Want to know the secret that every great fashion program has in common?

It’s not talent.

It’s not passion.

No, it’s something that every successful designer learns to master:

The principles of design.

The concepts and rules behind every amazing collection.

Every flawless garment.

Every fashion show preparation.

These are the foundations of every world-class fashion program everywhere.

Including these…

They can be taught.

You can learn them.

And when you do, they will change the way you approach design from start to finish.

Let’s dive in.

Before we jump into it though, here’s a quick outline of today’s lesson:

1. Why Design Principles Are Important in Fashion Design School
2. The Six Principles Every Designer Needs To Know
3. Fashion Show Preparation Ties It All Together
4. What To Look For In Your Next Fashion Program

Why Design Principles Are Important In Fashion Design School

Ok. Here’s the deal…

Every amazing fashion collection begins long before needle touches fabric. Far before that even.

It starts with an understanding of design principles.

You see, everything from colour selection to silhouette to stitching is informed by certain unbreakable rules.

Picking the right fashion design school can help you wrap your head around these rules.

And that’s why it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a student.

While you’re in school, you have the unique opportunity to learn not only how to make clothes — but why certain designs work and others don’t.

Plus, you can practice applying these concepts in real-world situations like fashion show preparation.

The sooner you learn these principles, the sooner you can utilize them to impress bosses (and clients).

Fashion and garment design industry is booming. With its value exceeding $1.84 trillion globally you’ll want to make sure you graduate prepared.

Mind blown yet?

The Six Principles Every Designer Needs To Know

All right, let’s get into those design principles.

(The excitement is real.)

They can be broken down into six categories:

Balance

Balance is the distribution of visual weight. It can be symmetrical or asymmetrical, but either way, it should look intentional.

When you have strong balance, each element of your design feels carefully placed and constructed.

Scale & Proportion

These two are best grouped together because they’re so closely related.

Proportion is one of those design principles you’ll want to grasp as early in your education as possible.

This is what determines whether a piece looks too big or small on a particular model or client.

Emphasis

Have you ever looked at a dress and noticed your eye was drawn to a specific part of the garment first?

Maybe it was the pussy bow blouse.

Or an oversized lapel.

Whatever it was, that’s called emphasis.

Every design should have one (and only one) area that instantly attracts attention.

Rhythm

This refers to the visual flow throughout your garment.

Fashion design is often described as part artistic expression, part surprising the audience with meticulous detail.

Rhythm is what keeps your eye moving throughout the piece.

Unity

This principle is all about cohesiveness.

Do every piece of your design “belong?”

Or does one part look silly next to the rest?

Create unity to finish off your design and polish off the look.

Colour Theory

Yes, this is a principle of design as well.

Understanding how colour works is critical to your success as a designer.

Contrast, complementary colours, head-turning pairings — students will come back to colour theory again and again when selecting fabrics and building collections.

These are the basics.

The principles every student should know.

And the fundamentals every designer uses.

Fashion Show Preparation Ties It All Together

Here’s where it gets fun.

When you prepare a collection for fashion show season, you have to apply all of these principles at once.

Remember how fashion design was described as part art? Yeah. Well it’s mostly science.

Whilst under a ridiculous amount of stress.

Building a fashion show collection forces students to think about:

• How balance and proportion play across multiple garments and styles
• Maintaining rhythm and unity throughout the collection
• Making quick, design-oriented decisions on the fly
• Communicating a clear message or story with their clothing

There is no better way to learn than by actually doing.

65% of students who specialize in fashion design find industry employment within 6 months of graduating. That doesn’t happen by chance. Design skills + real experience = confidence in the real world.

What To Look For In Your Next Fashion Program

Did you know that not all fashion schools are created equal?

(Most students don’t.)

If design principles and fashion show preparation are important to you, there are a few things you should look for in a school before enrolling:

Hands-on experience

Does the school offer realistic fashion show prep?

How about access to industry standard equipment? Critique from fellow students? Feedback from professional designers?

This is the kind of thing you should be able to learn from your program brochure.

Solid design foundation

How in-depth do the courses teach you the six principles of design?

Are they taking shortcuts to “get you to the fun stuff” faster?

(They shouldn’t be!)

Connections to the industry

Logging some real world intern experience while you’re in school can go a LONG way toward helping you nail that dream job after graduation.

Look for programs that offer students internship opportunities, access to guest speakers from the fashion industry, and projects that mimic real-world requests from employers.

Portfolio Building

Asking questions lead to answers. And as you start gathering answers about potential design schools, pay close attention to how each program encourages students to build their portfolio.

You should graduate with a collection that showcases your skills as a designer — not just a compilation of class projects.

When researching fashion schools, these are the things worth prioritizing at every program toured.

And the best programs focus on exactly those things.

Which is why 80% of students entering the world of fashion design report feeling prepared to enter the professional market.

(Furthermore, that number jumps to 94% after a graduate continues with internship opportunities.)

The fact that fashion graduates can earn an average of $80,690 annually is just a bonus.

Okay, time to drop the mic…

The REAL Secret Behind Every Amazing Fashion Program

Alright, here’s the truth.

Design principles aren’t sexy.

They’re not the part of fashion school you’ll post about on Instagram.

But they are the difference between graduates that feel confident walking into a job interview — and students who can’t come up with solid answers to basic design questions.

Look at your favourite programs. The ones with the reputations you trust and want to attend.

Chances are they spend just as much time teaching you the fundamentals as they do letting you play with fabric and thread.

Fashion show preparation starts on day one.

And if you know how to apply design principles in high-pressure situations… employers can’t help but take notice.

Here’s the formula once again:

1. Learn the six design principles.
2. Start applying them during your fashion show preparation.
3. Build a portfolio that showcases your mastery of both.

Simple.

Effective.

And what every great fashion school teaches their students.

Wrapping Up

Fashion show preparation is the moment of truth for design concepts. If you haven’t learned the principles of design, you’re going to be flying blind.

But when you do know how to implement balance, proportion, emphasis, rhythm, unity and colour theory into your garments… watch your skills soar.

Real quick, let’s review:

• Great fashion programs are grounded in the principles of design
• There are six principles that every student should know
• Fashion show preparation is where those concepts are challenged
• By combining hands-on experience with classroom know-how, you can graduate confident in your ability to hit the ground running

When you know why certain designs work and others don’t, you have the power to do both whenever you want.

And that is something money can’t buy.