Five Resources for Fashion Students to Improve Their Fashion Designs

1. Sketchbooks

A good sketchbook is an investment towards all of the sketches, designs, and experiments you’ll attempt throughout your academic career. Not only will it keep your drawings in one place but it’ll record your progress as you learn new techniques and try different methods. Depending on the type and size of your sketchbook, it’ll be more convenient for on-the-go ideas or more detailed planning, for just pencil sketches or layering mediums, or a mix and match of whatever you prefer.

2. Magazines

Magazines are a great source of inspiration. They convey an accurate image of what brands are advertising and how, what is trending in terms of clothing pieces, accessories, colors, or patterns, and the ways in which established designers are styling. Magazines are a great point of reference for your own work and to stem your ideas from. While any type of magazine works to develop inspiration, a selection of fashion-specific publications will be a better fit to acquire information from based on design, styling, photography, trends, and more aspects.

3. Mood/Vision Boards

Using the same magazines for inspiration, you can also create a mood or vision board for your ideas and designs. A board can be set up in any aspect of your choosing from a specific fashion project to an overall career path or educational purpose. This visual tool can also be applied to other personal areas of your life just to improve your enthusiasm and motivation to achieve the items or concepts included on the board.

4. Machinery

Although these tools are more commonly used in the fashion design field, machinery helps in the process of practicing different techniques and the craft itself. While the first thought may be a sewing machine, the most valuable and accurate tool for you requires some research based on the skill level needed and the end result you’re looking for. Depending on your production equipment of choice and its commonality, it may take more or less time to learn and master.

5. Library

The library – whether a public one or at school – is there to provide you with the information you may need. Although there are unlimited resources on the internet, some resources especially for the fashion field are created in a physical format without a digital version. Istituto Marangoni Miami established Edicola as a resource for its students to find not only books and special or limited edition magazines but also various textile materials for fashion design and interior design. These school-supplied resources are there to inspire and help generate ideas for students’ projects.