Long gone are the days of dog-eared paper patterns and leftover fabric scraps. Today’s budding fashion designers are trading in their pin cushions for high performance devices and sophisticated PC programs.
From simulating the texture of fabrics and creating online patterns to testing color variations and designing presentation books, these five applications help tech-savvy stylists view, design, and create stunning fashion collections with computer nodes instead of needles.
1. C-DESIGN Fashion
What do popular fashion brands Maje, Jacadi Paris and Zara have in common? They all use C-DESIGN Fashion software to create their models. And now you can, too. This suite of tools supports fashion aficionados throughout the entire design lifecycle, from envisioning and modelling a garment to graphics and visual merchandising. Users can create technical files and share them with subcontractors for a truly collaborative approach. And special features like fabrics simulation and dynamic colors help designers achieve more accurate production results. C-DESIGN would be right at home on a powerful, high-resolution device like the HP Envy x360, with a 4K display helping you craft vibrant visuals with precision and care.
2. Adobe Illustrator
Whether you’re looking to pad your fashion design portfolio or share an image with a merchandiser, Adobe Illustrator is the perfect tool for creating a garment flat – a basic digital sketch of your idea. Images, colors, and brushes are easily accessible for creating beautiful clothing designs. And because Adobe Illustrator is a cloud-based solution, fashion teams can work collaboratively across desktop and mobile devices.
3. DrawAndWear for Windows
DrawAndWear for Windows is a popular app that lets aspiring designers create all types of clothing items, from t-shirts to dresses. With this hi-tech design sketchbook, users can mix and match styles to create a complete collection, as well as build mannequins for displaying new creations. Tapping into today’s social media mania, DrawAndWear also allows fashionistas to build a fan base by sharing their designs via Facebook directly through the app.
4. EFI/Optitex O/Sel
It can take a designer years to turn a hand-drawn sketch into a full-blown fashion collection. EFI/Optitex’s O/Sel promises to change all that by leveraging the power of 3D to develop and create fashion designs. Users can create 360-degree views of a garment using photorealistic rendering and zoom. Next, they can easily upload and share these collections to garner fast and early feedback before investing in a physical prototype.
5. Pinterest & Instagram
Cutting-edge fabric simulation technology and color variation features are excellent tools for creating a collection. But that’s no reason to discount everyday platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram. These social media tools allow budding designers to follow feeds from leading style and fashion portals, discover inspiring ideas and inspirational outfits, and build brand-name recognition with meticulously curated online profiles. Optimized for the mobile experience, these tools are easily utilized on the go with an ultralight and portable 2-in-1 like the Lenovo Yoga 900, flashing a 360-degree hinge and weighing in at only 2.8 pounds.
Fashion icons like Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, and Carolina Herrera may have paved the way, but today’s high performance devices coupled with fashion-centric apps are taking the fashion game to a whole new level.