I think everyone is wrong about sketching first for a new collection

For my spring line, I hit a total wall trying to sketch dresses from my head. The ideas felt flat. So I went against everything I was taught and skipped the sketchbook. I grabbed a dress form and about 5 yards of this cheap, pink muslin I got for $3 a yard. I just started pinning and draping directly on the form, letting the fabric fall where it wanted. In about two hours, I had the shape for my best-selling wrap dress. The way the neckline formed from the drape was something I never would have drawn. It felt real and moved right from the start. I only sketched it after to make the pattern. This method saved the whole collection for me. Has anyone else tried designing straight on the form instead of the page?

2 comments

2 Comments

christopher38915d ago

My last collection started the same way, just draping gray jersey on a form. The sketches I did first looked stiff, but the fabric showed me a sleeve shape I still use. Sometimes your hands just know things your brain hasn't figured out yet.

mary_schmidt14d ago

But what if your fabric is expensive or you're working with a really specific tech pack? I tried draping first with some silk satin and just made a costly mess. Sometimes a rough sketch feels like a cheaper way to find a dead end.