Making a Career in Fashion Designing

Opportunities of Employment for a Trained Fashion Designer :

• Self employment.
• Export houses.
• Garment store retail chains.
• Textile mills.
• Fashion boutiques.
• Jewelry houses.
• Leather factories and stores.
• Media houses.

Niche Areas of Education in Fashion Designing :

Professional courses are available in various niche areas of Fashion Designing. These may be classified as under :

• Garment Manufacturing Technology.
• Textile Science.
• Fabric Dyeing, Color Mixing and Printing.
• Computer Aided Designing.
• Apparel Construction Technology.
• Garment Design.
• Leather Design.
• Leather Technology.
• Footwear Design.
• Accessory Design.
• Jewelry Design.

Standards and Methods for Choosing a Fashion Design School :

• Identify your area of interest. Make a list of schools in your area/ state/ country
• which offer courses in your areas of interest.
• Check out the schools on criteria like education reviews, location, prices,
• placement records, and student reviews etc.
• Research the schools of your choice thoroughly through magazines, Internet and
• others.
• Make a list of all Fashion Schools of your choice and allot them a rank in order of
• your preference.
• Take a tour of the schools of your choice and gather first-hand information on
• teachers, educational facilities, recreational amenities and students’ response.
• If you somehow cannot visit the schools personally take a virtual tour of the
• school on the Internet. Most schools have these on their websites.
• Read reviews of your chosen schools. Some good educational magazines carry
• Check out the schools on scholarships options.
• Find if the schools have an entrance test or direct application method of
• accepting students.
• Apply to the schools of your choice and remain optimistic.

Expected Salary and Financial Returns in Fashion Designing: While the average Fashion Designers can expect returns anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 per year, this is really not a benchmark. Big designers earn in millions of dollars. This is perhaps the most enticing factor for young people who join the Fashion Industry. However, it is important to know that such levels of financial success are attained only after a great body of work. Beginners should be ready to work with opportunities providing modest beginnings to the simple tunes of $5000 per year, and even lower.

A career in Fashion Industry as a Fashion Designer can be extremely gratifying. So, take the leap if you have it in you.

Making a Career in Fashion Designing

  Fashion Designing is an exciting career option for creative people with interest in stylish garments and accessories. As people have progressively become more conscious of their attires the fashion industry has grown more and more. Fashion Industry today, is a multi-million dollar industry worldwide.

  Fashion Designers are at the heart of the fashion industry as they are the ones who churn out the latest designs every season and guide the trends in world fashion.


Requisite Qualities of a Fashion Designer :

• Creativity with the medium of fabric, leather, metals and others used for accessories.
• Eye for detail and style.
• Ability to create original designs. And, ability to identify original designs.
• Managerial skills in Human Resource Management and Marketing.
• Team player attitude as great designs are often efforts of a creative team.
• Readiness to work hard and long hours.
• Perseverance as most people have to start at the bottom rung of the ladder.
• Willingness to work with little or no gratification in the initial years.
• Strong desire to attain success.
• Ability to dream and visualize great products all the time.

Career Opportunities as a Fashion Designer :

  A trained Fashion Designer need not just remain restricted to actual designing of fashion wear. There are several other career options available in the Fashion Industry wherein a new person may get a chance of seeing the workings of the industry at close quarters. Some such options are :

• Planning and Concept Management: This may be in a big or small Fashion House. The job description includes working on new concepts and planning the strategies of changing fashion trends.
• Production and Management of Fashion Wear: This may be in a big or small Fashion House. The job entails overseeing the production of the garments and managing the men and supplies.
• Quality Control: This may be in a big or small Fashion House. The job requires monitoring the quality checks and implementing changes as needed while the production is on.
• Fashion Buyer: This may be in a big or small Fashion House. The job demands development of lines that the company decides to target for a particular market and price range. Fashion Buyers typically work with Merchandising Managers.
• Promotion of Brands: This is a job in Fashion Marketing. It requires planning publicity and marketing of big or small fashion brand names. .
• Fashion Media: This job involves reporting and coverage of events and proceedings in the Fashion Industry.
• Retailing: This job involves actual point of sales representation like a sales showroom manager or a sales representative.

Other Career Options for a Fashion Designer :

  The other career options that a trained Fashion Designer can have are as an outside consultant or freelance designer working on independent designing assignments, costume designer, fashion coordinator working with fashion buyers and suppliers on an assignment basis, fabric buyer, fabric quality control manager, outsourcing agent, illustrator, graphic designer and pattern maker.

  You need to identify the area you wish to work in and then find or create a niche market for your services.

  The biggest benefit behind being a trained Fashion Designer is that you can start your own business. So, this field offers opportunity of entrepreneurship.

CAREER GUIDE FOR FASHION DESIGNER

  Standard Occupational Description: Design clothing and accessories. Create original garments or design garments that follow well established fashion trends. May develop the line of color and kinds of materials.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND TASKS (Technical and Functional Expertise)

1 - Skills

  Note: The technical and functional skills listed below are based on general occupational qualifications for Fashion Designer commonly recognized by most employers. Typically, you will not be required to have all of the skills listed to be a successful performer. Recruitment and selection standards for an individual state job must be based on the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities for that job as indicated in the job announcement and job description in the Employee Work Profile.