Although the fashion industry is unpredictable, designers must conceptualize a collection down to the minute details. For designers targeting the modern woman, deciding a collection’s fabric and color theme is of the utmost importance.
Some couture designers, such as Jean-Paul Gaultier and Alexander McQueen, have a theme that inspires the silhouettes and concept of the garments to offer more variety to their couture customers. With contemporary modern fashion designers, more variety in the materials and colors fits best within clients’ lifestyles and buyers’ inventories.
If you’re starting your collection at this step, I would like to advise going through the design process stage first. The initial design process will help you finalize all decisions with confidence and ensure the collection’s cohesiveness.
Once you’ve completed this stage, you can proceed to the materials, fabrics, and color scheme creation process as detailed below.
Jessica Faith Marshall’s snapshot of a silk windowpane print from Mood Designer Fabrics.
How to Establish a Color and Fabric Theme
- Get Inspired: Your fabric selection and color scheme should be driven by the inspiration for the collection. Search for magazine shoots that inspire you, and line them up next to each other. If you step back and take note of the overall colors, prints, and textures, the photographs should give you direction for what colors and fabrics to incorporate.
- Investigate Fabric Sources: Whether you’re familiar with every textile in the industry or you are a first-time designer, it’s beneficial to venture into a fabric store and view your options. Sometimes you will find prints, fabric blends, and colors you’ve never seen before. This may also introduce you to a new fabric family that you will remain loyal to in your brand. Fabric swatches are also an ideal, free tool to staple to your sketches when envisioning the completed sample while still on paper.
- Forecast the Trends: While some designers do not pay much attention to current trends, other designers rely on trends to set the tone and textile selections in their collections. Subscribing to street style blogs in different cities can help you forecast trends for the season you’re designing, and it will help you choose textiles that attract buyers.
Interested in more design processes? Follow me on Facebook and Twitter to discover my latest fashion design tips and business practices. You can also view more of my collections on Jessicafaithmarshall.com. Remember that you can reach out to me and other fashion entrepreneurs right here at Fashion Mingle.
- Austin Mingles at Fashion Mingle’s Holiday Happy Hour - January 6, 2018
- Want to Create an Ethical Fashion Brand? BF+DA Provides a Sustainability Roadmap - November 28, 2017
- Fashion for a Cause: Supporting Caribbean Hurricane Relief - November 7, 2017
- Jarel Zhang Offers Color Blocked Jackets and Bright New Silhouettes During NYFW - October 21, 2017
- Dan Liu Inspires the Modern Feminine Wardrobe with Spring Cocktail Dresses - October 20, 2017