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The Fashion Industry. Fashion & Interior Design. The Role of Fashion Designers. Work at different levels Some national & world recognition Others assist high level designers or work with existing designs Specialization is common – swimwear, lingerie, bridal gowns, children’s clothing
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The Fashion Industry Fashion & Interior Design
The Role of Fashion Designers • Work at different levels • Some national & world recognition • Others assist high level designers or work with existing designs • Specialization is common – swimwear, lingerie, bridal gowns, children’s clothing • Must be aware of target market
High Fashion Designers – “Name Designers” • Influential in establishing fashionable looks for a season • Some own their own firm or financed by partners • Others – Ralph Lauren – are publicly owned companies listed on stock exchange • The companies of high-fashion designers are called Fashion Houses • Some have special style or look – RL – Classic, Hilfiger, Casual, street smart
Collections • 2-4 times a year designers turn out a collection – group of clothes designed or produced for a specific season – 50-70 items • Different collections for different customers – women, men, etc. • May also have different price range – designer, better, moderate • Top designers – responsible for most of the company’s creative decisions
Search for new ideas, design garments, choose fabric & colors & establish an image, set prices, meet with buyers & clients & promote the fashions • Approve the licenses of other products that are sold under their name
Apparel Industry Designers • Most don’t have name recognition • Work for garment manufacturers that provide clothing for a brand or store label • Do create original designs
Stylists • Adapt designs created by others, often High Fashion Designers • By adapting – produce less expensive versions – Knock Offs – • Choose less expensive fabric & change some details • Must understand - garment construction - Manufacturing Process - Firms production capabilities - Work closely with buyers of major stores
Freelance Designers • Work independently selling original designs or adaptations • Self-employed – not involved in manufacturers business decisions
Business of Designing • Create hundreds of styles – most never make it to store • “A Designer is only as good as his last collection” – customer makes the final decision • Success once depended on high prices – not inexpensive – just as fashionable – mix & match – exp. With less exp.
The Design Process • Step 1 Idea • Art exhibits, theater productions, movies, newspapers, magazines, travel, ethnicity • New fabrics, textures, patterns, prints – trims, fasteners
Step 2 - Sketching • Makes a sketch – very rough with little detail – some drawn on body silhouette – may add color • Croquis (Kro-KEY) – preliminary sketch as it is developed it begins to get details – yokes, pockets, collars, etc.
Step 3 - Draping • Some do instead of sketching • Draping – arranging fabric into graceful folds & attractive lines. Some use live models • See silhouette, proportion, details longer than sketching
Step 4 – Selecting Fabric & Trims • Swatch of fabric & trim is attached to each design sketch
Step 5 – Making Sample Garments • Develop Pattern • Sloper – preliminary pattern is made which fits a certain body shape • Pattern is made – sewn together – tried out - revised
Designer Collections • Were specifically made for clients • Couture (Koo-TOOR) – french word for dressmaking – designing, making & selling of high fashion clothing • Haute Couture (oht koo-TOOR) – High Fashion – most fashionable, expensive & exclusive designer clothing – Cost thousands of dollars • Atelier – designers workroom - hand sewing • Fabrics – finest available, sometimes one of a kind or created exclusively for the designer – very few people can afford
Fashion Babies • 1700’s dolls dressed in detailed copies of Queen Marie Antoinette’s latest clothes • Dressmakers in London used dolls to duplicate the style, fabric & construction details • Couturier- designers who make custom made clothing – copied the idea & sent dolls to copy – was popular until newspapers & fashion magazines
Charles Worth - 1845 • 1st Designer to present gowns on live models • 1st Designer to sell samples to US to be copied • 1st to market perfume under his own name • Father of Haute Couture
Fashion Capitals • Paris – significant fashion always started in Paris until the end of WWII • US started using more American Designers and started having an influence on other countries
Fashion Shows • 2 times a year • July – Fall/Winter • January – Spring/Summer • Paris, NY, Milan – High Fashion Designers • Collections – London, Tokyo, Montreal
Designer Ready to Wear • US started • Pret-a-Porter – Deluxe ready to wear – French couture house present 2 collections a year • More practical – not as expensive – fabrics not as unique – no hand sewing • Sold in Major dept. Stores • Top designers in NY, Milan, etc. hold showings as well – retailers come
Licensing • Giving legal permission to use your name to promote a product • Receive a royalty - % of profits • Licensing of moderately priced items has enabled more customers to buy designer products