10 Tips for a Successful Fashion Design Portfolio / Application

Drawing: Joseph Beuys, pencil and watercolor on paper

5. Sei Chaotisch

Als ich mein Portfolio zum ersten Mal einem Dozenten zeigte, meinte er zu mir, dass meine Zeichnungen viel zu langweilig seien. Also rieht er mir, mehr aus mir heraus zu gehen und neue Dinge auszuprobieren. Ich solle sozusagen aus meine „comfort zone“ raus. Verrückter werden. Seinem Rat bin ich gefolgt und das hat mich sehr viel weiter gebracht. Hier kannst du dir mein Portfolio ansehen. Für andere Möglichkeiten dich kreativ auszudrücken, siehe Punkt 10.



6. Gestalte dein Portfolio von außen

Da Modedesign ein gestalterischer Studiengang ist, wird von dir erwartet, dass du alles gestaltest. Auch wenn du das schlichte, komplett schwarze Design von deinem Portfolio magst – interpretiere genau das in deiner eigenen Weise.



7. Kenne die Modeindustrie

Natürlich musst du ein gutes Portfolio abliefern, aber das ist nur der erste Teil. Beschäftige dich mit der Branche. Denn am Nachmittag oder am Folgetag der Portfolio-Prüfung musst du einen Theoretischen Teil beantworten. Der reicht von Kostümgeschichte bis zu kontemporären Designern. Hier findest du viele Beispiel-Fragen.


8. Kenne unbekannte Designer

Manche Modeschulen interviewen die Bewerber individuel und stellen Fragen. Die häufigste Frage dabei ist die nach deinem lieblings-Designer. Ziehe hierbei auch unbekannte, vielversprechende Designer in Betracht. Damit zeigst du, dass du sehr gut informiert bist. Vergiss nicht, deine Wahl auch argumentieren zu können.


9. Es geht nicht um Perfektionismus 

Meiner Meinung nach ist dieses der wichtigste Punkt. Habe keine Angst Skizzen in dein Portfolio zu tun. Habe keine Angst vor Fehlern. Häng nicht emotional an Zeichnungen, das blockiert nur den kreativen Prozess.
Ich kann dir nur empfehlen dein Sketchbook zusammen mit deinem Portfolio abzugeben. Darin können die Dozenten den Entwicklungsprozess einer Zeichnung mitverfolgen.


10. Lerne Neues kennen

Es gibt neben Zeichnen andere Wege sich kreativ auszudrücken. Hast du schon darüber nachgedacht Grafiken, Videos, Fotografien und Kollagen auszuprobieren?  

1. Start early to prepare your portfolio

You don’t necessarily need to be great at drawing to get into Fashion School. If you are creative and have good ideas there are always other ways to express your creativity (see point 10). But drawing, as almost everything else, can be taught. So, if you simply start early, you will definitely get to a level with which you can produce pieces which suffice for Fashion School.



2. Draw Body’s

Even if it is a cliché and you might be the most untalented drawer there is. It is crucial to be able to draw figures. But I wouldn’t recommend you to start learning how to draw fashion figures! Learn how to draw real people. Go to a course to draw nudes. Know every curve of the body. Or only concentrate on certain parts! 
How exactly is the arm shaped? How is the lower leg shaped? Spend time with each part of the body and practice practice practice!
This page will help you a lot!

3. Get in Contact

Each Fashion School is slightly different with it’s focus. The professors are different, the faculty is different. Many schools offer a day or two per year where you can go, bring your portfolio or whatever you have produced so far, and talk to the professors about it. Get tips from them and other fashion design students and follow their lead.


4. Be Precise

Even though there are tons of things you need to be very creative with, there are also some things you need to be precise with. As for example the organization of your portfolio. You need to get your pieces in the portfolio into a logic order, which is easy to follow. You need a table of contents, where you have to give each piece a title and don’t forget to add the materials you used. Lastly, you need a „declaration“ that you did all the pieces by yourself, without any help of others.
Also, no stains or turned-down corners. You might want to add passpartouts or other frames.

5. Be Chaotic

The first time I showed my portfolio to professors (see my portfolio here) they said I was way too boring for me to get into fashion school. They advised me to try something new and basically to go outside my comfort zone! This is what I did. I tried new things in drawing, I was very playful and tried methods and designs I would have never dared to try before. So my advice I can give you is to explore your options in drawing. Sometimes only shadows or some lines suffice as a drawing. For more options see also point 10!

6. Design your Portfolio from the Outside

Since fashion design is creative field of study you will be expected to follow this creativity in everything you do. Even if you like a minimalistic plain black portfolio, find you own way to express exactly that.

7. Know the Industry

A good portfolio doesn’t suffice to get you into fashion school. That is only the first step! The day after, or sometimes even at the same day, in the afternoon, you have to proof your knowledge of fashion. In the aptitude test you usually have to answer two to four questions. Those questions range from historical knowledge of fashion, to contemporary designers or fabrics. That can be anything, really. Go here to find a lot of examples for practice.


8. Know unknown Designers

Since some Fashion Schools interview the applicants indivudually, while others don’t talk to them at all, the most frequently asked question is the one about your favorite fashion designer. Put a lot of thought into your answer and consider unknown designers to show you follow current events in fashion.


9. It’s not about Perfection

In my opinion, this is the most important point. Don’t be afraid to add rough drawings and sketches to your portfolio.
When you drew a piece which is not finished yet, but you like one particular part of it – put it in your portfolio! Don’t be afraid of imperfection. Don’t be afraid of mistakes. 
Also, I can highly recommend you to hand in your sketchbook together with the portfolio! In the sketchbook the prof’s can see how an idea developed and this process is very important. 


10. Explore the unknown

There are always other ways than drawing to express your creativity. Ever thought about trying graphics, videos, photographies and collages?