Peeking into the inner workings of a fashion designer’s creative headspace can seem like an impossible task – until now. In our special series of Designer Diaries, we bring you exclusive access into the world of fashion’s greatest creative minds – a chance to peak into the amazing places where beautiful garments are born. Follow us as we explore the secrets of creativity and discover the day to day processes of some of fashion’s most influential designers.

1. Step Inside the Designer’s Studio

Stepping into the depths of the designer’s studio can be a thrilling and rewarding experience. The walls are lined with artwork that captures the not-so-hidden meaning of fashion. The air carries the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and fabric dyes, a familiar sight in modern workspaces.

The Walls and Artwork

• Thick fabrics and bold patterns adorn the walls.
• Printed artwork and photography fill the room, conjuring emotion.
• Themes were chosen to inspire and reflect the designer’s style.

A designer’s studio isn’t just a workspace but a creative outlet. Taking a closer look at the artwork that lines the walls, one can discover the artist’s identity. Colorful designs featuring intricate patterns and vibrant shapes convey the story behind each design without words. Photographic images encapsulate important elements of the fashion world, from the glamor of the red carpet to the edgy texture of a warehouse.

The Desk and Work Area
A perfect workspace is essential for a designer. The desk and work area are organized meticulously to create an atmosphere conducive to producing beautiful, creative pieces. There are myriad fabrics, drawing supplies, and tools that catch the eye. The room is dotted with fabrics, swatches, sketches, and small samples of the designer’s current or upcoming collection. The desk is rarely vacant, often cluttered with notes, books, and inspirations that the designer has gathered.

Mannequins and Mirrors
Throughout the studio are mannequins wearing garments in various states of completion. Mirrors hang on the walls so that adjustments can be made to the design without having to take them on and off. It’s not uncommon for the mannequins to be placed all around the room to help with the visualization process, which ultimately brings a garment to life.

When you step into a designer’s studio, you enter a world full of creativity and possibilities. Each corner of the room tells its own part of the story, giving you a glimpse into the designer’s unique vision.

2. Creative Musings of Fashion Designers

Fashion is about self-expression, and that isn’t just limited to wearing the latest trends. It’s also about the creative musings of the people behind the clothes. The world’s most iconic fashion designers have paved the way in pushing the boundaries of fashion forward, and that often starts weeks, even years before any actual clothes make it into stores.

• Yves Saint Laurent: YSL set the trend for clawing back French influences into fashion. His signature Le Smoking tuxedo suit for women was revolutionary.
• Alexander McQueen: Known for his avant-garde aesthetic, McQueen often put on fashion shows as performances, complete with elaborate themes and props.
• Giorgio Armani: Armani re-wrote the rules of men’s suiting, changing from outdated fitting to softer tailored fits. He also pushed the trends for luxurious everyday wear for women.
• Diane von Furstenberg: If you’ve worn a wrap dress, you can thank Diane von Furstenberg! Very iconic piece of women’s fashion.

Fashion designers often make bold statements whilst predicting the future of fashion. Kim Jones at Louis Vuitton decided to pave the way with his collaboration on vegan shoes made from apple waste and Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel turned the Grand Palais into a supermarket to pass a message in his fall 2013 collection.

Innovation and creativity play an important role in any fashion line, and these days, it’s no longer enough to simply recycled out-dated ideas. Designers must not only look to the past but also be willing to experiment with the modern world.

The fashion-forward move in a modern setting enables designers to look at all aspects of life, from art and literature to technology and music, to create something entirely unique. As we start to explore the pioneering ideas of the world’s leading fashion designers, the potential for creating something new and extraordinary is limitless.

3. Peering Behind the Curtain of Luxury Design

The world of luxury design is a place dominated by opulence and spectacle. But when you take a step back and look past the glitz, you can uncover even more intricate layers of quality and craftsmanship. That’s what lies behind the curtain when it comes to luxury design.

The boundaries of luxury design are constantly shifting and expanding while still sticking to tried-and-true tactics. From bespoke furnishings to hand-crafted finishes, luxury design captures a moment in time.

• A Focus on Quality – With luxury, you don’t add here and take away there. You start from a foundation of quality and make meticulous changes to create something unique and handmade.
• Every Detail Counts – From the selection of fabrics and materials to whether the upholstery is hand-tufted or machine-stitched, luxury design is about honing the smallest of details.
• Timelessness Is Key – Luxury design incorporates classic patterns, shapes and colors that stand the test of time. There’s no rush to the finish line when it comes to luxury design — it’s all about the journey.

When you pull away the curtain of luxury design, you’re left with a creation that has been crafted with care and precision. It’s a classical homage to the art of creating something beautiful and painstakingly made with devotion.

This is the world of luxury design, and it’s why we’re drawn to this art form, chasing the dream of beautiful, timeless possessions. Pulling away the curtain is always rewarding — you just never know what you’ll find.

4. An Intimate Look at the Making of Fashion Trends

Fashion trends begin and are shaped long before they reach the eyes of the public. Creating a new trend is an extensive process that requires countless hours of creating, testing, and perfecting. Let’s take a closer look at what goes into crafting a trend.

• Ideation: Ideas for fashion trends come from a range of sources including social media, industry publications, street style, and creative design teams. Designers look to emerging trends in other industries and consumer needs when crafting their concepts.
• Creation: Fabrics, colors, textures, and silhouettes are cobbled together to form a physical trend. Often this means clothing, but often it extends to accessories and home decor as well.
• Showtime: Trends come to life in the form of adoption, adoption, adoption. Designers send their creations down runways, styled on models, dictating the newest look through seasonal shows. The fashion industry watches and reacts.
• Public Reaction: The public decides what sticks. Social media helps to solidify a trend’s staying power. If the public loves it, the trend can take off. If not, it may fizzle out and fashion’s new-found direction will be aimed elsewhere.

Trends fade and die as quickly as they arrive. For fashion’s ever-changing industry, staying up to date is key. Today’s hottest trends likely won’t be tomorrow’s. That’s why designers, trendsetters, and the industry at large dedicate countless hours each day to crafting, perfecting, and sharing the newest trends with the world. It’s an ever-changing industry that ebbs and flows with time, adapting to the public’s ever-changing tastes.

Take a step into the world of fashion design and marvel at what the designer diaries have to offer. Glimpse at the hard-working creators of fashion, visualise their inspirations, and imagine the stories they tell in the fabrics of their creations. From sketching to stitching, now you’ve seen a designer’s diary come alive, and how it adds colour to the world of fashion.