Creation of a Fashion Collection – From Idea to Catwalk

Glamourous. Captivating. Mesmerising. These are the some of the first impressions that come to mind when we see tall, young, beautiful models showcasing the latest designer clothes on the runway.

Despite the glamorous side of fashion, however, there are many elements and a lot of hard work that go into creating a collection.

A fashion collection starts from an idea, a thought, and inspiration. Inspiration can be anywhere and everywhere. It can be our surroundings, people, food, history, art, culture, places and many other things. It’s about creating a story to be played out on the catwalk.

After a designer gets his/her inspiration and chooses a theme for the new collection then he/she creates a mood board and storyboard. Mood and storyboards contain images that inspire the designer. Mood boards show the mood of the designer, the story, colour, theme and styling whereas storyboards are more technical. They contain links between images and show how it all comes together.

After coming up with a mood and storyboard, it’s time to start drawing. A designer can come up with as many designs as he/she likes and chooses only the very best of them for the new collection.

The sourcing of fabric and accessories is another task to be done alongside creating the initial drawings. Usually big brands create and print their own fabrics, but for smaller brands you can choose whatever is available in the market place. Some designers tend to source fabric just before creating their rough drawing; some alongside the drawing and for others they source fabric after finishing their drawings and choosing the best fabrics for their collection. 

After the designer choose his/her best drawings then he/she should do technical drawings. Technical drawings usually show the technical side of the garments, along with specifications. This helps in creating the initial patterns for each garment.

After the initial patterns have been created, it’s time to create mock-ups. Mock-ups tend to use cheaper fabrics and are used to create the final pattern.

After creating the final pattern, now it’s time to create the first sample, but creating the first sample doesn’t mean they are the final product. After the first sample, fitting and final changes should be made. Usually each model on the runway is allocated one or more outfits to wear. Fitting can be done according to their body to make the garments look perfect for the final show.

During the show everything from hair and make-up to the runway and music should match with the initial theme. It should be cohesive and tell a story to the audience.

Creating a fashion show involves a lot of dedication and hard work. There are so many people involved: designers, machinists, pattern-makers, models, photographers, event planners, and many more. All of whom work together to make the show glamorous, captivating and mesmerising.

Love

Shiva xx