Designing shouldn’t be taxing, it should be free and creative. You’re bound by nothing. Even if you don’t know how to make some aspects of your design, you can probably find a YouTube video or Threads post on bringing it to life. I would argue that the hardest part of creating is thinking of an idea; however, once you’ve jumped that mental hurdle, the rest should be easy, right?

No. Not at all.

As stated in the previous post, when I started to design this collection, the narrative was taking over, but once I refined my idea, I had to realize my thoughts. This is when I started to sketch . . . a lot. By now, I’ve probably sketched a dozen collections and nothing has been making sense.

Translating a Fashion Idea

So, what exactly is sketching? There seems to be a misconception as to what is and isn’t fashion sketching. Sketching is not drawing, and it is certainly not illustration. Fashion sketching is only there to express an idea or concept, nothing more. Drawing conveys emotion and process. Illustration is marketing and spectacle. When a designer sketches a garment, that idea must translate to drapers, patternmakers, and sample sewers. Sketches evolve, and they don’t even have to be very good. Rarely does the finished dress look exactly like the original sketch—unless you were Gianni Versace whose sketches looked like illustrations, but I digress.

No Need to Draw Something Fancy

Some of the most successful designers in the world couldn’t draw more than stick figures. Take Vivienne Tam, for example. She…