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What a lookbook in fashion


How To Make a Lookbook

Your brand is unique and so is the audience you are targeting. For fashion and apparel, interior design, beauty, and other similar industries, a lookbook should be created as a high-end representation of what your business is offering. Lookbooks are a great visualization tool for showing off your brand, building a crowd of loyal ambassadors, and generating excitement for your upcoming spring or fall product line.

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What is a Lookbook?

Firstly, it’s important we define what a lookbook actually is. According to Wikipedia: 

A lookbook is a collection of photographs compiled to show off a model, photographer, style, stylist, or clothing line. Usually, bloggers or vloggers will “model” fashionable looks for that month or season. This gives viewers ideas on how to style outfits, or to show what the latest fashions are.  

While this definition mainly focuses on the fashion and apparel industry, it can be applied to all other industries creating seasonal product lines. No matter the industry, lookbooks generally have a consistent “look” to them. Unlike a catalog that displays pricing and generally contains a more complete display of all available products, lookbooks are more artistic and selective. They contain large, high-quality photographs with minimal text that reinforce the brand and vibe of the product line. Refer to the chart below for the main differences between lookbook and catalog printing.

Lookbook Catalog
Large, Full Page Images Mix of Large and small images
Minimal, small text Contains product descriptions
Does not usually show pricing Shows Pricing
More Artistic Imagery More Plain/Technical Imagery

3 Easy Tips to Get the Lookbook “Look”: Learn More

 

How to Create Your Lookbook

Photography and Modeling 

Professional photography is a must for lookbooks. Each product photo should be modeled in a way that shows its functionality or appeal to the potential customer. For example, an apparel lookbook should be able to reveal the fit, texture, and benefits of the piece of clothing easily in one image. To make the desired impact, the lighting and photography equipment used by professional photographers will be necessary. Cell phone photos will likely not cut it for a lookbook. 

You should also note the word “model” in the Wikipedia definition above as lookbooks should go beyond standard boring product imagery and really expel excitement in the product. This is where photography will play a crucial role in producing a quality lookbook. Think large photos with empowering subjects. Think of your lookbook as someone’s actual daily life and create those lifestyle shots that make a connection. For this reason, it’s important to find a model that mirrors the same qualities of the collection. 

Architecture & Design Lookbook Beauty Lookbook

Home Decor Lookbook

The photographer should acknowledge the season of the fashion lookbook as well. As lookbooks go, they are usually focused on either winter, spring, summer or fall collections. Engaging with the seasonality of the clothing will make it easier for the end-user to relate to the product, which leads to more sales. If you’re a small brand or limited on budget, spending dollars for a talented photographer will be worth it!

 

Branding 

It’s important that your brand is well represented in the lookbook as well. Your logo should be seen in several of the images on the clothing or product. It should be subtle and not overwhelming when using the logo within the pages.  However,  at the beginning or end of the lookbook it is recommended that the brand be prominent. Adding your logo or mission statement in the front of the book can help set the stage as the user flips through the pages. Your brand should be positively reinforced through the professionalism of the photographs, layout design, and products themselves. 

 

Layout Design

Most lookbooks are a standard 8. 5×11 which makes it easy to portray standing or active models. The photos should take up most of the page with the text out of the way. Don’t be afraid to keep it SIMPLE. The product you are selling is the most important element on the page and should attract the whole attention of the reader. Placing a model photo on the left side page complemented by close-ups of the clothing is a great way to display the collection.

9 Easy Steps for Designing the Perfect Layout: Learn More

With our free photo book maker, designing your lookbook is extremely easy! Once you have your images, all you have to do is upload them and drag and drop them into premade photo layout templates! Or, to knock out two birds with one stone, you can:
1. Upload your lookbook images into a Facebook photo album for some easy social media advertising.

2. Start a Lookbook design on the Photo Book Maker, select a theme, connect to your Facebook, and select the lookbook photos! These will be placed into the theme’s layout, and your Lookbook will be done in minutes! 

The photo book maker is a great option for Lookbook Design since lookbooks are mainly made up of large photos and minimal text. Click here to give it a try! 

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Product Specifications

Once your lookbook is designed and it’s time to order, there are more things to consider before placing your order. Below we have listed our recommended product specifications for lookbooks: 

Binding: Perfect Bound
Perfect binding is the ideal option for lookbooks because they are our most professional binding option. Not only do they appear crisp and professional, you can print on the spine! This means that you can add the product line name, season, and year to the spine for easy book shelf navigation. We also offer saddle stitch, spiral, and wire-o bound books if perfect binding doesn’t seem like the right fit for you.

Size: 8.5 x 11
8.5 x 11 is the most common lookbook size, because it accommodates large, vertical images very well. This creates an engaging flip-through experience for the viewer. Refer to image below for our available standard sizes.

Ink: Full Color 
For both inside ink and cover ink, we recommend full color (4/4). This way any color nuance in your product will be properly showcased. 

Paper: 100# Cover and 100# Text
Since lookbooks are a higher-quality product built to make impressions, we recommend our thickest paper options. Depending on the colors you’re using in the lookbook you might want to consider different paper finishes. Matte paper seems to work really well with muted and gray colors while a gloss paper will make spring colors pop.

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ApparelLookbook

Matt Fey

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What Is a Lookbook? (+ 15 Stunning Examples)

Whether you’re a designer wanting to show off work or have a request to create one for a client, a lookbook can be an effective way to showcase a variety of elements in a single design.

A lookbook is a portfolio of sorts and has wide application in a number of fields, including website design, graphic design, and development.

Here’s a guide to what a lookbook is, what to include in one when you start designing it, and some examples that are sure to help you find a little lookbook inspiration.

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What is a Lookbook?

A lookbook is a design collection that started in fashion but has applications for designers and photographers as well. A lookbook is essentially a portfolio, that’s formatted and updated in a diary-style with frequent changes and updates.

For designers, a digital lookbook can be a great way to show off projects as they evolve from start to finish or blog a day in the life of a designer.

For photographers, a lookbook can showcase a range of styles or help you stretch your creative muscles.

Generally, lookbooks are a collection of design change over time. Having a solid platform for this collection, whether printed or digitally, can help showcase your work to others and even potential clients.

Lookbooks can be printed or PDF books, presentation decks or slides, or websites. The format really depends on your needs and audience. Some may opt for a lookbook in multiple formats.

5 Things a Lookbooks Should Include

When it comes to building a lookbook, include many of the same key elements you would in a traditional portfolio. Every lookbook should include the following elements:

1.

A Stunning Cover

When presenting a lookbook, making a good first impression is very important. Needless to say, a stunning cover design is a must for every lookbook to attract attention.

Keep in mind that a lookbook is not a business brochure or a magazine, it’s a representation of your work. So make sure your lookbook cover represents your brand and identity.

2. Large & High-Quality Visuals

Lookbooks are usually filled with big bold images, that’s the main point of making a lookbook. However, you should also consider the quality of the images you include in the lookbook.

Use images that are print-friendly and in high resolution. And don’t be afraid to use colors and shapes to create page layouts that are great to look at.

3. Detailed Descriptions of Projects

The problem with showcasing art or designs is that people may see and interpret them differently. Many won’t see the true meaning or purpose behind an artwork the way you intended it.

It’s always a good idea to include a description alongside your projects and designs. Share the story behind the design and tell the users what makes it unique.

4. Show Examples

It’s also important to share what the purpose of your lookbook is and what you plan to achieve with it. You can do this by providing clear explanations and examples.

5. A Bio Section and Contact Information

Of course, the whole point of a lookbook is to showcase the works of an artist. So it wouldn’t be complete without a bio section that introduces the artist or designer behind all the works.

Add your contact information too, just in case a client wants to hire you for work.

Key Design Elements

The design and style of a lookbook is a lot like a traditional portfolio. Much of the design of the project is related to elements that the lookbook features and the personal style of the owner.

But there are a few common design themes to consider when it comes to lookbooks. Primarily, you want to create an aesthetic that gives room to the content. Design elements are not the primary visual here, individual content elements are. Therefore, a lookbook design probably has a simple feel so that projects are better featured.

A simple feel and style can also help create a consistent lookbook design even when different projects have varying and unique designs. It’s a lot easier to mix a retro-styled project against a clean and modern style if the overall framework of the design doesn’t get in the way.

Think of it this way: You don’t want the lookbook design to compete with the projects featured therein.

Key design elements for lookbooks include:

  • White space
  • Simple typography, often sans serif
  • Design accents and elements in a limited color palette
  • Consistent design hierarchy for images and text elements
  • One project per page/screen/slide

10+ Stunning Examples

Ready to get started with a lookbook project? Here are 10 examples of lookbook designs – in print, presentation, and online – that you can use. (Every one is a design template, courtesy of Envato Elements)

1. Designer’s Lookbook Template

Whether you’re a graphic designer or fashion designer, this lookbook has stylish and creative page layouts that allow you to showcase your work in a professional way. It uses shapes and colors quite brilliantly to add a unique look to each page.

2. Fashion Design Lookbook

This lookbook template is designed with lots of space for adding large images and it’s perfect for fashion designers for showing off their unique designs in style. The beautiful single-color theme also creates a consistent look across all of its pages.

3. Modern Lookbook PowerPoint Presentation

This PowerPoint template has all the right elements for making a PowerPoint lookbook presentation with a modern design. It has clean slide layouts with minimal designs. And offers lots of space for your images as well.

4. MEMORA Inspiration Lookbook

The stylish and elegant designs used in this lookbook template make it the perfect choice for designers and studios for presenting their work. Each page in this lookbook template features a unique layout.

5. Creative Lookbook PowerPoint Template

A great lookbook presentation template for creative artists and designers. This PowerPoint template includes 15 unique slides that are designed to highlight your creative skills and designs.

6. Lookbook

Lookbook is what comes to mind when you think of design in this category. The clean booklet design features plenty of room for large elements with a simple design outline.

7. Mono Lookbook Powerpoint Template

Mono Lookbook Powerpoint Template is made to create a lookbook in a presentation format. The slides use a sleek monochrome color palette to give more room to your work. It can be used with black and white images (as featured), but works equally well with full color.

8. Olive Fashion Ecommerce Email Newsletter

Olive Fashion Ecommerce Email Newsletter provides one more avenue to showcase a lookbook – via email. While this design is a little busier than you might expect, bright color choices can work well against photography and serve as a disruptive element in inboxes. This can be just the thing that helps your design get seen.

9. Marzia Lookbook

Marzia Lookbook is a minimal printed lookbook style that also makes a beautiful PDF. The style is somewhat trendy with a wider font palette and text elements that overlap images.

10. Antive

Antive is a WordPress theme that mixes the great design of a simple lookbook with ecommerce. (A popular option for fashion or photographers who want to sell images.) Streamlined ecommerce themes are a good place to go for lookbook inspiration because they often showcase projects (products) in an easy to see and simplified manner.

11. Graffiti Pop Art Lookbook Magazine

Graffiti Pop Art Lookbook Magazine has a bold look that’s fun and interesting. The magazine style works for printed lookbooks or PDFs. The contrast between colored pages, images, and white pages with descriptive text here keep visual impact high page after page.

12. Rosely

Rosely is a presentation template made for lookbooks. The use of whitespace here is fantastic and provides ample showcase space for images with limited text.

13. Amely

Amely is a clean web theme (Magento) with plenty of whitespace and slides that make it easy to show the evolution of projects. N=The single line navigation style provides a nice space to group projects by type or timeline for your digital lookbook design.

14. Persona

Persona is a lookbook presentation design with plenty of room for heavy descriptions. This design is heavier with color and typography treatments and might be best suited for a simple lookbook that doesn’t include a large number of elements or a single-project portfolio evolution piece.

15. Lookbook

Lookbook is for printed or PDF books. The design is super modern with a two-hue color palette that mixes white space that’s actually white with white space in color blocks. The design has a creative flair that can help projects stand out, and can be particularly useful for designer lookbooks.

The most fashionable: things, catalogs, lookbooks

White is a basic color in a summer wardrobe, but every season its use acquires new trend features. Today we get acquainted with the seasonal nuances of white total looks and watch a video selection of the best looks from the collections.

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Best total white looks

The fashion industry and interior design are so close in terms of creativity and marketing that they simply cannot help but overlap. We are witnessing how fashion from the catwalk comes into the house. nine0009

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Interior collections of fashion brands...

Autumn collection Zara Kids is a mini version of the "adult" trends. It has 70s motifs, plaid prints, tweed, lumberjack style and other hits of the season, worthy of the envy of adult fashionistas.

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  • baby clothes
  • autumn-winter 2019-20

Children's collection in Zara...

GIADA is an Italian brand led by creative director Gabriele Colangelo, known for purist silhouettes, a balanced choice of natural materials and restrained color schemes. nine0009

  • layering
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  • Gabriele Colangelo
  • spring-summer 2019

Giada looks for spring-summer 2019...

What to wear and what to pay attention to now to match the trends of the upcoming season? Brand Mango presented the February lookbook - a selection of trends suitable for the off-season and the first months of spring.

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Watch the new lookbook Mango!. .

Despite the fact that the autumn-winter season is coming to an end, warm clothes will play a major role in our wardrobe for a long time to come. Let's get acquainted with the ideas of warm outfits from the stylists of Net-a-porter and Shopbop online stores.

  • kits
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  • autumn-winter 2017-18

How to dress warmly and fashionably?..

Today we are going to look at the ideas of New Year's disco looks from the festive lookbook of the brand Stradivarius .

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  • Stradivarius
  • autumn-winter 2017-18

New Year's looks from Stradivarius. ..

The well-known online fashion store Shopbop called a dressy skirt the perfect thing. As proof, the store's stylists suggested 3 ways to wear this piece of clothing, and not only on holidays.

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  • nine0014 autumn-winter 2017-18

What to wear with an elegant skirt? ..

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LUKBUK - what is it and more

Lookbook is a term that is constantly used in the fashion industry. This concept often flickers in fashion magazines, influencer blogs and clothing brand websites. What is a "style book", and what is its benefit for the buyer? nine0009

Eugénie organic cotton shirt

Campaign, catalog and lookbook - what's the difference?

The new collection is not only a set of trendy items, but also a special mood. By releasing another capsule, brands strive to convey its main message to each client. The idea is conveyed through "campaigns" - advertising shoots that show some of the models and invite you to get to know the line better.

Vest with buttons

Catalog - a more detailed overview of the collection. Photos taken in a professionally equipped studio give a clear view of each product. During the shooting, the model takes various poses, which allows you to demonstrate clothes and shoes from several angles.

Long sleeve sweater with zip collar

Another integral part of the advertising campaign is the lookbook. Unlike the catalog, it is a specific instruction on how to use the capsule. Designers add collections of clothes, shoes and accessories to the “style book”, combined into harmonious and relevant images. nine0009

Stand-up collar blouse with striped flounces

Why you need a lookbook

Many are familiar with the problem when the closet is full of scattered clothes that are not compatible with each other in style and color. Lookbook is a godsend for people who want to look stunning without spending money on shopping accompaniment. Designers make life much easier by offering a selection of ready-made kits for a specific situation or season.

Wide straight trousers

To assemble a complete ensemble, you do not need to understand the rules of color combinations and trends that reign on the world's catwalks. You can simply copy the image from the lookbook, and you will instantly get a good outfit!

Polka dot shirt with long sleeves

Lookbook usually contains not only photos, but also short information about each model: name, price or a link to a page in an online catalog where you can find the product. To order all the details of the ensemble, you need to make just a couple of clicks or tell the seller the articles. nine0009

Graphic shirt with long sleeves

La Redoute Lookbooks: Looks by Stylist

Lookbook is essential to draw attention to the key models of the new collection and convey its concept. The stylists of La Redoute have collected for you ready-made images that embody the philosophy of modern fashion and unique French chic. Each "style book" focuses on a theme or suggests ensemble ideas for a particular setting. nine0009

Stand-up collar blouse with flounces

Taking care of the planet's health is our brand's priority. Aspirations to protect the environment and make fashion more sustainable are embodied in the Natural Clothing collection.

Short sleeve shirt with patchwork print

Denim shorts

Fashion is cyclical, and the trends of the past return in a new reading. The Age of Style guide will tell you about retro trends that are experiencing a real renaissance today. nine0009

Polka dot printed flared skirt

Linen T-shirt

Patent ballerinas with bow

Lookbook "Sport" is designed for those who lead a healthy lifestyle and are engaged in fitness.


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