How to become a Fashion Designer

How to become a Fashion Designer Is your career ‘so last year’? You should become a Fashion Designer…Fashion Designers create clothing and accessories, from individual items to fully-blown fashion ranges.They could work anywhere from high fashion labels or boutique fashion houses through to high-street and retail brands, and design for a number of demographics or specialise in a particular type of clothing (e.g. men’s, women’s, footwear, accessories etc.).Typical duties for a Fashion Designer could include:Working to design briefsComing up with initial designs, either through sketching or computer-aided design (CAD)Selecting appropriate fabrics, creating prototypes and producing mood boardsEstimating costs and presenting back to other areas around the business, such as sales, finance and marketingSupervising the purchase of fabrics, and any other material neededOverseeing production until the product is completedIs it right for me?To be a successful Fashion Designer, it almost goes without saying that an a ctive interest in fashion (and/or an obsession) will be absolutely non-negotiable. Reading the occasional Vogue magazine and owning a pair of Ray-Bans will not quite cut-it.You need to live for the latest trends, and know what’s in, what’s out, what last season’s disaster was and what’s going to be the next big thing.Other key skills for a Fashion Designer include:OriginalityCreativityAn eye for colour, form, texture and shapeAn appreciation of aestheticsTechnical design skills, including pattern cutting, sewing and tailoringCommercial awarenessCareer Progression? Junior Fashion DesignerUp to 24,000 Fashion DesignerUp to 40,000 Senior Fashion DesignerUp to 60,000What's it really like? The best thing about being a Fashion Designer is that I get to challenge myself to be creative every single day. I’ve only been in the industry for around three years, but already I’ve learned so much about fashion that I never dreamed possible. I’ve certainly come a long way since smug gling copies of Look and Glamour magazine into school to read in class. Yes, it can be tough and incredibly demanding work, and it’s not all Parisian catwalks and liaising with models, but it’s what I’ve always wanted to do and I couldn’t be happier to be there. Get qualifiedMany Fashion Designers will have a degree in their field. However, it is not necessarily a pre-requisite, and a qualification which covers the technical side of the industry may be enough to gain a lower-end entry-level position.