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 from existing designers, not just who they are, but their backgrounds, their signature style, the learning that they undertook, where they studied. Knowing this will help you to be a better designer yourself, as you can borrow and build on their ideas. [2] X Expert Source Chloée Ohayon-CrosbyFashion Stylist Expert Interview. 24 July 2020. Learn how to create storyboards and product ranges. Be good at researching trends and finding inspiration from social media, comparative shopping and trade shows. Start developing these skills at a young age. Be prepared to devote hours of time to perfecting your craft. A little bit everyday will make you gain a deep understanding of fashion on the long run if you are planning a career. Trying to do all at once might get you discouraged.
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. [3] X Research source 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:[8] X Research source 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
Hand-drawn sketches or photographs of these sketches Computer-drawn designs Resume Mood or concept pages Color or textile presentation pages Any other pieces that fairly reflect what you’re capable of doing and evolving into.
