Charles Frederick Worth is considered the first fashion designer. Prior to his time, the design and manufacture of clothes were largely handled by anonymous individuals. Worth was so successful that people wore whatever he designed, instead of his clients dictating to him what he should design.

It was in the mid-1800s when design houses started to hire artists to design garments. Images were presented to clients, which was a cheaper alternative than making actual sample clothing. If the client loved the design, he can order an actual garment. This is how the tradition of sketching garment designs first began.

By the 20th century, the fashion industry had begun to grow in Paris and London. Paris was the center of the fashion industry with fashion journalists going there to cover fashion shows. Many stores sent their people to Paris shows just to have clothing items to imitate. Almost all clothes were inspired by the latest trends in Paris.

At this point, there was little distinction between haute couture and what is known as ready-to-wear. Both were not considered as separate modes of production. In fact, many seamstresses were able to jump freely from ready-to-measure as well as ready-to-make.

The introduction of photography even helped in the boom of the fashion industry. Fashion magazines sprouted and made such influence on the taste of the people on clothes and accessories. Many illustrators lend their skills in illustrating magnificent fashion plates for many publications, and these magazines showed the latest in fashion and beauty.