Designers need to be able to properly construct the garments they create. A successful fashion designer is one who knows how to collaborate with every member of their design and marketing team.
The ability to anticipate what the latest trends in fashion will be will help keep any designer at the top of their game. Great designers know how to visualize an article of clothing and be able to express that vision to others. Fashion designers need to know how to use computer-aided design CAD programs and be familiar with any graphics editing software that could help them improve their designs.
Knowing how to make the right changes and choices regarding your designs will be critical to your success. Fashion designers must have a good eye for small differences in color and other details that can make a design successful.
This degree program will prepare students to gain employment in creative or technical fields in the fashion industry at the corporate level, emerging small business level, or in entrepreneurship as a fashion based start-up.
For more information contact Program Manager, Coral Wedel at wedelc hocking. Nelsonville, Ohio Contact Us. Skip to main content. Maine on December 20, You can purchase garments and use things like that. You can take photographs of seam finishes and treatments and different things like that that will help to be able to explain your ideas to someone else. The same goes for sewing. Yes, can I make a pair of pants or shirt if I had to? Focus on the creativity, focus on the design , and all sorts of things.
So for instance, when I was a head designer I only needed to understand how to construct a garment, not actually be able to construct the garment myself. If I was making a really high-end chiffon gown, I knew that I needed a French seam because the French seam is more expensive.
So all I had to do is tell the seamstress to put French seams on the side, in the center back, on the shoulders, or wherever there needed to be a French seam, and then she would be the one to sew it. If I had to sew the French seam, it would look horrible. It would probably be wavy and not the greatest. S o certain things like that. For more information on how to take your idea from sketch to sample, while making a profit, I recommend you taking my Source, Design, Create online course.
So number one, the first thing that it takes to be a really good fashion designer is to be creative. So what do I mean by that? How is that fabric going to treat? So, number one being creative. You need to have an eye to look at something and see how to make it better.
When I was younger, around 16, 17, 18, I hated shopping. Honestly, I still hate shopping now. I would always find something wrong with every garment that I looked at and it was so frustrating! At that very moment, I knew that I was meant to be a fashion designer. I could look at something and see how it could be better or how it could be fixed. Now some people when they go into a store, they see a garment like a T-shirt or a shirt for instance, and they automatically think in their brain what is that going to look good with?
Oh, that shirt will look great with the skirt that I have or that will look great with a striped skirt that I need to go out and buy or that outfit there looks great and these shoes that I have at home would look perfect with that.
You are not actually creating something new or changing something. A lot of people get confused with the difference between a stylist and designer and all these different types of fashion jobs that are out there. Okay number three, you have to have an eye for fit. You have to be able to see if something is even a quarter of an inch off.
I was fortunate enough to grow up with a father who was great at carpentry and woodwork and he taught me from a very young age how to measure, how to add measurements and line things up and make sure things are even and balanced and all that sort of thing. That was really important to me and I took that with me into my design career. I say talent because I think that these two things are really difficult to learn. God has to create you to have these things like talent, color, and style already within you.
Now, I work with a ton of different designers that I coach all of the time and I see them design things that honestly have no style or the colors just do not go well together. You have to have that eye. Even if you have a job in the fashion industry, as a head designer you are going to be approving lab dips for production all the time, and they are going to need comments.
These types of things you have to have an eye for. You need to know, why do certain colors look good together? Why does orange and blue work well together?
Having that sense of style and color is really important. It never ends. You are going to be working really long hours, so just get used to it now. Things are also going to come up that are very frustrating. Maybe your factory is not going to make something the way you wanted it, or your fabric is not going to be available, or things are not going to ship on time.
Number six is problem-solving. Literally, my job was to problem solve. My job was to go around and make sure that everything was going according to plan, according to the way that it needed to happen.
So just get used to the fact that you are going to be problem solving all the time and to be good at problem-solving you need to think outside the box, you need to be creative. I will tell you guys a story.
One time I wanted this soutache, mesh, fabric that our factory had made for us. We had a buyer coming in and she specifically requested the blush color and I knew I needed to have this dress made up in time before the buyer came. I did not have three weeks to wait, so I had to think of something else.
No fabric vendors had it in the U. I had already checked all of them. I called over 20 fabric vendors and looked at all of their soutache fabrics. No one had this blush color soutache. Literally what I decided to do was take home four yards of white soutache and dye it in my kitchen sink over the weekend.
This was so I could have it done and dry by Monday and we could cut the dress and sew it by the time the buyer was going to come in. I knew a buyer needed to see this and I knew it had to get done in time before she came. This was the only option I could think of so I literally took it home in order to get the exact color that I wanted. I used teabags to dye the fabric and let it set in my sink for a couple of hours.
I dried it for a couple of hours and it was ready to go by Monday morning. Number seven is, the ability to focus on one idea or concept. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Most creative people have so many ideas. They have thousands of ideas. But, the problem is, they can never focus on one idea and bring it to completion. Trying to do all at once might get you discouraged. 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. You will study drawing, color and composition, pattern-making, and draping. 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.
Part 2. 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. 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. Downsize your ego. Think about real needs prior to think about fame. Looking cool is fine, but it won't sell garments by itself. If you are planning to become a fashion designer, you will not only make apparel for yourself or for famous people.
Even though you see big names in magazines: it's advertisement, not the reality. It doesn't work that way. Designers are especially needed for people with real, imperfect bodies that still want to look their best.
Having a snob attitude will blind you from making money. Reality is: you don't design for yourself, you design for others. Ask your customers what they need. Be realistic: if you happen to live in a very warm country, you will have a tough time selling ski jackets. Look around you. What do real people need and want. For example, if you plan on designing a complete collection, you will need more tops that bottoms because most people have more tops than bottoms in their wardrobe in general.
Tops are great to change your looks while a plain nice fitting pant will match most of your tops. Keep it simple and realistic.
Extravagant sketches are nice on paper, but great tops and jeans will sell out in more interesting numbers than evening dresses.
Make concessions. Mass market may not sound as glamour as evening or luxury wear, but it will get you a long way and pay your groceries. If you have to create a style that will be produced more than a hundred times, you need to make it right from the start. It will improve your designing skills as you will have to understand perfectly the garment you are about to sell. Bad styles will get you returns and cost quite a bunch of money to your boss. Get inspiration from your competitors. Observe and note the fabric they are using; the zipper size they use for their garments to be strong enough for its usage ; fabric quality for its properties such as impermeability, comfort, breathability or care; colours that sells in your country.
Starting from your competitors qualities is not copying: it's observation. With taking the best of every pieces and analyzing it, you will understand what makes a "favorite" piece of clothing. They are usually best sellers. Your customers whether they are buyers for stores or regular people want something that looks good on them in the first place.
Extravagant pieces are worn only a few days a year, they're great, but they may not bring you a salary to live with. 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.
Part 3. 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. 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. Part 4. 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. 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.
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.
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