Do you need fashion styles and logo design ideas but you lack inspiration? If YES, here are 20 sources of clothes & logo design ideas for your clothing line.
The clothing industry in the United States is a massive industry. Millions of clothing gets released into the market each year from very popular to less popular designers.
This statistics makes the clothing industry a very competitive industry, and if you wish to break into the market and remain relevant, you should be able to churn out very unique designs that would draw people to your clothing line.
As a startup, there is every possibility that you can become relevant and even attract celebrities to your services, but you need to make eye popping creations before that can be possible.
3 Questions to Ask Before Creating your Clothing Designs
New designers always make the mistake of jumping on the bandwagon and only mass produce creations that have been made popular by other designers.
While this strategy may give you market for your product if you sell at reduced price, but it would not stand you out of the crowd and get you noticed.
Before you start looking for design ideas for your clothing line, you have to first of all know who you are designing for. Would you be designing for babies, children, teenagers, working adults, or would you rather go the sports route? Having this knowledge would help you know where to look for inspiration, as well as materials to make your designs.
If you want to carve a niche for yourself in the clothing industry, then you have to go the extra mile to source for designs that would attract the right crowd to your brand. Here are 20 unique places you can source design ideas for your clothing line.
20 Sources of Cloth & Logo Design ideas for a Clothing Line
1. Trends
Trends come and go, and this cycle turns faster these days with designers eagerly churning out new designs weekly in order to grab a good share of the market.
As a startup designer, or one who wants to refresh his or her brand, going back to precious trends would help you generate quite some fresh ideas.
While you are not expected to pick up an old design and try to bring it back into fashion, but you can gain a lot of inspiration from the patterns and cuts of yesteryears. Pick a sleeve here, a pocket size there, a random hem pattern, and you maybe unto something big.
2. Sample opinion
This idea source is one of the reasons why you have to know your target market. If for instance your clothing line wants to target working adults, you could sample the opinion of some of them as to what they would consider a comfortable work style.
Because of the various bold design in the market targeted are getting people seen or noticed, you could target introverts. You can sample their opinion to know what they consider comfortable and wearable, and then tailor your designs towards that line.
3. Assemble images
Every clothing designer needs to have a catalogue of images. If you don’t have, then create one. You need to assemble images from fashion magazines, Pinterest, books and the internet.
From those loads of clothing designs, you could easily get an inspiration that would point you to the direction of a unique creation.
You need to be careful here so you don’t copy a persons design and pass it off as your own because it could lead to court actions for your fledgling business.
4. Children’s story books and picture books
Story books and children’s picture books are often filled with great graphics. The illustrations are not the only source of inspiration therein as you can get a lot of insight from the typography, page layouts, word placements, colours etc.
You can dig out your old story books and start from there, or you could go online to find amazing story and picture books to peruse. This clothing design inspiration idea is most suited for designers who make children’s clothing’s and costumes.
5. Turn to nature
A lot of great clothing ideas have emerged from nature. Of course we cannot forget the jungle prints and floral designs in a hurry.
While a great many ideas have come from nature, but we have not explored even half of what the world of flora and fauna has to offer clothing designers. Get interested in certain plants, trees, shrubs, ferns and what have you.
While you are at it, you should not forget to look into the animal kingdom and explore stripes, dots, furs and cuts that have not yet been created, and have fun with them.
6. Sketch away
The human mind is an incredible tool when it is put to work; there is no predicting what it is capable of. Sketching involves putting your mind to work by sketching out designs randomly. You can just grab a drawing paper and and some pencils and just keep going.
The deal here is to give your mind free reign by sketching out the good, the bad, the ugly and the downright ridiculous and see what comes out.
When you are done with this, you can start piecing together the designs. You can get a sleeve here, a collar, button hole, strap, bow etc and piece them together and see what you can come up with.
7. Movies/movie posters
Historical films, contemporary films, science fiction and fantasy can help give you inspiration for your next batch of clothing designs as they have a whole wealth of inspiration in them. Historical movies often have fantastic settings and costumes that you can draw your ideas from.
On the other hand, movie posters are absolutely rich in all aspects of design from color to perspective, placement, angle and shadow. Some people find a well of design inspiration from posters.
8. Food
Food sometimes helps to get those inspiration juices flowing. How? You may ask. Beautiful food arrangements, the various colours and patterns of the vegetables can give you an idea or two about a clothing design.
A lot of clothing designs have been inspired by broccoli and other such vegetables. Again, inspiration can come to you buy preparing and eating your favorite meal, or even from drinking coffee.
A lot of people can attest to the fact that coffee helps them concentrate better. You just need to try to find specific foods and drinks that will help you figure out that great design.
9. Spices
It is very possible to source your inspiration from spices, some designers have too. Take chilies for instance, those long peppers with red hot bodies could make you latch onto a great valentine dress design idea.
Grab some of your favorite spices, and even the uncommon ones too and see what you can make out of their vibrant hues, contours, patterns and designs.
10. Music
People generally listen to music while they work as it helps to provide a relaxing atmosphere, but what most people don’t know is that they can get clothing design inspirations from music.
The lyrics of the song, the flow of the beats, the sound of the mix of instruments and the general ambiance the music creates can give you that mental light.
For instance, when designing a batch of ball gowns or dinner dresses, mellow love themed music might help you along. But you have to note that when seeking inspiration, it is best to stick to a music genre that you love as it is quite easy to let yourself fly with them.
11. Hit the road
Embarking on a journey can be a great way to feel inspired again. When you are experiencing a mental block that you can’t seem to break, your best bet is to pack up and go somewhere. You can go on a vacation, visit a friend in the next town, or even travel to the suburbs to see your parents.
You should note that when traveling, it is best to take the train or bus, or even drive if you are comfortable with doing long distances.
The wind in your face, trees and houses zipping past, new scenery, stretches of barren land and forests etc would all serve to lighten and refresh your mind. When you get to the place, you have to make sure to explore everything the town has to offer.
12. Games
Quite a number of people have found inspiration in games, be it video games, board game and the likes. In fact, a lot of people can swear by monopoly as an effective tool for inspiration.
Their patterns, colour schemes, layouts and graphic elements and play sequences can serve to provide a new line of inspiration for clothing.
This method can provide good inspiration for work wear. So when next you are playing a board or video game with a friend, keep an eye out for what you can find.
13. Product Packaging designs
You know those gaily designed wrappers that products come in? Yes, there are almost like a pool of inspiration for clothing designs.
Their sometimes loud colours, unique cuts, patterns and even their shapes can give you an idea or two. You can adapt some of the patterns into your own designs and come up with something very unique to you.
Product packs are all around us, and if you want to see them arrayed beautifully, you could visit the nearest Grocery Store to you. In fact, your inspirations are likely to come more when you see them in groups.
14. Architecture
The rugged designs of buildings hold a lot of inspiration if you know how and where to look. As far as buildings and architecture are concerned, there is a style for every taste.
From very artistic structures, to the ones that are less ostentatious, from dynamic flowing lines to elegant simplicity, there is almost certainly an architectural style that can be adapted to your clothing design.
You can go from medieval down to modern architecture to see that which appeals more to your senses. Architecture holds a lot of stake in inspiring fashion designing.
15. Flea markets
Flea markets are filled with beautiful collectible items that can set you off thinking in the line of the designer or creator. Products in flea markets are perfect even with their imperfections that come through age, wear and tear.
That chipped paint, the faded wall paper, the cracked vessel, the garish colour or painting, the crooked writing patterns, the raffia baskets, wood crafts, vintage dresses, the metal and tin designs can all get your imagination running wild. Why don’t you start exploring now and see what you can come up with?
16. Art galleries
An art gallery is a building or space dedicated to the exhibition of art, usually visual art. Art galleries have an abundance of sculptures, decorative arts, furniture, textiles, costumes, drawings, pastels, watercolors, collages, prints, artist’s books, photographs and lots more.
A place such as this would be brimming with inspirations that you can turn into ideas. So when next you are experiencing a designer glitch, take a trip to the nearest art gallery.
17. Mathematics
What relationship does mathematics have with designing? You may ask. But it is a fact that mathematics have been inspiring clothing designs for longer than we know. 3D prints and Geometry have been used to create very exciting and unique collections.
For example, the fashion line created by label Issey Miyake, a Japanese, in 2010 was inspired by advanced mathematics, and the fashion line generated a lot of interest in the mathematics and fashion communities.
Studying other designers’ work and the techniques they used for creating garments with numbers and figures can get your creative juices flowing.
18. Love
This one might sound strange to many, but it is a fact that this theme has inspired a great many clothing designs. Love is a very emotional feeling that can bring on a new set of thoughts, views and actions, and as such it is a very viable source of clothing design ideas for your clothing line. This theme works best if you are creating a line of valentine or bridal dresses.
19. Sleep on It
We know that sleep makes us feel more energized and improves our mood, but do we really know that the brain performs other functions while we rest?
It has been discovered that sleep can be a powerful creativity-booster, because the mind in an unconscious resting state can make surprising new connections that it perhaps wouldn’t have made when you have woken up.
A sleep study conducted at the University of California in 2007 discovered that sleep can foster unusual connections in the brain that could lead to a major light bulb moment upon waking.
The research said that upon waking from sleep, people are 33 percent more likely to make connections between seemingly distantly related ideas.
A lot of designers have happened upon great design ideas either in their dreams or as something that just comes to them when they have awoken. So if you are having problems coming up with unique designs, why don’t you sleep on it and let your brain go to work?
20. On the Street
People are in the habit of taking long walks in cool crisp evenings, or sunny afternoons to get some exercise or just to take in some air, but for a designer, such walks can serve to unlock a wealth of clothing design inspirations.
Some designers have testified to being inspired by something as common as a manhole with an odd design, old posters on wall, badly made graffiti, the bending of the trees to the wind, the setting sun, children playing in the parks, a random paper bag carelessly discarded, city landscapes, book covers in local libraries, and loads of other things. So when next you need clothing design inspiration, just talk a walk and see what ideas that lurk in the corner.
Conclusion
The list of where to find inspiration for your clothing design is inexhaustible. You can get it anytime and from anywhere. Everything you see, feel, hear and experience influences your thoughts about à specific design; it really depends upon the individual.
But while you are on the lookout for unique designs, you have to note that people keep churning out designs every day, so you have to be careful not to bring out a design that has already been presented by another.