There is no
formal education or certification required to become a successful fashion
designer, but that doesn't make the feat any easier. To become a fashion
designer, you will need to have a combination of drawing, sewing, and design
skills, a knowledge of the fashion industry, and unparalleled perseverance.
You'll also need to create a strong fashion portfolio and strengthen your
knowledge of business and finance in general.
Honing Your
Fashion Design Skills
Image
titled Become a Fashion Designer Step 1
Develop
your skills. Successful fashion designers have a wide array of skills,
including drawing, an eye for color and texture, an ability to visualize
concepts in three dimensions, and the mechanical skills involved in sewing and
cutting all types of fabrics.[1]
Get
excellent sewing tuition if you haven't already learned this skill well. Being
able to sew difficult fabric under challenging situations will stand you in
excellent stead throughout your career but you need to work at it - it's a
skill that doesn't come easily to many people.
Understand
how fabrics move, drape, breathe, react when worn, etc. Your in-depth knowledge
of fabric is absolutely essential to using it properly when designing. Also
know where to source materials from.
Learn how
to create storyboards and product ranges. Be good at researching trends and
finding inspiration from social media, comparative shopping and trade shows.
Designer Step2
Learn more.
If you can, it makes good sense to get a diploma or degree in fashion design or
a related program. You'll learn a great deal, make excellent early contacts and
have ample opportunity to show off your skills in a less judgmental environment
(although still be prepared to be critiqued!) Do one (or both) of the
following:
Get a
degree in fashion design. Most programs are three or four years long. FIDM and
Parsons are two of the most popular design schools in the United States. You
will study drawing, color and composition, pattern-making, and draping.[2] In
addition to learning practical skills like these, you will also be working with
industry professionals who may serve as important contacts in the future and
who can give you first-hand advice and feedback on your work.
Apply for
an internship or apprenticeship. If school is not for you, or if you simply
feel that real-world experience will be of more benefit to you, then find a
fashion internship. You will need to have an impressive portfolio to apply and
be willing to start at the bottom; interns are often given menial tasks like
getting coffee. Again, the connections you make through your internship or
apprenticeship will be vital as you pursue your career in fashion, and working
with industry professionals will give you an opportunity to pick up important
skills first-hand.
Designer Step 3
Decide
which designing field is your principal interest. You may need to start at the
bottom but you do need to have some goals in mind as to the type of designing
you want to undertake lifelong. Are you interested most in haute couture,
ready-to-wear, fitness/leisure gear, the mass market or niches such as eco
wear? Each has advantages and disadvantages that you'll need to explore before
reaching your final decision on which pathway to pursue. Within these major
fields, you'll also need to decide on a few sub-set areas for your fashion
design. You might wish to straddle a few but to begin with, don't over-extend
yourself as it's better to perfect your designing within one area and then
experiment when you've already got a good foothold in the industry.
For Women's
daywear, women's evening wear
Men's
daywear, men's evening wear
Boys' wear
and/or girls' wear; teenage wear
Sportswear/fitness/leisure
wear
Knitwear
Outdoor,
adventure, outerwear
Bridal wear
Accessories
casual
Costume
design for theaters, movies, the advertising industry and retailers.
Plan some
key pieces. What is your absolute strength in designing? Perhaps you're a whizz
at accessories or a genius with yoga pants. Your passion and skill are an
important first part of the equation. Of course, the second part is matching
this to what the market wants, which in fashion, is part convincing the market
and part noticing what the market is demanding.
Deciding if
the Fashion Industry is Ready for You
Assess your
skills and personality honestly before pursuing a career in fashion design. You
may love clothes but clothing is only part of the story when undertaking
fashion design. You'll also need excellent communication skills, a willingness
to work very hard (often 24/7), a tough hide when criticized, an ability to
cope with stress, openness to having many different clients and/or bosses, an
acceptance that there will be loneliness or isolation on occasion (depending on
how you set up your design business or career) and an ability to be a
self-disciplined self-starter.
Being a
fashion designer is probably for you if: You want to devote your life to this
career (it's your "vocation"), you don't mind uncertainty or
insecurity, you are willing to stand up for what you believe in, you have
distinct ideas about what is important in fashion, you listen to clients well,
you know the fashion industry inside out and you live, eat and breathe fashion.
Being a
fashion designer is probably not for you if: You can't manage stress well, you
don't like uncertainty or instability, you want a career without too many highs
or lows, you need other people to praise your efforts, you need a lot of
guidance, you hate being financially unstable and you have too many other
interests in life.
Setting
Yourself Up for Success
Get
educated about the business side of fashion. Being a successful fashion
designer not only requires talent and creativity, it also requires a sound
knowledge of the business and marketing aspects of the fashion world. Keep
yourself updated on the happenings in the fashion industry by regularly reading
trade journals like Women's Wear Daily and Daily News Record.
Many
fashion design programs include courses in marketing. Some programs/majors
highlight marketing more than others, so be sure to do ample research on the
coursework involved in the program you choose. If you've already undertaken a
course but missed the marketing/financial side of things, consider doing short
courses in these aspects of business.
Learn
beyond design. There is an entire supply chain involved in the fashion industry
and you need to understand what each person's job is, so that you can see
things from their perspective too, in order to make compromises, meet demands
and understand where things get held up. Research what others do, such as
buyers, merchandisers, pattern cutters, garment and fabric technologists,
quality controllers, graders, sample machinists, sales people, PR and marketing
people, fashion journalists, retailers, event organizers, fashion stylists and
so forth.
Know your
customer. This skill is basic and essential and it's one a fashion designer
must never lose sight of. Know how much your customers spend, what their
lifestyles are, where they like to shop, how they like to shop and what they
like and dislike. Know what are absolute needs and what are the things that
only get bought when disposable incomes are less tight. If you have done
marketing, you should have a solid understanding of how to work out customers'
needs.
Know your
competitors. Always keep an eye on what other fashion designers in your area of
interest are doing. At a minimum, keep up. Better still, surpass them while
still meeting your customers' needs.
Trade fairs
are an excellent place to develop deeper understanding of how the fashion
industry works and what will work for you in terms of meeting customer needs
and staying competitive.
Look for
fashion design jobs. There are various ways to find work in the fashion
industry as a designer and it depends on the type of designing you're
interested in. In some cases, being versatile will help you a great deal, just
so that you get the experience and then jump across to your real passion later.
And in most cases, you'll need to be persistent and apply to many different
places to get your foot in the door. For starters, some places to apply to
include:
Existing
fashion houses and designers - look for internships, entry-level paid
positions, assistants to designers, etc.
Costume
positions with movie studios, theaters, costume stores, etc.
Online
advertisements through various online job agencies
Word of
mouth––use your college or fashion industry contacts to get you through the
door. In an industry that values what people who already are well positioned
have to say, this is a good way to get started.
If running
your own design business, be prepared to be financially astute. You may be
exceptionally creative but be absolutely certain that if you run your own
fashion label, you need to be business savvy. You do need to understand those
numbers and the invoices that keep piling up on your table. If you really hate
this stuff, there are good options, such as asking your accountant to take care
of all things financial but it still pays to keep on top of the whole thing
yourself. And if you really, really hate this side of it, look for work as a
fashion designer with a fashion house instead of running your own label.[6]
What type
of trader will you be? There are many possibilities, including sole trader,
partnership, incorporated company, etc. Each has distinct advantages and
disadvantages that you should discuss with your legal and financial advisers
before proceeding. Be sure that you are covered for liability in all circumstances,
especially if you're in a particularly litigious culture.
Take into
consideration the influences around you. As a creative person, part of your creative
process is being around like people and sparking off their ideas and
suggestions too. It's a lot harder to do this alone or working alongside people
who aren't into your fashion approaches.
Remember
too that seasonality impacts fashion designing and may have an impact on the
type of clothing you're producing and where you wish to sell it.
Consider
the power of online selling. Provided you use good quality three dimensional
images that can be zoomed and turned, selling your fashion online to anywhere in
the world is another realistic possibility nowadays. This allows you greater
flexibility in where you'll live and design and can reduce the daily commute to
zero. This may be ideal if you plan on staying a small fashion label. Even then
however, you should still make allowances for traveling to major fashion shows.
Living in a
city with a thriving fashion industry makes good sense for many designers.
According to the Global Language Monitor (GLM), the following cities were the
top fashion capitals of the world in 2012, in descending order:[7]
London,
England
New York,
US
Barcelona,
Spain
Paris,
France
Mexico City
Madrid,
Spain
Rome, Italy
Sao Palo,
Brazil
Milan,
Italy
Los
Angeles, US
Berlin,
Germany.
Mumbai,
India
