I'm both a technical & artsy nerd who had the privilege of studying at Bunka Fashion College and Central Saint Martins, 2 of the top Fashion schools in the world.
Then I wasn't so lucky in my jobs, where I received tons of abuse but minimal support so figuring things out on my own became 2nd nature - which is not an entirely healthy thing, that's why I'm currently less passionate about Fashion and more into
- ethical and sustainable systems, trauma-informed psychoeducation and recovering from Complex PTSD (yes, you can totally get PTSD from a nasty workplace! It stays with you and can undermine your success at a new job);
- sharing what I learned as a conscious effort to turn my experience into a constructive, albeit not positive, one.
I hope your experience will be a lot better than mine, and I'm so glad I've been helping many internet strangers with my content:
Free resources by me
- Tech Pack kit: ebook and editable templates
- Runway model template kit: ebook and templates to print and draw over
- Basic flat sketches (in Adobe Illustrator)
- Library of basic pattern blocks
Portfolio and famous Fashion schools
- My experience at Central Saint Martins: intro, part 1 - Fashion Folio, part 2 - Graduate Diploma;
- My experience at Bunka Fashion College: part 1 is already pretty complete, part 2 is more of a bonus;
- Overview of my portfolio made during the Fashion Folio course, used to apply for the Graduate Diploma Fashion CSM: boring but shows everything here, actual advice here;
- 1Granary issue 6: video review of one of the magazines you can't miss if you're actually interested in forward-thinking Fashion and good Fashion education.
- Creative Process tutorials: YouTube playlist
Technical/ apparel design
- Luxury sweatshirt fabric guide: also useful if you're in the mood to explain why you prefer Acne Studios to ZARA;
- True vintage - Italian and French sailor trousers: overview of the unique details on these pieces sourced at one of London's best vintage dealers (supplying luxury brands such as Prada and Marni) + how to draft patterns in your own size;
- Tech Pack guide for beginners;
- How to make your own Fashion model template: stop drawing stick figures with one eye (unless you wanna draw bridesmaid dresses at the fabric store);
- How I made Tech Packs for my first drop: spoiler: I was ghosted by a manufacturer after he received my TP and made a prototype.
I no longer work in Fashion and have no interest in making a new portfolio or collection, but I still make clothes occasionally.
My sewing vlog on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7hUw4Ugw4kPSH_GXj2V1_OXtPPZ-gOBG
Didn't find what you needed?
The guide above is not exhaustive of my content or knowledge, so feel free to reach out.
(although I prefer if you leave a comment on one of my YouTube videos, as it helps my channel and your question might also help other viewers).
If you're just starting out and need lots of help: please consider getting 1-to-1 tutoring or getting into a full-time course, even if it's not at a famous Fashion school.