Do you ever wonder how fashion designers come up with new designs every season which resonate with the audience and rage as trends? The concepts are transformed into clothing or accessories through the elements of fashion illustration by fashion designers.

Design, marketing, and management skills are required for these specialists. A fashion designer is needed to think unconventionally and develop creative ideas that will set his or her creations distinct from the competition. If you want to be a successful designer, you must first comprehend these basic concepts and numerous elements of fashion design.

Here we will discuss the elements and principles of fashion design, the meaning and importance of fashion illustration and the steps to start a career in fashion design. Come along to read more about it.

Principles of Fashion Design

In fashion design, the structure is the most important, it is the basis on which each design is imagined. The principles of fashion design are solely dedicated to building a proper structure. There are five important principles of fashion design which includes:

1. Balance

Balance is one of the first principles of fashion, it creates a visual equilibrium. It uses symmetrical and asymmetrical formations which pose the body elegantly. It can be achieved with colour block prints or lines of zippers. The element of balance is dependent on the designer’s imagination.

2.Proportion

Proportion maintains the form of the outfit. Every design has a great value for its proportion, which you can attain by carefully positioning design elements in the outfit you’re making. The only method to determine your design’s ‘ideal proportion’ is to precise and experiment.

3.Harmony

It is necessary to have harmony or unity in one’s design. Now that we know what proportions are, including harmony in them will give life to the designs. An outfit is comprised of different sections, the harmony brings a sense of completeness within these sections.

4.Rhythm

Rhythm in an ensemble can be achieved by the thoughtful placement and consideration of lines, patterns and colours. Rhythm makes the outfit appealing to look at by creating an order in the dress.

5.Emphasis

This principle addresses the usage of essential design elements such as decorations, patterns, prints, or bright colours to draw attention to your creations.

What are the 7 Elements of Fashion Design?

Elements of design are the skeletal structure on which the design of an outfit depends. There are 7 elements of fashion design which change the look of an outfit. When these elements are incorporated thoughtfully, each of them complements the other to create a sense of completeness in the dress. These elements are-

• Colour
• Lines
• Shapes
• Form
• Space
• Texture
• Value

What is Fashion Illustration?

Fashion illustration is the process of transforming your imagination of a design into a 2D or 3D form. These are the visual representations of your designs which are the first drafts during the making of clothing.

It is a form of art which can be done with a pencil, a pen or colours on paper. If you want to skip the messy water colours and smudged pencil strokes, switch to digital arts for styling your designs.

Types of Fashion Illustration

When we dive to explore the question of what is illustration in fashion designing we cannot miss the various techniques it has. Here we will cover some of the important types of fashion illustration examples that are done by modern designers.

1.Rough Sketches

These are the quick sketches when the idea of the dress first hits you. These are rough sketches done within minutes with rough lines which will hold up the ideation of the garment. It mostly focuses on the neckline, sleeves, length and structure of the garment.

2.Flat Sketches

Flat sketching is a technique that is a 2D representation of the design. There is often the first stage of the design where the seams, zippers or buttons are shown clearly. They are linear and, most of the time, done with a pen or a pencil and do not involve colour.

3.Digital Drawing

The digital versions of the sketches are done on Procreate or Adobe Illustrator. The designers have more command over the designs. The mixed set of brushes and other tools makes it easier to give the clothing a realistic look.

4.Rendering

Rendering is done after the garment is drawn on the digital platform, and it needs to include textures for a more realistic appearance. The inclusion of lace or mesh can be done by rendering the image.

5.Croquis

Fashion croquis acts as the template on which the designs can be easily created just by tracing. They are the basic outline of the figure for which the apparel is being made.

How to Start Fashion Illustration Career?

Fashion illustration has a long history which dates back to the 19th century when magazines first started using them as a means of introducing the latest gowns. Nowadays,  the importance of fashion illustration lies in creating eye-catching designs for the audience to grow an interest in the brand.

If you think fashion illustration is something you are interested in, you need to keep some of these key points in mind before taking it up as a profession.

• Truly understand if it is something you want to do in the long-run
• Get a proper education in the field
• Develop a sense of style and try to churn out creative ideas
• Practice your sketching as line drawings or on digital platforms
• Learn 3D software
• Enroll in fashion design internships
• Develop a killer portfolio showing all your skills
• Develop a network in the fashion industry

Final Thoughts

The fashion Industry is a wide platform with a variety of work, be it fashion photography, apparel design or fashion stylists. If you think you are somebody who can crack into this competitive industry and make a name for yourself, look through JD Institute of Fashion Technology’s website. This institute has a 3 -years bachelor’s course in Fashion and Apparel Design that will be the stepping stone to your career and teach you all about the elements of fashion illustration. Visit us online at best fashion designing institute to know more.