The fashion industry is fast, dynamic and unpredictable. Designers have the tough task of  conceptualizing fashion lines down to a tee; every single detail needs to be defined for a design to turn into a sellable product in a limited time.

When it comes to menswear, fabrics, and colors are fairly limited. It’s the designers that are working on fashion lines that target modern women who have the hardest time selecting fabrics and color themes.

So how do you pick fabrics and designs for a specific clothing line?

Let’s take a look at how some of the leaders in the industry do it:

Getting Inspiration

Couture designers like Alexander McQueen and Jean-Paul Gaultier have stated that they set themes for each clothing line. It’s the theme that inspires the concept of the line and the sort of colors and silhouettes it will contain.

Page through magazines and seek inspiration from shoots. Line up images together and look at the colors, textures, and prints in each of them. See what you like and what you don’t like.  Top fashion magazines and websites constantly showcase the latest trends.

Provide Options

Contemporary fashion brands focus on providing a wide variety of colors and fabrics so their consumers always have plenty to choose from. They offer as many items as they can without overwhelming their inventory.

Both designer brands and fast-fashion brands have to consider their target audience’s desires and lifestyles when picking materials and colors.

Look at the Collection as a Whole

You want cohesiveness within a collection so look at all the designs you’ve come up with and see how they complement each other. Once you have an idea of the sort of style you want for this specific line, you can begin to think about color schemes and fabrics.

Look at Fabric Sources

As an upcoming designer or owner of a fashion line, you will have to get smart on the wide variety of available fabrics.

When you’re walking through a fabric store, you’ll notice blends, colors, prints, and cloth that you didn’t know existed. Get swatches of fabrics you like and keep them in front of you when you’re designing your line.

If your brand is eco-conscious, there are more options than ever for beautiful, sustainable materials!

Forecast Trends

Major brands have the pressure to set the tone for the fashion season.  Even leading fast-fashion brands look to Fashion Week to get inspiration; they don’t come up with all the trends themselves.

When you’re designing a clothing line, you get to decide what kind of brand you want to be. If you want to offer trendy clothing then you can  take inspiration from Fashion Week, magazines and even street style blogs that will help you keep up with consumer preferences.

Partnering with a reliable garment manufacturing company can help you navigate through the design, development and manufacturing process. They’ll assist you with sourcing the best fabrics and create designs and silhouettes that appeal to your target audience.

Lefty Production Co. is one of the leading clothing manufacturers in Los Angeles. As your garment manufacturer, we work with you through all stages of design, development, and manufacturing of a clothing line.

Our services consist of sourcing and design, pattern making, laser cutting, production, packaging, and marketing and consulting.

Contact us for more information.