Job:12-29742 Title:RP-Fashion Design Ref and Spec Book
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2 0 THE FASHION DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
(Text)
Chapter 2: Collection Theory
With a little creativity and a basic grasp of how a garment is constructed, many
people will dabble in fashion and fancy themselves designers. With enough
time, they might even accumulate a collection of garments. Certainly, their
work might be an artistic accomplishment, but it does not address what the
industry expects from the fashion designer each season. Designers are asked,
above all, to translate a design philosophy into an evolving series of collec-
tions that speaks to their customers during every fashion cycle. A collection
is a group of garments conceived and designed, released and marketed, for a
particular season by a design house.
RESOURCE FILES
Category Subcategories
Fashion
Accessories
Beauty
Swatches
Silhouette
Art
Culture
Technology
Transportation
Daywear, eveningwear, menswear, outerwear, athletic apparel
Shoes, bags, jewelry, hats, eyewear, hosiery, belts, gloves
Models, hair, makeup, tattoos, piercing, fitness
Color, texture, pattern, decoration, fastenings
Architecture, furniture, plant life, animals, science
Painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, dance, theater
Folk art, television, film, animation, music, celebrity
Internet, blogging, communication devices, music players,
hardware
Cars, motorcycles, bicycles, boats, trains, airplanes
M
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ACCESSING INSPIRATION
An artist may spend time courting the muse, but a fashion designer seldom has the luxury of
waiting for inspiration to strike. Accessing the creative mind is simple if one fuels the source
on a regular basis. Designers must train themselves to collect tear sheets from magazines
and printouts from websites, as well as swatches of colors and textiles, and to keep note-
books of written ideas and sketches. Whatever form they take, these resource files should be
maintained and organized for easy retrieval when trying to stimulate the imagination. Beyond
fashion images, they should include material drawn from art, technology, science, graphics,
architecture, advertisements—in other words, anything that triggers a response.
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Job:12-29742 Title:RP-Fashion Design Ref and Spec Book
#175 Dtp:204 Page:20
020-025.indd 20 2/26/13 7:29 PM