Fashion Thinking

Dieffenbacher, FionaHaving studied at the prestigious Parsons the New School for Design in New York City, Fiona Dieffenbacher started out working for Donna Karan and was mentored by both Michael Kors and Anna Sui. She later opened her own boutique, and her collections retailed across the US and Japan. Fiona is now Program Director of the BFA Fashion Design course at Parsons School of Design.

The thinking behind a fashion collection is what sets one designer apart from another. Learning to push ideas forward, to develop concepts and to challenge the status quo is what gives us some of fashion's greatest innovations. Yet students often struggle to develop their own style and approach to design. While the design process is fundamental to the way all fashion designers work, there is no right or wrong method: each emerging designer must find their own authentic process.

By following nine award-winning student designers through their thought processes in response to a brief, Fashion Thinking establishes key approaches to design and encourages this process of discovery. Each student project represents a diverse range of strategies at each stage of the design cycle. By following each throughout their various stages of development, these examples offer a unique and inspiring insight into the thinking behind a final collection. Supported by beautiful imagery and illuminating perspectives from professionals throughout the fashion industry, Fashion Thinking is a book that no aspiring fashion designer should be without!

Fashion Thinking is a groundbreaking investigation into the thinking behind the fashion design process, following a number of award-winning student designers through the development of their final collections.

Context
The importance of ideas
Establishing frameworks
Challenging the status quo

Part I: Idea
Process
Practice: 'Hope for the Future' by Janelle Abbot
Practice: 'Virtual Appropriation' by Melitta Baumeister
Practice: 'Neurovision' by Jovana Mirabile
Practice: 'Knitting and Pleating' by Jie Li
Practice: 'Growth and Decay' by Andrea Tsao
Practice: 'Trompe l'oeil' by Sarah Bro-Jørgensen
Practice: 'Light Painting' by Leah Mendelson
Practice: 'Tensegrity' by Aura Taylor
Practice: 'Techno Naturology' by Elaine Ng Yan Ling
Perspective: Kyle Famer
Perspective: Siki Im
Point of View: Barbara Franchin

Part II: Concept
Process
Practice: 'Hope for the Future' by Janelle Abbot
Practice: 'Virtual Appropriation' by Melitta Baumeister
Practice: 'Neurovision' by Jovana Mirabile
Practice: 'Knitting and Pleating' by Jie Li
Practice: 'Growth and Decay' by Andrea Tsao
Practice: 'Trompe l'oeil' by Sarah Bro-Jørgensen
Practice: 'Light Painting' by Leah Mendelson
Practice: 'Tensegrity' by Aura Taylor
Practice: 'Techno Naturology' by Elaine Ng Ya Ling
Perspective: Timo Rissanen
Perspective: Maria Cornejo
Point of View: Mickey Boardman

Part III: Design
Process
Practice: 'Hope for the Future' by Janelle Abbot
Practice: 'Virtual Appropriation' by Melitta Baumeister
Practice: 'Neurovision' by Jovana Mirabile
Practice: 'Knitting and Pleating' by Jie Li
Practice: 'Growth and Decay' by Andrea Tsao
Practice: 'Trompe l'oeil' by Sarah Bro-Jørgensen
Practice: 'Light Painting' by Leah Mendelson
Practice: 'Tensegrity' by Aura Taylor
Practice: 'Techno Naturology' by Elaine Ng Yan Ling
Perspective: Frances Corner
Perspective: threeASFOUR
Point of View: Colleen Sherin