Fashion Designer

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Become A Fashion Designer

Do you view social events as excuses to design fabulous new outfits for yourself? Do you see sidewalks as catwalks, and dream of one day proving your talent to Nina Garcia and Michael Kors on Project Runway? If so, you might have what it takes to become a Fashion Designer.

Fashion Design in a Nutshell

Fashion designers sketch and construct flattering original garments and accessories for clothing manufacturers, design firms and private clients. They are innovative trendsetters whose ultimate goal is to make people look great (and make a living in the process).

Education Requirements for Fashion Designers

You might be a born fashion designer, but you'll need a few things to jump-start your career:

Training—Employers are looking for fashion designers with two and four-year degrees who have a broad knowledge of textiles, fabrics, fashion trends, and an eye for and appreciation of beauty.
Good Taste—It is a huge selling point, but how does one define good taste? Employers look for candidates with a keen sense of proportion and balance, an eye for complementing color schemes, an individual sense of style and personal vision.
Portfolio—A major deciding factor for employers is a professional-looking portfolio containing designs and executions.

Some colleges and universities offer associate's degrees in fashion design. Meanwhile, private design schools help aspiring designers hone their art under guidance. Many fashion designers choose to earn their bachelor's degree in business or marketing, as well, so they may run their own line of clothing or open a retail store.

Day in the Life of a Fashion Designer

Many fashion designers (more than one out of four) are self-employed. If you go this route, you'll be busy working on an independent fashion line, scouting small retailers where you can sell your garments and accessories, or plotting to open your own business in New York or California, where over two-thirds of fashion designers reside.

If you are more interested in working for an existing design firm, you may do anything from design sketching to construction. This gives you the chance to work in tandem with a team of other designers to create a final product or clothing line.

Job Growth for Fashion Designers

The celebrity of becoming a successful fashion designer has made competition fierce in this job market. Everyone wants to be a star by clothing the stars, it seems, so job growth for fashion designers is projected to be slower than the overall national employment average through 2014. Still, this profession isn't going out of style anytime soon.