Product Review: Faber and Castell Fashion Design Studio

The Faber and Castell Fashion Design Studio is a great way to get young girls interested in art. It is similar to the paper dolls of the old days but in a very updated way. The set comes with several different types of material and a dress form for creating your own dresses. The set sells for $30 and is a great way to expose children to fashion and design. The product is meant for children 9 to 11 years old. This is definitely not a product for younger children as it requires the ability to cut and lots of dexterity in the fingers.

The Fashion Design Studio comes with a dress mannequin, sewing essentials, sketch book, yards of fabric, swatch booklet, trims, embellishments, satin dress form, garment bag, and a fashion design manual. There is a premade dress included which can be decorated however the child would like or they can design their own dress from the included fabric.

This product allows children to express their creativity because they go through the stages of envisioning the dress, drawing it on paper, and then making it come to life with the fabric. There is needle and thread included as well as a tape measure to design a dress that fits the included 12 inch mannequin.

I found that this really got my 11 year old daughter interested in learning how to sew. I began teaching her how to do simple things like sewing up holes in her clothes or sewing on missing buttons. She has progressed to being able to sew straight lines on the sewing machine to make blankets.

I am very impressed by the quality of this set. They really did include everything you need to make dresses of your own. My daughter had never sewn anything before and she was able to read through the book and get started right away. She was even able to make a decently looking dress her first time through and was visibly pleased with herself.

If you notice an interest in fashion from your child, this kit is a great way to further bring it out. Keep in mind that it is not a simple toy and that it was designed for older children. You may end up doing a lot of sewing of your own if you purchase it for a young child who requires help.