Fashion Apparel Design: The Ultimate Guide (2024)
Want to launch a fashion brand but don’t know where to start? This guide was created by Amanda Rango of ARD Fashion Consulting. A designer with over 22 years of experience, to provide essential information and an Ultimate Guide of what to expect and how to get started.
Fashion apparel design and product development is a complete process including, but not limited to:
Research & trend inspiration
Fashion illustrations & technical sketches
Fabric & trim selection/sourcing
Tech pack creation
Fit & grading
Sampling & revisions
Production
How to Start the Fashion Design Process
The best place to start the fashion design process is with research and trend inspiration. You must first understand the target audience of the customer you want to sell to.
Fashion trends move fast within the industry. It is important to look at what your competitors are doing and what areas of opportunity exist in the marketplace.
This process, referred to as “patterning” or “competitive shopping” is where you will analyze comparable brands and look for patterns across the industry. For example, you might notice a trend of a specific color or fabric that is important to keep in mind as you design your collection.
While competitors are a great place to start for inspiration, your designs should include original and creative elements to differentiate your brand. There are several other places to find inspiration for your fashion apparel brand.
Where to Look for Fashion Design Inspiration
Many design creatives use Pinterest as a destination for inspiration. Pinterest boards allow you to organize concepts together in one space. Pinterest is also a great place to showcase your work for others to see. Keep this in mind as you formulate a marketing strategy!
Another rising platform for inspiration is Instagram. The widespread use of Instagram lends itself to timely and immediate awareness of trends. I’ve discovered many up-and-coming brands via Instagram!
I would argue that getting outside in public is an underrated form of inspiration. The best thing you can do is to surround yourself with your target audience. If you want to design for the stylish Gen-Zers, maybe try spending some time on a college campus to see what students are wearing to class. It can be as simple as paying attention to what people are wearing in the grocery store. With some conscious effort, you might uncover inspiration for your fashion designs.
Seasoned fashion designers also use professional trend guidance from experts in the industry. I have used both WGSN and Fashion Snoops for trend forecasting services to aid in my creative process. WGSN and Fashion Snoops are industry-wide accepted tools for data-driven forecasts of consumer, lifestyle, and product design trends.
If you’re a freelancer looking for a more affordable fashion forecasting service, check out this LinkedIn conversation with Heidi Weinberg.
Influential Fashion Designers and Their Impact
As a designer myself, I also look to influential designers of the past as part of my inspiration process. I have a few of my favorites listed below, but I encourage you to research more iconic designers on your own.
Stella McCartney: I’m obsessed with her kids line, exploding with creativity and color.
Marc Jacobs: Blending elegance with edge to create timeless and modern looks.
Betsey Johnson: Iconic for her feminine and whimsical designs, and who can forget those cartwheels at the end of her fashion shows!
Bringing Your Fashion Apparel Design to Life
Once you have a cohesive idea of what you would like your fashion apparel designs to be, it is time to bring it to life visually. You can take your designs to a visual level through fashion illustrations or technical sketches. This step is important as it will determine how your ideas are interpreted by the team of people working on your garment.
The Difference Between Fashion Illustrations and Technical Sketches
A fashion illustration is what you probably think of in terms of sketching. This variation is an artistic rendering that often includes color, dimension, styling, etc. While these are exciting to generate buzz, this is not what you will need to produce a garment.
Technical sketches demonstrate the details of a garment as if it were laid flat on a table. You can think of it as a blueprint when it comes to your fashion design. The technical drawing should convey the proportions, stitch types, and details of your garment through basic lines.
See below for a visual differentiation between the two types of illustrations.
Fashion Illustration
Technical Sketch
Sourcing Fabric and Trims for Your Clothing Line
The next step in the fashion design process is to select and source fabric and trims for your brand.
Types of Fabric for Clothing
The type of fabric you select for your fashion apparel design will depend on a variety of factors like end-use, cost, sustainability, timing, etc. Aspiring fashion designers should know the difference between knit and woven fabrics.
A knit fabric is made from a continuous interlocking loop of yarn. Knit fabrics are characterized by their stretchability and softer hand feel. A good example of knit fabrication would be a standard t-shirt.
The threads of a woven fabric are interlaced. Woven fabrics generally have more structure. A good example of a woven fabrication would be a button-up blouse.
I’d recommend reading Knit vs. Woven : Learn How to Identify the Two Fabric Types for a more in-depth review of the difference between knit and woven fabrics.
Fiber Composition- Natural vs. Synthetic
A natural fabric would be composed of fibers derived from plants or animals. Some examples include cotton and linen.
Synthetic fabric is man-made and produced artificially with chemical compounds. Some examples include polyester and nylon.
Does this mean natural fabrics are better than synthetic fabrics? Not necessarily.
While natural fabrics are biodegradable and rely on renewable resources, they also require a large volume of water to produce. While synthetic fabrics are generally cheaper and more durable, they also shed microplastics and take centuries to decompose.
There are a variety of ethical tradeoffs to be made when selecting a fabric for your fashion brand. ARD Fashion Consulting specializes in helping its clients pick the right fabric for their business needs while keeping the environment top of mind.
Finding a Fabric Supplier for a Clothing Brand
Once you’ve selected the fabric for your garment, you will need to find a fabric supplier for your clothing brand. If you’ve already selected a fashion apparel manufacturer, they may already have your chosen fabric available.
You can also look for fabric wholesalers utilizing internet searches. I prefer to source new fabrics from in-person fashion trade shows. This allows you to build relationships with vendors and see the fabric in real life before committing to large quantities.
There are many sourcing and production based trade shows, but Premiere Vision and Texworld are great places to start on the East Coast. These are also great places to uncover upcoming fabric trends in the industry.
I’ve worked with many production partners during my career and I will always recommend Deva Fashion Consulting to those looking for a more assisted approach to sourcing and manufacturing.
What is a Tech Pack?
Now that you have your materials, it is time to assemble a tech pack for your manufacturer. A tech pack is a technical document that a designer provides to its manufacturer to create a garment. It includes necessary information like a technical sketch, bill of materials, measurement specifications, size grading, colorways, etc.
Tech packs are one of the most important tools of a fashion designer. Tech packs are the shared language between the designer and the manufacturer to create an error-free product.
An accurate tech pack can save a lot of time and money during the fit and revision process of fashion apparel design. It is the source of information for teams to collaborate to create the best possible product.
As a designer myself, I use Techpacker to house all of my tech pack designs. Use my link to schedule a chat about how you can use Techpacker for your fashion apparel business.
What to Include in a Tech Pack
Technical sketches: See above for the difference between fashion illustrations and technical sketches
Bill of Materials (BOM): A BOM is a list of all the materials needed to create your garment. This section will be highly detailed to include the main fabric, thread, trims, labels, packaging, etc.
Measurement Specifications: All of the points of measurement for your garment including body length, neck opening, chest, armholes, shoulder drop, waist, hips, inseam, etc.
Cost sheet: Each detail of the garment and its associated cost and quantity
This is a great example of what a finished tech pack might look like, provided by Techpacker.
If you are new to fashion design, tech packs are a good place to invest your money to hire professionals like ARD Fashion Consulting. A good tech pack saves time, money, and headaches when it comes to fashion apparel production.
Pattern Grading in the Fashion Industry
Once you have a tech pack, you will need to undergo a fit and grading process. Grading in the fashion industry takes an existing pattern and adjusts its fit proportionally to different sizes. The key to grading is to keep the same shape and fit of the original garment for each size that you offer.
Scaling Your Graphics Appropriately
If your garment features a graphic, you will also need to grade and scale your graphic appropriately to fit the proportions of your garment depending on the size of each graphic. For graphics which are smaller in size, like logos, may not need to be graded.
I’ve made a dedicated LinkedIn post on grading artwork for your apparel pieces, check it out to learn more… While you’re at it, give us a follow for more How-To fashion content!
Designing Apparel for Diverse Bodies
Pending your specific target client, your fashion apparel brand should be designed to fit a diverse set of bodies. It is becoming increasingly important to lead with inclusive design, rather than as an afterthought in the design process.
You should consider using a diverse set of fit models during the fitting process to ensure your garment is tailored to a variety of different body types. It is also relevant to consider the accessibility and adaptability of your clothing for customers with diverse abilities.
It is more challenging and costly for small fashion start-ups to offer diverse size ranges. However, I have found that designing apparel for diverse bodies leads to a better customer experience and likelihood of repurchase.
Sampling your Garments
The sampling process is a place where many entrepreneurs underestimate the investment of time and cost. It is common for apparel styles to require multiple rounds of revisions, especially if you are working with a factory for the first time.
During the sampling process, you should validate each point of measurement so that it matches the tech pack you provided. Something as simple as an eighth or quarter of an inch can make a big difference in the way your clothing fits.
You should also assess the construction and overall execution of your garment. Are the seams and stitching even? Did the fabric take the color as expected? Do the labels include accurate information?
You will need to see the sample ideally on a fit model. A fit model and/or fit form represents the sizing that your brand recognizes as a standard. With a fit model and/or fit form, you will be able to make observations on details like overall fit, length, drape, mobility, etc.
Communicating Revisions to your Manufacturer
You will inevitably have comments and revisions to provide your manufacturer. It can be easy for miscommunications to occur with overseas vendors. That is why it is important to leave clear and specific comments.
I prefer to leave my comments in Techpacker so that I have a record of all the requested edits I have made. The software also allows you to use photos for reference, and the ability to annotate or draw directly on top of any sketch or image. Regardless of what software you use, make sure you keep a record of these edits in writing!
Production of your Garment
Once you’ve finally approved the details of your garment, it is time to produce your clothing.
Sending a Purchase Order to your Vendor
The step separating you from samples to bulk inventory is placing a purchase order from your vendor. A purchase order outlines the exact quantity of inventory you are purchasing broken out by size and color.
As a new brand, it can be difficult to estimate how many of each size you will need. You will adjust your size breaks as you start to sell your product and understand what sizes your customers gravitate towards.
Resources for Fashion Apparel Design
I hope this guide provided you with an idea of what to expect as you begin your clothing brand journey!
If you’d like more assistance designing 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 highlighted in this guide 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!