I love Illustrator, but it can't do everything

Hey friend,

If you're a fashion designer, chances are Illustrator is your ride or die. It's probably the tool you open first, use the most, and honestly, it's carried us for years. Flat sketches, color CADs, tech pack artwork. Illustrator handles a LOT.

But if we're being real, it has its limits. It can show you what a design looks like on paper, but it can't always show you how it'll actually look and feel as a garment. The drape, the fit, the way a print wraps around the body at full scale; that's where things get tricky. (Ask me about the time I was taping printed pages together and cutting out pattern shapes just to show my manager what an allover print would look like. 🤦🏾‍♀️ Arts and crafts. On a Tuesday. At work.)

In my latest video, I'm breaking down 5 things you can do in CLO3D that Illustrator just can't pull off on its own and why I believe 3D doesn't replace the flat sketch, but fills a real gap alongside it.

​Watch it now on the 383 Design Studio YouTube channel.

And if this gets you excited to try CLO for yourself, my beginner CLO course is relaunching this month with brand new, updated content. Check out the course outline and sign up for a free trial here.

After you watch, drop a comment on the video and let me know which of the 5 surprised you the most. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Talk soon,

Mikelle