This year hasn't been the best so far but we have to keep moving forward in search for a better day. That is why I love books among other wonderful things, they always manage to redirect my focus from all the problems and help me relax. This month I managed to find two new books related to fashion design and illustration.
1. Fabric for Fashion: A Comprehensive Guide by C.Hallet and A.Johnston
This book is definitely the best book on fabric for fashion designers I've encountered so far. It covers all the important terminology used in fabric and textile industry and design. You will find valuable information about different types of fibres, how fibres make fabric, coloring fabric, wool, luxury animal fabric, silk, linen, cotton and sustainable plant fibres. This book has the perfect balance of visual and written. All the images are beautiful, colorful and very inspirational. The chapters are very clear and contain just enough information about each title. There are many highlighted things that are visually appealing, making it easier to remember. Each chapter has terminology for that subject and many images with examples. This is definitely a book every designer should have in their library.
2. Fabric For Fashion: The Swatch Book by C. Hallet and A. Johnston
This book is a complementary work book to the one above and it is such a necessary resource to have for everyone starting with fashion design. I also find it useful for fashion illustration as you can clearly see how the certain fabric behaves and how the light hits it so you are able to draw it more accurately. It has more than 125 swatches of commonly used fabrics such as cotton, silks, wools, linens... Each fabric swatch has information on fibers, basic construction of fabrics, weight, construction and weave comparison.If you are looking to launch your clothing line or develop a collection, this book will help you make informed textile choices based on understanding raw materials.
I'm currently more focused on fashion design books as I'm working on my first collection but hopefully in March I will also find some great new books dedicated to fashion illustration as well.