The fourth workshop of FAD Fashion Futures 2018 began with the students finishing off their technical drawings – a plan view of the design which  includes all the information needed to actually manufacture the garment. This involved creating an outline in pencil before going over it in pen once the details had been settled on. Many blunt pencils later, the technical drawings had been finished and it was time to move on to fabrics!

“I enjoyed the technical drawing because it helped me to visualise my design and allowed me to improve the small details of my garment.” – Lucy

The students squeezed into the main room where Joanne led a fascinating workshop on understanding and identifying different fabrics. The students were given a wide range of different fabrics to feel, scrunch and smell, and were then tasked with identifying what they were from a list.

“I liked the fabric challenge because I helped me understand me different fabrics and gave me a variety of fabrics to choose from in my final design.” – Naima

This challenge gave the students an idea of the different fabrics which were available to use and the unique characteristics of each type of fabric. They looked at the fibre, structure and textures of the different pieces of fabric in order to identify them. With the help of a disco countdown timer, the students were given 10 minutes to identify all of their fabrics.  After identifying each piece, the students were given a small sample to cut out and stick on a sheet so they could refer back to it in the future. By the end of the challenge the students were able to identify a variety of fabrics from viscose to linen and bouclé!

“I really enjoyed pattern cutting because it allowed me to see my initial pattern come to life!” – Mattie

 After the thrill of the fabric challenge it was then on to pattern cutting! The students were split into groups of six, with each group led by an enthusiastic industry volunteer. Unlike the previous pattern cutting task where the students were simply cutting out a mini dress, the stakes were now higher as they were tasked with pattern cutting their own designs in full size! It was time to get the big rulers out!

“The content the young people are being taught is incredible. It’s great to see the basics of fashion design being taught in such an enthusiastic way.  My favourite part of the day was seeing the students making their own decisions about their garments during the pattern cutting task.” – Mark, Senior Designer of Specialist, ASOS