Fashion Design Masterclasses

5 livestream fashion design masterclasses from the language of fashion design!

Today I’m happy to share with you a bouquet of fashion design masterclasses from my first book, that were livestreamed in 2020.

Join me as I read from  “The Language of Fashion Design: 26 Principles Every Fashion Designer Should Know”, sharing images, insights, designers, design principles, and behind-the-scenes stories from the process of writing the book in 2015.

grab your fashion design sketchbook

Let’s discuss while referencing images and concepts that are fundamental to fashion design and fashion illustration– guaranteed to pique your curiosity and spark inspirational hits as you listen or watch that will have your fingers itching to sketch and scribble down ideas.

And that’s why I did the masterclasses. (I don’t get any royalties from book sales).

I JUST LOVE THE SUBJECT (OBVIOUSLY)

When I got the book contract, (view the Yale University Library Review’s review here)…..the publisher gave me this concept:

The book was to have 26 chapters, like 26 characters in the alphabet. It was part of a series of books about various design disciplines.

Except instead, I was to choose 26 fundamental principles of fashion design

https://youtu.be/ln7cFCO8G20

I chose the 26 fashion design principles as follows (reflecting my teaching, encompassing technical 3D and 2D visual design concepts:

• • Color
•  
  • Symmetry
•  
  • Asymmetry

• • Shape

• • Silhouette

• • Line

• • Bias

• • Block
•  
  • Negative Shape

• • Construction

ASYMMETRY MASTERCLASS HERE

https://youtu.be/M9u3_JyVzMo

• • drape

• • volume

• • function

• • deconstruction

•  

• • symmetry

•  

Negative Shape Masterclass here

https://youtu.be/4KBgbqJHdcM

• • Transparency

• • Layer

• • Texture

• • Print

• • Contrast

• • Direction

• • Embellishment

View the SYMMETRY Masterclass right here

https://youtu.be/202IcaQoKB4

• • Pattern

• • Surface

• • Movement

• • Motif

• • Collection

view the COLOR Masterclass replay here

https://youtu.be/dyQNFGpyf40

The book includes 26 Fashion Design principles PLUS:

26 Fashion Designer Biographies

Not only were there going to be 26 chapters, principles and text and supporting images for each one, but there were also to be small biographies of 26 fashion designers... one for each chapter, and illustrating the principle.

I chose the following:

• • Color/ Agatha Ruiz de la Prada

• • Shape/ Sonia Rykiel

• • Silhouette/ Betsey Johnson

• • Line/ Vera Wang

• • Bias/ Monique L’Huillier

• • Block/ Tracey Reese

• • Construction/ Isabel and Ruben Toledo (though I also love his Illustrations!)

• • Drape/ Byron Lars (I love his illustrations too!)

• • Volume/ Carlos Miele

• • Function/ Stella McCartney

• • Deconstruction/ Rei Kawakubo

• • Negative Shape/ Madame Gres (also bias)

• • Symmetry/ Sergio Davila

• • Asymmetry/ Katya Leonovich

• • Transparency/ Zandra Rhodes

• • Layers/ Issey Miyake

• • Texture/ Lily Blue

• • Print/ Diane Von Furstenberg

• • Contrast/ Duro Olowu

• • Direction/ Claire McCardell

• • Embellishment/ Patrick Kelly

• • Pattern/ Desigual

• • Surface/ Manish Arora

• • Movement/ Ana Locking

• • Motif / Isabela Capeto

• • Collection/ Anna Sui

What fashion designers and illustrators would YOU have chosen?

What Principles would YOU consider the most important ones?

Which Masterclass was the most important to you?

Which one should we do next??