Inspired: Exploring creative pedagogies at the early stage of the fashion design process

The article introduces the fashion process as a relevant topic for the current research in the field, stating the need for further explorations and academic investigation. Recent studies provide detailed guidelines about the fashion design process understood as a linear sequence of stages evolving from the initial sources of inspiration through fabrics research, sketching, pattern-making and garment construction techniques to end products and collection delivery. Very few studies investigate how, when or where innovative ideas emerge along this process. Although acknowledged as part of real-life practice, the intuitive/unstructured/experimental part of creation is hardly grasped within a linear framework. Besides the systematic approach to the design process, fashion students also need to learn how to think creatively and navigate successfully between the multiple phases of the development. How to experiment, reflect, adapt, solve problems, select, improve and enrich their processes. The studio exercises illustrated in the last part of this article propose an integration of design thinking methods into creative pedagogies for fashion design. Challenges, play and other experimental activities engage students better at the early stage of the process, feed their imagination and are instrumental in developing their personal creative approach to fashion.