How to create a hireable fashion portfolio

Just like the most important meal of the day, which is the first one... breakfast (or so they say)...The most important step of a fashion portfolio is the first one... research (or so I believe).

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It will dictate the mood, color and theme of your entire collection within your portfolio. It is also a great way to center your design thoughts. For fashion designers our gift of creation can also be our curse... Too much of it without a direction would lead to chaotic nonsense, and chaotic nonsense does not a hireable portfolio make. Whenever you seam stuck or losing control of your collection...try to refer back to your original research, and design within these parameters. I know that some times when professors tell you to think of a customer and create a mood board for that customer, it feels pretty unimportant. And, to be honest for class it kind of is, because you aren't designing for a customer...YET! However it becomes exceedingly important once in the industry, because if you don't know your customer then you won't have a customer. If you can figure out who your customer is (what music she listens to, what food she eats, where she lives, what her age is, what other stores she shops at) then, and only then can you attempt to sell to her...and ultimately make a sale, which let's face it... is the whole point of this screwy thing we do.

To give you some easy examples of what I do when I'm researching you can see some pages from my sketchbook while researching for a project (click here). Also while during my blog I will be doing a whole new portfolio from scratch so you can participate while I create. Here are some of the mood images I will be using for my upcoming portfolio...which I'm still brainstorming a title for..." Evening Illumination"... "Golden Nightfall"...

If you have a story or tips to share then please comment and tell us about it. I am not an all knowing OMNI DESIGNER...what I have to teach I have learned through my experiences and the experiences from those around me...We all have something to teach...So please speak up so the whole class (i.e. THE WORLD) can hear you.

NOTE: For some great places to find mood images here are some sites for you:

~ Google

~ Flickr

~ Ffffound!!!

~ Prints & Patterns

~ Pomme Chan

~ The Satorialist

~ Visualize

~ Style

AND FOR ALL YOU STUDENTS OUT THERE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR SCHOOLS FORCASTING MEMBERSHIPS TO PLACES LIKE THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES

~ Stylesight

~ Fashion Snoops

~ Doneger

~ WGSN