D
esigners have to strike a delicate balance between appealing to their own tastes and pleasing their customers. Good design and design that appeals to a designer personally are not necessarily the same thing. As the garments illustrated here demonstrate, being a successful fashion designer is not about creating wildly flamboyant costumes that look great on the page but are impossible to wear, but about channeling fashion sense and originality into a customer-targeted outcome. It is important for a designer to build up a profile of the target customer. This should influence all aspects of the collection, including fabric, color, cost, the formal or casual nature of the garments, and the style of presentation. Clothes are about far more than keeping warm-they are a signal to others of what we feel about ourselves. Understanding the client and the client's aspirations means understanding what messages he or she would like to give out. A successful collection is perfectly constructed to reflect these signals and so to satisfy the customer.
A V The process of selection The strongest of the first ideas were selected to sketch in more detail. These knitwear designs were appropriate to the relaxed daywear needs of the target customer.