“C’mon…Vogue!”: A career in fashion design

Is your idea of fun curling up with the pages of Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar, studying seasonal fashion trends? Do you have a penchant for sewing - or just generally crafty and artsy? Do you have thick skin and think Andie Sach’s job in The Devil Wears Prada was a cakewalk? People who can answer affirmatively to the above may want to consider a career in the gritty and glittery world of fashion design

Beyond the mannequin: What is Fashion Design?

Fashion designers create the apparel and accessories seen in store windows and on shelves for various consumer target markets, ranging from wholesale to haute couture.

Depending on the size of their design firm and their experience, fashion designers take on varying levels of involvement in aspects of design and production (studying trends, sketching designs, choosing colors and fabrics, and seeing product placement to fruition). A designer in a small fashion house or firm may do more technical patternmaking and sewing tasks in addition to designing the actual clothing, whereas someone working for a larger house may only see one step of production. Haute couture, a small piece of the fashion design market, design custom pieces for high-budget clients.

PERSONALITY TYPES

Have that sixth sense of fashion: Potential fashion designers have an intrinsic eye for style aesthetic, which includes a sense of balance, proportion, detail and color.

Love to travel: The global nature of the fashion business requires constant communication with suppliers, manufacturers, and customers all over the world. Most fashion designers travel several times a year to trade and fashion shows to learn about the latest fashion trends.

Be practically crafty: Designers must also need to have sewing and patternmaking skills (even if they do not perform the tasks themselves), because they need to be able to understand these skills so they can give proper instruction to suppliers and manufacturers in how the garment should be constructed.

Be professionally presentable: Fashion designers need strong sales and presentation skills to effectively pitch designs to clients. Fashion designers also need excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

I was born ready for the fashion world. How do I start?

Step one: Get educated. In fashion design, employers usually seek individuals with a 2- or 4-year degree who are knowledgeable about textiles, fabrics, ornamentation, and fashion trends. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits approximately 250 postsecondary institutions with programs related to fashion design. Basic coursework will include study of color, textiles, sewing and tailoring, pattern making, fashion history, computer-aided design (CAD), and design of different types of clothing such as menswear or footwear. Some fashion designers also combine a fashion design degree with a business, marketing, or fashion merchandising degree, especially those who plan on running their own business or retail store.

Step two: Build a portfolio. A good portfolio is often the X factor in getting the job or not.

Step three: Move to California or New York. It’s where the most careers and jobs in the fashion world are found.

Step four: Be prepared to WORK. Regardless of fashion house size, all designing jobs are notorious for possessing long hours to meet production deadline or prepare for fashion shows

BUT- No sooner will you flip open a glossy magazine than will you witness the glamour, glitz, and sparkle the fashion industry affords.

Ok, so what are really my chances at becoming the next Donna Karan or Marc Jacobs? By the numbers:

Fashion designers held about 20,000 jobs in 2006. (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

About 28 percent of fashion designers worked for merchant wholesalers; and the remainder worked for corporate offices involved in the management of companies and enterprises, clothing stores, performing arts companies, and specialized design services firms.

Another 24 percent were self-employed.

The best job opportunities have always traditionally been found in design firms that create mass market clothing sold in department stores and/or retail chain stores that fit budgets of the masses.

For more about a fashion design program, check out My Colleges and Careers and start your dream career today!

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Posted in Fashion Design