Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Fashion Drawing Session by Would You Rock This.  Organized by Brandon Graham, and sponsored by the The Fashion Center, I treasure these opportunities to draw from a live fashion model.  As a bonus the garments worn by the model were from the latest SP'2013 collection by the one and only DVF!
You've probably heard me mention more than once how important it is to practice drawing as much as possible.  Developing this skill is MORE important than checking the latest trend on style.com.  Yes, I said it!  Focusing on developing your unique talent and skill through drawing is cumulative and no one can ever take this away from you.  As a student in Parsons by the same teachers that taught Marc Jacobs I was constantly reminded that Marc was never ever seen without a sketch book in hand.  He was constantly drawing and developing his talent, and I don't need to tell you where he ended up!   Developing your hand/eye coordination will help you not just drawing, but in your draping and patternmaking skill.  It's all about taking the time to stop, focus, and look.  What is your vision?  Developing your ability to communicate your skills with clarity and focus will be the determining factor in your ability to stand out.  What drives you?  How do you like to develop your Hand/Eye coordination?  Share in the comments below!

The Edit.
OK, so I had tons of croquis sketches, what next?  The edit.  One of the most important steps in designing your collection.  One of my teachers at Parsons used to say that knowing what not to do is as important  as what to do.  After going through all the croquis sketches, these are the final looks I was most pleased with.  So, for the presentation I did a more detailed final sketch of each look in pencil. Try to think about the layout of each page and how the figures relate to each other.  See if each layout can communicate a story to add depth to your presentation.

DESIGN PROCESS FOR IOU PROJECT COMPETITION
Sketching out my ideas in a croquis sketchbook is my favorite part of the design process.  As you can see it was hard to stop!  I like to have several fashion croquis templates that I have sketched before hand so my design ideas can just flow.  This quick video shows you how I sketch my fashion croquis templates.   When I'm working out concepts I try to focus on design, but since I love to draw, sometimes I just can't help but play around with different styles or techniques.  Which are your favorites?  I personally love the idea of a drawstring madras plaid rucksack in the top left sketch, a close second is the madras plaid motorcycle jacket below.

Usually when I start to design a collection I start with a concept or inspiration and then work my way towards colors and fabrics.  In this case, the collection was designed for the IOU Project competition, so I knew the fabric would be a handwoven madras plaid cotton, in colors of their choosing.