How To Be  A Fashion Designer

~ The  e-Course ~

Please NOTE!

This Book/Workbook is designed to be a fundamental companion and match for the Online Course 'How To Be A Fashion Designer’, available at Fashion Premier Academy.

Enrolling in the Online Course is essential to fully take advantage of this Book/Workbook.

The Online Course seamlessly integrates with this material, offering a wealth of enriching digital and video resources. Together, they constitute an indispensable partnership, guiding you through the creative journey into your artistic expression.

This Book/Workbook, together with the Online Course, is your compass and map on this exciting adventure in becoming a skilled fashion designer.

This is the Text of the Online Course; it is also a Workbook: a creative and rich part of your learning experience — tools, insights, and exercises supporting your expansion and success as a fashion designer.

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1 ~ Intro

Welcome to "How To Be A Fashion Designer," a course like no other!

Are you ready to unlock the designer within you? Have you've ever wondered what makes a great designer, how to be a great designer, this journey of creativity and discovery is for you.

In this course, I won't just teach you what a designer does; but equally important if not more, you will uncover what makes YOU a designer: What inspires you. What motivates you to create.

We will dive deep into the heart of fashion design, exploring the process of discovering new ideas and new concepts. You will learn how to access and source your unique creativity and translate it into new ideas and designs.

And, if you’re wondering "What makes this course different than other fashion design courses?" Well, this course is about you - your individuality, your vision, and developing your creative voice and style. No two designers are alike, and this course celebrates that diversity and uniqueness.

You see, most schools, as well as instructors, say: “You must first learn sketching, and draping, and fabrics, pattern making, and so on…and then you become a designer”; that’s surface level strategy…, this course is different because FIRST you must take a stand, and make a commitment to being a designer. We’re starting from the inside out.

Yes, we’ll cover sketching, draping, pattern making, branding & marketing, and textiles, and so on. But we'll go beyond the skill set; I will take you on a transformative exploration of your creative self — it’s not really about information, it’s about the transformation that you’ll experience; imagine being able to create and develop your own designs, have your own brand, knowing that the power is in your hands — experiencing that, that’s priceless.

The value of this course is in the transformation. Do you really wish to continue procrastinating, hoping that someday circumstance will change, and you’ll become a fashion designer?  What is the price of not taking action? With this course, you’re empowering your future, and your future starts now. With over 3 hours of material, this course will transform your life.

I get emails from students and they tell me that these courses have revived something that’s been buried inside them, dormant, for a long time, and now they are inspired to pursue that dream that was always there, asleep.

Through a series of engaging exercises, you will have a rich experience of what it truly means to be a fashion designer — to feel certainty instead of doubt.

The fashion industry is made up of many pieces, I call it “a Puzzle”.  At the end of this course when you put all the pieces of the puzzle together, you will have a profound understanding of what it's like for YOU to be a designer, gaining confidence and clarity, and feeling a sense of achievement.

Redefine the way that you perceive fashion designing. Embrace your unique genius as a designer and join this exciting adventure.

The rewards for taking this course will be invaluable, and… it will be fun!  Are you ready?

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2 ~ Being a Designer ~ A Success Mindset

What is Fashion Design? By definition, Fashion Design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing.

But…before we look at what a designer does, we have to look at “being” a designer…What does that mean?… let’s break it down:

~ I want you to start by looking at your mindset, your belief system. What are those core beliefs, consciously or unconsciously, that represent who you are.

~ What is the story that you tell yourself about yourself? Do you have any negative narrative about yourself that prevent you from being a designer? What are the stories and old patterns that don’t serve you anymore, that hold you back from being a successful designer. What beliefs do you operate from… Sometimes these are hidden subconscious thoughts, and beliefs, that you operate from, and you’re not even aware of them.

~ I want you to take a stand, a positive view about who you are as a designer. An empowering and supportive attitude on who you are.

A stand is like a positive affirmation, a powerful statement, that you say to yourself, such as “I am a great designer”, or “I am a creative, successful designer”; and so on…now, be aware of one thing: make affirmations that your subconscious mind will believe and accept, like: “the universe is full of abundance and there are opportunities all around me and I accept these opportunities”; why is this different? well, because the universe IS full of opportunities, you see, and your subconscious mind can and will accept that.

~ See, you could have a great design, right, but if your mindset, …if your mind is set to failure, …like: “Nobody’s going to like my designs”, “Nobody is going to buy my designs”, “I’m too old to be a designer”, “I’m not creative enough”…and so on … I can almost guarantee you that you’re not gonna make it as a successful designer.

~ Create positive empowering affirmations to redefine who you are as a designer. Have the right mindset for success — set your mind to success —  you have to truly believe that you can do this: 100%!  And, you have to be accountable for the results in your life, take responsibility for what’s not working and take action to change it. Successful people take full responsibility for what’s happening in their lives. Stop blaming other people and circumstances as to why you’re not where you want to be. Take ownership, take a stand, and take action.

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3 ~ WHY

There is one more very important factor to address, one more major question for you to answer: WHY. Why do you want to be a designer…..?  Or, why ARE you a designer?

There is a well known author and motivational speaker, Simon Sinek, and he has a terrific TED Talk with over 60 million views and he goes deep in demonstrating and integrating the reason WHY …why we do what we do. That’s important because that becomes your motivation, your purpose, your reason for doing what you’re doing, in this case being a designer.  That should be the motivation for getting up in the morning; for me, my motivation is to support people in living into their highest potential…. that, inspires me to do what I do.

So…I want you to find your WHY, it will be your motivation for you to keep going when things get difficult on your journey.

“He who has a WHY to live for, can bear almost any HOW” — Friedrich Nietzsche

I want you to watch this video that just mentioned, it’s on YouTube — this is part of your homework by the way…so, go watch that TED Talk video…here’s the link:

https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en

~ Homework:  OK, so…it’s time for your first homework, and possibly the most important one! So, take this seriously:… write down your stories, your reasons and excuses,…your negative beliefs, … where you sabotage yourself.

— I want you to turn these negative views into positive ones. Write down your positive attributes. And if you have a vision board visualize those inspiring images on that board.

And if you want to go even deeper with this exercise, visualize the future version of yourself, the version that you want to be, take a quantum leap and embrace that version of yourself; if you do any type of journaling write it all down — integrate and incorporate this positive vision, this stand, this commitment, and make this your starting point.

Where the mind goes, creativity flows.

Take your time, and do your homework!

Yes, I know, we still haven’t talked about what a designer DOES, trust me, we will.

But first we have to start from this work. These are the building blocks, the foundation of what you will create.  And if you want to create a strong, long-lasting brand, we have to start from this work. Start from the inside out.

(See you in the next video).

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4 ~ What Skills and Qualification To Cultivate As a Fashion Designer

Over the years, students have asked me many questions regarding a career in fashion design and about the industry in general. I have compiled these questions that you have consistently asked me, and throughout this course, I’m going to answer these questions for you; for example…here is one:

~ What Skills and Qualification Should A Fashion Designer Have.

Let’s go through a few of them:

~ Creativity — You should have a sense of discovery and curiosity about new things, making things, building things, or maybe you played “dress-up” with your mom’s clothes at a young age, maybe you were always looking at fashion magazines or watching old classic movies like Casablanca, or Breakfast at Tiffany… maybe you were good in your art class, you liked to draw and sketch and paint, and you’re artistically inclined… I was always drawing and painting and growing up in Rome, in Italy I was surrounded by art… And when my mom got a new sewing machine, I started playing with it like it was toy.

Regarding movies, a few movies that I do recommend are: Dior and I, Coco before Chanel, The Great Gatsby, Valentino the Last Emperor, The Devil Wears Prada.

Another quality for you to cultivate is your ~ Commitment to Success — The fashion industry is a challenging industry to navigate and you will encounter challenges and situations that could potentially throw you off-track and make you want to give up, so you must have a strong sense to succeed … no matter what, a commitment to success: stamina, strength, will-power, determination — when things get tough, keep going!

Like the famous basketball coach once said: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard”.

Also important asset to develop is ~ Leadership and Communication Skills — As a designer you don’t work alone, you don’t work in a vacuum, you work with a team. Now, if you’re just starting out, you don’t have a team… but eventually you’ll likely have an assistant, a seamstress, a pattern maker… you will deal with fabric companies, and work with factories that sew the garments for you, and so on… so communication is very important. You must learn to delegate responsibilities, you have to communicate to your team what you want, what’s in your imagination and how to translate that into reality,… and…you need to learn to support your team, so that your team supports you!

Along with the creative aspects, another competence for you to build up is your ~ Business Skills — Now, for some of you this might be too early in your journey, if you’re just starting out you don’t have a business yet, but, it is always a good idea to set a strong business foundation and groundwork, even if you’re just starting out. You have to develop some basic business competence or… hire somebody, maybe a business partner, to handle the business side of the company.  Having great designs and ideas and not having a business structure in place or a weak one, the business will fail.

Another skill to develop is ~ Being Aware Of New Trends — When it comes to trends, you can either embrace them and ride the trend or rebel and go against it, either way you have to aware of what new trends are happening in the market, what new colors, new fabrics, what new silhouettes, new proportions, etc…

There have been many designers who have gone against the trends, designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Betsy Johnson, and even Coco Chanel, yes, Chanel is now a major top commercial brand but back in the day, Coco Chanel reinvented fashion by taking away and stripping all those corsets and bustiers and petticoats that women wore back then — she was a rebel, a revolutionary, and shifted the course of fashion history.

And it was Coco Chanel who said: “Fashion trends come and go but style is timeless”.

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5 ~ Tools and Supplies Needed For Fashion Designing:

(show video of Tools…)

“What tools and supplies are necessary for these classes as well as… to pursue fashion designing”?

Before we start the actual courses… we need tools and supplies..

Here is a short video that will show you what you need. Let’s look.

And all these tools/supplies are available on my Amazon Store…

I’ll put the link here in case you need to get more information, and so on…:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/ninovia

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6 ~ Creating and defining your own individual style as a Designer.

On your journey as Designer, you must define yourself as Artist — who are you as an artist? Your designs are an extension of who you are as an artist. True designing comes from a deep part of you and this next exercise will help you get there.

You have to know what you like and what you don’t like — discovering these insights, defining this framework and using it as a backdrop, is the beginning of your creative process.

Remember that fashion is a form of self-expression, used to express identity and personal style. These exercises will help you find and develop your authentic voice, your individual style.

So, I’m going to label this the incubation and preparation phase.

~ I call this next exercise: “What Do You Like”

Now, if you have taken my Course: “Create A Fashion Collection & Launch Your Brand”, you might have seen this exercise already, but, here’s the thing: in fashion design each season is a new collection, a new statement, in other words you might have liked purple last season but next season it’s a total new theme. So, this process is a reflection of you right now!

This exercise is made up of 10 Questions. There is no right or wrong answer here, it’s about finding what your aesthetic style is — what do you like.

Here are the questions: I’m going to read the questions… you will pause the video… and answer each question… ok?

1. What is your favorite Designer(s)

2. What is your favorite store(s) — if money was not an issue….

3. What is your favorite time period.

4. What is your favorite movie.

5. What is your favorite magazine(s).

6. What is your favorite musician. Music artist. Band.

7. What is your favorite color.

8. What is your favorite silhouette.

9. What is your favorite type of fabric: chiffon, satin, lace, velvet, …

10. What is your favorite textile design: stripes, solid colors, polka dots, floral…

Feel free to add any additional items, ideas, etc.

Now, take all these “things that you like”, all these elements, and imagine putting them all in one big pot, and stir it all together, mix it all up into one big collage, one big tapestry…: this is a reflection of your artistic style, …at this moment, …it could change, or evolve over time, but right now, this is a symphony of your artistic essence.

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7 ~ Creating a Fashion JOURNAL

There is another practice that I want you to incorporate in your designing, and that is: creating a Fashion Journal, a fashion notebook, almost like a Diary.

I want you to buy a journal, with blank pages — this is part of your homework, by the way! — and start filling it with everything that you find exciting and inspirational … it will be used to fuel your creative flow when it’s time to start your next designs.

Include pictures, fabrics, buttons, swatches, words, yes, like poetry, sketches, a new lipstick color, a new hair style, your favorite music artist and what he or she is wearing on stage, a song you heard to be used as future reference, and on and on.  As an artist, this will be a pool of ideas that’s always there and available as a source of inspiration.

Look at it like a collage of your favorite things. It will also help you define your style, your own personal unique voice.

The pages of this journal are part of your journey, where each new item that you include, adds to the tapestry of your artistic expression. Fashion Design is not just about clothing: it’s a canvas for self-expression, where you have the power to turn fabric into poetry, colors into emotions, and stitches into stories.

This is your personal space where you can express, experiment, and explore without limits. Sketch new outfits, draft future collections, or simply paste images that resonate with your style –  it's about visually capturing the essence of your fashion dreams.

Fashion is always evolving, always becoming, and so are you.  Inspiration and ideas are all around you, you just have to be present and conscious — be like a sponge: absorb everything!  Be aware — ideas come from everywhere!

I have one that I use,… that I have designed, and you can purchase one on my Amazon Store:  https://www.amazon.com/shop/ninovia

… it’s very simple…and basic…I kept it this way because if you use it right, you should be going through these journals every few months,,, but anyway…. go and get a journal,…And remember… to have… fun!

start your fashion journal.  And remember… to have… fun!

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8 ~ The Courses: Learning the Curriculum

Ok… We are ready to dive into what a Designer does…  the nuts and bolts of designing… the technical classes that I’ve mentioned, …the sketching, and draping, pattern making, branding, …and so on…

~ Now, listen up: I’d like you to think of a DESIGN that you could potentially make by the end of this course.

Now, I could pick a design for you but…it all depends on where you are on your journey — some of you are brand new at this, just starting out… and some of you have some knowledge of pattern making, garment construction…  some basic sewing….

So I think it’s better if I leave it up to you… to decide what YOU want to MAKE… based on your knowledge and experience. Besides, what if I pick something and you don’t like it (that wouldn’t be good)…

With these classes, and the tools, and the material that we’ll cover in this course, I want you to make something… end up with something you will be proud of, …and…  feel a sense of accomplishment.

There are approximately 10 Courses to cover…

There is a course on Fabrics.

There is a course on Draping.

There is a course on Sketching.

There are several course on Pattern Making and, so on…

And each course has about 10 classes, 10 modules.

And the way I’m going to introduce and share these courses and classes with you, is like this:

I will show you the first 3 (or 4) classes, of each of the courses available… for example:

I will show you the first 3 classes of Draping, and 3 classes of Pattern Making, and 3 classes of Sketching… so on…by doing this you will get 2 things:

~ First, you will learn the subject matter, the material of the course: what it is, what it does, and the benefits of learning that subject… and …

~ Secondly, you get to see if that’s something you want to learn more of or not …..

In other words…  If you look at the first 3 video-classes of say Draping, for example, and you say to yourself: “Wow, this is really great, yes, I think I’d like to enroll in the entire 10-classes”,… then, great, you can do that; but you say: “Nah, this is not for me”, then you can just skip it, and move on to the next subject. Get it?

Ok… Let’s get started…

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9 ~ Starting with the FABRIC Course.

We’re going to start with the FABRIC Course.  Fabric is key in creating a design, the most important element of design… and for many designers it all starts with fabric. and you’ll see why in the next video… Choosing the right fabric for the right design is critical in the execution of the design.

Fabric is something you really have to experience… I know, it sounds very  cliche’ but it’s true…. You see: you have to touch fabric to know what it can and cannot do.

And yes, there’s Homework at the end of these classes.

And the Homework is:

~ Homework: Go to your local fabric store and buy 2-3 yards of your favorite fabric (or more than one fabric) and think of what you’re going to make with it…,

Remember, we said that YOU are going to make something in this course, right?… if you can… if this is still very new to you, if you have no idea what to make… …well..put it aside for now and later on in this course, once you learn some technical skills, maybe you will use it and make something with it.

I alway tell my students: “Let the fabric talk to you”. … I know… it sounds kind of weird right?… but, you see… you have to LIKE the fabric, right?… going back to what we were saying about “What you like…..”

You might not know at the moment what you’re going to do with it, what you’re going to make… but later on, an idea will spark… and you will make something with it.

So, here are some of the Classes in the Fabric Course.

Alright… here we go.

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10 ~ What Do You Want To Design: Who Is Yourt Customer

Ok, let’s do a little re-cap here… You’ve watched the classes on Fabrics… you bought your fabric… you are thinking of what to make with it…which leads to the next question: what do you want to make?  What do you want to design? And who is your customer? …who is going to wear it…

You can’t just design at random, there is always a prospective buyer at the end of your designs and knowing who that customer is, defines what you’re designing, who you’re designing for, and… who’s going to wear it, what’s the occasion…

There are several categories that we’re all familiar with, such as:

Do you want to be the next Calvin Klein? That is known as Ready-to-Wear — a combination of mix-and-match.

Or do you want to be the next ‘Lululemon’… Activewear, or Athletic wear —

Or do you want to design Bridal wear — creating elaborate designs, working with layers of lace, chiffon, taffeta, crepe-de-chine, satin, etc.

Or…Do you love Children’s wear…

Or… Men’s wear — menswear is usually a more conservative market, it’s not as creative or eccentric as women’s wear, but… let’s hear it for the men. LOL

There are also sub-categories such as Gothic fashion, and Vintage, Punk, and Boho-chic if you like bohemian hippy influences.  Of course we can’t leave out Haute Couture, which literally translated means High Fashion, like Dior for example, creating exclusive custom-fitted high-end limited edition fashion items.

The point is this: You have to know what you want to design, and who is going to buy your designs, who is your customer.

Having a clear awareness of this, will help you to stay focused and create a cohesive collection. Knowing “who is your customer” is, essential in the success of a brand.

The designing process gives you two options: you can start with the fabric and be inspired by the fabric and create something… or… you can sketch something and then find the fabric best suited to achieve that result.

So, you see, sketching and fabrics go hand in hand — but you get to decide the best approach, depending on what you prefer.

Also, I have mentioned that there are several Pattern Making Courses.

Pattern Making 1 deals with basic principles and techniques…

Pattern Making, Part 2 deals with Yokes and Stripes…

Pattern Making, Part 3 deals with Collars, Necklines, and Bias,

Part 4 deals with Sleeves including how to draft a basic sleeve from scratch… and...

Part 5 is a bit more advanced where I incorporate drafting AND draping…

~ So, if YOUR design has some of these elements you might want to wait till we cover those courses… or… you might be inspired to change the original design and update it… which is also part of the designing process… part of the evolution of a design.

So, Let’s look at The SKETCHING Course next.

And, just like the Fabric Course… I will show you a few Sketching classes so you get a simple basic technique on the sketching process.  OK?

11 ~ The SKETCHING course.

Continuing with the idea that you will make something by the end of this course, right, I want you to sketch your idea(s) after watching these classes, …

Many times in the process of sketching, …if you are deep in the process, and focused, you come up with subtle details… making your design unique and precise.  And… it gives you the advantage of looking at it objectively …and see if that’s really what you want or not: Do you like it? Do you want to change something?

~ Homework: I want you to sketch at least one idea, something simple…

And if this is very new to you, and you feel you don’t have enough practice, do it anyway, it doesn’t have to be perfect — “Just do it”.

Motivate yourself to start, so that at the end of this course you will have accomplished your goal as a designer, and feel a sense of achievement.

Ok,… let’s take a look at the Sketching Classes.

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12 ~ Can I Teach Myself Designing ~ How Do I Become A Fashion Designer

Another question I get asked a lot is: “Can I Teach Myself Fashion Designing ~ How Do I Become A Designer”?

We live in the age where information is readily available to you, where just about everything is online so, the short answer is: yes, you can teach yourself designing online by finding and working with a great teacher and coach.

Working with a mentor, an instructor, one-on-one, either in person or using a platform like Zoom for example, is so valuable because a good instructor can look at your work in real time and critique your work accordingly; a good experienced mentor/instructor will be able to look at your designs and give you valuable feedback and sometimes even a slight subtle suggestion can take your design from good to great.

My second suggestion is that you find an internship. An internship is where you get to work at a company, a lot of times for free. There is nothing like working in the real world — there are situations that come up and circumstances that occur in real life that you can never learn in a classroom situation. Classroom is great for learning theory but when it comes to practical experience, there is nothing like working in the “real” world.

Even students who attend major Universities, when they graduate, they usually start with an internship, it’s a great starting point and you learn a lot from simply being surrounded by co-workers and associates, and if they are generous and willing to share their knowledge and experience with you, that is gold!

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13 ~ The PATTERN MAKING course.

Ok, let’s look at some Pattern Making classes.  What is Pattern Making?

Pattern Making is the blueprint of your garment. A pattern is used as a template to cut out fabric in order to sew a garment. It also gives you the ability to understand how the pieces of the garment all fit together.

Learning Pattern Making will make you a better designer: you will approach designing from a different point of view and it will empower your designing skills, you will learn how to achieve certain shapes and silhouettes that you wouldn’t have known otherwise.

Pattern making is the bridge between your ideas and production — you need a pattern in order to make a garment. Period.

As I have mentioned before…There are several Pattern Making Courses that I will cover in THIS course.

In this first one we’ll deals with the basic principles of pattern making, such as dart manipulation… and some basic techniques like pivoting and slashing and spreading.

~ Homework: Watch the videos, and practice what you have learned in these classes.

Now… again depending on what your knowledge and experience is in designing, you are either overwhelmed or… you are familiar with these principles, …right… Use this information and apply it to your design. After watching these videos you might want to adjust your design so that you can apply these techniques to your design, or use these techniques to enhance your design by modifying it. ok?

So, again the idea is to learn from these classes so that at the end of this course you will feel a sense of accomplishment.

So, let’s take a look at the first Pattern Making Course, Part Making 1, and some of the classes…

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14 ~ What Types of Jobs Are Available in the Industry

Here’s another question: “What Types of Jobs Are Available in the Fashion Industry”.

I have referred to this industry as one big puzzle, right, with extensive number of job opportunities and different categories.

For example even within the category of fashion design there is what is known as a Technical Designer, where you get to work with digital programs such as CAD/Computer Aided Design and work with 3-D Models, and you work with Adobe Programs like Illustrator and Photoshop, and Printing on Fabric, and so on…

There is also a Stylist. A Stylist doesn’t necessarily design the actual clothes, a good stylist is able to put together a “look” by combining different items, different pieces of clothing, different tops with different bottoms in such a way to create a new look, sometimes different then what the designer had in mind — and by adding accessories like scarves, hats, shoes, jewelry and so on, you’re inventing, creating new and different styles.

~When I worked at Ralph Lauren, in preparation for the fashion shows, all the assistants would gather and collaborate on putting together different looks, trying different variations on a model and see what works best.  And when you have a 500-piece collection, you have a lot of options, a lot of possibilities in creating so many different styles.

And if you like buying clothes, (I mean, who doesn’t, right?), maybe being a Buyer could be very exciting for you — you get to have a budget and purchase merchandise for a specific store or a chain of stores or your own store.

Another job is: working at a Public Relation Agency known as a P.R. Agency where you get to put together fashion shows, promoting a Brand in different media channels and work in Social Media, marketing the Brand.

Then there is Etsy. Etsy is an e-commerce store, meaning you can have your own store, online, where you buy and sell items, on your e-store.

If you want to be independent and you are on a very low budget…There is Print-on-Demand. Just like the title says: the item gets printed, gets made, when there is a demand, in other words: If you had a Print-on-Demand business, the customer buys something online from your online store, and THEN the item gets made.  The beauty and the advantage of this is that you don’t have any inventory, you don’t need a warehouse full of the clothes, hoping that they will sell.  It is a very profitable business structure and if you’re just starting out, this could be a great way to start.

~ I have a print-on-Demand store called “InfiniTEE”, it’s a collection of T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and other items that I have designed using a company called: Spreadshop …here are some of the designs… The designs get uploaded to their website, they are printed when someone makes a purchase, and it’s shipped to the customer who bought the item.

If promoted successfully, this business structure can generate major cash flow.

So, these are just some of the different types of jobs… there are many many more…

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15 ~ The DRAPING course.

Let’s take a look at Draping.  Draping is the technique of pinning and manipulating fabric unto a dress form in order to create a design, and then make a pattern for that design.

It also gives you freedom to come up with completely new ideas simply by trying different ways to manipulate fabric — it can be a very creative process.

The thing with draping is that you need a dress form, if you don’t have one, I strongly suggest you get one.

I invite you to look at videos of the old masters like: Yves Saint Laurent, where you see him draping, using actual fabric, on a real live model, and…wow, it’s quite amazing! It’s inspiring.

Most of the time designers use a fabric called muslin to drape.  Muslin is very inexpensive, so even if you make mistakes… it doesn’t matter because the muslin gets thrown away, anyway.

~I have a little story for you.  When I applied to go to FIT-Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, I went in for the interview process, and we were all in one room, with one instructor, and one of the things he asked us to do was to drape something on a dress form; he gave us 3 yards of fabric and he said: “Make something”. I had no idea what he was talking about. Fortunately for me,

growing up in Rome and studying the Roman Empire and the Emperors and their togas, I was able to whip the fabric around the dress form a few times here, and there, enough that it looked like a costume for Julius Caesar. The teacher comes around to check, I look at him, he looks at me, I can see a “Wow! OMG” look on his face — and I think he was very impressed, and must have approved it because I did get into FIT.

~ Homework: Well, the homework for these classes really depends on whether you have a dress form or not.  If you do, start draping! …watch the videos and you’ll know what I mean…If you do have some experience in designing, try to drape the design that you have sketched in the Sketching classes, or just have fun and experiment with the draping process, try something you’ve never done before — and…have fun!

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16 ~ How To Stay On Top Of Trends

We’ve mentioned trends several time, so the question is: How Do We Stay On Top Of Trends.

The European VOGUE publications are still the most iconic and influential: French Vogue, which is now known as Vogue Paris or Vogue France; there is Italian Vogue, or Vogue Italia; and we have British Vogue, and of course there is American Vogue.

Whether you subscribe online or buy the actual paper version, I suggest you start subscribing to those publications, they are the trend setters, they are on the cutting edge of the fashion industry and you always want to stay ahead of the curve and learn about the latest colors, silhouettes, styles and so on.

Vogue has a great Online version called Vogue Business, if you visit they LinkedIn Page, you can “Follow”

And the same goes for WWW- Women’s Wear Daily. The publication itself has been around for about 100 years and again, if you go on their LikedIn Page you can join over 400,000 Followers; based out of New York, they have over 500 employees expressing the voice of the Industry, working on the latest trends, events, and business affairs.

Of course there is also Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, and InStyle.

In the back of every fashion magazine there is what is known as the “Editorial Section” where the magazine gets very creative and puts together a photoshoot known as a “story” or “theme”, and gets very artistic, hiring top photographers, models, stylists etc. and puts together a layout, aka spread, expressing their creative voice — a world where fashion meets art.

Many times that is very inspiring — seeing those images in a magazine could spark an idea for your next design, or the theme for your next collection, and you get to see what new trends are coming up… In my “Branding & Marketing course” I go into details about the “editorial” section of a magazine.

Of course, we can’t discuss trends without talking about the importance of Social Media; if you’re still on the fence about Social Media, get over it — websites and platforms like Instagram are presenting fashion shows, now streamed live. Social Media is the new Ad Agency — use it wisely. Follow influential bloggers. Follow the latest fashion shows.

Also, take a day and visit your favorite stores, see what’s new out there in the marketplace. Or go to a museum, or an art exhibition.

See you in the next video.

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17 ~ “Ask Nino Via” ~ video: Grading

I want to show you a segment from my YouTube Channel called:

“Ask Nino Via”, where I get to answer your questions.

In this particular video I answer a student’s question regarding a technique called ‘Grading’.

Grading in fashion designing is when you take size 8 for example and you make it into bigger sizes or smaller ones…

Let’s take a look…

https://youtu.be/WSBEbU1gNGM

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18 ~ The PATTERN MAKING - Part 2 course.

Pattern Making - Part 2 is a continuation in the Pattern Making series, it explores additional techniques to add to your skills. It deals with working with stripes, working with yokes, going over design element, etc…

Here are some of the classes…

And yes, you have Homework…

~ Homework: Practice these Pattern Making skills and techniques and Apply them to your design… see if you can incorporate these new ideas into your design….the design that you have been working on… or start a new design, so that by the end of this course you will have made several designs. Now, that would certainly be a sense of accomplishment. Right?

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19 ~ What Subjects Should I Be Studying To Be a Good Designer

Another question that many students have asked me is:

“What Subjects Should I Be Studying To Be a Good Designer”.

We’ve been covering the major subjects: Sketching, Draping, Pattern Making,…  — those are all part of your skill set…

But there are other subjects that you should study, like:

~ Merchandising & Marketing — Once you have your designs, you need to promote and sell them to the world.

Merchandising explains to a specific customer group why your line contains the right product, at the right time, at the right price — that’s what merchandising is.

And Marketing is the process of advertising your line to a desired target audience. Embrace Social Media and learn to use it as a vehicle to share your designs — all your potential clients and customers are online, I mean, who isn’t.

Social Media is your personal Advertising agency working for you 24/7.

~ CAD-Computer Aided Design — Learning these software programs such as Illustrator for example, to create flats, technical flats, which is a technical drawing of a garment that is laid flat to show design details, such as seams and stitching, is important.

Learning how to complete a Tech Pack is very helpful, especially if your factory is overseas and you need to communicate with them and review how to produce and execute your latest designs.

~ Elements of Design — Knowing what elements make a good design is valuable. Knowing about proportion, balance, texture, etc..

And, yes, ultimately fashion style is a matter of personal taste but in the context of art, even Picasso started by learning the basic principles of design which he then conformed to his own taste and choice thus coming up with a totally new design style and vision.

There are other activities you should practice like:

going to art galleries,

vintage shopping (as a form of inspiration),

building a portfolio,

following online platforms like Pinterest …is a good one for you to explore and follow.

See you in the next video.

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20 ~ The BASIC BODICE course.

Now… this next course is very unique and it stands in a category of its own:

Drafting a Basic Bodice Course.

What is a Bodice? This is a Bodice, (show Bodice on the dress form), it’s a basic template used to manipulate in order to achieve other specific designs.

And in these classes I’m going to show you how to draft a pattern from scratch using specific measurements, whether they’re your dress form’s measurements, or your own, or one of your clients’…

The process of drafting the Basic Bodice is long and demanding but if you’re up to the challenge, you will have a pattern that you can use over and over again for years to come.

So, here are some the Basic Bodice classes…

~ Homework:  The homework requires that you start by measuring, either a dress form if you have one, or a friend, or a client. Get familiar with finding certain points of measurements on the body or on the form.

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21 ~ Is It Stressful To Be A Fashion Designer

Here’s another question that I get from time to time: “Is It Stressful To Be A Fashion Designer”

Well, the truth is yes, it can be, and let me explain why.  There are many pieces to this big fashion puzzle, meaning that it involves many moving parts that make up the industry.

There is the company that makes the fabric, there is the factory that sews the clothing, there is the salesperson in charge of marketing and sales, and if one of these pieces falls apart it creates a negative chain reaction which affects all the other pieces of the puzzle.

And… not to mention you have to shoot a catalog, a look-book, hire a photographer, models, a make-up artist, right?…then you have to edit the images, upload them to your website or your blog and social media…

And you’re working with a graphic designer, creating a logo,  …and, maybe you’re renting a studio and so you have overhead expanses, etc…

So, you see, if one thing goes wrong it will effect everything else, sometimes in a disastrous way.

Not to mention that at times you might be working on a design, and you cut out the sample, and it’s sewn, and you try it on for a fitting and something doesn’t work, and you have to rip it apart and try it again, so that eventually it is perfect and everybody is happy with the final product.

So… you have to be ready mentally, emotionally and physically to deal with unknown unexpected situations and circumstances that many times you have very little control over.

One thing you can do is: Remember your WHY — Why you became a designer in the first place — when things get tough, keep going…

See you in the next video.

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22 ~ The PATTERN MAKING - Part 3 course.

Continuing with Pattern Making skills, this Pattern Making - Part 3 - deals with:

Collars,

Necklines,

Bias cuts, etc…

Use these new techniques to enhance your design…

Your design is a work in progress, it’s acquiring a life of its own, it tells you what is best for it to be the best version of itself !

Let’s take a look…

~ Homework: Continue practicing your Pattern Making skills: the more techniques you can master, the better you will be as a designer.

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23 ~ Age — Am I Too Old To Be a Designer

Sometimes I get this question: “Am I Too Old To Be a Designer”.

The short answer is NO, you’re never too old. In the “old days”, people chose one career and stuck with it for the rest of their lives, that paradigm, that model, is totally changed.

You can have several careers in one lifetime; you can start in one position at a company and discover that it’s not for you, it’s not the right fit, so you find a new job and what you have learned at that previous job, THAT is valuable experience and knowledge that will always be there with you, always.

And now, with the introduction of AI, Artificial Intelligence, when used correctly it definitely support your vision, help you create resources for you faster than ever — it is a very powerful tool.

You can develop a website in a fraction of the time that it used to take years ago. You can create a whole new collection in a matter of minutes!

You can create a fashion brand if you know how to write the right prompt and interact with AI accordingly.

And in the context of age, let me leave you with this thought: “Fashion may fade, but individuality is always in vogue.”

See you in the next video

24 ~ The BRANDING & MARKETING course.

In the Course on Branding & Marketing we look at the essential strategies for Brand management: How do you make a brand successful and how do you maintain that success. How do you create Brand identity: knowing your brand’s DNA is essential in the consistency of your brand’s success.   Let’s look…

And here’s your Homework:

~ Homework: Well…This might be a bit too early for you but imagine what it would be like to have your own company, your own brand, what would that look like.  Imagining this vision goes back to the initial point in day one of this Course: your commitment to your vision, to your success as a designer!

Einstein once said: “Imagination is more important that knowledge”.

Imagine the feeling of the goal accomplished, feel that emotion, go for it.

Fashion Premier Academy

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25 ~ Zoom Interview with Elma Valerio

This next video is a recorded Zoom interview with Elma Valerio … Elma is the designer and founder and owner of Elma Lingerie.  She was also a student of mine when I was teaching at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in LA.

She started her own design Brand based on a very specific niche and designs, what she calls Bespoke Lingerie.  She shares some valuable information that we can all learn from…Let’s listen…

https://youtu.be/G6AMvO_4pzQ

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26 ~ The PATTERN MAKING - Part 4 course.

Adding to the Pattern Making skills, this Pattern Making - Part 4 - deals with:

Sleeves and demonstrate not only the different types of sleeves but what techniques to use in order to draft and create these sleeves.

And again… add these techniques to your design… the evolution of your design.

~ Homework: See if you can use some of these new sleeve variations and apply them to YOUR design… And…continue practicing your Pattern Making techniques — sharpen those skills.

See you in the next video.

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27 ~ The THE BUSINESS OF FASHION course.

As I’ve said before, having a great collection, and not having the right business plan in place, could be a disaster — you must know the business side of fashion design.

And I can speak from experience: when I had a small collection of hand-made, one of a kind T-shirts that I was selling in front of the Plaza Hotel in New York City, in my younger days, I failed because I did not have the proper business plan in place.

~ Homework: Take this opportunity to turn your vision into an actual business! Yes, why not, this is your chance to start actualizing what you’ve always wanted to achieve — a business where you’re the boss, your time, your schedule: independence and power. Go for it.

Start your Business Plan, see where it takes you: the sky is the limit!

So, here are classes on The Business of Fashion — listen up… And do your H.W.

Fashion Premier Academy

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28 ~ The PATTERN MAKING - Part 5 course.

There is one final Pattern Making course, Part 5 , which is an advanced combination of Pattern Making AND Draping — it’s a fantastic course.

Again, look for inspirational ideas that you can incorporate into YOUR design… Let’s look…

~ Homework: Well, by now you know the drill: Keep practicing your Pattern Making skills.

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29 ~ Conclusion

As we reach the end of this journey in "How To Be a Fashion Designer," I want to say thank you for embarking on this adventure with me. I hope your creative passion has been ignited and your skills have been elevated during this course.

Remember, fashion is not just about clothing; it's a language of self-expression for your unique artistic vision.

You've learned the fundamentals - from fabrics to sketching, from the magic of draping to the challenges of pattern making. But this is only the beginning.

I invite you to let your imagination and your creativity run wild. Take what you've learned here and transform it into something extraordinary. Whether you dream of haute couture, sustainable fashion, or street style, you have the power to make your mark.

For some of you, your journey as a fashion designer has just begun, and I am here to support you every step of the way. Please don't hesitate to reach out, share your designs, seek advice, or simply chat about your fashion aspirations. I'm really excited to be a part of your fashion story.

Seize this opportunity to propel yourself onto the runway of life. Your designs are not just garments; they are pieces of a deep part of you, waiting to be celebrated by the world.

So, keep sketching, keep draping, keep innovating, and never stop dreaming. I want to see your designs on the runways, and your brand becoming a symbol of creativity and quality.

And… remember your WHY. Make a commitment to success. Take action! And, enjoy the journey!!!  Ciao!

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Nino Via  ©2023 ~ Fashion Premier Academy

https://fashion-premier-academy.teachable.com

Thank You

Simon Sinek
Becca Anderson
Julia Cameron
Eric Maisel
Sarah Urist Green
Welby Altidor
WWD
Vogue Business
Elma Valerio
Shutterstock
Epidemic Sound
Tim Notke
Canva

About The Author

Nino Via

My passion is to inspire and empower you to live your best version.  Using fashion as a vehicle to educate, inspire and transform your life -- ultimately, strive for excellence.

~~ A fashion industry expert --  from concept to completion: from Vision Boards to Pattern Drafting, to Tech Packs, to Social Media.

~~ An FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC) graduate, and as a former Instructor and Curriculum Development Coordinator of the Fashion Design program at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, LA) all my fashion design skills and experience are put into practice and into my Courses.

~~ Born and raised in ROME (Italy), speaking Italian was an asset while working at RALPH LAUREN, when responsibilities included supervising samples manufactured in Italy.