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Moodboard Moda nel 2025: scopriremo che cos’è un moodboard, perchè si usa e come può esserti utile per creare una collezione o una nuova linea di prodotti.
The moodboard is without a shadow of a doubt uno degli strumenti più classici che vengono utilizzati all’inizio di ogni collezione moda. Qui su Be A Designer è decisamente uno dei termini più ricercati nei nostri articoli. Per questo motivo questo articolo viene costantemente aggiornato per cercare di darti tutte le informazioni teoriche pratiche per creare il tuo moodboard perfetto per il 2025!
IN THIS ARTICLE WE ARE GOING TO SEE:
Origin and definition of the term Moodboard
The Moodboard in the creative process with the Fashion Business Designer Canvas™
Principles of moodboard construction
Practical examples of moodboards in fashion
Six tips to create an effective moodboard
From moodboard to collection narrative concept
Conclusion
Discovering the Moodboard
Partiamo dalla base? Cos’è un moodboard? Il termine, untranslatable into Italian, wants to describe a physical space where we can group and put together ideas that will then help us to develop a collection of objects.
As you well know if you are a designer, or as you can well imagine if you are approaching this world, the creative process in the design and subsequent creation of a fashion collection is long and changeable!
The best way to codify our inspiration in a tangible way and draw guidelines for the realisation of the collection is precisely the creation of one or more Moodboards.
Origin of the term
Let us start with the origin of the term: "moodboard'. è una traduzione dall’ inglese: è composto da due parole e potremmo tradurlo letteralmente in “tavola dell’ umore” da mood – “umore” e board which means board, table, surface.
Un moodboard è quindi un insieme di immagini ma anche di oggetti fisici che rappresenta un’atmosfera, un sentimento, un’ emozione, un immaginario e il nostro personale modo di vedere il mondo.
The moodboard acts as a sort of filter attraverso cui noi vediamo la realtà e ne percepiamo gli stimoli, i colori, l’ispirazione. Connesso intimamente alla nostra emotività, alla sfera esperienziale, è un elemento fondamentale della our brand narrative.
An effective moodboard is not only an artistic or creative expression but also a tool that underpins the stylistic consistency in a fashion collection: esso definisce, tramite una serie di immagini più o meno allegoriche o codificate, il concetto o la serie di concetti che si intendono trasmettere attraverso la nostra collezione.
Anche nel caso in cui tu parta da un’ispirazione ben definita, lo spunto artistico iniziale va rifinito e ben modellato, in modo da define guidelines and the concept behind the initial idea from unnecessary digressions, which could lead to deviations from the intended emotion.
The moodboard in the creative process with the fashion business designer canvas
If you don't know me yet, I am Corrado Manenti and in addition to being founder of BAD, Be A Designer, I invented a method for building your fashion brand: the FASHION BUSINESS DESIGNER™.
Se non hai familiarità con la metodologia dei canvas ti consiglio di immaginarlo come una vera e propria mappa. Ogni volta che approfondiremo un concetto andremo a vedere a che punto del canvas compare. Ogni casella del canvas corrisponde a un preciso compito o argomento, così saprai sempre a che punto del percorso creativo sei arrivato, e sarà davvero difficile perdersi!
As you can see from the graphic below, we are in the second dial dedicated to collection design, i.e. the conception and design part of what will be your collection.
Nel mio approccio i moodboard vanno di pari passo con lo storytelling per la creazione di quello che sarà non solo un concept emotivo, ma una vera e propria narrazione che ci accompagnerà, oltre che nella realizzazione dei prodotti, anche nella comunicazione!
[ If you are not familiar with the canvas and want to find out more, you can sign up for the Fashion Business Academy in the your private area and access the free video course where you will also find all the downloadable materials]
We need it to find the emotional thread
that will guide the creation of the
WHAT COMES FIRST IS BRAND DESIGN
[I also talked about Brand Design in this article]
Un moodboard è an instrument che serve per creare delle storie attraverso delle immagini. Se abbiamo già qualche collezione alle spalle e una nostra marca avremo allora un nostro codice stilistico già definito che ci rende unici e riconoscibili. Dovrai prendere questi elementi come base di partenza per la realizzazione dei tuoi moodboard.
Indeed, remember that the Brand remains consistent over time così devono restare coerenti i tuoi valori come creatore. Questo permette ai nostri clienti di affezionarsi alle nostre creazioni e avere delle aspettative sui nostri nuovi prodotti
Se invece non hai un brand e sei alla tua prima collezione, il moodboard ti serve per definire delle tematiche di collezione e aiutarti a trovare i tuoi elementi unici. Se non hai ancora un brand il mio consiglio è quello di partire da TE come creatore e lavorare sulle tue idee.
The moodboard allows us to work both at both conscious and unconscious levels. Se lo approccerai nel modo serio e corretto ti permetterà di avere nuove idee e intuizioni a cui non avresti pensato.
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![A diagram [moodboard] illustrating the stages of brand design.](https://www.beadesigner.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/46.jpg.avif)
The intention of this first quadrant is therefore to give the collection a direction by pointing it in the right direction. The purpose of a moodboard is similar to that of a container. It serves precisely to collect (in an orderly manner) in one place, usually a flat space or a wall, various elements such as fabrics and colours, to find the emotional thread which will guide the creation of the collection sketches.
Always remember that every tool we use always follows human psychology in fact from a cognitive point of view:
The main purpose in making a moodboard is to create a 'Gestalt', i.e. a collection of different elements where the whole is more than the individual parts.
In simpler words, The images that make up the moodboard have a symbolic aspect, conveying a certain message to the viewer.
Ogni elemento – dai colori all’intensità delle immagini – contribuisce a definire l’identità della collezione, guidando scelte stilistiche come la palette cromatica.
Oltre ai colori chiave, un moodboard di moda può includere photographs of finished garments, figurines e material inspirations, fornendo una visione d’insieme sulla direzione creativa. Forme, ombre e proporzioni aiutano a delineare il carattere dei capi: saranno strutturati e scolpiti o morbidi e drappeggiati? Aderenti ed elastici o oversize ma in tessuti rigidi? Ogni dettaglio contribuisce a costruire un’estetica coerente e distintiva per la collezione.
How to make a moodboard
Composing the moodbord is an exercise that may seem simple, but some care must be taken so that the result can be a useful tool.
The collage of images and concepts should not be too labyrinthine or vague, but harmonious and schematic.
Some thematic nuclei from which to build the moodboard
THE MOODBOARD STARTS WITH THE BRAND AND MUST RESPECT ITS ESSENCE
Il moodboard deve riflettere l’essenza del tuo brand, il tuo stile comunicativo e i valori che lo definiscono. Per questo è fondamentale recall the work done in the brand design phase every time we create a new collection.
Se sei alla tua prima collezione, il problema è minore: i valori del brand saranno ancora freschi nella tua mente e il cliente non avrà un termine di paragone, essendo il tuo marchio appena nato. Tuttavia, con il passare del tempo, sarà essenziale mantenere coerenza con le scelte passate e con l’identità che hai costruito. La coerenza è ciò che dà valore a un brand.
Recall that the term brand deriva dall’antico norreno e significa “marchiare”, proprio come facevano i Vichinghi con il bestiame per rivendicarne la proprietà.
We too, metaphorically, must “marcare a fuoco” i nostri prodotti, imprimendo il nostro stile unico e riconoscibile. Ecco perché il moodboard deve sempre essere in linea con l’anima del brand.Brand che ricordiamoci sempre significa “marchiare” dall’antico Norreno, dai Vikinghi che marcavano a fuoco il bestiame per rivendicarne la proprietà.
THE MOODBOARD MUST BE IMMEDIATE AND EXPLICIT
Il moodboard è il primo passo per rendere tangibile la tua idea, per questo deve essere facilmente fruibile:
un moodboard non è una cosa intima, ma uno strumento di lavoro that you will have to share with the professionals who will help you realise your products and turn your idea into a prototype.
Per questo non deve essere né troppo ermetico né concettuale. Lo scopo è produrre un’emozione, una suggestione a livello cerebrale: il tempo che passa tra uno stimolo visivo (analogamente a quando osserviamo un quadro in un museo) e una risposta emotiva è quasi istantaneo. Solo successivamente entra in gioco la parte razionale legata all’esperienza e alla visione dei singoli elementi. A noi interessa solo la prima risposta, quella “a pelle”, per creare un moodboard efficace.
WE MUST CHOOSE A DOMINANT CONCEPT OR THEME
For this reason, the best way to study the composition of a moodboard is to choose a dominant concept, che probabilmente sarà l’immagine-chiave che cattura l’occhio e alla quale si aggiungerà una serie di immagini secondarie che costituiscono una sorta di mini-storia da cui partire per costruire il concept della collezione.
THE MOODBOARD IS A DYNAMIC TOOL THAT MUST EVOLVE WITH YOUR CHOICES
The moodboard is a static but at the same time dynamic and constantly changing methodology, which is why I always suggest that the moodboard must be analogue and not digital.
Avrai sempre l’occasione di creare una versione digitale da archiviare in seguito, ma poter toccare con mano tessuti, materiali differenti e vederlo appeso davanti ai tuoi occhi ti aiuterà moltissimo nel processo di creazione.
Man mano che si aggiungeranno elementi ci si accorgerà che alcuni non saranno coerenti con la progressione naturale della storia che stiamo raccontando e quindi andranno eliminati.
It can be useful to keep track of our progress in creating the moodboard by photographing it from time to time and then analysing how and why we changed it. Like all materials we produce during the work in progress, can provide interesting insights into our storytelling and creative process.
The whole collection design phase lends itself well to this (secondary) purpose of creating photographic, video, audio, written material that tells the story of our experience as creators. For this kind of content nobody expects it to be perfect, but must be authentic.
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If you are on your first collection it will be even more important that the moodboard reflects our typical customer, it might also be a good idea to make a moodboard of our BUYERS PERSONAS and hang it next to our moodboard and ask ourselves from time to time: "would my typical customer appreciate it?" "would he understand this choice" "if he saw him right now what would he say"
What are your brand values?
Qual’è il tuo codice stilistico il tuo modo unico di fare le cose e di dare valore ai vestiti / ai tuoi oggetti
Who will be your future customers?
Always remember that you make fashion to dress others (who buy your creations) and we need to know who our customers will be and get inside their heads!
The moodboard must be 'physical, analogue'.
It is a dynamic tool that we are going to modify several times
Example of a 'virtual' moodboard (just to give an idea MUST be analogue)
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Keep track of how your moodboard evolves over time
taking photographs at the end of each session
The structure of the moodboard collage is personal and free, but what must unite the images (or the key words that often appear in the moodboard to clarify and make it even easier to read), is harmony of styleOne image must communicate with the other as if they were two individuals from different countries speaking a common language.
They may chat, argue, sing and even argue with each other, but it is essential that the language they share complements each other.
Every single element, be it a colour, a piece of fabric, a photo taken or a magazine cutout, before being incorporated into the whole must answer the questions:
"Will it help communicate my brand message?", "Will it provoke a positive emotion in my customers, immediately suggesting that it is about them and their world?"
Fashion moodboard examples
Here you will find some examples of preliminary moodboards we made at Be A Designer for some of our customers with a description of a possible collection concept.
Example of a sportswear brand moodboard
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Here, classic women's tennis dresses are reinterpreted with fluorescent geometric inserts that slim the silhouette. Stretchy recycled fabrics, in various weights and with different technical performances, are cleverly incorporated into the garments with the aim of supporting and protecting the breasts from sudden shocks and stresses, offering the best performance during sporting activity.
The garments are designed to last, guaranteeing a fit that perfectly follows the body's movements, even after numerous washes. Again in keeping with the brand's mission, we have included pockets and zips in the garments to carry objects (keys, gym card, mobile phone, balls, etc.) in order to guarantee maximum security for our personal belongings. You can see the complete project at: www.zancobel.com
Example of moodboard brand nightwear
Abundance, elaboration and complexity are the three key words that best summarise the vision of 18th century fashion influenced by the Rococo movement in its various artistic forms.
In this project we wanted to combine the sumptuous world of French Rococo with the practicality and essentiality of underwear and nightwear. You can see the complete project at: www.pellicanonightwear.com
L’AI come compagno creativo
Come hai visto il moodboard può essere molto divertente, ma non è un segreto che può anche essere un processo che richiede molto tempo!
È qui che l’AI può offrire un supporto significativonot as a substitute for the creative process, but as an empowering tool.
L’intelligenza artificiale sta cambiando le regole del gioco anche nel mondo del design, offrendo strumenti per creare moodboard che lasciano a bocca aperta. Ma attenzione: l’AI non è qui per rubarti il lavoro creativo, ma per amplificarlo in modi che forse non hai ancora immaginato.
Utilizzando l’intelligenza artificiale, puoi alimentare l’algoritmo con i tuoi schizzi originali, le tue fotografie, o riferimenti stilistici che ti hanno colpito, permettendole di elaborare e suggerire combinazioni estetiche coerenti che magari non avresti considerato. Questo processo non è generazione casuale, ma intelligent processing based on your creative inputkeeping your stylistic imprint in the centre.
AI tools such as Runway ML, Adobe Firefly o Midjourney possono analizzare immagini già selezionate dal designer, generando variazioni coerenti con l’estetica desiderata: è come avere un brainstorming con un collaboratore che ha digerito milioni di riferimenti visivi! Ti sei mai ritrovato bloccato su una palette colori? L’AI può esaminare i tuoi lavori preferiti e suggerirti combinazioni cromatiche complementari che non avresti mai considerato, pur restando fedeli alla tua visione. O magari sei indeciso tra diverse direzioni stilistiche – l’intelligenza artificiale può aiutarti a visualizzarle tutte, permettendoti di vedere quale risuona davvero con il DNA del tuo brand nascente.
È fondamentale comprendere che l’intelligenza artificiale non è una scorciatoia che bypassa il processo creativo, ma uno strumento che lo arricchisce, permettendoti di esplorare più rapidamente diverse iterazioni del tuo concept.
I moodboard generati con il supporto dell’AI possono essere particolarmente utili nelle prime fasi di definizione del brand, quando è cruciale cristallizzare l’identità visiva in modo chiaro e accattivante. L’intelligenza artificiale può aiutarti a visualizzare diverse direzioni stilistiche basate sui tuoi input iniziali, permettendoti di comprendere quale risuona maggiormente con la tua visione.
Nonostante le teorie catastrofiche e i timori diffusi, l’Ai non sostituisce la tua creatività, ma offre un potente strumento di amplificazione che, se utilizzato consapevolmente, può elevare la qualità estetica della tua presentazione e stimolare nuove connessioni creative, mantenendo sempre al centro la tua autentica voce di designer.
What to do after the Moodboard?
From Moodboard to Collection Concept how we build and tell a story through our garments.
If our clothes did not have a IDENTITYif they did not have a COHERENCE each other and if they did not have a HISTORY we would only be talking about clothing and therefore we would not be doing fashion.
Many times when I ask a designer to tell me the story behind their garments I immediately see blank stares as if I have asked them something very strange!
It is also true that if you are on your first outing maybe you don't think you have to tell a story because it almost automatically mixes with that of your creations and your value system.
If you are already an established brand with a few collections under your belt, you will certainly have noticed that each collection has its own story and narrative concept that encapsulates both the moodboard that it storytelling.
If there is not much doubt about how moodboards work, a subject we have explored many times in this article, we will see how they are almost the basis of a collection concept and how to build a story that will captivate our customers and be memorable.
When the time comes to go to market, such as with a presentation at an event or an actual launch, you will discover how essential it is to have a story to tell. This will be the basis of what will be our communication and our marketing.
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Every story needs its HEROES
Even in our narration we must not be WE or OUR PRODUCTS but our customers!
History is the greatest weapon we have to combat confusion, because it organises information in such a way that people are forced to listen
Donald Miller [StoryBrand]
So what are the elements that make up a story? Let's find out together!
Each collection has its own HISTORY this revolves around three fundamental elements:
1) You as a creator your world, what inspired you, your brand imagery
2) The elements of your collectiondesign and modelling choices, the materials you used
3) The Customer and how you relate to the first two elements
Obviously we will see how the heroes of the story will have to be our customers and NOT US o OUR BRAND / PRODUCTS
The creation of a fashion moodboard subsequently involves an explanationto make it clear what you wanted to express with that series of images and concepts. The best method to maintain consistency between moodboard and collection is to imagine telling a story through images and garments.
A bit like the paraphrase of a poem, which makes the narrative lose its musicality and rhythm but explains and synthesises its meaning, when creating a fashion collection the need for the written collection concept, a kind of 'paraphrase' of the moodboard, interpreting its visual allegories.
Of course, as with the creation of the moodboard, the concept does not require long-winded explanations, but rather consists of a flowing and comprehensive description of what the collection wants to achieve in terms of conceptuality, silhouettes, colours.
Many collections also aim to send a more or less strong social message. Several designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Miuccia Prada often campaign to raise awareness of various issues ranging from politics to war and ecology.
For this it is essential clarify any possible doubts and conceptualise their purpose in wordswithout pedantry, attempting without pedantry to set a biting tone that is likely to intrigue the interlocutor.
Conclusion
There is no right or wrong way to make a moodboard, always remember that the whole is more than the individual parts, so it is always the overall view that will give you direction.
Show it to friends, colleagues and ask them for their opinion as if they were looking at a painting or a work of art.
Try asking what emotions it conveys? Are they the same as you imagined?
If you have made a moodboard and want MY opinion leave a comment below this article! Did you like this article?
It is a long road from an idea to the market, and you also have to find the right angle of attack in which to position yourself among all your competitors.
Because to succeed you have to sweat and fight, but most of this war is fought before you get on the battlefield (the market) and above all in the minds of our potential customers even before we make a single dress.
Now that you have all the tools to create a moodboard you will realise how making fashion is a very complex subject where every single element must work to achieve the final result!
For this you MUST ABSOLUTELY read my book:
"Do you also want to be a designer?" which explains all the steps before and after the moodboard and all the mistakes NOT to make while realising your collection!
Did you like this article? Leave me a comment below and share it on your social networks with everyone who might appreciate it! That's all from Corrado! See you next article!
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If you don't know where to start, this is the best way to begin!
It is available with a special offer to this page:
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