Clothing design is a fun and creative way to express yourself. Inspiration can come from many places, including visual art, something you want but can’t find in stores, or combining current styles to make new looks.
Outlining a person for each sketch can be difficult, so most designers use a figure template (called a croquis) to help them draw with proper proportion. Then comes pattern making, a necessary step that can be done manually or digitally.
Trending for Spring/Summer 2019
The spring runways gave us a glimpse into the trends that will fill your closet in warmer weather. Whether it’s a new take on a silhouette you love, a trend revival you never expected, or a cool new color palette to fall for, these fashion trends will refresh your wardrobe and prepare you for summer.
The sartorial theme that ran through the shows was one of escapism. From Wes Gordon’s orange twinset at Carolina Herrera to Altuzarra’s laid-back crochet dressing and Paco Rabanne’s sophisticated Balearic style, the spring 2019 season was full of styles that made you want to jet away.
Plaids, stripes and checks were big for AW18 and it looks like they’ll be bigger still for spring. From the more refined plaid blazers at Off-White to the rainbow striped playsuit at Paco Rabanne, plaid is an easy way to add pattern to your look.
Another print that’s taking a fresh spin is tie dye. While it’s often associated with surf bums and ageing hippies, the psychedelic swirls went from far out to totally in at the end of 2018, thanks to the likes of Dior and Stella McCartney. This summer, the tees and dresses you’ll see everywhere will be more luxe than your mom’s old ones, with embellishments and lace adding a more sophisticated edge to this unexpected style MVP.
Clashing prints is also a major trend for this season. From polka dots over checked shirts to animal print dresses paired with a striped blazer, this is a trend that’s destined for the bold and brave, so don’t be afraid to try it out.
If you’re not into clashing patterns, there’s another print to try this season that’s just as big: grown-up neon. This eighties takeaway has been given a more mature renovation by designers such as Ashish, Emilia Wickstead and Natasha Zinko. At Emporio Armani, it’s even worked into the all-in-one power suit trend we saw on the runway.
Cut-Outs
With celebrities like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner promoting cut-out dresses, the trend has reached an all-time high. Whether it’s circles, thigh-high slits or even pelvic cutouts, the peekaboo design has sparked a fascination among fashion fans. But despite its sexy appeal, the cut-out has more to offer than mere sensuality. It can also symbolize the desire for self-expression and the rejection of rigid body standards.
Although cut-outs have been a prevalent fashion trend for the past couple of years, they made a comeback with more vigor this season on both the runways and streets. According to F-Trend’s analysis, this trend has seen a more than 8% rise compared to the past five catwalk seasons.
A variety of designers incorporated this sexy style into their collections, including Off-White ™, which paid tribute to Virgil Abloh with repeated holes in knitwear pieces. Peter Do reworked this concept with wide-legged jeans, and MSGM used star-shaped cutouts on hoodies and tees. Yoon from AMBUSH opted for a more creative aesthetic with her heart-shaped cutouts on animal print pants.
But it’s the younger generation of designers who are embracing this sexy trend with a more progressive mindset. Karoline Vitto designs with a focus on showing natural body curves and shapes instead of concealing them. Sinead O’Dwyer, on the other hand, refuses to follow the common workflow by starting with a standard model size. She believes that every body is unique and that it’s a designer’s job to make clothes for all kinds of bodies.
Denim
Denim is a sturdy cotton twill fabric that is usually blue in color but can be dyed any color. It is created by weaving horizontal threads of cotton (known as the weft) through vertical threads of cotton (known as the warp). The result is a rugged and strong fabric that is known for its distinctive diagonal parallel lines, also called ribbing.
The name ‘denim’ comes from a French town, Nimes, where the fabric was first created. It was originally created as a heavy serge fabric, and named ‘serge de Nimes’ or’serge from Nimes’. The weavers who created it tried to reproduce cotton corduroy, but they failed, and instead came up with the enduring fabric that we know as denim today.
When it comes to designing jeans, there are several things to keep in mind. First, the fabric must be thick enough to hold up against wear and tear. It must also be tightly woven to prevent stretch and shrinkage. It’s also important to use fabrics that are sustainable and ethically produced, since the manufacturing process for denim can be quite toxic for human workers.
It’s also crucial to design jeans with a good fit. To ensure this, it’s necessary to test the pattern by sewing up a sample in shell form with muslin or calico before the final product is sewn up. Once the prototype is tested, it’s time to move on to the next stage of the design process. This involves sketching the style on a figure template, called a croquis, to ensure accurate proportion and depiction of movement. This is an essential step, and one that I never skip! Once the sketches are refined it’s time to create a sewing pattern.
Geometric Prints
Geometric prints are all the rage this spring. Triangles, octagons, and trapezoids may have seemed uncool in geometry class, but they’re totally hip on a floral or polka dot print dress. Designers have taken this pattern trend to the next level, incorporating angular shapes into pieces that modernize gingham and plaid patterns. For example, MSGM incorporated rhombus shapes into its sweaters for a fresh take on the classic argyle pattern. And Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy used rectangular patterns in a similar manner to modernize tartan prints.
Another way to implement geometric designs is to use them as borders. This is an easy way to add structure and complexity to a piece without sacrificing the overall style of your design. To make a border even more eye-catching, try using a contrasting color scheme to break up the shape and create an illusion of depth. This technique is also useful for separating the different sections of a piece of clothing.
You can also use a geometric pattern as the background for a text box or header image. Or you can create a more organic look by adding a textured effect. To do this, overlay a geometric pattern over a photo. Then use a gradient to create a color palette that works well with the patterns.
If you’re looking for ways to incorporate geometric patterns into your designs, check out our Geometric Pattern Bundle. It’s a collection of high-quality, commercially licensable vector patterns that can be used in a variety of applications. Plus, they come in a range of colors so you can find the perfect one to suit your style.
Bold Back Prints
Reclaiming the space often left unused on the back of clothing, this season’s bold back prints showcase larger designs than those seen on the front of a garment. From a swirling paisley fit for a garden picnic to a tropical floral that speaks to summer vacations, playful patterns are quintessential to warm weather styles.
If you’re not quite ready to dive into a bold print dress, try adding denim or another layering piece to take the oomph off the look for a more casual style. Also, remember that a bold color doesn’t always mean a bold print. For example, the red and white floral dresses in this trend feature more red than white (like a polka dot or pinstripe). This helps the overall pattern feel subtle.
