An ambitious fashion design beginner can embark on a creative journey to work with a leading fashion house, or even establish their fashion label.
The fashion designer profession is demanding and competitive; thus, you need to study successful people’s stories, understand the industry, make connections as well as promote yourself, among other things.
For that reason, a student embarking on an educational path can learn how to express their ideas and grasp drawing concepts by studying the following books.
a. Fashion Design Essentials: 100 Principles of Fashion Design by Jay Calderin
The book is an excellent source of inspiration for beginners in the fashion industry. The author is a tutor at a school of fashion design in Boston.
He is also a fashion design guru; thus, the book offers young and aspiring fashion designers a solid foundation. The book has iconic fashion photos, well-explained design concepts with imagery, and essential lessons on styling.
b. Fashion by Chris Breward
The book is used in most design schools, for it helps the learners to understand the wild history of fashion and how it has changed over time.
Therefore it’s a valuable resource for a beginner that is getting into the fashion industry. The book will help you understand what fashion is really is.
c. Fashions Design: Process, Innovation, and Practice by Kathryn McKelvey & Janine Munslow
The two renowned experts analyze the logical processes to establish the success of the fashion industry commercially.
A beginner will discover the CAD design, versatility, and experimentation development as well as work opportunities.
Kathryn McKelvey has a wealth of experience in fashion research and visual communication while Janine Munslow owns a fashion design label with both fashion outlets and international wholesale.
d. Patternmaking for Fashion Design by Helen Joseph-Armstrong
The author is considered an expert in pattern creation. Thus, she guides tailors and seamstresses to get their clothing line going. The book is easy to read and follow as well as provides you with the necessary skills in patternmaking.
e. 9 Heads: A Guide to Drawing Fashion by Nancy Riegelman
The fashion design book is helpful for novice designers, for it helps them to understand how an end product show looks like or what is expected of it and how a beginner can achieve design excellence.
The author is an accomplished fashion illustrator at various top institutions, such as the Paris Fashion Institute, Parsons, and FIDM.
Thus, Riegelman has used her brilliant talent and years of experience to provide beginners with key points on presentation and finished drawing of elements of modern fashion.
f. Colors for Modern Fashion (CFMF) by Nancy Riegelman
The author offers modern ideas on drawing methods using photo sequences, colored markers, and textural explanations.
The book covers topics such as concepts illustration with examples, color and design theory, and the use of a broad palette of materials in contemporary fashion design.
g. The Fashion Designer Survival Guide by Mary Gehlhar
The guide focuses on design and marketing elements, thus helping fashion designers to have a considerable following.
The author is a consultant who deals with outstanding designers such as Zac Posen. Therefore, reading the guide will expose you to an expert’s brain.
h. Fashion Sketchbook 6th Edition by Bina Abling
The author is a tutor at Parsons School of Design and Fashion Institute of Technology. The book uses colorful images and instructions to reveal the fashion drawing process.
Thus, the book has easy-to-follow instructions, very clear interpretation, and drawing lessons to target beginners in fashion design.
Some of the topics that are covered in this book are diverse drawing skills, details of garments, runway and showroom photos, women, men, and children drawings in addition to figure poses.
i. Color: How to Use It by Marcie Cooperman
The author is a leading voice when it comes to dealing with color in the fashion industry. She is an expert in putting together color pairings, thus inspiring designers and rocking photoshoots for decades.
Therefore, the book discusses how important color is in fashion design, and for that reason, it’s regarded as the best fashion design textbook.
j. Fashion Design Course: Principles, Practice, and Techniques: The Practical Guide for Aspiring Fashion Designers by Steven Faerm
The author is the New York’s Fashion Design at Parsons’ BFA Director. Faerm has targeted future professional fashion designers with a clear explanation of design principles, the history of the fashion industry, and influential designers.
A beginner will benefit from the over 450 color images, tutorials, illustrations, and exercises on design topics such as accessories, activewear, business garments, cocktail and evening wear, denim, and sportswear.