4 STEPS TO CREATE AN APPAREL CLOTHING LINE

Starting an apparel clothing line requires creativity and relevant information, many people believe it’s necessary they pass through a fashion school before they can have the idea of creating a successful apparel clothing line. No, this isn’t so. There are ways which you can learn how to successfully create an apparel clothing line without spending thousands of dollars a year to attend a fashion school and in this article, you’ll see many of the vital tricks to follow to become master in creating a clothing line. 

As it was earlier emphasized, creativity is important in coming up with a clothing line, it all starts with designing concept sketches, fabric sourcing, and having the right pattern maker and sample sewer. Here is a brief description of each term to make it quite easier for you to comprehend.

Concept Sketches

Making an apparel line requires that you have an idea of what you would like to design because you have been inspired. A lot of questions should run through your mind, are you going to design women’s dresses, bodysuits or leggings. There are more to this though. Imagine and envisage what the look and feel are going to be for these garments and then start putting pen to paper to design them. If you have trouble drawing sketches to proportion, download a croquis and trace your garments over the body. You can find croquis for all different body here on this website; 

http://www.designersnexus.com/fashion-design-portfolio/fashion-design-croquis-template/

If you are poor in drawing or can’t even trace, search online and print out photos of garments from other brands. Think of how you could modify what you saw and know where you would like to make changes to those garments maybe in the seams, trims or fabrics. 

Fabric Sourcing

The fabric is half the challenge of any clothing line. Finding the right fabric for your concept is key to an amazing design. Get familiar with different types of fabrics and determine the one you think will best suit your concept. Know the difference between a woven and knit fabric and how it drapes. You can get this knowledge by going to a local fabric store to research and ask several questions about different forms of fabrics. Another way to learn about fabric is by going to fabric vendors/manufacturers and talking to their sales personnel to learn the features of different types of fabrics. There, you’ll get recommendations of the fabrics that would be suitable for what you’re designing. If you're designing leggings that you propose to have a lot of compressions, you’ll be shown fabric required and suitable for this. If it happens that you live in an area where there are few or no fabric companies, you can go online to check for the nearest one to you, call them or send them an email, from there you can keep up a conversation with them. They’ll be able to send you fabric swatches based on the garment you're designing and your fabric specifications. Once you’ve decided on fabric then you’re ready for pattern making.

Pattern Making

With no doubt, not all pattern makers or sewers are made equal. When looking for a pattern maker or sewer, be sure they specialize in the garments you want to produce. Some pattern makers and sewers are only good at making simple casual wear garments such as leggings or tee shirts. Of course, you wouldn’t want to give this type of pattern maker or sewer your denim or leather jacket design because these garments are more tailored and require the use of special machines to complete the sewing and they might not have the right knowledge to come up with your pattern. Furthermore, it is best to go for a pattern maker that can also sew your samples. This will save you the time of sending your garment to the pattern maker and then the sewer.

Conclusion

So there it is, creating a clothing line is relatively easier than you think and you will learn a lot in the process of going so. Make sure whosoever you encounter, whether when you’re doing concept sketches, when making inquiries about fabrics, or when you’re interviewing pattern makers and sewers, be sure to ask a lot of questions and get meaningful information or details that would be helpful to you in the process of creating the apparel clothing line. They will be your school for learning all the details because they’re highly experienced. With all this information, you can be assured of successfully creating an apparel clothing line. 

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