Does your creativity work unabated when you look at textiles, fabrics, embroidery? Does your adrenalin run high when you see the coverage of fashion weeks on television? If you experience all this, a career in fashion designing is just right for you.
A fashion
The fashion industry has seen a surge in the recent years in India. In India, especially, a fashion designing job holds vast opportunities. There is a huge garment and textile industry in India which gives ample scope to fashion designers to innovate with fabrics, styles, embroidery, motifs and designs. It is not just garments that it is limited to although garments form the major chunk of our fashion industry.
There are not just garments that one can design but also footwear, bags and other accessories that come under the purview of fashion designing. If you have an eye for detail, a good observation of trends and likings and the penchant to create something new and visualize colors and cuts, you will thrive well in the field of fashion designing.
Those who take up fashion designing jobs get to do what they love and love what they do. It is a glamorous and exciting job that also pumps your adrenalin. There are tight deadlines that fashion designers work under if there is a fashion week going on or if there is demand from the customers. Fashion designers are expected to come up with original concepts and design in fascinating colors and cuts in limited time. Since a fashion designer has to take charge and supervise from conception to execution of a design, it is required to have that managing ability.
Thus, summing it all up, to succeed in fashion designing jobs, one has to be artistic and creative with good sketching and drawing skills, original and innovative with design and ideas, a good aesthetic sense, ability to synchronize well in a team, good management skills and an acute awareness of market trends and events in fashion.
As a fashion designer, at the job, you would be required to design and create stylish outfits and accessories to match. It is always better to work with a senior designer to get a feel of ho things work in the industry. If you are good at your work and hard-working, you would surely be noticed. Each designer has different work ethics. There are ample job opportunities with professional designers, manufacturing units, export houses, boutiques and fancy stores and in TV and films as costume designers.
A. You Better Work: the Grueling Glamour of Fashion Design
If you answered yes to these questions, you may want to consider a career in fashion design.
Beyond the glamour lies an intensely competitive work environment that demands not only great creativity, but also knowledge of current trends, proficiency in sewing and patternmaking, and a flair for self-promotion.
Fashion Design Job Overview
Every year, fashion designers create billions of clothes, shoes, and accessories for a discerning and fickle body of consumers. They stay up-to-date with fashion trends by conducting research and attending trade and fashion shows. Many others create mass market deigns, open their own stores, or sell their designs to other retailers. Some even work for the entertainment industry, researching period pieces and creating costumes for films and television shows. Whether self-employed or part of a large design team, all fashion designers must be prepared for frequent travel and the occasional all-nighter.
Fashion Design Education and Other Qualifications
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that most employers seek designers with 2- or 4-year degrees. Basic coursework for a bachelor's degree typically includes textiles, sewing, CAD training, and fashion history. Fashion design students may also want to supplement their core curriculum with classes in business, human anatomy, and psychology. Aspiring designers can also gain valuable experience from internships or retail jobs, and should always maintain an impressive portfolio.
Job Outlook & Salary Information
Predictably, many are attracted to the glamour and artiness of fashion design, and this makes for a competitive job market. The BLS notes that the best job prospects will be found in firms that create mass-market designs. The average annual salary for fashion designers hovered around $62,810 in 2007.
B. Become a Fashion Designer
You know you're destined to be a fashion designer if you: a) spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends; b) read fashion magazines instead of your school books; c) ran a boutique out of your basement at age 10. In other words: if you want to be the next Yves Saint Laurent, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion.
Working as a fashion designer can just as well mean supervising a design team at a sportswear company as producing a label under your own name.
Choosing a strategy
There are as many different ways to embark upon a fashion career as there are styles of design. Ralph Lauren's Polo empire was founded on a small tie collection that he sold to Bloomingdales. Michael Kors built up a network of customers by selling clothes in a trendy NYC boutique. However, most people find that the best foundation for a design career is to get a fine arts degree in fashion at a prestigious school. "We live in a brandname society, and having the name of a good school behind you really does help," says Carol Mongo, Director of the Fashion Department at Parsons School of Design in Paris. It's hard to enter these schools as competition is high, and they tend to be very selective. You apply by sending a portfolio of drawings of your designs. Drawing is also an important skill for a designer – it is the way you communicate your ideas. In order to build an impressive portfolio it's a good idea to have some experience in sketching; taking art classes will help you understand form and proportion.
What school will do for you
Most fashion programs are three to four years long. During that time you will take fine arts classes and study drawing, color composition and form. One of the most important advantages of design schools is that they work really closely with the industry. Parsons, for example, have "designer critic projects" where successful designers like Donna Karan and Michael Kors work directly with the graduating students. One very important event is the fashion show at the end of the last semester, when graduating students show their collections. A lot of important people from the fashion industry attend these shows to scout new talent.
Alternative routes
"Let's be realistic," says Carol Mongo at Parsons, "School's not for everyone. If you're just looking to get a job in the fashion industry – not a career as a designer – you probably don't need to go school." If you want to work as a seamstress or a patternmaker, the best thing is probably to apply for an internship at a fashion house and work your way up. For example, Dior's brightest new star, men's wear designer Hedi Slimane, had a degree in journalism when he started working with men's wear designer José Levy. Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquière is another example of a brilliantly successful designer who learned the jobs hands-on, as an assistant at Jean-Paul Gaultier. Usually, you apply for an internship by sending a portfolio to a fashion house you're interested in.
Understanding the business
Unfortunately, it's not enough for a designer to be creative; you also have to have some business sense. A lot of fashion schools are currently increasing business classes in their curriculum. "Our students have to be smart enough to know how to negotiate a contract, or to pick a business partner," says Carol Mongo.
A fashion
The fashion industry has seen a surge in the recent years in India. In India, especially, a fashion designing job holds vast opportunities. There is a huge garment and textile industry in India which gives ample scope to fashion designers to innovate with fabrics, styles, embroidery, motifs and designs. It is not just garments that it is limited to although garments form the major chunk of our fashion industry.
There are not just garments that one can design but also footwear, bags and other accessories that come under the purview of fashion designing. If you have an eye for detail, a good observation of trends and likings and the penchant to create something new and visualize colors and cuts, you will thrive well in the field of fashion designing.
Those who take up fashion designing jobs get to do what they love and love what they do. It is a glamorous and exciting job that also pumps your adrenalin. There are tight deadlines that fashion designers work under if there is a fashion week going on or if there is demand from the customers. Fashion designers are expected to come up with original concepts and design in fascinating colors and cuts in limited time. Since a fashion designer has to take charge and supervise from conception to execution of a design, it is required to have that managing ability.
Thus, summing it all up, to succeed in fashion designing jobs, one has to be artistic and creative with good sketching and drawing skills, original and innovative with design and ideas, a good aesthetic sense, ability to synchronize well in a team, good management skills and an acute awareness of market trends and events in fashion.
As a fashion designer, at the job, you would be required to design and create stylish outfits and accessories to match. It is always better to work with a senior designer to get a feel of ho things work in the industry. If you are good at your work and hard-working, you would surely be noticed. Each designer has different work ethics. There are ample job opportunities with professional designers, manufacturing units, export houses, boutiques and fancy stores and in TV and films as costume designers.
A. You Better Work: the Grueling Glamour of Fashion Design
If you answered yes to these questions, you may want to consider a career in fashion design.
Beyond the glamour lies an intensely competitive work environment that demands not only great creativity, but also knowledge of current trends, proficiency in sewing and patternmaking, and a flair for self-promotion.
Fashion Design Job Overview
Every year, fashion designers create billions of clothes, shoes, and accessories for a discerning and fickle body of consumers. They stay up-to-date with fashion trends by conducting research and attending trade and fashion shows. Many others create mass market deigns, open their own stores, or sell their designs to other retailers. Some even work for the entertainment industry, researching period pieces and creating costumes for films and television shows. Whether self-employed or part of a large design team, all fashion designers must be prepared for frequent travel and the occasional all-nighter.
Fashion Design Education and Other Qualifications
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) notes that most employers seek designers with 2- or 4-year degrees. Basic coursework for a bachelor's degree typically includes textiles, sewing, CAD training, and fashion history. Fashion design students may also want to supplement their core curriculum with classes in business, human anatomy, and psychology. Aspiring designers can also gain valuable experience from internships or retail jobs, and should always maintain an impressive portfolio.
Job Outlook & Salary Information
Predictably, many are attracted to the glamour and artiness of fashion design, and this makes for a competitive job market. The BLS notes that the best job prospects will be found in firms that create mass-market designs. The average annual salary for fashion designers hovered around $62,810 in 2007.
B. Become a Fashion Designer
You know you're destined to be a fashion designer if you: a) spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends; b) read fashion magazines instead of your school books; c) ran a boutique out of your basement at age 10. In other words: if you want to be the next Yves Saint Laurent, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion.
Working as a fashion designer can just as well mean supervising a design team at a sportswear company as producing a label under your own name.
Choosing a strategy
There are as many different ways to embark upon a fashion career as there are styles of design. Ralph Lauren's Polo empire was founded on a small tie collection that he sold to Bloomingdales. Michael Kors built up a network of customers by selling clothes in a trendy NYC boutique. However, most people find that the best foundation for a design career is to get a fine arts degree in fashion at a prestigious school. "We live in a brandname society, and having the name of a good school behind you really does help," says Carol Mongo, Director of the Fashion Department at Parsons School of Design in Paris. It's hard to enter these schools as competition is high, and they tend to be very selective. You apply by sending a portfolio of drawings of your designs. Drawing is also an important skill for a designer – it is the way you communicate your ideas. In order to build an impressive portfolio it's a good idea to have some experience in sketching; taking art classes will help you understand form and proportion.
What school will do for you
Most fashion programs are three to four years long. During that time you will take fine arts classes and study drawing, color composition and form. One of the most important advantages of design schools is that they work really closely with the industry. Parsons, for example, have "designer critic projects" where successful designers like Donna Karan and Michael Kors work directly with the graduating students. One very important event is the fashion show at the end of the last semester, when graduating students show their collections. A lot of important people from the fashion industry attend these shows to scout new talent.
Alternative routes
"Let's be realistic," says Carol Mongo at Parsons, "School's not for everyone. If you're just looking to get a job in the fashion industry – not a career as a designer – you probably don't need to go school." If you want to work as a seamstress or a patternmaker, the best thing is probably to apply for an internship at a fashion house and work your way up. For example, Dior's brightest new star, men's wear designer Hedi Slimane, had a degree in journalism when he started working with men's wear designer José Levy. Balenciaga's Nicolas Ghesquière is another example of a brilliantly successful designer who learned the jobs hands-on, as an assistant at Jean-Paul Gaultier. Usually, you apply for an internship by sending a portfolio to a fashion house you're interested in.
Understanding the business
Unfortunately, it's not enough for a designer to be creative; you also have to have some business sense. A lot of fashion schools are currently increasing business classes in their curriculum. "Our students have to be smart enough to know how to negotiate a contract, or to pick a business partner," says Carol Mongo.
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