Do I need to know how to draw? This is one of the most common questions we receive. The response is, it depends.

If you are an independent designer developing your own collection with your own team, possessing good drawing skills is not mandatory. As long as you manage to share your vision and ideas with your teammates; that is all it really matters. 

So do not worry if you are not very good when it comes to realizing sketches, hand-drawings, or technical flats, this will not keep you from expressing your creativity and pursuing your dream. 

If, on the other hand, you are aiming to be hired as a designer in your dream brand, in that case, strong design skills will be required. Also remember, that the ability to adapt your personal way of representation to the one requested by the company will be evaluated as a plus.  

It is commonly known that either you have an innate predisposition towards drawing or you do not, but with time, daily exercise, and above all patience, there is nothing that can not be learned. The drawing capability can be acquired over time, and developed at any age!

In case you would like to improve your drawing skills, we suggest you start by copying reality, starting from what you can see with the naked eye. 

Once you have a greater sense of proportion and spatiality, and you will feel more comfortable with your drawing skills, you will then need to find and develop a unique and personal way to express your ideas and communicate them through the drawing.

If you are interested in learning how to use digital drawing softwares, such as the Adobe ones, check out this article The Adobe World: the Fashion Designer Wonderland!).

In conclusion, there is no right or wrong when it comes to the creative process of collection ideation, so don’t be afraid of doing something incorrectly, simply because you won’t!