
Being a Fashion Designer is a highly rewarding job. There’s an amazing sense of accomplishment and joy seeing your final product on people and in stores. It’s very hands on, fast paced, and mentally challenging (in a good way), and when you find your niche it’s all the more enjoyable. Within Fashion, they are so many categories to chose from, all depending on what you want to do. As a Fashion Designer, your main responsibilities are to research future trends (sometimes forecasting up to 1 1/2 years in advance), design a product for your niche market, source the materials to create the product, and finally help communicate your vision to transform it into a physical garment. I’ve been in the industry for 9 years, and have worked in Denim, Runway, and on Contemporary Labels. The last 3 years, I have worked at Paige as their Senior Women’s Designer, focusing mostly on bottoms and anything denim.
What are the steps someone needs to take to become fashion designer?
Education
1. Education and basic knowledge of garment construction are the two most significant tools in the beginning of your career. How do we make this garment? How do you get into this garment? Will this fall apart within a couple of wears? You may have a team to help you with this, but you need to know the basics. Fashion is so much more than drawing a pretty sketch, this is all the more reason why it can be a great career. You have to use your brain and problem solve. Do the work and know your stuff. Knowledge is power!2. The basics are learned through school and/or internships. Internships sound simple, but it’s one of the greatest ways to get your foot in the door of the fashion world. You’ll learn industry terms, have hands on experience, and make connections. Showing you’re a talented hard worker could mean a great job.