POV: A freelance womenswear designer upskilling in Clo3D

October has been a busy month, not just with work, but also with upskilling my skills.

Over the last two months, I’ve been working with a start up that I’ve absolutely loved being part of, not just for their energy and product, but because it has reintroduced me to the joys of 3D design. The founders outsourced the 3D side of the project, and it was so exciting to see my ideas and 2D sketches come to life in 360°, visualising the designs from every angle and questioning some of the design features.

That experience reminded me how much I wanted to learn this skill myself. So, I finally carved out time to tackle something that’s been on my to-do list for years, CLO 3D.
After asking around and running a poll, CLO 3D came up as the most recommender and as the industry standard that so many leading brands now use as part of their workflow.

I’ve always believed 3D could play a huge role in supporting more sustainable design practices, so I decided to dive in and enrolled in a CLO 3D training course for designers with CAD for Fashion taught by the incredible Laura.

I’m halfway through and already amazed by what this software can do. The course is informative, practical, and really encourages hands-on learning, the more you put in, the more you get out! So far, I’ve learned to create patterns, adapt avatars, make design changes, and experiment with colourways and different fabrications.

CLO 3D feels like a real game changer for the industry reducing the need for physical samples, speeding up design iterations. Allowing instant visualisation of fit, proportion, and styling. It’s honestly mind-blowing, and I know I’ve only just scratched the surface of this programme as a freelance fashion designer.

As a freelance womenswear designer who’s always loved pattern cutting, it’s been a joy to revisit those skills in a digital space. Some parts of the software feel intuitive, others take patience, but I’ve genuinely loved the process, and now look forward to my Tuesday morning learning sessions each week.

If you know of any great CLO 3D resources, I’d love to hear your recommendations!

And on a side note, if you’re looking for a curious, creative freelance fashion designer who’s always keen to upskill and pass this knowledge on to you, I have some availability in November, so please do get in touch.