In this paper, an experimental and numerical study of the preforming process of the G1151 carbon woven fabric reinforcement is presented. The experimental analysis was based on tensile and shear tests. These tests were important to analyse the behaviour of this particular woven reinforcement and to figure out some key phenomena related to its deformation process. The numerical modelling is implemented in the commercial FEM software (Abaqus) using a discrete finite element approach. The model is built using the concept of a “unit cell” formulated with a Hencky linear elastic shell/membrane elements coupled with axial connectors. The connectors replace bar and beam elements used in previous works and can have a linear or a non-linear behaviour. Shell finite elements are chosen to describe the in-plane shear stiffness and to manage contact phenomena. The model parameters identification technique is based on experimental constitutive tests and an inverse optimisation procedure. The model has been experimentally validated for the case of hemispherical single layer preforming of the G1151 woven fabric.