Essential Technical Skills for Fashion Teachers -plus Free Resources
Empowering the Next Generation of Designers
Building a Strong Technical Foundation
Creativity is undoubtedly the cornerstone of fashion design. However, translating those ideas into successful garments is essential, and that requires a strong foundation in technical skills. As a fashion educator, providing your students with this technical knowledge is critical for their success in the competitive apparel industry.
This article explores three key technical areas that should be emphasised in your curriculum, along with practical resources to support your teaching and empower your students to excel.
Core Technical Topics
1. Material Selection
a) Fabric Properties:
Teach students about the different types of fabrics (e.g., woven, knit, non-woven) and their characteristics (e.g., fibre content, weave structure, drape, weight, and hand). Explore care techniques (washing, drying, ironing) to ensure garment longevity.
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b) Fabric Selection:
Guide students in selecting appropriate fabrics for specific garment designs and intended use. That involves analysing design requirements (e.g., garment’s function, target audience, and desired aesthetic) and exploring eco-friendly options (e.g., organic cotton, recycled polyester, and plant-based alternatives).
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2. Pattern Making
a) Basic Pattern Making:
Cover elemental pattern-making techniques, including drafting basic blocks for tops, bottoms, and dresses. While fashion designers don’t usually make patterns, a strong foundation in pattern-making principles is crucial. Understanding how garments are constructed from 2D to 3D empowers designers to make more informed decisions, enhance creativity, and anticipate potential production problems.
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b) Pattern Rectifications:
Explain how to identify and correct pattern defects (e.g., tight crotches, uncomfortable armholes, and unbalanced bodies due to grain line issues).
Mastering garment checking, detecting defects, and understanding fit adjustments are skills aspiring professionals should develop from the early stages. Those who understand and clearly communicate pattern adjustments will gain a significant advantage in this competitive job market.
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3. Garment Assembly
a) Seams, Stitch and Topstitch Types:
Explore different types of seams (e.g., constructions, hems, and finishes), stitches (e.g., lockstitch, overlock, cover), and topstitches (e.g., edgestitch, basic, double, off-seam). Explain their methods, techniques and impact on garment aesthetics, performance, and durability.
Start focusing on the most commonly used types (e.g., French seams, felled seams, classic hems) and their common uses. Then, teach advanced students to modify these for more original details (e.g., converting a felled seam to a bound seam or an open seam to a Hong-Kong seam).
Also, provide an understanding of the order of each step, emphasising their logic. That will help students to make better-informed decisions depending on the brand’s style, budget, and needs.
Briefly introduce the types of sewing machines (e.g., basic and automatic), their uses depending on their stitch type (lockstitch, overlock, cover, chain stitch, etc.) and bed type (e.g., flat, cylinder, post, feed-off the arm, and raised bed).
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b) Finishing and Reinforced Techniques:
Discuss finishing techniques (e.g., serged edges, self-enclosed finishes, bound edges) and reinforcement techniques (stay tape, bartacks, backstitching) to ensure strong and professional-looking garments. Highlight the importance of quality finishing as a key differentiator in the competitive market.
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c) Seams Selection:
Explain what information needs to be communicated to suppliers (e.g., seam, stitch and topstitch type) and how to do it clearly. Include the different ways to explain constructions, finishes, and details (e.g., by text, graphics, and pictures). Then, finish these lessons with practical applications by developing spec sheets for different textile products.
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By incorporating these technical areas into your curriculum, you’ll not only foster creativity but also provide your students with the practical skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the competitive and dynamic fashion industry. They will develop clear communication, problem-solving, and critical-thinking abilities, enabling them to translate their creative visions into successful and marketable garments.
We hope you find this information useful for your work.
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ABC Seams
PD1: Bonus
a) Quality Control:
Teach advanced students how to check prototypes, identify mistakes, and implement improvements. Run workshops on sample checking, Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), and collaboration with local textile testing laboratories to gain access to advanced equipment and expertise for analysis and testing.
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b) Ethical and Sustainable Practices:
Discuss the different approaches to sustainable fashion, including fair labour, eco-friendly materials, circular fashion (e.g., recyclability, reparability), minimising waste, and the importance of promoting garment durability.
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PD 2: Disclaimer
This article provides general information and should not be considered professional advice.
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