Jason Harris
I hate to be the one to burst the bubble of fashion enthusiasts, but there are a lot of misconceptions about fashion designing. One of which is the thought that it is easy for you to become part of the statistics of the most popular fashion designers such as Coco Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Georgio Armani, among others. Another misconception is that fashion is all about glamour! Well… Surprise! It’s not. Just like being a famous celebrity, everything that is too good to be true has a certain price to pay for. Third, fashion schools teach only the basic things you need to know. When you eventually go out in the real world to start your business, you will be shocked to find out that you still have a lot to learn.
Passing Through the Eye of a Needle
In all actuality, becoming an established fashion designer is just like becoming a bonafide movie star. It’s like a camel passing through the eye of a needle. First and foremost, you have to compete with famous fashion designers who serve as the edifice of the industry… which is by the way, close to impossible. If you are persistent enough, then, perhaps, you can still land a career in fashion and you might even end up working for a recognized and reputable fashion designer. Start doing your homework and reading other materials that will help you get prepared for the big challenges ahead of you – it’s going to be a bumpy road.
The Price You Have to Pay
If you become an established celebrity, privacy will certainly be a luxury. Do you also know that there are some famous fashion designers that commit suicide? Why is this so? It’s simply because they are not happy…the truth is – behind the fame, popularity, and glamour…there is emptiness deep inside them that cannot be satisfied by self-fulfillment.
Fashion 101
In fashion school, you are taught to sew, draw, sketch, drape and make patterns. Once you have finished the course, you will feel confident that you are equipped with the needed knowledge, skills and values to succeed as a fashion designer. Alas! While the skills you learned in a fashion school are important, some of the stuff you learned is not as practical in the real world of fashion. If you decide to become an intern, you are expected to know how to sketch flats, design clothes using CAD’s, create garment specs and prepare presentation boards. Having said that, it is quite normal that all your ideal expectations will probably be shattered into bits and pieces. Eventually, you’ll realize that you have to mostly self-teach yourself with all the new concepts being thrown at you.
Different Branches of Fashion
Fashion is a massive entity in itself… it is not always about clothes. In fact, there are a lot of niches you can tap into in the fashion industry — you can be a stylist, designer, photographer, forecaster, and merchandiser, among others. If you are lucky enough, you will have the opportunity to experience working with some of them, if not all. And from there, you can weigh things up and determine which category really suits you best. It is important for you to develop an action plan so you’ll more likely have a better chance of reaching your goals.
Jason Harris
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