How To Design Apparel: The Complete Guide (2024)
Want to design an apparel brand but don’t know where to start? This blog was created by Amanda Rango of ARD Fashion Consulting, a designer with over 23 years of experience who helps fashion founders launch and scale their fashion businesses. You’ll be provided with essential information about apparel design so you can confidently begin your fashion design journey.
What Is Apparel Design?
Apparel design, also called fashion design, is the process of creating clothing and accessories. Apparel design is not just a creative process. Modern fashion design requires technical skills that take a sketch or drawing to a commercially viable and/or wearable product.
Importance of Apparel Design in the Fashion Industry
Apparel design is at the beginning of the product development cycle and therefore the stepping stone of the fashion industry.
Designers are the leaders of innovation and often the birthplace of trends. Their creative vision sets the tone for upcoming seasons and influences what consumers will be wearing. The impact of fashion is global and apparel design has been seen to influence worldwide style and spread across borders.
Apparel design establishes and communicates a brand’s identity through unique elements that a customer can recognize and is willing to purchase.
Understanding the Basics of Fashion Design
Before we dive into the steps of apparel design, here are a few key elements to know:
Silhouette: The outline or shape of a garment.
Fabric: The material used to make clothing. This sets the tone for the look, feel, and functionality of the design.
Color: A crucial aspect that can convey mood, style, seasonality, and commercial viability.
Artwork: Think about how you may want to incorporate logos, graphics, or prints to begin building your brand aesthetic.
Details: Elements like buttons, zippers, and stitching that add uniqueness to the design.
Researching Trends and Target Customers
Start by looking for inspiration in various places—nature, art, architecture, historical fashion, and even everyday objects. Create a mood board to collect images, colors, and textures that inspire you. This will help you visualize your concept and stay focused on your design theme.
Once your inspiration takes shape, you’ll want to identify a target customer for this product. Think about the demographics and psychographics of this person. What needs does your apparel fill for this customer and how does your product differ from competitors?
Stay updated with current fashion trends by following fashion shows, reading fashion magazines, and browsing online platforms like Instagram and Pinterest. Understanding trends will help you create designs that are relevant and appealing to your target audience.
Creating Design Sketches
Start sketching your ideas on paper or digitally. Focus on capturing the overall silhouette and major design elements. Don't worry about details at this stage—just get your ideas down.
You don’t have to be a professional to start! Learn the fundamentals of design drawing with this article by Fantasy Room Online School.
You can continue to refine your sketches based on feedback and other ideas you come across as your collection starts to come together.
Image provided by Fantasy Room Online School
How to Pick a Fabric
Selecting the right fabric is crucial. Consider the drape, texture, weight, and color of the fabric. Different fabrics can drastically change the look and feel of a garment.
I always recommend starting at fabric stores to feel materials and understand their properties. Once you feel ready to explore more options, consider attending a fabric trade show like Premier Vision to see even more fabrics.
I always advise my clients to choose more eco-friendly fabrics and practices when they have the chance like organic cotton, recycled fabrics, and low-waste production methods.
You’ll also need to think of materials outside of fabrics known as trims which include things like buttons, zippers, lining, labels, elastic, ribbon, lace, thread, eyelets, etc. There are many details to consider!
Creating a Garment Prototype
Now that you have your drawings and materials, you’ve arrived at the pattern stage.
What is a Pattern?
A pattern is a template used to cut fabric pieces that will be sewn together to create a garment. Patterns are essential for ensuring the garment fits correctly and matches the design specifications.
Start with simple patterns. You can purchase basic patterns from craft stores or find free patterns online. As you gain experience, you can learn to create your own patterns. Pattern-making books and online tutorials can be invaluable resources.
Techpacker has some great resources for beginners looking to explore pattern-making in more depth.
Assembling a Sample
If you’re sewing your own garment, you’ll carefully cut out your fabric pieces according to your pattern while leaving room for seam allowance. Precision is important to ensure the pieces fit together correctly.
You’ll need to start with sewing basics like how to operate a sewing machine, sew straight seams, and finish edges. There are plenty of online tutorials and beginner sewing classes that can help you build these skills.
After sewing together the main pieces of the garment, you’ll continue to follow your pattern instructions to add trims along the way. Press the garment to remove any wrinkles and ensure it looks polished. You can finish raw edges with different techniques to avoid fraying and garment durability,
Fitting your Fashion Design
Fitting is the process of adjusting a garment to ensure it fits the body correctly. Your design will not have the intended effect on a customer if it isn’t properly fitted to their proportions. Here’s how to get started with fitting your designs.
You should use an experienced technical designer for fittings if you are a beginner. Read our latest blog post to learn more about apparel technical design and how to find one for your design.
The technical designer will use safety pins or chalk to mark areas where the fabric needs to be taken in (tightened) or let out (loosened). If significant changes are made, create a new sample and repeat the fitting process.
If you are at the very beginning stages of design and pattern-making, your fit samples might be made out of muslin rather than your actual fabric. A muslin is a test garment made from inexpensive fabric. It allows you to see how the garment will fit and make adjustments before cutting into your final fabric.
You will finish the fit process with a final sample ready for production. If you’re looking to mass produce your design, refer to our product development blog for the steps to begin that journey.
How to Improve Fashion Design Skills
Fashion design is a skill of continuous improvement. Don't be discouraged by mistakes. Each error is an opportunity to learn and grow. Keep experimenting with new techniques and ideas to refine your craft.
Create a portfolio to showcase your designs. Include sketches, fabric swatches, construction details, and photos of the finished garments. A well-organized portfolio is essential for presenting your work to potential employers or clients.
Continue to seek inspiration and stay curious. Attend fashion shows, visit museums, and follow other designers. The fashion industry is always evolving, and staying inspired is key to staying relevant.
Resources for Fashion Apparel Design
Designing apparel is a rewarding journey that combines creativity, technical skills, and an understanding of fashion trends. By following these steps, beginners can start creating their own unique garments and build a strong foundation in fashion design. Remember, practice and persistence are essential—keep designing, learning, and growing as a designer.
If you’d like assistance designing and producing your fashion apparel collection, ARD Fashion Consulting is a full-service design and production firm that helps clients launch their brands from concept to creation. We work in all of the areas of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel with decades of industry experience at the corporate level.
Check out our website at ard-consulting.com to schedule a discovery call or read more informative blog posts like this one!