How to Become a Fashion Designer

With the rise of fashion-related reality shows, you may have wondered how to become a fashion designer. Fashion designers create clothing, shoes and accessories for haute couture, mass-market and ready-to-wear fashions. If you love making your own clothes or daydream about the perfect A-line skirt, fashion designing may be the career for you.

1. Develop your design skills through formal education or hands-on internships and positions in the fashion industry.
2. Research current and past trends, so you can predict what designs will excel in the market.
3. Put together a portfolio that showcases your creativity and fashion design ability.
4. Keep your designs fresh and creative.

• Fashion designers create clothing, shoes and accessories.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers As a fashion designer you will design clothes for a specific purpose in a specific market.StyleCareer.com: Getting Paid to Dress People and Make Them Feel Good You may work for a mass-market manufacturer, a department store, you might freelance for individual clients or even start your own clothing line. Designers work in every stage of development: conceptualization, sketching (fashion drawing and technical drawing), garment construction and production, dressing the model and designing fashion shows.Princeton Review: Fashion Designer Be prepared for long hours and low pay, especially when just starting out.

• Before you can become a fashion designer, you'll need to learn how to sew, cut and drape fabric and match colors. Knowledge about the fashion industry and the history of fashion is also important.JobProfiles.org: Online Degree Programs in Fashion Design While you don't have to be college-educated to become a fashion designer, the fashion industry is highly competitive, so a B.F.A. or A.A. degree from a fine arts program is a huge plus. But don't worry, college is just one of the ways to gain the experience and training you'll need for a career in fashion.Fashion.net: How to Become a Fashion Designer

• The most important part of becoming a fashion designer is learning how to design clothes. Here are a few tips:

1. Learn how to sketch. Sketching your designs is a good way to begin communicating your ideas. You don't have to be a great drawer, but it's a good idea to take a few drawing classes, specifically in fashion drawing.Fashion.net: How to Become a Fashion Designer
2. Invest in a sewing machine. Even if you are self-taught, it may be a good idea to enroll in a sewing class to refine your skills. Learn how to hand-sew and use a sewing machine.
3. When designing a garment, consider the clothing's purpose, shape, texture, fabric, color and cost.YouTube: How to Become a Fashion Designer (Time: 1:42)

• To learn more about designing clothes, check out Mahalo's How to Design Clothes.

• Art and design schools and programs in fashion design can be highly competitive. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Prepare a sample of your best work that shows your creativity. Samples can be sketches or other forms of design, but make sure your sample follows the school's guidelines. You may want to submit your portfolio.AllArtSchools.com: Tips for Fashion Design Careers Some schools require specific entrance projects.
2. Apply to an accredited fine arts program.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
   • There are 299 institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. For a list of accredited institutions, check out the NASAD's member list.
3. Depending on your school of choice, you may have to complete basic design coursework, including hands-on classes like sewing, tailoring, sketching and using models, as well as courses in fashion history, color theory and fashion design.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers JobProfiles.org: Online Degree Programs in Fashion Design
   • -Taking classes in designing software is also a great idea.eHow: How to Become a Fashion Designer Computer-aided design allows you to use virtual models and quickly change colors and silhouettes.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
   • -Designing classes will require you to work alone and as part of a team, so you'll need good communication skills.Fashion.net: How to Become a Fashion Designer
   • -To become a well-rounded fashion designer, you'll also want to take tons of classes on specific areas of fashion like women's wear or haute couture.
   • -If you are interested in starting you own clothing line, you should also take courses in business, marketing and fashion merchandising.Fashion.net: How to Become a Fashion Designer
4. Getting a degree in fine arts will teach you the necessary skills you need to become a fashion designer. It can also help you narrow your focus and develop your own niche in the fashion market. For more info, see the Fashion Design Careers section.

• If you can't afford college, a lot of schools have scholarship opportunities or you may be eligible for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
• YouTube: How to Become a Fashion Designer (Time: 1:42)

• If college isn't for you, or you just want additional experience, there are more ways to learn fashion design. Any job in the fashion industry can teach you the ropes and provide a much needed head start. Expect the pay to be low or non-existent—the point for now is to gain experience, not make money.

1. Get an internship! Internships to consider:
   1. Fashion house positions.Fashion.net: How to Become a Fashion Designer
   2. Managing a sample room.Howcast: How to Become a Fashion Designer (Time: 1:47)
   3. Being a designer's assistant.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
   4. Design or manufacturing firm positions.
2. You can also work in retail.
3. Do unpaid or paid freelance projects for companies.Howcast: How to Become a Fashion Designer
4. Enter as many contests as possible to develop your skills.
5. Network. When you are a beginning designer, it is very important to make connections.Princeton Review: Fashion Designer
6. Travel to the fashion centers of the world, like New York, Los Angeles, Milan and Paris.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
7. Some skills just can't be taught. Before embarking on this career path, make sure you have talent and a flair for style and color. You'll also need to develop your own vision and have the ability to communicate that vision to others.Princeton Review: Fashion Designer

• In most cases, you'll need to send your resume, cover letter and portfolio to apply for an internship or other position. See the Creating a Portfolio section for more info.

• To become a successful designer, you will need to become familiar with other designers and collections. Here are a few ways to conduct your research:

1. Read fashion magazines online and in print.eHow: How to Become a Fashion Designer Good resources include:
   1. Vogue
   2. Women's Wear Daily
   3. New York magazine
2. Research trend reports. You don't have to be a trend follower, but it will give you an idea of what your competitors are producing.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
3. Go to fashion shows and trade shows.Princeton Review: Fashion Designer
4. Become familiar with the different fashion categories, like haute couture (high fashion), ready-to-wear, mass market and costume design.
5. A great way to research the history of fashion and textiles is to check out the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS).

• A fashion designer can work in many different areas of the fashion industry.StyleCareer.com: Getting Paid to Dress People and Make Them Feel Good You should research these positions so you can decide if there is an area you want to focus on, but keep in mind that as a fashion designer you may work in many capacities.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests the following career opportunities:

1. Clothing designers create men's, women's and children's clothing (or concentrate in one area).Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
2. Footwear designers create shoes and boots.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
3. Accessory designers create accessories such as handbags, belts, scarves, hats and jewelry.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
4. Costume designers create costumes for stage, film and television productions.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
5. Cutters use a pattern to cut the fabric into pieces.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Occupations
6. Pattern makers discuss the design with the designer and create the master patterns for the finished design.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Textile, Apparel, and Furnishings Occupations
7. Technical Designers take a design and turn it into the final product.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers
8. Textile designers create fabrics and patterns.Bureau of Labor Statistics: Fashion Designers

• There are many other positions available to a fashion designer, so research your field thoroughly.

• A portfolio is a collection of your designs that illustrates your creativity and ability as a fashion designer. To find a job, you will need to showcase your best work. Here are some tips for creating a winning fashion portfolio.

1. Ask a teacher or adviser to help you choose your best work.
2. Never include your whole body of work.
3. Choose a variety of techniques and silhouettes that show your range as a designer. Include sketches of all body shapes, sizes, ages and sex.eHow: How to Put Together a Fashion Design Portfolio
4. Include both fashion illustrations and technical drawings.Istituto di Moda Burgo: Final Fashion Design Collection
5. Show how you can create a collection by going through the whole designing process—ideation, research, realization.Istituto di Moda Burgo: Final Fashion Design Collection Include a trend collage, examples of fabric design and selection, an illustration of the design, and photos of the final product.Expert Village: How to Make a Design Portfolio (Time: 1:49)
6. Create an online portfolio you can email and a print portfolio you can take with you to interviews.
   • For your print portfolio, select the portfolio case of your choice. Make sure it is good quality material, such as leather. The pages should be easy to remove and reorganize.eHow: How to Put Together a Fashion Design Portfolio
7. Make sure your portfolio shows your personal style and vision.Istituto di Moda Burgo: Final Fashion Design Collection
8. Customize your portfolio to fit the individual employer, client, assignment or school.Utah Education Network: How to Create an Excellent Fashion Portfolio Page
9. Use full-color sketches and quality paper. Sketches should include a title and a description of the fabric and texture.Blueberry: Portfolio Requirements for Fashion Design Applicants

• Expert Village: How to Make a Design Portfolio (Time: 1:49)

• Because the fashion industry is so competitive, it is important to keep yourself relevant by constantly researching trends and improving your skills. With a lot of hard work, one day you may just see your designs walking down the runway, on the rack, or in a magazine. Good luck!