Colour for fashion
Colour media for fashion has evolved over the years and it has had
a direct influence upon the visual style and presentation of fashion
drawings. The introduction of marker pens in the 1960s confirmed
a particularly significant shift towards faster and more responsive
media, which were specifically design-orientated rather than
historically rooted in a tradition of artist materials. Marker pens still
exert a powerful influence over fashion sketching styles and drawing
techniques. Today, however, the range of colour media that is
available to fashion designers and design students must also be
considered in the context of computer-aided design software.
Let’s start by briefly considering what colour represents from a
fashion perspective. When most of us look at images of clothes
in a magazine or see a fashion window display we are immediately
drawn to the colour of the clothing and accessories. Moreover,
fashion collections are routinely designed and visually merchandised
into seasonal colour themes. Colour is a fundamental, powerful
force in the design process, from fabric selection through to the