Advice wanted on preparing for a Fashion Design course

greenlunchbox

Just applied for 1st year Fashion Design in GTI.
Intrviews are some time in August and we're required to present a portfolio. I'm wondering if someone with a bit of experience could advise on what to include in a fashion design portfolio, what kind of layout to go for, how to present it in an interview etc!
So far I've applied to do a weekend millinary course so I'll have some hats to bring along and have started sewing..! So can't quite claim to be the Donna Karen Galway, just yet..

Thank-you in advance :pac:

wmpdd3

best advice i have it to document everything you do as if it was a science experiment!! Before the millianary course, get some mood boards and scetches together. Start a new scetch book and time line your studies. Show what you can do now and what you were able to do after the course.

greenlunchbox

cheers, thanks (-:

Sapsorrow

Hey, I applied for the equivalent here in Cork and got offered a place on the second year based on my portfolio, much to my surprise (I was totally stressed about whether I'd get into first year!). I just brought in a hard back sketch book (get a good quality one with heavy paper for mixed media) of designs I came up with, generally using 2 croquis' per design, one for the back and one for the front view and for a couple of them I had fabric samples attached also. Sometimes on one page I would include several variations of the main design. I generally just did line sketches with pencil, a few I used mixed media (gel pens, markers, water colours, collage etc) to include more visual info on textures, colours etc. Also, on the designs I included notes on the technical stuff like construction (darts, seams etc) as well as ideas for fabrics, textures, colours etc. In the same sketch book I had pasted pictures from magazines etc that had inspired the designs, everything from snipppets of colours, textures (often totally unrelated to textiles) and pictures of garments or advertisements from established designers, so I kind of included a mood board with each design. I also brought in 3 dresses I had made from pre-made patterns, and wore a dress I had made exactly to my shape and size to the interview to show off that I understood fitting a little bit. They had a good look at the dresses I brought in, checking seams, facings, finishings etc to see how carefully I had made them. All they asked me really was if the designs were my own, where I learned to sew, how long I had be doing it, why I wanted to do the course etc. I told them my idea for a business (which is why I want to do the course) so we mainly talked about my plan for that, my ambitions etc. I would say, the interview was much more chilled out than I had expected it to be, they are FETAC courses after all, they don't expect you to be a dress-maker or designer already, thery just want to see soem interest and imagination. If you have some hats done already that'll prove that. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!

greenlunchbox

Sapsorrow wrote: »

Hey, I applied for the equivalent here in Cork and got offered a place on the second year based on my portfolio, much to my surprise (I was totally stressed about whether I'd get into first year!). I just brought in a hard back sketch book (get a good quality one with heavy paper for mixed media) of designs I came up with, generally using 2 croquis' per design, one for the back and one for the front view and for a couple of them I had fabric samples attached also. Sometimes on one page I would include several variations of the main design. I generally just did line sketches with pencil, a few I used mixed media (gel pens, markers, water colours, collage etc) to include more visual info on textures, colours etc. Also, on the designs I included notes on the technical stuff like construction (darts, seams etc) as well as ideas for fabrics, textures, colours etc. In the same sketch book I had pasted pictures from magazines etc that had inspired the designs, everything from snipppets of colours, textures (often totally unrelated to textiles) and pictures of garments or advertisements from established designers, so I kind of included a mood board with each design. I also brought in 3 dresses I had made from pre-made patterns, and wore a dress I had made exactly to my shape and size to the interview to show off that I understood fitting a little bit. They had a good look at the dresses I brought in, checking seams, facings, finishings etc to see how carefully I had made them. All they asked me really was if the designs were my own, where I learned to sew, how long I had be doing it, why I wanted to do the course etc. I told them my idea for a business (which is why I want to do the course) so we mainly talked about my plan for that, my ambitions etc. I would say, the interview was much more chilled out than I had expected it to be, they are FETAC courses after all, they don't expect you to be a dress-maker or designer already, thery just want to see soem interest and imagination. If you have some hats done already that'll prove that. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great!

Hey thanks for the detailed reply! Have a hat almost finished and a good few sketches done now. Still a long way off from making a full outfit. "Slowly but surely" , "getting the hang of it"! Hearing about your portfolio and getting accepted is motivating! I guess the main thing I've to remember now is to document everything, to have a notebook glued to me at all times so none of those fleeting ideas throughout days can escape..
Was down in Cork a few weeks ago to talk to the woman teaching at Mallow College of design. Got chatting to a few of the students too. Don't know if that's the same one you're going to or if you've been down there - but it was good just to get some insight into student life in the fashion realm and to leaf through their creations.
Best of luck this year and would be interested to hear how you get on down the line!
Ciao for now :pac: