Trend Watch NYFW: Lace and Sheers

- - Trends

As the debate rages on about the expense of fashion week, especially given the fact that the Internet delivers the designer’s message real time to the world, one thing is for certain, the clothes do excite and inspire!  We will be covering the key trends during this fashion season, beginning with the lace and sheer trend.

LACE

Designers such as Just Calavi, Balenciaga, and BCBG Max Azria have featured lace in their collections. Designers have used an assortment of lace qualities, ranging from Alencon, to Chantilly to Guipure.

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Loewe, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana

How can you create these looks?

First take our tour of the Lacis Museum with curator Erin Algeo to learn more about all the different types of lace. Erin walks you though the history of lace as well as demonstrates how lace is made.

Picture 11Then watch our Lace Rendering Lesson to learn how to hand render a lace pattern on your fashion illustration.  Using a combination of pens and markers, our expert fashion illustrator will show you the tricks of the trade so that your lace will look “real”.

We have also created lessons to show you how to use a blanket stitch or overcast stitch when appliquéing lace onto sheer fabrics.

SHEER

Designers’ such as  Helmut Lang, Jason Wu, and Phillip Lim and  have used sheer fabric to create translucent cutouts to feminine silhouettes.

Sheer Spring 2014 Trends

Helmut Lang, Jason Wu, Phillip Lim

Browse through the Sheer Seam Finishes Compilation to get started with working with sheer fabric.

Learn how to hand render a sheer pattern, and combine this technique with rendering lace, and get your design ideas on paper.

Get inspired!  Browse our LACE and SHEER trend boards on Pinterest!

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Francesca Sterlacci

Francesca Sterlacci is the CEO of University of Fashion (UoF) which she founded in 2008 as the first on-demand online fashion video library bringing the art and craft of fashion design and business to schools, libraries, organizations and the general public. As owner of her eponymous label for ten years, her collection sold in fine stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Barneys and Nordstrom. As a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology for 11 years, she became Chair of the Fashion Design Department where she initiated the complete revision of their AAS and BFA degree programs, as well as wrote three certificate programs: Leather Fashion Design, Outerwear and Haute Couture. Francesca has also taught graduate level fashion design at the Academy of Art University San Francisco for six years, both on site and online. Her publishing accomplishments include: Leather Apparel Design, the Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry (First and Second Editions), the A-Z of the Fashion Industry, Leather Fashion Design and a 3-volume beginner series on Draping, Pattern Making and Sewing designed to complement the UoF lessons. She has also made literary contributions to both the Encyclopedia of Clothing & Fashion and You Can Do It! The Merit Badge Handbook for Women. Francesca holds an AAS, BA and an MSEd (master’s degree in higher education).