Elements of Design in Fashion and Textiles (2024)

Last Updated on 24/07/2022

What is Design in Fashion Designing?
Design features, the elements and principles of design, can be called the language of art and design. Designing can be defined as relating and visually arranging components or elements to create effects. Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system. But Fashion design is the applied art dedicated to the design of clothing and lifestyle accessories created within the cultural and social influences of a specific time. Fashion design differs from costume design due to its core product having a built in obsolescence usually of one to two seasons. A season is defined as either autumn/ winter or spring/ summer. Fashion design is generally considered to have started in the 19th century with Charles Frederick Worth who was the first person to sew their label into the garments that they created.

Elements of Design in Fashion and Textiles:
The elements are the fundamentals of a design. In creating a design one of the components which interact is the Art Elements. The elements and principles of design are flexible and should be interpreted within the context of current fashion. A design can be defined as an arrangement of lines, shape, colors and texture that create a visual image. The principles of design are the rates that govern how elements are combined. The elements are therefore the raw materials that must be combined successfully.

The following are the different elements of design:

1. Line
2. Form
3. Shape
4. Space
5. Texture and
6. Color

These elements are considered as “Plastics” in art language because they can be manipulated or arranged by the designer to create desired illusions.

1. Line:
It provides the visual dimensions of length and width. When lines combine, space is enclosed and forms and shapes are defined. Lines offered a path of vision for the eyes when is wearing an object/outfit. The arrangement of lines in clothing design can cause to appear heavier or thinner than what actually is:

• Horizontal line
• Vertical line
• Oblique line
• Diagonal line.
• Curved line etc.

Lines within a garment are created by darts seams and decorative details. Each kind of line produces its own special effect. Straight line’s and shapes denote force and strength and have a masculine quality; curved lines are the lines of nature, they are gracefully and gives a feminine effect. Lines are the greatest devices of fashion designers. Since lines create illusion of height and width, they can be used to one’s requirement to tone down or exaggerate a particular figure type.

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2. Form:
Form is structure. In art and design, it is an object having three dimensions like length, width and depth. The human body is a form and by viewing it analytically, its various perspectives are revealed. The human form changes visually with clothing, especially as fashion changes.

3. Shapes:
It describes the outer dimensions or contour of an object. Shape also encloses space and imparts a certain character to the object viewed. Through clothing design, the shape of the human body is often revealed in a natural way, but sometimes even distorted. The shape of clothing in a human body, communicates silently, the messages about the wearer.

Every fashion period, a shape emerges slowly or evolved suddenly, whatever it is, every period has a specific shape of garment which once determined can be modified and re-styled fir variation in design without changing the basic shape of the garment, it is either flare or tight, circular or straight, a line or raglan. It has been observed that an easy fitting shape of the garment is easily accepted and largely varies as well as has longevity of stay; where as a tight fitting garment is generally short lived since it is suitable to only perfect figure types. It is therefore advisable that the designer chooses an easy silhouette to keep on creating for a longer duration.

4. Space:
Space flows in, around and between forms or shapes. Every shape or form has a place in space. As an element of design, space refers to the area around, above, below, or behind an object. A flat surface has only two-dimensional space. This means that it has length and width but no depth. It is impossible to create actual depth or space on a flat surface but an illusion of space, distance or depth is possible. There are many methods used by artists and designers to create this sense of space, and to convince the observer that there is space and depth when, in fact, they are victims of a type of visual deception.

5. Texture:
As texture is the feel, drape and degree of stiffens and softness of the fabric, it also creates a visual effect upon the wearer, given a small swatch of fabric, the designer can visualize the texture and the fall of fabric which helps him to design further.

6. Color:
When we talk of principles of designing, or when we start off with a given design theme the first thing to occur to our minds is the color and texture of the fabric. Every season or now and then a color emerges in the fashion scene which is decided by the leading manufacturers, exporters and textile experts of the fashion world. Color is a crucial part of all branches of design and design-based industries. It is advisable to the amateur to work on the color in vogue: and to add to its creativity, collaborate with a textile designer and develop a new dimension to the existing patterns. Color is used to promote corporate identity. To co-ordinate with an idea of creation will be infinite. Also while choosing a co lour one must be utmost careful as co lour creates the first impression and hence can glorify or destroy ones appearance. Even simple silhouette may be enhanced by using effective co lour schemes.

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