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!

Galo Delgado and Liam Alexander, proudly present two distinct visions of fashion in New York City.   This exhibit, on view till March 1, 2013 at Wix Lounge juxtaposes the runways of New York Fashion Week with the New York streets.  The result is a compelling series of work that encompasses New York fashion from the catwalk to the sidewalk.  "Which is street and which is runway? How and why are they similar? As viewers, we are invited to examine not only how the two cultures merge, but more importantly, how they influence each other."  Curator, Ashley GallmanWilliams explores these questions in her notes.  While the exhibit is only up a few more days, you have the opportunity to view and even purchase any of the breathtaking prints here.

Many aspiring designers ask why I think drawing from a live model is so important. They want to be designers, not illustrators. Here are 3 reasons why:

1-For your portfolio.
Your practice and efforts will be evident in your portfolio! Wether you are still trying to get into design school or a working professional of many years, I highly recommend always continuing to develop the hand and eye coordination that comes from drawing. Ask a friend to pose wearing different types of fabrics and study how a stiff wool hangs differently than chiffon, all these subtle understandings of fabric will be communicated in your portfolio. When applying for a job, the final decision maker is often the creative director. This person got to that position because of their eye and intelligence, they will be able to see right through someone who takes their passion seriously by the effort put forth in your portfolio sketches.
2- To be a better designer.
Wether you draw figures by hand or with a computer the more times you've looked at a model and how her clothing drapes her body, the better designer you will be. As a designer your job is to decide how exactly the fabric will fall on the body through your design. This is exactly what drawing a live model forces you to focus on.
3-To get a job in a higher end fashion house.
Another often unmentioned benefit of having beautiful sketches in your portfolio is that you will attract the attention of higher end design houses as that is how they tend to work. If you are happy settling for a job in mass market fashion where you are just making slight revisions of technical flats on a computer all day, then don't worry about your figure sketches. But if you aspire to work in a designer company where all the head designers present their ideas in quickly rendered figure sketches like Ralph Lauren or Michael Kors then you must keep at your drawing skills. I was never the best at drawing but after hours and hours of practice I was finally able to come up with a style and workflow that clearly communicated my designs. With practice you'll be able to accomplish this too!
One last point for those who just find drawing very difficult. If you've really given it your best shot and feel that drawing and sketching is not your strength, there is a way to make up for it. Make sure your draping, pattern making, and sewing skills are up to par. Original samples of fabric techniques or knitted swatches in your portfolio can more than make up for illustrations that are not effectively communicating your skills. Everyone is different, as a designer you will not have time to drape every single idea, this is why sketching is important. However there have been many great designers who are well know for very basic flat sketches, their strength is in the pattern making and construction of their design. Claire McCardle is a great example of this. Alexander McQueen is also well know to do his entire design process by draping on a dress form. You will each find your own way, test, explore, and don't get hung up on what doesn't come naturally, with determination, an unstoppable attitude, and some raw talent you will figure it out!

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.  

Ok, so to be honest getting inspired was probably the easiest aspect of preparation for this competition.  As soon as I heard there was a design competition involving the use of cotton madras plaid, I knew exactly what I wanted to design.  Claire McCardell is one of the reasons I chose to pursue a career in fashion at Parsons.  Her clothes are that perfect balance of effortless elegance that is so flattering.  She is particularly well know for her use of cotton plaids and stripes, and matching the lines in perfect mitered seams.  She loved natural casual fabrics and transformed them into the chicest ensembles.  Modern women's sportswear will be forever in debt to this innovative designer.  While the mainstream still followed European couture Claire McCardell was more concerned with the practical needs of the modern woman, but she never compromised elegance.  Her timeless designs are still some of the chicest around!  Don't you agree?  

Thanks to all that voted for my design on Ecouterre's DIY with IOU Project & Source4Style Competition!
I promised to post all the steps involved in the design process of this design and I will start tomorrow!
I will also have some very exciting news to come about the production of this dress!

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.