Life as a Fashion Designer

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:46:48 +0000

Ever wonder what Giorgio Armani, Betsey Johnson, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren do all the time? Work! Few other professions depend so much on keeping on top of fickle popular opinion and watching what competitors produce. The life of a fashion designer is intimately linked to tastes and sensibilities that change at a moment’s notice, and he or she must be able to capitalize on or—even better—influence those opinions.

Designers reflect society’s sensibilities through clothing design. Fashion designers are involved in every phase of designing, showing, and producing all types of clothing, from bathing suits to evening gowns. Those with talent, vision, determination, and ambition can succeed in this difficult, demanding, and highly competitive industry.

Life as a fashion designer can be more glamorous than a 1940s Hollywood musical or drearier than a bank statement, but it’s always taxing. A designer’s day includes reading current fashion magazines, newspapers, and other media that reflect current trends and tastes. He or she looks at materials, attends fashion shows, and works with other designers on projects. A designer should be able to communicate his or her philosophy, vision, and capabilities clearly and comprehensively through sketches, discussions, and, occasionally, samples.

No matter what his or her personal style is, a designer must produce a creative, exciting, and profitable product line. As in most professions that produce superstars, it is easy for a competent but otherwise unremarkable designer to wallow in obscurity, designing small pieces of collections, generic lines (the plain white boxer short, for example), or specialties (cuffs, ruffles, etc.). The personality that raises itself above this level must be as large as the vision of the designer; perhaps that’s why the word “crazy” showed up in more than 75 percent of our surveys as a plus in fashion design. People entering the field should have a good eye for color, style, and shape, an ability to sketch, and some formal preparation in design.

An excellent portfolio is a must for the job search. A two- or four-year degree in fashion design is helpful, as is knowledge of textiles and a familiarity with the quirks of a variety of fabrics, but no formal certification is required. Candidates should have a working knowledge of business and marketing.

The hours are long for a fashion designer, and the initial pay is very limited. This is one of those hit-or-miss occupations where beginners work as someone’s assistant until, when they can muster up enough confidence in their abilities and sell that confidence to their superiors, they design a few pieces themselves. The superstar rise is an unlikely event, but it happens.

Based on the number of “international star designers” in the last 10 years and the number of people who have entered the profession, the estimated odds of becoming an internationally famous designer are roughly 160,000:1. But, work hard, get the right education and you too can live life as a fashion designer.

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Fashion Design School

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:14:25 +0000

Fashion design school…Whether you’re interested in fashion design, merchandising, retail, or anything else fashion-related, our directory of schools may be just what you need. Many job opportunities await professionals in the world of fashion design, and the schools listed on this site provide the training you need to advance in your fashion career. Whether you are interested in clothing design, fashion marketing, fashion merchandising, or fashion in general. A Fashion Designer creates, or helps to create, the designs for women’s, men’s, and children’s apparel, footwear, and accessories. While many Designers specialize in one of these categories, many others create designs in all three, which they learn at fashion design school.

Most Designers hand sketch their designs, and an increasing number of these Designers will then translate these sketches to a computer. Through Computer-aided design (CAD), a Designer sees what their creations look like (in various colors and shapes) while on virtual models. This capability saves time as it diminishes the number of prototype adjustments and samples that might be required further on in the process.

Participation by a Designer in the various aspects and stages of design and production is dependent upon the experience level of the Designer, as well as the size of the design firm (or house). In a large firm, a Designer will typically hold the position of Lead Designer and be responsible for design, prototype, and pattern creations; fabric and color selections; working with manufacturers and suppliers during production stages; and overseeing the technical designers who transform designs into final products.

Designers who are new to this profession, or those who are employed by a small design firm, generally create designs and also perform the majority of both technical patternmaking and sewing tasks. Designers who are employed by apparel manufacturers and wholesalers tend to focus on adapting the designs that have been created by other Designers for the mass market (typically produced in varying colors and sizes).

Designer Assistants in this industry are exposed to many facets of the business. They work with rapid production schedules and gain the knowledge of the specific design creations that will sell profitably in target markets, the prices at which they’ll sell, and the seasons in which they’ll sell. They also gain a solid understanding of the types of stores that will purchase the merchandise, as well as the store’s customer demographics.

All of these things and more you’ll learn at fashion design school.

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Life as a Fashion Designer

Fashion Design School