Tag: fundamentals
If you want to work in fashion, don’t send emails like this
I’m going to put on my glasses and wag my finger at you for a quick minute. Like the true nerdy old lady that I am! Because there’s a BIG lesson many people (and you?) need to learn to advance their fashion careers. It starts with emails like these: What should I include in my fashion […]
23 Adobe Illustrator Shortcuts for Fashion Designers (with animated gifs!)
When you’re learning Adobe Illustrator for fashion design, it can feel like you have to know EVERYTHING! And that’s OVERWHELMING. Which is why you don’t need another printable PDF with every. single. shortcut. in the world. So, I decided to give you just what you need, and no more: 23 of my “can’t live without” Adobe […]
My 8 hand picked Adobe Illustrator fashion tutorials (for your specific situation)
I hear a lot of the same questions about how to do “this thing” in Illustrator, or where should I start if…I’m a total beginner, I don’t know how to draw, etc. And I know how hard it is to find quality, easy to follow Adobe Illustrator fashion tutorials. I also see designers doing things the […]
How FIT is cheating you out of your dream fashion design job
Back in 2015, I was a guest lecturer at FIT (ranked 2nd for fashion in the US and 7th in the world). I was pretty nervous about teaching at such a prestigious school and practiced my Illustrator lecture way too many times the night before. But despite my anxieties, it went great. In fact, it went AWESOME. […]
Are You an Illustrator File Messer-Upper?
If you work on a team, you probably know what it’s like to share Illustrator files. And chances are, you fall into one of these two groups of people: The File Fixer-Upper… or the File Messer-Upper. The File Messer-Upper You know enough about AI to make edits and modify files. But most of the time […]
Why A Tech Pack is Essential for Your Fashion Design Success
Fashion designers need tech packs! If you want to work in the industry, understanding how to build one fast is essential. Unfortunately, my inbox is filled with emails like this way too often: And it doesn’t matter if you’re sourcing locally or overseas, the same problems come up. Which is exactly why I’ve created loads […]
5 Reasons Illustrator Proficiency is Closer than You Think
This is an excerpt from my Ultimate Guide to Illustrator for Fashion.If you like what you see, get the entire guide delivered to your inbox. Anyone can learn Illustrator – including you. And it’s more achievable than it seems. Most of your frustration comes from 2 things: misconceptions you believe about AI unqualified teachers who […]
What is a tech pack?
What is the best way to create tech packs? What is the industry standard? How do I know if my tech pack is complete? There are no exact answers to these questions. But questions like what is a tech pack is? What does a tech pack include? Those questions have specific answers – and I’ve addressed them […]
How to Change Colors in Illustrator (for fashion flats, pattern swatches & other artwork)
Creating colorways and recoloring fashion flats in Illustrator can feel tedious. I know because I’ve watched hundreds of designers do it the long way… Doing things the long way in Ai looks like: Manually selecting each individual object on fashion flats. Editing every motif in repeating pattern swatches one by one. Messing with grouping and ungrouping to select and […]
The Ultimate Guide to Fashion Design Industry Terminology & Abbreviations
The fashion industry is intimidating. And if you don’t know the right technical terms, you can embarrass yourself. Maybe you’ve found yourself in acronym and terminology overload…tech pack, BOM, graded spec, block, CF, HPS, DNTS. What do all these words mean…and do you need to know all of them? It can feel overwhelming. Which is […]
Building Good Habits Now Will Pay Off Later
I’m not going on a diatribe about making habits. Or tell you it takes 21 days to make a good one or break a bad one. But you should know that starting with a foundation of good habits in Illustrator will pay off ten fold in the long run. And the Illustrator video tutorial I just released […]
How to Work Faster in Illustrator
One of the simplest ways to work faster in Illustrator is by cleaning up your workspace. It’s not glamorous and it’s not brag worthy (you probably won’t be saying “oh, look what I can do!”). But it’s a super easy way to increase your efficiency, and the best part is that it’ll take you just 5 […]
How Adobe Illustrator Will Change Your (Fashion) Design World
Wondering what Illustrator is used for and how it is applicable to the fashion design world? This post goes through a quick overview of how and why Adobe Illustrator is the most popular software for the fashion design industry.
Create Complex Objects with Simple Shapes in Illustrator
It’s amazing what you can do in Illustrator when you break down the object into simple shapes. In this example, we’ll start with 4 basic shapes and use the Shape Builder Tool to create a complex belt buckle.
Best Practices for Drawing Fashion Sketches in Illustrator
Learn the right (and wrong) way of creating essential fashion flat sketch details, such as ribbing and stitching. I’ll show you some common mistakes every designer makes and how to do things quicker and easier.
How to Break Apart Repeating Patterns in Illustrator
Easily grab and design element or motif from repeating patterns with this quick trick. Whether it’s a pattern you grabbed from a stock photo site or one that your coworker created, learn how to break it open and pull out what you need.
What Are the Parts of a Zipper Called?
In your tech pack, you’ll want to use correct terminology not only when you’re putting specs together on your fashion flat sketches, but also for the various trims that are used in your designs. There are a lot of different parts to a zipper and knowing what each one is called will help communicate your vision clearly. This […]
Types of Weave Structures
Grab all 5 weaves as Illustrator repeating patterns to add to your designs.DOWNLOAD THE WEAVE STRUCTURES FILE If you’re designing wovens, you will most likely need to define the weave structure that you want your factory to use. There are thousands of different patterns that can be woven, but there are some basic ones that […]
Garment Terms and Abbreviations in the Fashion Industry
Your fashion designer friends are dropping terms like CF, HPS and SS – and you’re wondering what the heck they mean. You’re too embarrassed to ask – because you should probably know these terms already. Learn the must know abbreviations so you too can talk like a pro.
How to Easily Sketch with the Pen Tool in Illustrator
The most frustrating tool in Illustrator? If you said the Pen Tool, you’re not alone – in fact, you’re right there with every other person fighting their way through using it to sketch. Learn some super simple tricks to finally get your sketches looking professional.
