Attention to the designer. How to create the “right” creative portfolio

“Despite the fact that students of“ fashion ”and design universities often devote all their attention to the thesis that they pass at the end of each academic year, the most important thing is to create a good portfolio, because it is the portfolio that identifies and shows all the student’s skills and thus helps him to find a job, ”says Huelle Davis, curator of fashion at Central Saint Martins.

A good creative portfolio includes everything from initial sketches to final sketches and finished work. It should give the most complete overview of the abilities of a novice designer. The portfolio should reflect the professional level and additional skills of the applicant for the position of the designer, including knowledge of the basics of the business, as this knowledge is also important for potential employers.

Journalists of the American edition of The Business of Fashion (BoF) spoke with teachers from leading world design schools and learned from them what a creative portfolio should be like to stand out from the rest.

1. Show your knowledge of fashion market trends

Curator of fashion at Central Saint Martins, Huelle Davis:

“Students need to work on the development of their own features and design style, they need to clearly formulate their ideas. They should clearly know who their collections are oriented to and who their end users are. When submitting resumes for vacancies, students of design faculties should be shown a diverse portfolio of their work, it is not enough that only their own collections are demonstrated in it.

Of course, they can present their own ideas, but they can also be asked to design collections for Chloé or JW Anderson, and they should be prepared for this too. Different brands have different ideas about design. Students must understand the rules of work in the fashion industry, they must show that they understand and know how to work in collaboration with other brands and third-party customers. "

2. Adhere to the logic of presentation
Marques' Almeida Studio Assistant Nicolin Dalgaard:

“A successful and creative portfolio is a portfolio that leads along the path of knowledge and skills of the graduate in a clear and understandable sequence. Ideally, this should be a story told on behalf of the student about his skills.

Young designers are sure that it is important to show that they can do everything from initial sketches, studies, sketches, to images of the final product in the form of photo shoots or illustrations. But in fact, this approach makes the portfolio boring.

Seeing such a portfolio, I come to the conclusion that this designer does not stand out from the crowd of his other colleagues, and he did not wonder - why should we choose it? I know that there are two main ways to create a creative portfolio: the first is to divide your portfolio into projects and the second is to divide your portfolio into skills. I advise you to pay attention to the second method. "

3. Turn on non-traditional skills
Assistant Professor of Design and Fashion at Parsons Marie Genevieve Cyrus:

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“Brand representatives will look at work differently depending on their own vision. Someone pays more attention to experience, aesthetic taste or the ability to multitask; others may pay attention to computer design skills and experience in a certain field. In the 21 century, many new brands appeared, and this expands the opportunities for graduates.

Students are increasingly acquiring unique or non-traditional skills. By studying various techniques, they can find something new for themselves. They must challenge society and create their own vision of fashion and collections, creating not only clothes, but textile collections, video products, paintings, furniture or interiors. Designers should try themselves beyond the traditional work of a fashion designer, in such professions as textile designer, web designer, illustrative designer, technical designer or print designer. ”

4. Express your thoughts clearly
Manager at Rejina Pyo studio, Rora Shaw:

“Regardless of the personal style, which must necessarily be demonstrated in a good creative portfolio, the presentation should also include a story about ideas and ways of their implementation - from research to the final product. This approach helps to understand how well a designer can express his thoughts through design.

Often people are mistaken in the fact that they need to demonstrate all their skills in a portfolio. And you need to show the most basic things: research, project development and the final product. And if this information takes five pages, that will be enough. No need to talk about all your projects, just talk about the two best. "

5. Show originality
Brother Vellies founder Aurora James:

“Originality and a good sense of style is the key to success. When I first started designing shoes, it seemed to me that others considered me abnormal. But I insisted on my creative vision of the product, and expressed it in my brand, because I firmly believed in my idea. I love people with the same creative approach, way of thinking and originality.

Applicants for the position of designer make a mistake trying to imitate some previously implemented successful ideas, because of this their vision seems stale. I want to look to the future, I do not like to get an old job. As an entrepreneur, I like to be close to people who can perform different tasks, and it is difficult to communicate with those who stand in one place. ”