Fashion Design LCF Summer School Short Course

Topics covered

Introduction to fashion design (week 1)

Through practical exercises and focused discussions, you will research a theme and learn how to develop this into fashion designs. Research will take various formats, and you will collect ideas from digital sources as well as document your ideas in a sketchbook. You will begin to draw and communicate your ideas exploring design principles of silhouette, detail and colour through producing concept boards, design development sheets and eventually developing a small capsule collection of designs.

This week includes:

• Introduction to primary (via virtual exhibition tours) and secondary design research
• Introduction to considering design principles
• How to use a sketchbook to develop your creative work
• Introduction to different drawing and collaging approaches for communicating design ideas
• Creating research and concept boards
• Developing a colour palette
• Exploring different art materials in the context of design processes
• Experimental design analysis
• Range planning
• Producing a final line-up of your own capsule collection

Fashion drawing and illustration (week 2)

In the second week you explore drawing styles and techniques in the context of fashion. We will show you how to express your designs figuratively and get your ideas on paper. You will learn to draw your personal fashion figure, deconstruct and sketch garments, and seamlessly combine figures with clothing. You will also study different methods of illustration and learn conventional and new media techniques. The idea is to find your own visual language and unlock your creativity through experimentation, from concept to completion.

By the end of this week, you will have engaged in a broad range of drawing processes throughout the design process, from initial sketches, technical drawings to final line-up illustrations of your designed collection. You will be able to communicate design ideas more freely and effectively and begin a collection of work for your portfolio.

This week includes:

• Sketching for fashion - where to start?
• Innovative methods for drawing your personal fashion figure
• Gesture, movement and pose
• Drawing hands, hair, faces and feet
• Drawing garments - fashion silhouettes, cut and style of different garments
• Drawing drapery, volume, texture, detail, pattern and depicting different fabric
• Technical drawing - creating a series of flats by hand for your capsule collection designed in Week 1
• Drawing a Line-up of your collection designed in Week 1
• Exploring markers, colour pencils, watercolours, ink, pastels, acrylic, gouache and mobile apps for drawing and illustration
• Exploring your personal illustrating style to accompany your designs - illustrating your capsule collection designed in Week 1

Fashion design - intermediate (week 3)

Week three builds on the skills you gained from week one and will help you develop your understanding of the principles of fashion design and design identity. There will be an emphasis on two-dimensional and three-dimensional experimentation that employ the drawing techniques you have explored in week two. You will work with a variety of readily available materials to explore the principles of design and relating these to the body using actual and digital techniques - including collage and mobile apps - to respond to a second design brief. This will help you consolidate your understanding of fashion design and produce creative design ideas for your second capsule collection, which you can further develop for your portfolio completed in week four.

This week includes:

• Creative development of visual primary and secondary research in a personal response to a fashion design brief
• Developing fabric awareness through exploration of shape, rhythm, texture
• Employing experimental draping approaches (that use ready-made garments and items available to you at home) and photo montage to build design concepts
• Combine collage, drawing and digital techniques to further develop creative possibilities for communicating design ideas
• Analyse and refine experimental design to plan and develop a series of themed concept, consumer profile and design development boards
• Completion of the design of your second capsule collection line up, which you can experimentally illustrate in week four

Portfolio preparation, assembly and presentation (week 4)

In week four you have the chance to finalise and refine your work from the previous 3 weeks and start assembling your Fashion Design Portfolio. You will fine-tune all the work you have developed during this course and transform your two previously designed capsule collections into an exciting, personal and cohesive portfolio.

You will learn how to improve your existing visual research and create a series of compelling mood boards, including concept, colour, fabric, etc. You will learn how to perfect and arrange all your existing work into series of stimulating visuals and design development boards.

This week includes:

• What is a good portfolio?
• Visual Research - how to complete your research and link your work visually
• Interpreting concepts and ideas visually and developing various mood boards
• Perfecting concept boards for both of your projects from Week 1 and Week 3
• Perfecting colour/fabric/consumer boards for both of your projects from Week 1 and Week 3
• Assembling and perfecting your sketches, design development sheets and technical drawings
• Assembling and perfecting your final Line-ups and illustrations for both of your projects from Week 1 and Week 3
• Developing your analogue and digital collage techniques
• Using digital mobile apps for your portfolio
• Finalising your portfolio
  

Learning outcomes

• Build and strength your portfolio to showcase your creative design, illustration and presentation techniques
• Digital badge and certificate of attendance
  

Materials

• A3 layout pad
• A4 or A3 sketchbook
• Pencils
• Fine black fibre tip pens
• Glue stick
• Magic marker or brush pen in the skin colour of your choice
• Camera and film or a digital camera
• Dressmaking pins
• Fabric scissors
• Paper scissors

As part of your research, you will be required to do some printing. Students will be required to put a minimum of GBP 2 in a printing account and pay by debit or credit card - the tutor will advise you during your course. Please be aware you may also need to purchase a small amount of fabric for draping on the stand during week 3.