What does a fashion designer do in general? These specialists develop sketches of future clothing models and bring them to life.
A professional designer must be versed in several areas at once:
- fashion history
- properties of different types of fabrics
- fashion drawing (drawings of future models)
- development of patterns
- design and modeling of clothes
- analysis and forecast of fashion trends
- sewing
Advantages of the profession of fashion designer:
- Demand. The need to dress fashionably will never disappear, and there are few people who can create truly beautiful models. Think about it, how many fashion designers do you know?
- Opportunity for career growth. Hard work, diligence, talent, and self-confidence will definitely lead a fashion designer to success. Your own line of clothing or accessories – what can you dream of?
- Constant creativity. People with a creative mindset need to realize their potential somewhere. The fashion industry is a great place to express yourself and bring your ideas to life.
- Good income. The work of a fashion designer is always well paid. Even at the beginning of your career, when you don’t have many orders. If you don’t stand still, but continuously develop and work, your income will grow.
- Travel and new faces. Fashion shows all over the world, meetings with suppliers from different countries. It’s a great opportunity to see the world while doing what you love.
Cons of being a fashion designer:
- Lack of free time, especially at first. You will have to spend long hours at work to become successful or at least earn an income from your business.
- Unpredictable income. One month you can earn a fortune, and the next month you can be left without orders. Your income will depend on many factors: experience, skill level, popularity, and others.
- Stress. Multitasking mode is the right companion for a fashion designer. Meetings with customers, a tight work schedule – all this will have to be combined and managed.
Where to study to become a fashion designer?
Way #1 is self-education.
If you are disciplined enough, you can try to learn the basics of the design profession on your own. To do this, you’ll have to read a lot of specialized literature about fashion, the secrets and subtleties of fashion design, and more. YouTube has a lot of videos on any topic. But this method has a significant disadvantage: you have no one to turn to with a question. And, whatever one may say, learning through trial and error will take longer. Therefore, it is better to go straight to a specialized university/college or take courses.
Method #2 is to graduate from a university or college in your specialty.
You need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to pass a creative competition for professional aptitude when entering. The main advantage of studying fashion design at a university or college is that you will have a diploma. This can come in handy if you want to get a job in a large company in the future.
Method #3 – courses
Despite the short period of study, really good courses can provide you with all the knowledge and skills necessary for a fashion designer, as well as practical skills.