Jade
Being fashion designer is one of the most influential jobs one can ever have because you get to have the opportunity to shape how society dresses. But, is it the perfect job for you? If you eat, drink, live and breathe fashion, then, a career in fashion designing will most certainly be the ideal job for you. Becoming a fashion enthusiast is just one part of the whole story, you also have to back it up with formalized education in order know the fundamentals of fashion and be qualified to become a fashion designer. It is to be noted that there are a lot of people aspiring to become fashion designers; hence, there is a stiff competition to the spot. Education would certainly help push you up on your ladder of success.
Gaining Experience is Key
Experience is the ultimate key in becoming a successful fashion designer. You need to undergo internship with an established design house in order to build your rapport as a future fashion designer. Your experience as an apprentice will add to your general knowledge and will pave the way of meeting new people that will open gates of opportunities to realizing your ultimate dream of becoming the next Coco Chanel or Karl Lagerfeld, perhaps?
Fashion Designing is a Business
Aside from experience, you also have to be business minded. Being in the fashion designing industry ultimately means that you are running a business. You have to familiarize yourself with bookkeeping and inventory, among others. You also have to learn how to meet deadlines of clients, sketch, sew, iron and pack their orders for them, and network or negotiate with suppliers and vendors. In all actuality, being a fashion designer is not at all times as glamorous as you seem it is—that is just the tip of the iceberg. You also have to embrace the not-so fun aspects of fashion.
The Skills Needed
As a fashion enthusiast, you have to learn by heart all the skills needed in becoming one of the greatest fashion designers in the business.
- Flat Sketching. This skill requires important details of dress designs put on paper. Drawing is just one thing, flat sketching is another. You must get to know how to manipulate Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software programs in order to come up with flat sketching.
- Computer Programs. It would be more efficient if designers design clothes using CAD. This way, you can edit your work a thousand times without having wasted thousands of papers.
- Draping and Patternmaking. In order to make sure that the clothes you designed will perfectly fit your model – you need to have a good grasp of these skills.
- Sewing. If you are just starting as a fashion designer, of course, you create your own clothes; thus, it is imperative that you know how to sew. Draping, patternmaking and sewing will guarantee a good output.
- Creating Specs in a Copycat World. This is measuring and adding detail to a garment. This can be done using MS Excel. Garment sizes and measurements vary from company to company. If you are yet starting, all you have to do is to visit different stores and find garments with good fit and copy the basic measurements.
Jason Harris
natalie
Jade
