[0:00]Hello, and welcome to the principles of design used by fashion designers. If you haven't already watched the elements of fashion design, you can find that here and in the description below.
[0:13]The elements of design are often called the tools of design. They're easier to teach and understand than the principles because they're much more concrete. The principles are more abstract and nuanced, so let me see if I can take you through them and help make it a bit easier to understand the way designers use these tools. The principles are what designers do with those tools to create balance, emphasis, proportion, rhythm, and harmony. To explain what that means, let's start with emphasis. Emphasis creates a focal point. Emphasis can be achieved using shape, as in this black Givenchy suit on the left. color, as in this dress from Armani Privé, texture in this yellow gold Elie Saab gown, line in the bronze Dior suit, or pattern, as in Thelmaoki's jumpsuit. Emphasis can be created through one or any combination of these elements. Here we have three black suits, all using the element of shape to create different proportions. Again, the same Givenchy suit in the center with the elongated jacket. Saint Laurent on the left uses a traditional length jacket, but with short shorts, and Chanel on the right cropped the jacket, pairing it with a traditional just below the knee skirt. Designers can play with proportion to create different effects. Each of these is an interesting fresh proportion. There's nothing more boring than a jacket and skirt of equal proportion. This one-to-one ratio is boring and more of a uniform really than fashion. Similarly, when a large top is placed over a large bottom, not only are the lengths equal, but so are the width. The effect is uninteresting and unflattering. It's much more flattering if you have wide cropped pants like this to pair them with a smaller jacket, such as this small bomber jacket, or keep the jacket long, but make the trousers slimmer. Either way is more appealing than having both the jacket and the pants wide and long. You can also think of proportion in terms of scale. Designers can play with the scale of patterns to create different effects. The general rule is that a pattern should be in proportion to a person's size, meaning that a petite person should wear smaller prints. And a more substantial person should wear larger prints.
[2:43]But personal preference comes into play as well. Personally, I prefer the larger print on both these models. Sometimes the rules are made to be broken. On to balance. Balance can be symmetrical, as the two on the left, Tom Ford and Zahir Murad, or asymmetrical, as the two on the right, Guo Pei and Iris Van Herpen. Balance can be achieved through the placement of any combination of line, shape, texture, color, or pattern. Symmetrical balance is pleasing to the eye and feels solid, dignified and grounded, but can also be seen as stiff or rigid. Our bodies are symmetrical, as are most forms of life, from insects to animals to trees. So we are comfortable with symmetry. But asymmetry is unexpected and eye-catching. It's more free flowing and unpredictable, like water. Elements such as color, line, and texture can be placed differently, but equally, on both sides of a garment, giving both sides equal visual weight. This dress is asymmetrical, but it is still balanced. If I draw a line along the center, you can see that the two sides have equal visual weight. This dress is also asymmetrical, but the two sides have very different weights. It is maybe a more interesting dress, but it cannot be said to have asymmetrical balance. In fact, it's lack of balance is what catches the eye. Rhythm can be created when some elements are repeated like lines or shapes. The repetition of a shape, or radiating lines, or gradation of color can create a pattern and movement and flow, almost like the beat of music. The eye travels along the repeated element and we can see and feel the rhythm. Harmony is a balance of unity and variety. Here are Halle Berry and Amy Adams, both in Versace. Halle's gown has variety in that it has three different textures in flattering proportions and beautiful asymmetrical balance. It is unified through color. It has a balance of variety and unity, and is therefore a harmonious design. Amy's dress is all one texture, one flowing shape, one color and is symmetrical. While it is a pretty dress, it airs on the side of being too cautious, too unified, and doesn't have the same level of visual interest as Halle's dress. An opposite example is Blanca Blanco's dress on the right. In contrast to Amy's dress, which is a tad boring because of a lack of variety in the design elements, Blanca's has three colors, red, black, and silver, multiple textures, asymmetry, curves, points, a rhythm in the way the crystals are added, and a different rhythm in the repeated curvy lines, all topped off by spaghetti straps that are on a much more delicate scale than the rest of the dress. There is just too much going on, too much variety, so harmony is not achieved. Now, this is not to say that to achieve harmony, colors and lines must be soft and serene. In fact, let's look at an example of masterful design from an artist among designers, Alexander McQueen. McQueen never set out to make a pretty dress. His work and each of his legendary fashion shows told a story, created drama and provoked strong reactions. This gown is from his fall winter 2009 show. The economy had just taken a beating and this show was a comment on the excesses of fashion and modern society. The image is powerful, and you might not love it, but let's analyze the design in terms of the elements and principles. First, the silhouette itself is symmetrical except for the poof on one shoulder. This would normally be seen as being off balance. But McQueen combines shape with pattern here, and the line of symmetry is actually on the diagonal. The lower right portion is slightly larger than the upper left portion, which actually works to ground the design and add stability. But the bottom of the dress is also brighter, and the darkness of the upper portion increases its weight, making the balance nearly perfect. Let's look at the way McQueen uses rhythm here. The houndstooth pattern radiates outward, drawing the eye from the focal point of the shoulder down and around the skirt, where the houndstooth pattern breaks away and becomes birds that swirl around the skirt. Even the individual shapes within the gown create rhythm, beginning again at the shoulder and tumbling down the dress. There is variety in the pattern and the silhouette, and it is unified by the color scheme of red and black. There is nothing extraneous on this dress that distracts from the overall effect. Imagine if McQueen had opted for a spaghetti strap or rhinestones, the whole design would have been diminished. As it is, he has achieved harmony in this design. This shows the artistry of McQueen and the power of the elements and principles of design. So that is the principle of design, how designers use the tools or the elements of design to create a balance of unity and variety and achieve harmony. Thanks for watching.
