What is Portfolio?
A portfolio is an assemblage of work that shows a candidates skills and knowledge across a number of project works or practical studies. It is a visual representation of interests, exploration about work, experimentation, design and development and final pieces.
What is a Fashion Portfolio?
Every fashion design student is familiar with the term fashion portfolio. For getting job in fashion industry, every fashion designer has to make an attractive portfolio to show his/her experience or creativity in this field.
There is really no such thing as a ‘one size fits all’ model for defining a portfolio: they come in a variety of sizes and formats and contain individual presentations and statements of work that reflect achievement, growth and ambition.
There are varieties functions of fashion portfolio. A portfolio is an important visual self-promotion and sales tool for any designer, fashion student or creative individual. There are areas of good practice that we shall consider in relation to preparing and editing a portfolio; as an underlying principle the portfolio should be a key indicator of your creative abilities, strengths and subject interests. In this way it should demonstrate what you do best.
A portfolio should evolve and remain relevant to your experiences and interests. For students they represent a record of learning and achievement that will support career planning and preparation. It is probably fair to say that without a portfolio, a fashion design student would find it almost impossible to secure employment within the fashion industry.
Types of Portfolio:
- Admission portfolio (For post graduate students)
- Professional portfolio (For fashion designer)
1. Admission portfolio (For post graduate students):
After completing your graduation in fashion design area, if you want to apply other courses, masters or research work then you must need to prepare an admission portfolio.
- When you submit your admission portfolio for Fashion Design area, it express your drawing test, a design test, a sewing test, a written essay, and a portfolio cover page.
- Creative knowledge should be represented in both your design sketches and garment images. Originality, creativity, and design aesthetic are more valuable for fashion design area.
- All schools or university have different portfolio requirements, so make sure to read the requirements and follow them.
2. Professional portfolio (For fashion designer):
After completing fashion design education, every fashion designer has a dream to get a reputed job in the fashion industry. But to get there, they must have a fashion design professional portfolio.
Portfolio is a key step to employment as a Fashion Designer. It’s essential for you to make a professional portfolio that indicates your creativity, talents and skills.
How to Make a Fashion Design Portfolio Step by Step for Job Interview:
The portfolio gives you the opportunity to show your versatility. It is the best way to show off your work that is visually stimulating and contributes to your breath of experience. Add work relevant to your job interview and also show your research about company.
How will you prepare a strong fashion designer’s portfolio for your job career? Some important tips and making techniques are as follows:
1. At first you need to select a theme and make an inspiration board by this theme.
2. With the help of your inspiration theme now you make a mood board. Before starting your work, research about the latest fashion trends, color, and work backwards through your fashion career history.
3. Include different related samples, grouping them by collection, color, season etc.
4. Organize your works so that similar projects are together and that the sequence is; Research material (be it sketch book or drawn sheets) followed by your best design development sheets, then the final chosen range or collection or product.
5. This stage, you will select the best design from your sketch book, and make some illustration with a new and creative dress design. Include your sketch work in your fashion portfolio. Sketches done by hand or you will also do it in computer software like illustrator, CAD to express down your ideas.
6. Now developed your dress pattern. Pattern cutting as well as the highly important skill of ability to ensure correct interpretation.
7. Select fabric which is related to your theme. Also select dress design media such as: embroidery, block, tie dye, hand stitch, applique etc.
8. After choosing media you will start to make your dress for your photo-shoot by reputed model.
9. Make a board by illustrator and add in pictures of dress parts, designs, pieces, models, jewelry and accessories etc.
10. Starting your photo shoot by the professional photographer. Do not include any unprofessional images/photo shoots in your fashion portfolio.
11. A portfolio can be any size that works for the content – A4, A3 etc. The best advice here is to edit the work and complete the portfolio as a series of project works or studies.
12. You also should create a digital version of your fashion portfolio. Also include your portfolio in CD for presentation.
13. Also present sketchbook or hard copy of your portfolio can be strung into the ring binder or album file at the appropriate place. The inside first page may be a personal statement about you. You could include CV and hand out copies to the interview panel.
14. When applying for a fashion job always send your portfolio with your CV at the initial application stage.
15. To support your fashion design work, include any images of your finished garment. This can include, look books, published designs on websites, fashion magazines, marketing materials, professional fashion shoots, images of celebrities wearing the design etc.
Which Works could Go in a Fashion Portfolio? (At a glance)
- Add Curriculum vitae
- Select inspiration theme
- Make mood board (Include samples, grouping them by collection, color, season etc.)
- Color swatch
- Fashion illustration
- Designs and sketches
- Paintings and drawings
- Photos of sculptures or 3D art
- Graphics working drawings
- Pattern cutting
- Dress making
- Photography
- Computer aided design
- Photographs of garments you have designed
You may also like:
- Uses of Computer in Creating Design for Fashion Designer
- Color Selection Techniques for Fashion Designers
Editor of Fashion2Apparel. She is a fashion designer and ex-lecturer in Fashion Designing. She wants to spread fashion knowledge throughout the world.
