How do I start a fashion portfolio for college?

How Do I start A fashion Portfolio ?

• Hi Im 14 and Im interested in fashion design when I get older. I am going to do textiles next year and then apply for fashion design in college. But meanwhile I Want to start my fashion portfolio early... Im already designing my own clothes and i am getting a sewing machine for my birthday but I need to know how to start up my portfolio! Thanks x

• Answer:

  Hi...Merry Christmas dear Ignored ! I decided to pay attention to you as I hope you aren't too ignored! The most important item in your portfolio should be your sketchbook...An A4 size sketchbook is ideal...Use this to impart all of your interests,a bit like a picture diary so that any prospective interviewer will be able to form an opinion about you and your personality as well as your design philosophy. You should try to include things like pictures,magazine cuttings and photographs etc that have inspired you...On the page next to these pictures, or,if you have the space,on the same page, draw or write anything that you are inspired to draw design-wise...For example,if you have a picture of a snake,you might be inspired to reproduce the scale patterns for a fabric which might lead onto a dress design and you might find a snakeskin fabric swatch to add to the page etc.Just keep building this book up with things like badges,swatches of fabric,beads,motifs,theatre tickets,designer labels etc You could also try a project using A4,A3,A2,or A1 size paper ...loose sheets are best so that you can move them around in your portfolio...depending on the size you like to work with. Keeping this size uniform throughout your project, pick a theme and collect research around this theme.eg.Great Expectations...You might collect images based around the character of Miss Havisham in her decayed wedding dress ie decayed cake, dusty mirror,fireplace, clock that has stopped,etc adding the Title in a central position with smaller words either handwritten or cut out from magazines or in letraset etc Then do a storyboard on another page,showing styles of cut and shape using magazine cuttings etc that you are intending to experiment with alongwith a colour range and fabric swatches. On another page,draw a series of small fashion figures on which you can develop fashion dress ideas,beginning with a style similar to Miss Havisham's original design.You could do as many of these as you like,in both pencil and colour...Then select one that you like the best and,on another page,draw your final design on a fashion template,both front and back views, in full colour. Another thing that might help would be a study of how fashion has changed over time from the 1900 to the present day...you could draw a representation of each decade. Also biographies of the most influential designers might help. A market research project would be helpful if you intend to do a design and marketing degree in fashion. You would need to research interior layout,pricing,target customer profile,product,marketing policies etc for perhaps two contrasting styles of business eg Designer label and mass market retailer. Good Luck with your design future and God Willing your future success should ensure that you are definitely not ignored! Happy New Year!