• fashion
• 29 September 2022

The Best Books for Fashion Designing

1. The Fashion Designer Survival Guide

   This guide is the best fashion design book for beginners. It works as a handbook for aspiring designers throughout the world. It has both inspirational anecdotes from the industry and hands-on practical information. It’s authored by Mary Gehlhar, who has consulted with many leading designers, such as Zac Posen, during her career. 

   Readers will learn how to create and sustain a career as an independent designer. The book has both behind-the-scenes stories, as well as essential business information such as:

   • How to create a workable business plan

   • The best sources for materials

   • The downfalls of producing clothes at home and abroad

   • How to work with the media

   • Working with celebrities

   • Creative PR techniques

   • Producing an effective runway line

2. The Fashion System

   One of the best books on fashion design is The Fashion System. It analyses the industry through a new lens and delivers a refreshing take on how it functions. This French book is bold, imaginative, and witty. It was first published in 1967 but is still a humane and stimulating read today. The author uses a structural analysis of the language used to describe women’s clothes in magazines. He goes on to identify economics as the underlying reason for the colorful language used in these magazines. He says, “Calculating, industrial society is obliged to form consumers who don’t calculate; if clothing’s producers and consumers had the same consciousness, clothing would be bought (and produced) only at the very slow rate of its dilapidation.”. It’s a must-read fashion design book for beginners.

3. Portfolio Presentation for Fashion Designers

   This is a basic fashion design book for those looking to gain practical knowledge. It’s a collection of illustrations and information about creating a stunning portfolio. A designer’s portfolio is their calling card – it’s what they will be known for before anything else. A strong portfolio is important for new students embarking on their journeys, for those trying to re-enter the job market, and for those who want to improve their existing portfolios. The book has examples of sketches, photographs, drawings, and illustrations that focus on both creative and logical aspects of fashion. Different chapters are explaining which skills and techniques must be highlighted to stand out from their competition. The reader will learn how to make a portfolio digitally, what it must cover, tips on creating a collection for a specific market, and clues on how to prepare for interviews.

4. Fashion Design Essentials: 100 Principles of Fashion Design

   If one has a head buzzing with questions about this industry, they must read this book. It has 100 insights that explain the most important questions and define crucial concepts. Each is supported by a beautiful illustration of a real-life fashion design. One can learn reputation building, textile selection and quality, and much more. This book is especially useful for college students, as it’s recommended by dissertation writing experts. It’s a treasure chest of knowledge from people who have years of experience in this industry. It acts as a great starting point for designers of all levels. This book is a must for those looking for insights on:

• • • Sewing skills and how to construct garments
    • Understanding textiles and fabric selection
    • How to find the right audience and build a reputation

The Fashion Sketchbook

Another important practical aspect to imbibe is the art of sketching. It’s not enough to just have a fashion drawing book. That’s how designers express their ideas to others. It’s safe to say that fashion illustration is the backbone of fashion design. This book provides advice,examples and more. One can learn how to set and draw body posts, create body forms,draw accessories that flatter them, and other essential sketching techniques. This book is great for those who need to excel in drawing sketches and illustrations for runways and showrooms.

Writing for the Fashion Business

Not everyone who steps into fashion wants to put on shows. Many want to write about what they see and learn in the industry, too. For aspiring fashionistas who want to learn the art of writing for fashion – this book is a great guide. It explains different writing techniques that suit the fashion industry. This is a good start to learning how to create fashion-oriented content for merchandising, promotions, and more. Now that you’ve gone through this list of best books for fashion design students, you may be wondering how to take things further. The best step for any aspiring student would be to receive training at the best college for design in India.