is a personal present from the desi gner
to the wearer. A fl ashy l i ni ng i n an otherwi se
conservati ve sui t al l ows the user to choose
when, where, and to whom he wi shes to expose
hi s wi l der s i de to a real "Ta-da ! " moment.
136 |5HIOH LE5'H L55EHI'5
Right: Jeff Lahens for ECC
Life & Style; undercol l ar
detai l
Middle: Arnol d Scaasi dress
with matchi ng coat l i ni ng
Below: Sara Marhamo cuff
l i ni ng detai l
Jeff Lahens for ECC Life &
Style; sui t l i ni ng detai l
ARTI STRY
66 Cul tivated Infl uence
Fashi on maveri cks are commonl y defi ned
by a si ngu l ar attri bute: They fol l owed t hei r
own i nst i ncts regardl ess of t he conventi ons
of thei r t i mes. Mar l ene Di etri ch and Katheri ne
Hepbur n have become reference poi nts for the
pant and menswear- i nspi red fashi ons for wom
en-Di etri ch i n a top hat and tai l s, and Hepburn
i n casual sui ti ng. I n l i ght of the hi story of pants
for women, these l adi es di spl ayed a certai n l evel
of fashi on bravery. Amel i a J enks Bl oomer, an
earl y advocate of women' s ri ghts i n the Uni ted
States, i s known i n part for adopt i ng the fashi on
of weari ng l oose t rousers gat hered at the ankl e.
Ahead of i ts t i me, the trend di d not l ast.
Worl d War I I made weari ng pants a practi cal
necessi ty for women who were worki ng i n fac
tori es, but i t was not unti l the 1 970s t hat sl acks
became a fashi onabl e i tem to i ncl ude as part of
a woman's wardrobe. Desi gners tapped i nto the
Women's Li berati on Movement, i nfusi ng thei r
col l ecti ons wi th t he al l -empower i ng pant, whi ch
had become yet another symbol of equal i ty
between the sexes.
There are few contemporary exampl es of si mi l ar
nonconfor mi sts. But t here are more theatri cal
fashi on renegades, such as Lady Gaga and Bjork,
who wi thout questi on i ntegrate fashi on as part
of thei r personal i ti es that al so t ransl ates to thei r
perfor mances. The questi on for desi gners who
l ean toward t he rebel l i ous i s, "Whi ch vi si onari es
of styl e i nfl uence the essence of who you are as
a designer?"
Right: Actress Marl ene
Di etri ch maki ng her
Hol lywood fi l m debut as the
tuxedo-cl ad Amy Jol ly i n the
fi l m Morocco, di rected by
Josef von Sternberg, 1 930
Far Right: Portrait of actress
Kathari ne Hepburn in sl acks
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ARTI STRY
67 Curated Experience
I t's a bi rd! I t' s a pl ane! I t' s a supermodel ! The
power of a fashi on concept can be traced
back to the most unexpected of sources. Who
woul d have ever thought that an enti re exhi bi
ti on expl or i ng the i nf l uences of super heroes on
fashi on woul d be t he basi s for an exhi bi ti on at
the Metropol i tan Museum of Art i n New York?
The " Super heroes: Fashi on and Fantasy" exhi bi t
fi l tered fashi on t hrough t he col orful fi cti on of
comi c books a nd graphi c novel s. Beyond secret
i denti ti es, the exhi bi ti on establ i shed speci fi c
strategi es for creati ng super hero personas that
had a di rect correl ati on to fashi on.
The fashi on tacti cs empl oyed i ncl uded usi ng
graph i cs to brand a super hero; wrappi ng a hero
i n the fl ag to capi tal i ze on patri oti sm; supersi zi ng
muscl e to overemphasi ze the mascul i ne or femi
ni ne strength; t he contradi cti on of good and bad
exi st i ng si mul taneousl y wi thi n the same char
acter; addi ng a protecti ve l ayer of armor; how
aerodynami c desi gn feeds t he need for speed;
breaki ng wi th conventi onal standards of beauty;
heroes that morphed i nto human- ani mal hybri ds;
and the i nt roducti on of the ant i hero, wi th a dark
er, gri tti er si de that defi ed easy cl assi fi cati on.
Thi s weal th of resources was generated from
j ust one gen re. Approachi ng fashi on desi gn l i ke
a museum curator has the advantage of bei ng
exposed to connecti ons that may not have been
obvi ous, and bui l di ng a concept around t hat.
I n "Superheroes: Fashi on
and Fantasy," the Costume
I nstitute at the Metropol i tan
Museum of Art i n New
York expl ores fashi onabl e
superheroes. Outfits by
desi gner Bernhard Wi l l hel m
and House of Moschi no.
141
ARTI STRY
68 Cul ture Fil ter
Anyone who hears t he word poncho has an
i mmedi ate i mage i n her mi nd of what i t i s. The
poncho was used very strategi cal l y i n Ugly Betty,
a tel evi si on si tcom that revol ved a round the fash
i on worl d and a Mexi can Amer i can fami l y. Hi s
tori cal l y, the poncho has never real l y been abl e
t o gai n a foothol d as a defi ni ti vel y fashi onabl e
garment. but i t does have a di rect connecti on to
Mexi can fol k cul ture. One of t he fi rst t i mes t he
character of Betty Suarez i s on-screen wi thi n t he
context of the fashi on worl d, she i s weari ng a
deci dedl y Mexi can poncho. I f we weren' t certai n
of i ts ori gi n, t he word Guadalajara embl azoned
across the front of i t i nforms us i mmedi atel y.
There i s al so an i nterpl ay wi th a very gl amorous
character who i s weari ng a desi gner's i nterpre
tati on of a poncho that bri ngs the poi nt home
that Betty i s not styl i sh. Used as a storytel l i ng
tool i n entertai nment, a stereotype straddl es t he
border between humor and good taste, and that
i s exactl y the same l i ne t hat desi gners must be
consci ous of navi gati ng when embraci ng cul t ural
symbol s as part of thei r concept.
Some desi gners shy away from i ncorporati ng
el ements from t hei r own cul tural background
because they fear bei ng stereotyped. Others
avoi d any di rect cu l tural references because they
cannot see beyond the fol k costume. A desi gner
must stretch, reachi ng beyond the expected, but
not bypass the ethni c and cul tural symbol i sm
associ ated wi th the garment. Fashi on can use the
i dea of a stereotype as a starti ng poi nt, and l et
the i dea evolve i nto a compl etel y new expressi on
of t he source.
I nui t poncho from I ris Apfel
private col l ecti on
Ameri ca Ferrera stars
as Betty Suarez in ABC
Tel evisi on's Ugly Betty.
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ARTI STRY
69 More Is More
I f a desi gner i s abl e to synthesi ze a wi de vari ety
of el ements i nto one garment, i t has the poten
t i al t o be a must-have, goes-wi th-everythi ng
garment. Thi s type of core wardrobe i tem can
be used as a fountai nhead that branches out
i nto a broad col l ecti on. But the desi gner must
approach the desi gn of each i tem wi th a greater
understandi ng of how i t works wi thi n the whol e.
Thi s addi ti ve process shoul d al ways enhance and
never overwhel m, because the overal l si l houette
can easi l y be compromi sed by bul k.
Several strategi es can be empl oyed when assem
bl i ng ensembl es that i nvol ve many l ayers:
Base l ayers shoul d al ways be l i ghter t han those

on the next l evel .
Concentrate on short over l ong, restri cti ng the

appl i cati on to j ust one area-tanks over tees or
l eggi ngs over t ights, but not both.
Control t he vi si bl e proporti ons of each l ayer to

see t he shape i t creates, and al l ow t he eye to
fol l ow each l ayer.
Sel ect speci al i tems for t he mi x that are strong

enough to stand al one.
Draw attenti on t o fami l y resembl ances i n si mi

l ar i tems and create t he i l l usi on of fami l i ar i ty
wi th di ssi mi l ar ones.
Mi x day i nto eveni ng and bri ng a l i tt l e n ight

t i me gl amour i nto the dayl i ght.
Coordi nate l ooks that are comfortabl e and

not forced.
144 |5H'OH E5IgH 55EHII5
Sara Marhamo desi gn
145
ARTI STRY
70 Less Is More
Ockham's razor i s a pr i nci pl e t hat means "Al l
t hi ngs bei ng equal , the si mpl est sol uti on i s
usual l y the ri ght one." As i t rel ates to fashi on,
thi s r ul e of t humb sets the tone for desi gners
who don't wi sh to embel l i sh or compl i cate thei r
work. Knowi ng when to stop i s not al ways easy.
A wel l -edi ted col l ecti on need not be austere
and i s strengthened by t he power of mi ni mal
i sm. Designers must resi st t he temptat i on to
add el ements i n order to di sgui se mi stakes-a
pi tfal l not uncommon among new designers. Be
wi l l i ng to start over. A desi gner shoul d be abl e to
create somet hi ng si mpl e and restrai ned that i s as
compel l i ng as a more compl ex desi gn.
Every desi gner shoul d vi ew hi s work t hrough the
vi sual fi l ter of si mpl i ci ty to avoi d wei ghi ng i deas
down wi th unnecessary cl utter. Cl ear compre
hensi on of the desi gn chal l enge at hand al l ows
the desi gner to emphasi ze the vi tal essenti al s.
Anythi ng that di stracts shoul d be revi si ted and,
i n many i nstances, di scarded. But how many
l ayers of desi gn can be stri pped away wi thout
compromi si ng the garment' s functi onal i ty or
aestheti c val ue? When i n doubt, l eave i t out.
146 |5HIOI LE5'gH 55EIII5
Mi ni mal i st whi te dress
by Donna Karan
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ARTI STRY
71 Medi tati on on a Dress
Many spi r i tual and rel i gi ous i nfl uences i n fashi on
are rooted i n anci ent cul t ures and are often
brought to the mai nstream by bol d, vi si onary
trendsetters. For i nstance, Madonna i ni ti ated a
trend for weari ng cruci fi xes and rosary beads i n
t he 1 980s. Jean Pau l Gaul ti er showed a col l ecti on
i n 1 993 that was i nspi red by the t radi ti onal gar
ments worn by Hasi di c J ews. Rel i gi ous i conog
raphy al so pl ays a bi g part i n fashi on. Chri sti an
Lacroi x ended hi s 2009 haute couture show
wi th a heavi l y embroi dered gown that coul d be
descri bed as a tri bute to the Vi rgi n Mary.
I nternat i onal l y recogni zed fi gures such as the
Dal ai Lama expose the gl obe to a way of l i fe and
dress t hat peopl e mi ght not otherwi se be aware
of. One exampl e i s the saffron robes of Ti betan
Buddhi sts. Al ong the same l i nes, many websi tes
are devoted to Hijab-fr i endl y fashi on for Musl i m
women who wi sh to express t hei r fai th wi thout
i nhi bi ti ng thei r fashi on sense. Expl ori ng rel i gi on
through fashi on can be seen as a tr i bute to al l the
meani ngfu l tradi ti ons, ri ch hi story, and beauti ful
artwork associ ated wi th rel i gi on.
148 |5HIOH LE5'gH L55EHI'l5
Hi s Hol i ness the 14th Dal ai
Lama i n Tokyo, 2009
A model weari ng a haute
couture gown with di sti nctive
rel i gi ous references by
desi gner Christian Lacroix,
2009
ARTI STRY
72 Buil ding on Basics
Tri ed-and-true basi cs may feel l i ke fal l back i tems
i n fashi on, but garments i n thi s category exi st
because everyone understands and appreci ates
thei r val ue. Stapl e garments are not an easy out,
because t hey actual l y pose greater chal l enges for
the desi gner. Comi ng up wi th somethi ng com
pl etel y di fferent i s often easi er than putti ng your
stamp on a cl assi c.
The l i ttl e bl ack dress i s a garment that most
women own or have owned duri ng thei r l i fe
ti me-i t never goes out of styl e. It has been at
the center of everythi ng from museum exhi bi
t i ons t o mor ni ng-show makeovers. The f i rst
associ ati on most peopl e make regardi ng the
l i ttl e bl ack dress i s through t he fi l m Breakfast at
Tffany's i n whi ch Audrey Hepburn wears one
desi gned by Hubert de Gi venchy. I n fact, i t i s
Gabr i el l e Coco Chanel ' s work i n the 1 920s that
i s credi ted as the ori gi n of the modern-day l i ttl e
bl ack dress. Vogue cal l ed i t " Chanel 's Ford," refer
r i ng to t he Model T, whi ch was al so desi gned
to be si mpl e and accessi bl e. One of i ts most
redeemi ng qual i ti es i s the abi l i ty to accessori ze
i t to sui t any occasi on. For men, the tuxedo i s
a fashi on stapl e for for mal occasi ons, though
most men don' t actual l y own one. Defi ni ng t he
basi cs t hat a desi gner wi l l i ncl ude i n her body of
work requi res as much, i f not more, research and
devel opment i f the desi gner wants her vi si on to
be memorabl e.
150 |5HIOI LE5'H 55EIII5
Bri ti sh actor and comedi an
Cary Grant i n a tuxedo, 1953
A model weari ng a sequi ned
l i ttl e bl ack dress at a Marc
Jacobs fashi on show, 2010
ARTI STRY
73 Design of Dissent
Rebel s have al ways i nfl uenced fashi on. By
today' s standards, the fl apper l ook of t he 1 920s
i s charmi ng and chi c. Nostal gi a now cl ouds
how women who epi tomi zed that l ook were
percei ved, such as Loui se Brooks and Cl ara Bow,
who were t he bad gi rl s of t hei r day. Rebel l i ous
and reckl ess, these gi rl s bobbed thei r hai r and
wore fl i msy dresses that exposed t hei r knees and
bared thei r arms.
Jean Harl ow, Mae West, Joan Crawford, and
Bette Davi s person i fi ed t he sl oe-eyed vamp of
the 1 930s who broke wi th conventi onal moral s
and brandi shed overt sexual i ty i n sl i nky sati n
gowns. Actresses such as Lana Turner, Vi rgi ni a
Mayo, and Barbara Stanwyck brought t he femme
fatal e of t he 1 940s t o l i fe i n fi l m noi r.
The undercurrent of the very conservati ve 1 950s
was part teenager, part Beat Generati on, and
part "rebel wi thout a cause. " J eans and l eather
j ackets were t he maj or fashi on i nfl uence of i cons
such as J ames Dean and Mar l on Brando. Hi ppi e
fashi ons of the 1 960s were heavi l y i nfl uenced by
a bohemi an l i festyl e and the musi c of perfor mers
such as Joan Baez and Joni Mi tchel l . Punk i s one
of t he most aggressi ve anti fashi on movements.
I n the 1 970s, i nfamous perfor mers such as
J ohnny Rotten and Si d Vi ci ous of the Sex Pi stol s
were dressed by Vi vi enne Westwood, who i n
corporated BDSM gear, safety pi ns, razor bl ades,
and spi ked dog col l ars i nto her fashi ons.
I n di rect contrast to sl i ck power dressi ng i n
the 1 980s, street fashi on and del i beratel y torn
cl othi ng became the al ternati ve fashi on, heavi l y
i nf l uenced by pop stars Madonna and Ci ndy
Lauper. The 1 980s al so i ni ti ated the start of
Goth, whi ch has di vers i fi ed over t he years to
i ncl ude everythi ng from horror to h i gh fashi on.
Functi on tr umped form i n grunge fashi ons of the
1 990s, popul ari zed by t he Seattl e musi c scene,
and i n part i cul ar, Kurt Cobai n. Layers of baggy,
unkempt pl ai d fl annel shi rts, chari ty shop fi nds,
cardi gans, and combat boots compri sed the l ook.
Fashi on desi gners must be i n touch wi th t he
fri nges of fashi on. Who are the outsi ders of
today that mi ght be defi ni ng our era?
152 5'OI LE5IH 55EHII5
Goth-i nfl uenced styl e
Gr unge-i nfl uenced styl e
ARTI STRY
74 Attitude Adjustment
Cl othes do make t he man, or the woman, when
they are part of the storytel l i ng process on stage
or on-screen. Wardrobi ng successful l y for f i l m
or the theater requi res t hat each character i s
profi l ed accuratel y. For a costumer, understand
i ng the character's hi story, psychology, ci rcum
stances, and envi ronment i s as i mportant as a
fashi on desi gner' s grasp of a cl i ent' s l i festyl e.
Both rel y on excel l ent powers of observati on.
Fashi on tel l s a story as wel l . That tal e i s a hybri d
of the desi gner's vi si on and the wearer's i nterests
and eccentri ci ti es.
Many h igh-profi l e model s bui l d a career by
establ i shi ng a di sti nct l ook that desi gners want
to al i gn themsel ves wi th, but model s that a re
abl e to be chamel eons wi l l be val ued for thei r
abi l i ty to transform i nto t he i deal of any cl i ent .
U
ber-versat i l e supermodel s of the 1 980s, such
as Li nda Evangel i sta, were known as chamel eons.
They made good use of cosmeti cs, hai rstyl es,
and cl othes to t ransform t hei r appearance i n any
fashi on fantasy.
Fashi on desi gners often ci te fi l ms and actors as
sources of t hei r i nspi rati on. Why not weave a
story, based on a f i l m or mot i vated by characters,
i nto the fabri c of a col l ecti on? Who i s t he muse
du j our? What i s she doi ng? Where i s she goi ng?
How wi l l she express hersel f? Getti ng i nto her
head al l ows t he desi gner t o adj ust and adapt t he
detai l s of hi s work so that i t hi nts at t he source,
but to avoi d cl i ches, the desi gner must be abl e to
pul l t he i l l usi on i nto the context of real ity.
Above: Model Li nda
Evangel i sta i n Chanel haute
couture, 2003
Right: Costume desi gns from
the show United States of
Tara are a part of an exhi bi t
of nom i nees for a 2009
Emmy Award i n the category
of Outstandi ng Tel evi si on
Costume Design at the
Fashi on I nstitute of Desi gn
and Merchandi si ng (FI DM)
Museum & Gal l eri es. The
titl e character suffers from
dissociative i dentity di sorder
"
and each costume represents
one of her personal i ti es.
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ARTI STRY
75 Myths and Archetypes
Accordi ng to Ameri can mythol ogi st Joseph
Campbel l . expl ori ng myths i s about more t han
the quest f or meani ng. I t i s founded i n the desi re
to al i gn oursel ves wi th experi ences that resonate
most wi th our true sel ves.
Fashi on pl ays a maj or rol e i n the defi n i ti on of any
uni versal archetype. When romanti ci zi ng the
gi rl next door, what types of characteri sti cs are
attr i buted to her? How do vi rtue, whol esome
ness, and pur ity transl ate i nto the desi gn detai l s
and make her i mmedi atel y recogni zabl e? Her
i denti ty mi ght be summed up by modest si l hou
ettes t hat suppress her sexual ity, combi ned wi th
fresh, br i ght, happy col ors and sweet detai l s such
as buttons a nd bows. Snap j udgments may be
ti mesavers, but there i s a downsi de. You' re l eft
wi th gener i c, prefabr i cated l abel s wi th l i ttl e or
no depth. Who wants t o r un off carbon copi es of
someone el se's i deal ? The tri ck to usi ng type
casti ng i n fashi on desi gn i s to do i t creati vel y, to
mi x i t up. What ki nd of fashi on do you get when
you shuff l e the t rai ts of t he Earth mother and
femme fatal e? Or the damsel i n di st ress and the
tri ckster? I n fashi on, there are certai nl y many
shades of styl e.
Tough " Leather
Soft Ruffl ed Fl oral s
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ARTI STRY
76 Wit
Can f unny be fashi onabl e? I t i s safe to assume
that Jean- Charl es de Castel bajac has a sense
of humor. Maki ng cl othi ng comi cal i s at the
heart of much of hi s work. El sa Schi aparel l i and
Franco Moschi no certai nl y had an appreci ati on
for whi msy and the ri di cul ous. These i mpi sh
desi gners endeavored to amuse and di d not take
fashi on too seri ousl y. Where i s i t sai d that a fash
i on desi gner cannot produce beauti ful work t hat
i s al so wi tty?
Fashi on wi th a sense of humor can al so make
a statement. Li ke any good edi tor i al cartoon,
fashi on can become a vehi cl e for del i ver i ng
soci al or pol i ti cal messages. A coat made out of
teddy bears mi ght be taki ng a sati ri cal stab at t he
ethi cs of usi ng f ur i n fashi on. The consci enti ous
fashi on desi gner makes a personal choi ce about
whi ch a bsurdi ti es and abuses she mi ght wi sh to
poke f un at.
Humor doesn't al ways have to be charged wi th
meani ng. Someti mes the onl y moti vati on behi nd
i nj ecti ng couture wi th a l i ttl e comedy i s t he
promi se of a good l augh.
Above: A model wears a
Lego-i nspired desi gn by
French desi gner Jean-Charl es
de Castel bajac, 2008.
Right: Sebasti an Errazuri z' s
teddy bear jacket
159
ARTI STRY
77 Bl ackouts and Ful l Immersion
I n t hi s age of i nformati on overl oad, schedul i ng
bl ocks of t i me when every channel has been
turned off i s essenti al to a desi gner's process-a
sel f- i mposed bl ackout. Downti me provi des the
t i me and space needed to edi t and di scard the i r
rel evant, maki ng room for the next i nf l ux of data.
Thi s doesn't mean that a desi gner shoul d cl oi ster
hi msel f compl etel y. Peri ods of rest can i ncl ude
breaki ng wi t h t he routi ne and f i ndi ng al ternati ve
sti mul ati on i n u n rel ated and unfami l i ar subj ects.
Rechargi ng i s wel l served when the creati ve mi nd
i s chal l enged i n uncharted terri tory.
When a desi gner i s ready to step back i nto the
current, he can stand sti l l and l et i t crash agai nst
hi m or he can ri de the wave. The fi rst i s a "see
what sti cks" ki nd of approach-l ooki ng for
creati ve tri ggers i n t rends that are rel evant to hi s
work. A desi gner who i s l ooki ng t o ri de t he wave
must be ready to i mmerse hi msel f.
A fashi on desi gner al so needs to fi nd a pl ace
to test the waters, respect the envi ronment of
the i ndust ry, and stay i n hi s l eague unti l he i s
prepared to pl ay wi th t he bi g boys. A desi gner
who i s dedi cated wi l l keep paddl i ng unti l he feel s
the swel l , and knows i t' s ti me to pop up and ri de
the wave.
Ful l fashi on i mmersi on
V
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161
ARTI STRY
78 Representation and Abstraction
Extra ! Extra! Read al l about i t! The wri tten word
wraps i tsel f around fashi on, l i teral l y. The di rect
appl i cati on of text to text i l e al l ows fashi on to be
an i nstrument that conveys thoughts, phrases,
and powerf ul messages. Desi gners sel ect
content to expl i ci tl y represent what they wi sh
to express on thei r garments. Pages borrowed
from books or newspapers, fragments of sheet
musi c, magazi ne covers, or the handwri tten word
wi l l speak vol umes when i t adorns what wi l l be
worn. The reproducti on of a rt a nd photographs
as texti l es f or fashi on i s a medi um that gets bet
ter wi th technol ogi cal advances. New methods
al l ow desi gners to capture the mi nutest detai l s.
Wi thi n several col l ecti ons, desi gner Ral ph Rucci
has a rtful l y transferred both pai nti ngs of hi s
own and photographs to fabri c. Desi gni ng wi th
i mages i s at i ts best when the transl ati on i s not
obvi ous. Fi gures that exceed the boundari es of
the garment, becomi ng abstracted by t hei r sheer
scal e and posi ti on, set the scene for di scovery
a moment when the observer real i zes there i s
more t here t han meets t he eye.
Jessi ca Lee designs featuring
a newspaper pri nt fabri c
A model weari ng a gown
featuring a photo pri nt fabri c
by Chado Ral ph Rucci, 2010
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ARTI STRY
79 Symbol s
The most common use of symbol s i n fashi on to
day i s the graphi c T-shi rt. Beyond those that are
about bl atant marketi ng, there i s a t remendous
market for garments i n t hi s category, whi ch al l ow
the wearer to express hersel f. Ni ke' s "J ust do
i t." was at the forefront of bi g name brands that
created al ternat i ves to the conventi onal wi sdom
of t he day-sl ap your l ogo on every concei vabl e
surface. Tag l i nes, meani ngful messages, cl ever
quotes, provocati ve i mages, and endeari ng mas
cots can speak to the message behi nd the brand
better than j ust a l ogo ever coul d.
These caref ul l y crafted graphi cs are the con
temporary equ i val ent of a fami l y crest, a coat
of arms, or t he J apanese fami l y badges cal l ed
kaman. Al t hough they are al l now appreci ated
for thei r beauty, each part of the desi gn actu-
al l y means somet hi ng. A customer who adopts
a designer' s motto or symbol i sm i s maki ng a
far greater contri buti on to the growth of the
brand than si mpl y maki ng a sal e. He i s fl yi ng the
brand's fl ag every ti me he wears i t. A customer
often al i gns h i msel f wi th these pi ctograms or
i deograms because they are uni que; there i s
i nstant recogni ti on; t hey accuratel y represent the
brand; and they often become an al ternate mark
or si gnature t hat embodi es the message of t he
company as strongl y as i ts l ogo does.
Phrase T: "No autographs"
Business T: Zafti gs Del icatessen
Pol i ti cal T: Barack Obama's presidential campai gn
Desti nati on T: Beetl ebung of Martha' s Vineyard
Band T: Rol l i ng Stones
Concert T: Pearl Jam Tour
Museum T: Cooper-Hewi tt Nati onal Design
Museum 'Fashion i n Colors' exhi bi t
Chari ty T: Marc Jacobs' for ski n cancer awareness
Nostalgia T: Woodstock
School T: University of Kansas mascot
the Jayhawk
Memori al T: Dropki ck Murphys' tri bute
to Greg "Chi cken man" Ri l ey
Cause T: Yoko Ono for Fashion
Agai nst AI DS at H&M
165
ARTI STRY
80 Dynamics
When i t comes to dance, the space t hat contai ns
it can be consi dered a bl ank canvas, whi l e the
dancer who moves t hrough i t i s l i ke a brush. Each
movement i s si mi l ar to a brush stroke of energy
across i t. Keepi ng that i n mi nd, a desi gner can
vi rt ual l y pai nt movement i f he consi ders how
hi s garments wi l l become an extensi on of each
gest ure the wearer wi l l make.
The si l houette of a ski rt wi l l change dramati cal l y
once t he wearer begi ns to move. Wi l l that shape
restri ct movement? How fl exi bl e i s t he fabri c,
and does i t respond to the extensi on and con
tracti on of muscl e groups? Does a l ong hangi ng
sl eeve create the i l l usi on of l onger ar ms? When
the hi ps suddenl y twi st, do the yards of fabri c i n
a ci rcul ar ski rt whi p around the body? Has the
sheer vol ume of that ski rt become an extensi on
of t he choreography? Through modern dance,
choreographer Martha Graham uses the body
of the dancer to pul l the fabri c of a garment i nto
bol d, expressive shapes.
Col or i s a vi tal part of how dynami c a movement
i s percei ved to be. The same gest ure and t he
same garment mi ght suggest compl etel y di ffer
ent t hi ngs i n di fferent col ors. A vi brant red mi ght
push the percepti on of power. Rendered i n whi te
i t mi ght be descri bed i n softer, gentl er terms.
Texture pl ays a bi g part i n how sharp or soft the
movement of a garment can be. The tradi ti onal
tutu i s constructed to retai n i ts ri gi d form whi l e
t he l onger " romanti c tutu" i s meant t o be f l ui d.
The same dance i s expressed di fferentl y depend
i ng on whi ch form i s chosen.
Dance, l i ke fashi on, often refl ects a cert ai n
peri od, cul t ure, and t radi ti on. The desi gner who
understands t hi s and al so recogni zes that both
are nonverbal forms of communi cati on i s abl e
t o anti ci pate and i ncorporate movement i nto
hi s works. The desi gner must al so take steps to
understand how much stress a gar ment must
endure based on how peopl e wi l l move i n i t, to
be sure that the mater i al s and constructi on a re
up to t he j ob.
Above: Cl assi cal bal l et tutu
at the Boston Bal l et
Right: Romanti c bal l et tutu at
the Boston Bal l et
Martha Graham Dance
Company performance i n
Berl i n, 2008
167
ARTI STRY
81 Trompe L' Oei l
I n some ways, fashi on has al ways been smoke
and mi rrors. Every det ai l of fashi on can be
mani pul ated to fabri cate a bel i evabl e fa<ade.
Wi th a hi story of mi sdi recti on, i t' s not surpri si ng
that fashi on desi gners al so pl ay wi th percepti on
and real i ty to create opti cal tri cks for compl etel y
aestheti c reasons. Many of those i l l usi ons can be
appl i ed to the surface or woven i nto a texti l e.
Atmosphere
Aeri al or atmospheri c perspecti ve i s the pl ace
ment and si ze of objects, the val ue of col or, or
the use of hi ghl i ghts and shadows to produce the
i l l usi on of three di mensi ons on a fl at surface.
Convergence
Convergi ng l i nes create the i l l usi on of a shape
that i s di mi ni shi ng i nto the di stance.
Distortion
Someti mes cal l ed the "Cafe Wal l " i l l usi on, paral
l ei l i nes can be di storted by out l i ni ng offset rows
of bl ack and whi te squares in gray.
Face
Human bei ngs are hard-wi red for face recogni
ti on, so any confi gurati on that cl osel y resembl es
the pl acement of faci al features seems to be
stari ng back at us.
Illusory Contour
Objects that are confi gured i n such a way that
thei r borders create the i l l usi on of another shape
tri ck the brai n i nto i mposi ng the percepti on of an
object onto what i s act ual l y negati ve space.
Ouchi Illusion
A ci rcl e wi th a pattern on the cross-grai n, wi t hi n
a square t hat pl aces t he same pattern on t he
l engthwi se grai n, creates the i l l usi on that each
i s fl oat i ng i ndependentl y of the ot her. I t i s named
after the Japanese op art i st Haj i me Ouchi .
Penrose Triangle
The i mpossi bl e tri angl e, or the tri bar, is a shape
that coul d not exi st i n t he real worl d and was
i nspi red by the work of arti st Escher.
Pointillism
Use of poi nts of di fferent col ors that are set si de
by si de to generate the i l l usi on of another col or
was a techni que used by art i st Georges Seurat.
Stroop
The Stroop effect i s a cogni tive vi sual i l l usi on
t hat creates a confl i ct i n t he brai n when the
words used to i denti fy pi gments a re rendered i n
di fferent col ors.
Stroop effect bag
Convergence Distorti on Stroop effect
I l l usory contour Ouchi i l l usi on Face
Atmosphere Pointi l l i sm Penrose tri angl e
169
ARTI STRY
82 Space and Scul pture
Cl othi ng can be scul pted to conform to t he shape
of the body or bui l t to create abstract spaces
between the garment and the wearer. When the
desi gner scul pts to refl ect the natural shape of
the body i t speaks to t radi ti onal European tai l or
i ng, an art form i n i tsel f when done wel l . Thi s
di sci pl i ne rel i es on techni ques t hat subdue the
texti l e, i n order to make i t fi t.
Less common i s the expl orati on of how di fferent
shapes rel ate to the human for m. Thi s process i s
both conceptual and organi c. The characteri sti cs
of each shape, as wel l as the materi al s, i nform
the desi gner as to how i t mi ght be mani pul ated
i ndependent of the body.
I t can be done wi th every concei vabl e shape.
One exampl e woul d be the use of ci rcl es or
r i ngs. When t hey are appl i ed hori zontal l y to a
desi gn they can emul ate the rel ati onshi p that
the r i ngs of Saturn have to the pl anet i tsel f.
They compl etel y surround the obj ect at i ts cen
ter, but remai n i ndependent of the same for m.
I ssey Mi yake takes i t a step furt her, creati ng a
ki nd of ki neti c scul pt ure. I n one of hi s creati ons,
al ternati ng si zes of those ri ngs are connected to
mi mi c hori zontal accordi on pl eati ng. The nature
of struct ure i nt roduces movement i nto the gar
ment that seems to al most fl oat, at ti mes even
bounce, as it ski ms a body i n moti on. Ci rcl es can
al so be used to create a uni que t hree-di men
si onal surface treatment. as i n Val enti no's pi nk
bubbl e scul pt ure.
Model weari ng dress from
Issey Miyake's Ready-to
Wear Col l ection, 1 994
Model weari ng a pi nk
ensembl e by haute couture
desi gner Val enti no, 2007
ARTI STRY
83 Matters of Size: Addressing Curves
The termi nol ogy t hat i s used to descri be a wom
an wi th generous curves consti tutes a refl ecti on
of how t he observer percei ves those proporti ons.
By today's fashi on standards, someone wi th a ful l
fi gure, l i ke Mar i l yn Monroe, woul d be consi dered
fat, but woul d anyone real l y use t hat term to
descri be her? A desi gner mi ght even fi nd i nspi ra
t i on i n the descri ptors. Vol uptuous mi ght i mpl y
sensual i ty. Rubenesque coul d suggest a l evel of
romanti ci sm, whi l e zafti g captures a sense of
personal i ty as wel l as si ze.
Throughout hi story, soci ety has both condemned
and cel ebrated a body of generous proporti ons.
Theori es suggest that cul t ure, pol i ti cs, and
economi cs al l pl ay a part i n what i s accepted to
be beauti ful and i n fashi on. I n the West Afri can
country of Mauri tani a, a pl ump fi gure i s preferred.
Gavage, or fatteni ng, whi ch sti l l takes pl ace i n t hi s
regi on, i s j ust as dangerous as anorexi a. Hi story
shows that duri ng ti mes when women enjoyed
greater freedoms, such as the 1 920s and 1 960s,
femi ni ne attri butes such as the bust l i ne and the
hi ps were deemphasi zed. Economi c prosperi ty i s
al so thought to i nf l uence fashi on norms, wi th t hi n
bei ng i n du ri ng good ti mes and bi gger frames be
i ng more preval ent duri ng chal l engi ng ti mes.
Hi gh- profi l e, curvaceous cel ebri ti es conti nue
to make stri des i n bui l di ng an appreci ati on for
beauty i n al l si zes. Queen Lati fah (Dana Owens)
i s not onl y a hi gh- profi l e entertai ner i n the musi c
and fi l m i ndustri es, she i s al so a spokesperson for
Cover Gi r l . Emme, whose real name i s Mel i ssa
Aronson, made a name for hersel f as a pl us-
si ze model . Her success has a di rect correl a-
ti on to consumers' desi re to see a refl ecti on of
themsel ves on t he runway, i n pri nt, and over t he
ai rwaves.
There are uni que chal l enges when desi gni ng for
ful l er-fi gure women, because the struct ure of the
cl othi ng must fi t and fl ow properl y for comfort
and movement. Foundati on garments can be
bui l t i nto a garment to provi de support whi l e al so
streaml i ni ng t he shape of the wearer. Li ni ngs
al l ow t he fashi on fabr i c to ski m t he fi gure and
move freel y wi thout cl i ngi ng unattracti vel y to the
body. Desi gn detai l s can al so be scal ed to keep i n
proporti on to the overal l si l houette.
172 |5HIOH LE5IH L55EHIIl5
Model Emme unvei l s the
ful l -figured Emme Dol l at
FAO Schwarz i n New York
City, 2002.
Actress Queen Latifah arri ves
at the 81st Annual Academy
Awards, 2009.
ARTI STRY
84 Dressing for Bowie
I s the goal of the desi gner to draw t he observer
i n gentl y and qui etl y? Shoul d the sound of fash
i on be somewhere i n t he mi ddl e, nei t her here
nor there, j ust background noi se? Or does the
occasi on cal l for t ur ni ng up the vol ume i n order
to attract ki ndred spi ri ts?
Whi l e fashi on makers shoul d be at t he control s
when devel opi ng the cl othes, i t i s t he consum
ers who wi l l deci de how l oud they dare to be.
Desi gners are advi sed to keep i n mi nd t hat
psychol ogy i s al ways i n pl ay when pushi ng the
envel ope, so t hey shoul d be ready to address any
i ssues wi th the cl i ent. I n a story about her l ove
of fashi on and mus i c, styl i st and art i st Nancy
Hart passes on words of wi sdom t hat a fri end
once shared wi th her about bei ng true to your
voi ce and your fashi on sense. The essence of the
message came i n the form of a quest i on. "Who
are you dressi ng for-your bank tel l er or Davi d
Bowi e?" The answer for her was cl ear: " I am
dressi ng for Bowi e! "
Davi d Bowi e i s a great exampl e of the strength
of t he connecti on between fashi on and mus i c.
Through many fashi on i ncarnati ons, from Zi ggy
Stardust to present day, he has i nfl uenced styl e,
al ong t he way i nspi r i ng others to express them
sel ves. Everyone seems to have a pi cture i n her
head of who she bel i eves she i s and what she
wi shes to l ook l i ke. Fashi on provi des t he tool s to
act on creati ng that vi si on, whi l e musi ci ans and
other h i gh-profi l e fi gures who embrace thei r per
sonal styl e stand as exampl es of how rewardi ng
i t i s to do j ust that. A designer must ask hi msel f,
"Who and how am I l ooki ng to i nfl uence?" and
"Who does my customer i denti fy wi th?"
174 |5HIOH LE5'gH L55EIII5
David Bowi e i n Wembl ey,
London
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ARTI STRY
85 Objects of Art
Very few a rti sts who work wi th fabri c compare
wi th Chri sto and J eanne- Cl aude. The Gates
and other proj ects l i ke i t set the standard when
i t comes to art for a rt' s sake. I n addi ti on to the
rati onal e behi nd these acts of art the daunt i ng
scal e and the f i ni te peri od of t i me i n whi ch t hey
exi st make them both one of a ki nd and once i n
a l i feti me. What can t he fashi on designer take
from thi s?
Most desi gners woul d be hard- pressed to make
thi s a way of l i fe, but engagi ng i n t he art of fash
i on wi t h pure i ntenti ons can become t he cata l yst
for a host of val uabl e resu l ts, i ncl udi ng aestheti c
expl orati ons and start i ng di al ogues wi th ot her
desi gners.
What a re the cri teri a for j udgi ng somet hi ng
a work of art? Does it el i ci t an emoti onal re
sponse? Does i t chal l enge the observer to l ook at
the worl d i n a di fferent way? I s i t si mpl y beauti
f ul ? When i t comes to the a rt of fashi on, the onl y
confl i ct wi th t he t radi ti onal defi n i ti on of f i ne art
i s that a garment no matter how extraordi nary,
does serve a purpose beyond j ust bei ng art .
The Gates by Christo and
Jeanne-Cl aude (1979-2005)
177
NAVIGATION
86 A Designer's Inheritance
I t' s never too earl y to be t hi nki ng about the
fut ure, speci fi ca l l y the passi ng on of a creati ve
mantl e-a fashi on desi gner's l ast wi l l and testa
ment. The moti vati on behi nd such an exerci se
mi ght be based i n the desi re to quanti fy the val ue
of t he brand beyond dol l ars and cents. I t al so
hel ps to ensure that the vi si on wi l l cont i nue i n
the event of a t ransfer of power. Many compa
ni es reach a poi nt when i t becomes more l ucra
ti ve to the desi gner to make a sal e and move on,
rather t han remai ni ng i n charge.
Records, press cl i ppi ngs, and reference resources
shoul d be col l ected and stored by a l i brar i an.
Catal ogs serve t o document a desi gner' s h i story
of col l ecti ons and speci al proj ects. Archi ves ben
efi t from the curator' s perspecti ve regardi ng t he
preservati on and storage of hei rl oom garments
based on thei r cul t ura l and hi stori cal si gni fi
cance. A brand bi bl e wi l l ensure consi stency
and preserve the i ntegri ty of the brand. The onl y
other t hi ng t o consi der i s an hei r apparent who
woul d be abl e t o take the rei gns.
Desi gners who are not yet i n a posi ti on to be
t hi nki ng about thi s f or themsel ves can begi n
to study the l egaci es of other des i gners as a
source of gui dance.
From Coco to Karl : The
history behi nd the House
of Chanel i s one of the best
exampl es of a successful l ong
term l egacy of fashi on.
178 |5H|OH LE5'H L55EHI'l5
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NAVIGATION
87 Luxury Washi ng
The concept of l uxury provi des t hree rewards,
however fl eeti ng t hey may be:
A sense of power: cl ass-dri ven products or
encounters that bui l d boundar i es between us
and them
A sense of communi ty: i tems and events that
al l ow us to bel ong to a parti cul ar soci al group
A sense of pl easure: goods and experi ences
that sti mul ate, i ndul ge, and comfort
The word luxury i s i n danger of l osi ng al l meani ng
if you bel i eve that every company that cal l s i tsel f
a l uxury brand real l y i s one. At f i rst gl ance, i t
seems l i ke an abuse of the term, but the defi ni
t i on of l uxury i s al ways subject i ve, especi al l y as
i t pertai ns to fashi on. Si nce l uxury i s ul ti matel y
i n the eye of the behol der, many thi ngs i nf l uence
our characteri zati on of i t: standard of l i vi ng, sup
pl y and demand, or excepti ona l l y di sti ncti ve.
Competi ng i n a market saturated wi th cl ai ms of
l uxuri ousness, a desi gner has a great advantage
i f she has a real i sti c understandi ng of where i n
t he spect r um of l uxury her product or servi ce
stands. Thi s al so appl i es to her customers. Are
they aspi rati onal ? Or i s l uxury a basel i ne stan
dard for her cl i ent? Fur, for exampl e, i s both a
coveted and controversi al commodi ty. When and
how i s i t a necessi ty? I s i t a symbol of a sump
tuous l i festyl e or of an excessi ve one? A cl ear
defi ni ti on of what meri ts the l uxe l abel provi des
a ki nd of protect i on for a desi gner. Her cl ai ms
are l ess at ri sk of bei ng chal l enged i f they are
presented i n the appropri ate context.
Luxe warni ng: The l uxury trap comes i n t he form
of "the emperor' s new cl ot hes": bl i nd accep
tance. The nature of the fashi on busi ness i s to
i ntenti onal l y perpetuate a cycl e i n whi ch t hi ngs
come i n and out of favor, arbi trar i l y i ncreasi ng or
decreasi ng t he desi re for them. Wi l l t he con
sumer, a nd i n some cases the desi gner, defer to
the unspoken contract between t he i ndust ry, t he
medi a, and the publ i c t o agree on what l uxury i s
at any gi ven t i me? I f i t i s general l y accepted to
be the standard, who wi l l t he l eaders be, who wi l l
fol l ow, and who wi l l rebel ?
180 |5HIOH E5'H 55EIIIl5
Luxe costume jewel ry
Vi ktor & Rol f fur coat, 2006
NAVIGATION
88 Copi es Degrade
The Musee de l a Contrefacon i n Pari s i s repl ete
wi th di spl ays of counterfei t couture and every
other type of faux l uxury i tem worthy of coveti ng.
The exhi bi ts are curated to cl earl y compare t he
ori gi nal s wi t h t he forger i es, and t here i s no short
age to choose from i n the marketpl ace. At fi rst
gl ance, the novel ty of a knockoff and t he consi d
erabl y l ower pri ce tag may be enti ci ng, but these
crude facsi mi l es don't l i ve up to expectati ons.
There are a few t hi ngs that consumers shoul d
consi der when buyi ng a l uxury i tem:
Poi nt of sal e: I s the purchase through a repu

tabl e department store or on a street corner?
Packagi ng: I s i t consi stent wit h the promi se of

the brand?
Pri ce: Are you gett i ng what you pay for?

I mi tati ons are mi srepresenti ng the brand, and
therefore are i l l egal . Any product t hat assumes
the i denti ty of a brand i s al so deval ui ng the
ori gi nal work. Bi g compani es have recourse, but
the l i vel i hood of smal l er operati ons i s t hreat
ened when thei r i deas are mi sappropri ated.
Ci ti es a round the worl d are cracki ng down on
the purveyors of fal se fashi ons, confi scati ng and
destroyi ng them. Refl ecti ng on whi ch materi al s,
techni ques, and fi ni shi ng touches are i ncorpo
rated i nto a desi gn wi l l hel p to make the desi gn
harder to dupl i cate, resul ti ng i n a product that i s
not profi tabl e to dupl i cate.
182 5'OI LE5IgH 55EHII5
Genui ne and counterfeit
bags are di spl ayed at the
Musee de l a Contrefa<on in
Pari s. The museum serves
to hi ghl ight the i mpact that
fake i tems have both on
the producers of authenti c
products i n regard to
consumers and the wi der
economy, and on general
heal th and safety i ssues.
183
NAVIGATION
89 Pl atforms
To be prepared when opportunity knocks, a de
si gner shoul d al ways be bui l di ng a pl atform wi th
and around hi s work. Authenti c experi ences and
val uabl e exchanges are a bi g part of cul ti vati ng a
l oyal fan base. Hi gh-cal i ber connecti ons put the
desi gner i n a posi ti on to energi ze and acti vate
that audi ence when needed.
Before embarki ng on the devel opment of a com
pl i cated communi cati on network, choi ces need
to be made regardi ng whi ch outl ets best al i gn
wi th the goal s of the desi gner: a websi te, soci al
medi a, project partnershi ps, bl ogs, l i ve events,
tel evi si on appeara nces, rel evant products, wri t
i ng books, aut hored magazi ne arti cl es, speaki ng
engagements, work exper i ence, and teachi ng
opport uniti es. The desi gner shoul d al so estab
l i sh and pri ori ti ze hi s val ues, because shared
i deal s forge strong bonds between hi m a nd hi s
consti tuents. These systems al l ow t he fashi on
desi gner t o add val ue by encouragi ng i nteracti v
ity; i nvol vi ng hi s audi ence t hrough regul ar up
dates, mobi l i zi ng the masses wi th cal l s to acti on,
rewardi ng l oyal ty, and extendi ng the personal i ty
of t he brand.
t o h a
'
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'
h ow
. . . . . . . . .
. . .
. . . . . .
,
. , . . .
, , , , ,
_
7 l ' '
How to Have Style
by I saac Mi zrahi , 2008
184 |5HIOH LE5'gH L55EHI'l5
I saac Mi zrahi uses a segment
cal l ed "Sketches & Answers" to
sketch out answers to audi ence
questi ons about styl e.
.
: .
I saac Mi zrahi presents
The Adventures of Sandee
the Supermodel. 1997 S&S
Edi ti ons Comi c Book Series.
Artwork by Wi l l i am Frawley

w
WFUn'
. .
Unzipped DVD of
1995 documentary
by Dougl as Keeve
Business Week magazi ne
dubbed I saac Mi zrahi a "one
man brand, " whi ch describes
hi s excepti onal tal ent for
transl ati ng hi s vi si on and
styl e across a wi de variety
of pl atforms. I n additi on to
a documentary, a seri es of
comic books, and a book on
personal styl e, he desi gned
a di ffusion col l ection for
Target; served as creative
di rector for Liz Cl ai borne;
designs products for QVC;
hosts reality show, The
Fashion Show, on Bravo TV;
communi cates with fans vi a
a dai l y vi deo-bl og, Facebook,
and Twitter; hosts the web
show, WATCHI SAAC. com;
and was among the fi rst
generati on of designers to
l i vestream his fashi on runway
shows onl i ne. He was al so
the costume desi gner for
stage revivals of The Women
(2001), Barefoot in the Park
(2006), the operetta, Three
Penny Opera (2006), and
the Metropol i tan Opera's
producti on of Orfeo ed
Euridice (2008).
NAVIGATION
90 Label Maker
Part of the fashi on desi gn process i nvol ves how
i nformati on about t he garments you create wi l l
be shared wi th your customer. There are l aws
regardi ng how cl othi ng must be l abel ed. I n the
Uni ted States, the Federal Trade Commi ssi on
requi res that most text i l e and wool products
cl earl y i denti fy fi ber content, count ry of ori -
gi n, and brand or manufact urer, and that those
l abel s be securel y fastened. They can be sewn
i n or i roned on. A l abel pri nted di rectl y onto the
garment can end up as part of the desi gn. The
percentages of fi ber content for each component
of the garment-body, l i ni ng, i nterl i ni ng, and/or
decorati on-must al so be i ncl uded. Keepi ng tabs
on i nformati on i s the desi gner' s responsi bi l i ty.
Uni versa l Gar ment- Care Symbol s
Machine Wash Cycles
Normal
Water Temperature
WASHING
Care l abel s for apparel shoul d provi de compl ete

i nstr ucti ons regar di ng care and any warni ng spe
ci fi c to that garment to ensure t hat the qual ity
i s not compromi sed. War ni ngs shoul d use cl ear
ter mi nology, such as "Do not i ron," " No bl each,"
and " Dry cl ean onl y." A system of uni versal
symbol s for vi rtual l y every conti ngency i s al so
ava i l abl e.
Desi gner name l abel s, hang tags, and pri ce
ti ckets are usual l y desi gned to be extensi ons of
t he brand.
Permanent
Press

Del i cate
Gentl e

Hand Wash
Col d
(86F [30C])
Warm
(104F [40C])
Hot
(1 22F [SOC])
BLEACHI NG
Any Bl each When Needed
Onl y Non-Chl ori ne
Bl each When Needed
Do Not Wash
Do Not Ri ng
Do Not Bl each
Tumble Dry Cycles
[ [
Normal Permanent
Press
Tumble Drying Temperatures
DRYING
e
Any Heat High Heat
Iron Dry or Steam

Low
High
(230F [11 0C]) (392F [200C])
IRONI NG

Medi um
(302F [150C])
o
Dry Cl ean
DRY CLEANING

Del i cate/ Li ne Dry Dri p Dry
Gentl e
0
Medi um Heat Low Heat No Heat/Ai r
E
Dry Fl at

Do Not
Tumbl e Dry

Do Not I ron

No Steam
Do Not
Dry Cl ean
187
NAVIGATION
91 Master and Apprenti ce
Master, apprenti ce; i nstructor, student; mentor,
protege: The semanti cs here are not as i mpor
tant as the acts of gi vi ng and recei vi ng that take
pl ace when the i nexperi enced benefi t from those
who have come before. Donna Karan started
worki ng under Anne Kl ei n i n 1970. I n 1 974, when
Kl ei n passed away, Karan j oi ned forces wi th
Loui s Del l ' Ol i o to cont i nue to bui l d on t he Anne
Kl ei n l egacy. Thi s partnershi p conti nued unt i l
1 984, when Karan l eft t o begi n her sol o career.
After the unt i mel y death of her brother, Gi anni
Versace, i n 1 997, Donatel l a Versace was abl e
to step i n and move forward wi th hi s vi si on for
Versace. Her experi ence and respect for the
brand al l owed her to honor the posi ti on the com
pany had earned i n the fashi on worl d, and sti l l
proj ect her vi si on for the fut ure of the l abel .
Yohj i Yamamoto's daughter, Li mi Yamamoto, was
exposed to fashi on earl y i n l i fe. She carri es on her
father's passi on for desi gn t hrough her work, a
l abel cal l ed Li mi Feu. She had shown i n Tokyo for
several years before a successful Pari s debut i n
2007. Her father' s aestheti c can certai nl y be fel t
throughout her work, but t he second-generati on
Yamamoto has an i ndependent perspecti ve on
fashi on a l l her own.
Not onl y have these rel at i onshi ps benefi ted the
" master' s" brand, i n that the apprenti ce can
mai ntai n the desi gner's vi si on of the brand, but
they al so al l ow the apprenti ce the chance to
i nsti l l her own sensi bi l i ti es i n the fashi on. I t's
a wi n-wi n si tuati on.
Fashi on desi gners/si bl i ngs
Gi anni and Donatel l a
Versace, 1990
A model weari ng an
ensembl e from the Li mi Feu
fashi on show, 2010
NAVIGATION
92 Designing the Job
" Create a j ob you l ove, and you wi l l never have
to work a day i n your l i fe": I t's a sl i ghtl y modi fi ed
versi on of the wi sdom of Confuci us. Desi gni ng
your own j ob may sound l i ke a l uxury, or perhaps
i s t he very defi ni ti on of a fantasy, but i n spi te of
how unreal i sti c i t sounds, there are some pretty
si mpl e steps you can take to get a l i ttl e bi t cl oser
to that i deal work experi ence. The good news i s
that a fashi on desi gner i s a l ready on the arti st's
path, so maki ng an emoti onal i nvest ment i n her
work i s par for the course.
Fi rst, no one wants to hear, "That's not my j ob. "
I f somet hi ng needs to be done, someone who
si ncerel y cares about the end resul t al so cares
about how to get there, so she assi gns hersel f
tasks t hat seem petty. Thi s means there are no
smal l j obs.
Second, "I was onl y fol l owi ng orders" i s j ust as
bad. Have a poi nt of vi ew, a nd l et your voi ce be
heard. Ri sk and sacri fi ce come wi th the terri tory
i f i nnovati on i s goi ng to take pl ace. Every ti me
you suppress yoursel f and avoi d uncomfortabl e
si tuati ons you deval ue yoursel f and your work.
Fi nal ly, thi s i s not the domai n of a sel ect few.
Havi ng purposeful pursui ts, and l etti ng your
work ethi c cl assi fy you as i ndi spensabl e, i s t he
currency you need t o remai n competi ti ve. Goi ng
the extra mi l e wi l l pay off i n the end.
The top ten thi ngs to

consi der when desi gni ng
your ul timate job: Ask
yoursel f how does thi s job
meet your expectations wi th
regard to: 1 ) creativity; 2)
fi nanci al compensati on; 3)
recogni ti on; 4) community
i nvol vement; 5) productive
teamwork; 6) strong
l eadershi p; 7) opportuni ty
for advancement; 8) ski l l
devel opment and conti nui ng
educati on; 9) envi ronmental
i mpact; 10) i ntel l ectual
i ntegrity.
1 0
191
NAVIGATION
93 External Infl uences
I ndi vi dual s and organi zati ons that have the
authori ty to make thei r vi ews known to a broad
audi ence can have a profound effect on publ i c
opi ni on, and ul ti matel y t he commerci al success
of a desi gner. A nod of approval from a respected
i ndust ry professi onal can fuel the fi re whi l e a
negati ve gesture may have the power to ext i n
gui sh i t.
Chri sti an Berard, known as Bebe, was an a rti st i n
Pari s who had great i nfl uence i n the 1 930s and
1 940s. He was sought after by cl i ents of haute
couturi ers because hi s fashi on assessments hel d
a l ot of wei ght. I n many ways, he was a prede
cessor to the styl i st. Styl i sts provi de a val uabl e
servi ce because they process fashi on i nformati on
i n a way that takes i nto consi derati on the needs
of the cl i ent, the vi si on of the desi gner, and the
envi ronment i n whi ch the work wi l l be seen.
As l ong as there are creat i ve i ndi vi dual s who
are brave enough to share t hei r work wi th the
rest of the worl d, there wi l l be cri ti cs. Anyone
who i s pursui ng a career i n fashi on i s fami l i ar
wi t h Vogue's edi tor- i n-chi ef, Anna Wi ntour. I t i s
i mportant t o remember t hat she had establ i shed
her reputat i on l ong before movi es and books
made her a househol d name. Years of experi ence
are responsi bl e for her i mmeasurabl e i mpact on
t he careers of desi gners and t he fashi on i ndustry
as a whol e.
Whether the source of i nfl uence i s i nterna
ti onal , nati onal , regi onal , or l ocal , t here wi l l be
j our nal i sts, edi tors, and styl i sts who hel p gui de
the di recti on for fashi on under thei r watch. On
the gl obal stage, Grace Coddi ngton, Hami sh
Bowl es, and Andre Leon Tal l ey a re j ust a handful
of fashi on edi tors who are hel d i n hi gh regard for
how wel l t hey a re abl e to i nterpret fash i on. These
arbi ters of taste enjoy a broader understandi ng
of the fashi on l andscape and, as a resul t, are i n a
posi ti on to share i nval uabl e feedback. Al though
desi gners shoul d al ways trust thei r i nst i ncts,
they woul d be wel l advi sed to l i sten when the
cri ti ci sm i s construct i ve.
Grace Coddi ngton and
Hami sh Bowl es attend a
Marc by Marc Jacobs fashi on
show, 2010.
Andre Leon Tal l ey
NAVIGATION
94 Lifestyl e: A Rosetta Stone
The desi gner di scovers or creates hi s uni que
Rosetta stone, a pr i mer that hel ps hi m t o decode
and t ransl ate the i ntri caci es of other fi el ds.
Armed wi th a key, he approaches hi s desi gn
chal l enge as an i nterpreter. Al though he needs to
work wi thi n t he natural boundari es of hi s craft,
he can i ntroduce hi s audi ences to new t hi ngs,
educati ng them as to how vi abl e and val uabl e
they are wi t hi n t he framework of fashi on.
Whether i t' s pop cul t ure or sci ence and technol
ogy, gai ni ng i nsi ghts i nto other areas sti mul ates
the desi gn process and spawns new i deas.
The arts have al ways sti mul ated the creati ve
mi nd, but dedi cated practi ce of another art
form-whether it i s pai nti ng or perfor mance
gai ns admi ssi on i nto a new di mensi on of that
arti sti c outl et. Anal yzi ng horti cul ture and the cu
l i nary arts provi des i nsi ght i nto how to cul ti vate
pl ant l i fe and prepare food. Ani mal , i nsect, and
sea l i fe al so broaden t he scope of understandi ng
of how t hi ngs work. Even i f i n-depth comprehen
si on i s not the goal , a casual acquai ntance wi th
the subject can be enough to t rigger an i dea i f
the desi gner i s open to i t.
Fashi on and art:
preschool masterpi ece by
Zak Atkinson as i nspi rati on
Fashi on and technol ogy: Fashi on and archi tecture: Fashi on and food:
ci rcui t board surface as decorati on refl ecti ng patterns i n man-made structures produce provi des a source of si l houette and col or
Fashi on and transportati on: Fashi on and nature: Fashi on and l ifestyl e:
emul ati ng the fi ni sh and fl ai r of automobi l es i denti fyi ng l ayers of texture i n l andscapes beach toys provi de common reference poi nts
195
NAVIGATION
95 Fashion Portal s
There i s l i ttl e poi nt to al l t he hard work i nvol ved
i n fashi on desi gn i f t he fi nal product doesn' t go
anywhere. Desi gners must al so desi gn systems
that di stri bute thei r work t o many di fferent des
ti nati ons, uti l i zi ng l ots of channel s-wi th each
channel havi ng a di st i nct message.
I n-store, i t i s a l l a bout hanger appeal . Retai l ers
expect the product to be packaged i n a way that
mai ntai ns the i ntegri ty of the desi gn.
Screen appeal rul es onl i ne, and that means
beauti ful , cl ear i mages. The e-commerce experi
ence fal l s short i n many ways because t here i s
no way to touch t he fabri c or try on t he garment.
A pi ct ure must provi de a great deal of vi sual
i nformati on and be strong enough t o engage
the customer.
A showroom i s a bri dge between designer and
buyer. The sal es representati ve must be i nformed
and i nvested i n the product because she i s edu
cati ng and sti mul ati ng the cl i ent i n order to make
the sal e.
Cel ebri ty associ ati on i s one of the easi est ways
to scal e up percei ved i mportance when the del i v
ery channel i s through i magery-ei ther moti on or
sti l l shots. Havi ng a wel l - known persona repre
senti ng the product i s an asset.
Pop-up stores, taki ng a col l ecti on on tour, trunk
shows, a nd pri vate shoppi ng experi ences are j ust
a few of the gueri l l a tacti cs that can be empl oyed
to surpri se and seduce t he shopper.
Fashi on shows and shoppi ng events put the
cl othes on di spl ay wi thi n the context of enter
tai nment. The runway presentati on i s t rans
formed wit h theatri cal model s, hai r, makeup,
and styl i ng.
I t's i mportant to compart mental i ze di fferent
needs for the press and what t hey ul t i matel y
need to del i ver to thei r audi ences, as wel l : A
bl ogger i s l ooki ng to express hi s opi ni on; the
j ournal i st needs to present the facts; an edi tor
needs to pl ace the desi gner's work wi thi n t he
context of the current vi si on for t he market. How
can you hel p each of them reach thei r goal s?
Last, and most i mportant, publ i c opi ni on and
word of mout h are paramount. Publ i c opi ni on, i n
parti cul ar, i s a powerfu l conveyor of messages.
I t al so val i dates and perpetuates a desi gner's
reputati on.
The fashi on show: Girls Rule!
Runway fashi on show at
Bryant Park duri ng New York
Fashi on Week
The pop-up store: Puma
transformed shi ppi ng
contai ners i nto prefabricated
retail stores that can l i teral l y
pop up anywhere.
197
NAVIGATION
96 Diversification and Special ization
Fi nd one t hi ng you do wel l , and do j ust that.
Whether the ni che i s bri dal wear or ski wear,
the path to speci al i zati on i s one whi ch requi res
that a desi gner focus excl usi vel y on a part i cul ar
market and master the desi gn i ntri caci es uni que
to t hat fi el d.
Fi nd one t hi ng you do wel l , and transl ate what
was successful about i t i nto many di fferent prod
ucts. Duri ng the l ate 1 800s, Burberry establ i shed
i tsel f by focusi ng on outdoor att i re. The company
i s al so credi ted wi th the i nventi on of gabardi ne,
a durabl e, breathabl e, water-resi stant fabri c. At
the start of Worl d War I, the company was com
mi ssi oned to devel op what ended up bei ng the
trench coat. I ts si gnature tartan was i ntroduced
duri ng the 1 920s as a l i ni ng for the coat.
The symbol s of the brand are i nterpreted and
adapted t o the needs and desi res of today's
consumer. Outerwear i s sti l l at the heart of the
brand, but i tems such as the i coni c trench coat
are rei magi ned each season. The cl assi c bl ack,
tan, and red Burberry pattern, now a regi stered
trademark, i s no l onger rel egated to l i ni ngs. I t
can be found on apparel , fragrances, accessori es,
l uggage, and even swi mwear.
There i s an a rgument to be made for both si des,
but di versi fi cati on defi ni tel y benefi ts from t he
prestige of havi ng done one t hi ng wel l for a l ong
ti me. Good foundati ons provi de an excel l ent
envi ronment for experi mentati on and expansi on.
Right: Bri dal gown
Below: Skiwear ensembl e by
M. Mi l l er
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WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
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I
A model di spl ays a swi msui t
ensembl e by Burberry, 2005.
NAVIGATION
97 Crowdsourci ng Styl e
Too many cooks i n the ki tchen spoi l t he soup,
and too many opi ni ons duri ng the desi gn process
can t urn out di l uted or i ncoherent work. Herd
behavi or often stri ves to appeal to t he l owest
common denomi nator. Bei ng wel l aware of the
downsi de of desi gn by commi ttee i s a good
reason for creati ng a fi l ter for feedback and cri ti
ci sm, construct i ve or otherwi se.
The fl i p si de of t hi s i s the posi ti ve power of t he
peopl e. Crowdsourci ng i s reachi ng out t o broad
audi ences-most commonl y over the I nternet
to hel p devel op designs, rai se money, and
mobi l i ze peopl e. Servi ces such as Ki ckstarter
. com hel p vol unteer organi zati ons, chari ti es,
startups, desi gners, and bands l evel the pl ayi ng
fi el d between amateurs a nd professi onal s. They
remove the mi dd l eman, al l owi ng a desi gner to
go di rectl y to t he customer for content, fund i ng,
and di st r i buti on. The goal s of crowdsourci ng
i ncl ude f i ndi ng resources, outsourci ng proj ects,
f i ndi ng fundi ng, court i ng i nspi rati on, gai ni ng a
democrati c consensus, mi ni mi zi ng costs, and
taki ng advantage of t he wi sdom of t he masses.
When i t i s managed wel l , mass col l aborati on
can be l everaged t o take advantage of havi ng
mul ti pl e desi gners parti ci pati ng i n probl em sol v
i ng, mul ti pl e sources contri buti ng components of
the desi gn, and fi ndi ng scores of patrons who wi l l
support a desi gner' s vi si on.
Maki ng a good pi tch onl i ne i s not much di ffer
ent from t he process of drafti ng a busi ness pl an
t o i mpress a banker. A compel l i ng case must be
made, because i nvestors of any ki nd are l ook
i ng for sound i deas as wel l as a spark-not to
menti on a reward for gett i ng i nvol ved. Taki ng
advantage of t hi s pl atform rai ses awareness and
hel ps t o gauge what peopl e actua l l y want, and
potenti al l y empowers parti ci pants to become a
communi ty of brand ci ti zens.
200 |5'OH LE5IH L55EHII5
Above: Designer Val erie
Mayen of Project Runway
fame, used Ki ckstarter.com
successful l y to raise funds for
a startup venture. The project
is a fashi on desi gn i ncubator
cal l ed Buzz & Growl , based i n
Cl evel and, Ohi o.
NAVIGATION
98 Labors of Love: DIY
I t's easy to say " I coul d have done t hat." As any
desi gner knows, sett i ng asi de the t i me, getti ng
organi zed, and fi guri ng out exactl y how to do
that i s another t hi ng al together. Sati sfacti on i s
ci ted as the pr i mary moti vati on for doi ng i t your
sel f, whi ch expl ai ns why so many i nvest t i me and
money i n cl asses, workshops, books, magazi nes,
and ki ts that al l ow t hem to l i teral l y take matters
i nto thei r own hands.
Wri ti ng off homespun attempts at fashi on as
merel y crafts and hokey hobbi es i s a mi stake.
Al though the resul ts may di spl ay an obvi ous l ack
of trai ni ng, great i ngenuity and a weal th of rough
concepts often can be pol i shed i n the hands of
a trai ned desi gner. Many t hi ngs produced i n t hi s
envi ronment cater t o uni denti fi ed ni che markets
that mi ght have otherwi se gone unnoti ced by
desi gners. The i nf l uence of these mi cromarkets
shoul d not be underest i mated. Natural tal ents
wi th the potenti al to t ransform a pasti me i nto a
career now have di stri buti on channel s such as
Etsy. com and publ i c markets i n whi ch arti sans
and aspi ri ng desi gners can show and sel l thei r
work. Pay attenti on to trends i n these markets.
Etsy success story: Moop, a
Pi ttsburgh-based company
that desi gns and manufac
tures handmade bags, was
able to use the website to
bui l d thei r busi ness. Owner/
desi gner Wendy Downs
descri bes Etsy. com as a
pl ace she coul d experi ment
wi th and l earn how to run
a busi ness.
201
NAVIGATION
99 Rapid Prototyping: Twenty- Four- Hour Fashion
Real i ty shows such as Project Runway and proj
ects such as t he 24- Hour Fi l mmaki ng Festi val
are good exampl es of popul ar " si nk or swi m"
enterpri ses. Be warned, however, t hat condens
i ng the ti me al l owed f or a project to be executed
can produce both br i l l i ant and di sast rous resul ts.
As entertai nment, i t mi ght be f un to observe
the prai se and t he pi tfal l s, but in t he real worl d,
t hi s coul d correl ate to the begi nni ng or end of a
career. Wor ki ng i n the fashi on i ndustry doesn' t
al ways mean r unni ng at breakneck speeds, but
i t does demand that creati ves be abl e to make
smart deci si ons i n cri si s mode.
Not everyone i s cut out for i t, so i t' s i mportant
to i mpose ti me-sensi t i ve chal l enges to test for
vul nerabi l i ti es. These are great opportuni ti es to
l earn how to anti ci pate and avoi d the ki nds of
t hi ngs that have t he potenti al to derai l the desi gn
process. Si tuati ons i n whi ch speed i mpedes the
process and t hreatens to thwart creati vi ty are
i deal occasi ons i n whi ch to consi der the ski l l s
t hat st i l l need t o be honed; i mmedi ate si tuati on
assessment, qui ck deci si on maki ng, effi ci ent
appl i cati on of techni ques, fast probl em sol vi ng,
and/or creati ve resourcef ul ness.
Some desi gners t hri ve on the stress of ti ght,
and someti mes unreal i sti c, deadl i nes. Rapi d-f i re
fashi on desi gn rel i es heavi l y on i nsti nct and ex
peri ence. Beyond crossi ng the fi ni sh l i ne, success
under these condi ti ons shoul d al so be measured
by how wel l executed the work i s, and how
cl earl y the desi gner's vi si on i s percei ved. Speed
as a catal yst for good desi gn i s a di ffi cul t t hi ng to
sustai n. The r ush of these pressure-cooker proj
ects may provi de an addi cti ve r ush of adrenal i ne,
but that i s hard to rel y on.
202 |5HIOH LE5'I L55EIII5
(uni )forms are desi gner/
artist Yi ng Gao' s response
to the phrase "Speed ki l l s
creativity." By usi ng morphi ng
software, she was abl e
to generate new uniform
designs based on the origi na I
wi thi n seconds.
Ori gi nal 1940s German femal e worker' s uniform
:
I
/
>
c
Yi ng Gao (uni )form #1 Yi ng Gao (uni )form #2

Yi ng Gao (uni )form #4 Yi ng Gao (uni )form #5

*
Yi ng Gao (uni )form #3
Yi ng Gao (uni )form #6
203
NAVIGATION
1 00 What Is Good Fashion?
Assigni ng val ue to somethi ng t hat stems from i n
di vi dual creati vity i s a very subj ective t hi ng when
the onl y cri teri a a re the standards of the day. I n
addi ti on to bei ng j udged for i ts aestheti c val ue,
fashi on i s al so charged wi th bei ng f unct i onal . I n
h i ndsi ght, i t i s easy to assess why some houses
endure, some make a br i ef but si gni fi cant mark
at a si ngul ar poi nt i n t i me, and some fade from
memory. The t hi rd group, al though i t demands
greater effort, has t he potenti al to reward us
wi th exci ti ng di scoveri es. For i nstance, not many
peopl e know that archi tect Frank Ll oyd Wri ght
desi gned dresses for hi s wi fe and for a sel ect few
of t he l adi es he created homes for. So, what type
of desi gner produces good, i f not great, fashi on?
The i nventors, who i ntroduce unprecedented
i deas-necessi ty often fuel s these desi gners, as
they approach a desi gn chal l enge usi ng al ter
nati ve methods. The a rchi tects, who desi gn
the bui l di ngs we i nhabi t-t hey wi l l al so l ook to
create a l i festyl e a round t hei r vi si on to achi eve
a comprehensi ve uni ty. The schol ars, who are
the standard- bearers, servi ng and protect i ng t he
art and craft of fashi on-they i mmerse them
sel ves i n the mi nuti a of how other s t hroughout
hi story have done i t, and as a resul t, they keep
those practi ces al i ve. Wi thout t hese stewards of
fashi on, every generati on of designers woul d be
starti ng from scratch. And fi nal l y, the rebel s
whether we understand them or not we appreci
ate t he i conocl asts because they have an i mpact
on our l i ves. Thei r i magi nati on and passi on for
the work i s fuel ed by an unyi el di ng need to pro
voke and chal l enge us. Al exander McQueen was
one of those bad boys of fashi on who was known
for bei ng t rue to hi s vi si on. He wi l l be remem
bered for the power and puri ty of hi s work. I n t he
end, one word defi nes good fashi on. I ntegri ty.
204 |5H'OH E5IH 55EIII5
A model wearing a gown
from Al exander McQueen' s
l ast col l ecti on duri ng the
2010 CFDA Fashi on Awards
at Al i ce Tul l y Hal l at Li ncol n
Center, 2010
>
x
<
<
=
=
r
J
C
205
CONTRI BUTOR I NDEX
T.
2.
3.
R.
b.
.
7.
.
9.
TU.
11.
T2.
T3.
T4.
Tb.
1.
Alyce Santoro
www. al ycesantoro. com
Berber Soepboer &Michiel Schuurman
www. berbersoepboer. nl
Blauer Uniforms
www. bl auer. com
Bob Packert
www. packertphotography. com
Boston Ballet
www. bostonbal l et. org
Cory Stierley
www. csphotographi c. com
Daniel Faucher Couture
www. dani el fauchercouture. com
Dominique Lafond
www. domi ni quel afond. com
Fine Art by T
fi neartbyt@yahoo. com
Goods of Conscience
www. goodsofconsci ence. com
I saac Mizrahi
www. i saacmi zrahi ny. com
Jessica Weiser
+ + +
www.J essl cawel ser. com
Joel Benjamin
www.j oel benjami n. com
Karolina Zmarlak
www. karol i nazmarl ak. com
Kevin Day
www.kevi ndayphotography. com
Lucy Orta
www. studi o-orta. com
206 |5HIOH LE5'I L55EIII5
T7. Marie-Eve Tremblay
m. evetrembl ay@hotmai l . com
T. Massachusetts College of Art and Design
www. massart. edu
T9. Moop
www. moopshop. com
www. etsy. com/shop/moop
2U. Oscar Correcher
www. oscarcorrecherphotography
. bl ogspot. com
2T. Philips Design, SKI N Probe Project
www. desi gn. phi l i ps. com/probes/proj ects
/dresses/i ndex. page
22. Poor Little Rich Girl
www. shoppoorl i tt l eri chgi rl . com
23. School of Fashion Design, Boston
www. schooloffashi ondesi gn. org
24. Sebastian Errazuriz
www. meetsebasti an. com
2b. Simplynate Photography
www. si mpl ynate. com
2. Tracy Aiguier
www. tracyai gui er. com
27. Uniform Project
www. t heuni for mproj ect. com
2. Valerie Mayen Buzz &Growl
www. buzzandgrowl . com
www. ki ckstarter. com/projects/yel l owcake/
buzz-and-growl - cl evel ands-new-fashi on-
i ncubator
2V. Victoria Dominguez-Bagu
mari avi ctori adesi gns@gmai l . com
dU. Ying Gao
www. cavaal l er. bl ogspot. com
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Speci al thanks to
Robert Frye, Vi ol a Gonzal ez, Ti na Cal der i n, J ake o Ena Cal der i n,
Patri ci a oWa l l ace Frye, Ki l sy Cur i el , Rafael Vi l l al ona, Kathy Pi l arski ,
Ri chard Brooks, Mary Garthe, J acobo o Edi th Cal deri n,
Fructuoso o Gl ori a Gonzal ez, Car men Ri ta Gonzal ez, Rebecca Gonzal ez,
J enni fer Hudson, J aycey Wetheri ngton, J acl yn McGeehan, J ami e Mendoza,
Doreen Mendez, Al i ci a Kennedy, Betsy Gammons, Roy tel Montero, Rosi na Rucci ,
Cheryl Ri chardson, James Hannon, Sondra Grace, Ri chard Bath, Joel Benj ami n,
Bob Packert, Vi ctori a Domi guez- Bagu, Mari e- Eve Trembl ay, Li sa Baker,
Tracy Aigui er, J ane Conway-Caspe, J ayne Avery, Dana Moscardel l i , Terri Mahn,
Dani el Faucher, Li sa Taranto, El ai na Bari sano, Li sa Mi cheel s, Phyl l i s Mi si te
Loui s Sel vi tel l a, Meredi th Byam- Mi l l er, Nancy Hart, Mari cl ai re Hessi on-Landman,
Laura, Har ri son o Amanda Soel ter, Bethany VanDel ft, Munjeet Geyer,
Al ex, Cynthi a o Zak At ki nson, Mar k Bai l ey, Tony Hal ston, Donna Ri ce,
Chuck Lacombe, Wendy Downs, Val eri e Mayen, Rachel Kacenj ar,
Mari e Gal vi n, Shaunt Sar i an, J enni fer Luri e, Eri ka Stai r, Sarah Carnabuci ,
Ami e Bel obrow, Shi nroku Ohashi , Li sa Kopl ow Nogl er,
Joe Car l , Shannon Gl asheen, Jeff Lahens, Shel l ey Chhabra,
Mari el MacNaughton, Charl es Hei ghtchew,
Yi ng Gao, Fat her Andrew O' Connor, and Li sa Koeni gsberg
Thank you to facul ty, admi ni strati on, and students past and present
at the School of Fashi on Desi gn i n Boston.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jay Calderin was born and rai sed i n New York
Ci ty. The Los Angeles Times cal l ed hi s fi rst book,
Form, Fit, and Fashion, "a new fashi on bi bl e for
desi gners, aspi rers, and t he j ust pl ai n cur i ous;
thi s tome contai ns al l the secrets." After mov-
i ng to Boston and di scover i ng t he great weal th
of l ocal fashi on tal ent, he adopted the ci ty as hi s
new home, where he founded and became the
executi ve di rector of Boston Fashi on Week.
He i s an i nstructor a nd the di rector of creati ve
market i ng at the School of Fashi on Desi gn i n
Boston, a posi ti on that a l l ows h i m to be i nvol ved
i n programmi ng devel opment a nd communi ty
outreach, whi l e al so functi oni ng as an i ndust ry
l i ai son. I n addi ti on to the wi de vari ety of fash-
i on and professi onal devel opment courses he
teaches at SFD, he has al so served as an i nstruc
tor at the Massachusetts Col l ege of Art and
Desi gn, Burdett Col l ege, and Lasel l Col l ege. Hi s
pursui ts as a professi onal coach and moti vati onal
speaker have afforded hi m opport uni ti es to share
hi s i deas about the art and i ndust ry of fashi on at
i nsti tuti ons i ncl udi ng Harvard Uni versi ty, Wel l es
l ey Col l ege, Tufts Uni versity, Lesl ey Uni versi ty,
Babson Col l ege, Museum of Fi ne Arts Boston,
Peabody Essex Museum, Boston Publ i c Li brary,
and the Hatch Festi val i n Bozeman, Montana.
208 |5HIOH LE5II L55EHIIl5
I n hi s capaci ty as a fashi on desi gner hi s work
has graced the pages of Vogue, lIe, the Boston
Globe and t he Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. He
has authored numerous arti cl es and col umns for
newspapers, magazi nes, and the I nternet. He has
worked as an accredi ted fashi on edi tor, photog
rapher, and as a fashi on commentator for tel evi
si on. He credi ts hi s sol i d foundati on i n fashi on to
hi s t rai ni ng at the Hi gh School of Fashi on I ndus
t r i es i n New York Ci ty. The school cul ti vated a
work ethi c and al l egi ance to excel l ence that has
served hi m wel l ever si nce. Throughout hi s career
he has mai ntai ned a passi onate dedi cati on to the
i mportance of gi vi ng back to the communi ty. As
an extensi on of that commi tment, he works wi th
l ocal chari ti es as wel l as grassroots endeavors to
nurt ure and devel op new tal ent-a dri vi ng force
behi nd hi s work wi th the Fashi on Group I nterna
ti onal as a regi onal di rector i n Boston.
See hi s websi te at www.cal der i n3. com.

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Design Essentials

Text 201 1 by Rockport Publ i shers

Above: Model Naomi

Human beings have more

Left: Average l ength and

Loose si ngl e-thread sti tches f or basti ng

Bl anket or overl ock sti tches to fi ni sh an edge

Pad st i tchi ng to secure l ayers of fabri c together

Back sti tches or tacki ng to rei nforce a reas

Zi gzag or top sti tchi ng to decorate the surface

Chai n, cross, or sati n sti tches for embroi dery

Buttonhol e sti tches to f i ni sh and rei nforce the

Bl i nd sti tches for hemmi ng

Tavi Gevi nson is an

Sketchi ng: A sense of the shape and fl ow of

Pattern maki ng: Measure twi ce, cut once.

A model weari ng a cut-out

A model weari ng a scul ptural

Left: Karol i na Zmarl ak

Base l ayers shoul d al ways be l i ghter t han those

Concentrate on short over l ong, restri cti ng the

Control t he vi si bl e proporti ons of each l ayer to

Sel ect speci al i tems for t he mi x that are strong

Draw attenti on t o fami l y resembl ances i n si mi

Mi x day i nto eveni ng and bri ng a l i tt l e n ight

Coordi nate l ooks that are comfortabl e and

Poi nt of sal e: I s the purchase through a repu

Packagi ng: I s i t consi stent wit h the promi se of

Pri ce: Are you gett i ng what you pay for?

Care l abel s for apparel shoul d provi de compl ete

The top ten thi ngs to

Yi ng Gao (uni )form #1 Yi ng Gao (uni )form #2

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