Before we meet for the first session let’s get set up and ready.
You will need your sketch book to start making any notes or jotting down ideas and you will also need a pouch or ziplock bag to keep any cut out images you find.
Your Sewing Journal will prompt you to think about specific questions as we go along to help you with the creative process, so make sure to make a note of any questions you have before we meet up. I will ask some questions each month that you can use as prompts to help you sort through your thoughts, feelings and inspiration to aide with the design process.
Designing a capsule collection has a structure and many designers work in a similar way.
Starting with the concept. This is the base layer and underpins everything else that you do. It lays the foundations for the colours, fabrics and styles you create. At the heart of the concept is your Why. This is the ultimate reason you are designing this range of outfits and will be the anchor you return to throughout the whole process. We will look at this in more detail in our first session together.
Next comes your palette. This is all about the fabrics and colours you use in your collection of clothing to bring them all together.
At the top of the pyramid is style. This is where you start to look at the details of what you want to make and wear, pockets, collars seam detail all the features that work together to create a well designed garment.
So you can see how everything starts off a little bit vague and abstract, but as we go through the processes you begin to refine your ideas until you reach the conclusion of a range of well designed coherent clothing that fits your Why.
Before we have our first session together you will need to start collecting inspiration. Look through magazines or your own collection of patterns and fabrics at home, and pull out the things that interest you or you feel drawn to. You can also create a Pinterest board of images and share it with me so I can see what you are collecting. It can be specific designers, garments, colours, fabrics or any images that provoke a feeling or emotion in you.
Don’t be too selective just yet, when we get together for our first session we can start to filter through them and see if there is a theme or common thread.
