Pulling from his 30+ years of experience working in fashion as a designer, stylist, journalist and professor, Robert Leach outlines the inspiration cycle and examines the significance of trends in his new book, The Fashion Resource Book: Research for Design.
The book’s first section tackles the challenge of creating a distinct aesthetic as a fashion designer in a global marketplace. Leach illustrates how big-name designers delve into inspiration and the research process of textiles, silhouette, and color.
The second section of the text goes on to explore broader ideas related to the process, like art movements, designer archives, and making the past relevant again. Case studies that follow designers such as Paul Smith, Rei Kawakubo and Anna Sui through their own research and design processes are featured as well.
Also included is commentary from Stylesight’s own SVP of Trend Analysis Sharon Graubard, in which Graubard expands on the concept of analyzing trends for specific markets:
“For designers, everything is research: people at a party, kids on their way to school, film, art, et cetera. It’s important to be artistically inspired, but it’s also important to understand a particular market, and for that, retailers, magazines, and blogs are important touchpoints.” However, a designer’s unique perspective must shine through to connect to customers. “Lastly, it is essential to use oneself as research; to pull a vision directly out of your own taste, aesthetics, and desires.”
