Fashion designers work in a fast-paced, exciting field requiring a high level of creativity.
Do you love fashion trends and design? If so, a career designing clothes and shoes may be right for you. Fashion designers dream up every skirt, shirt, hat, raincoat or pair of shoes that you see at the mall or department store. This exciting career requires you to be creative and inventive, and always on top of the latest trends in fashion. Educational requirements are minimal for this career, and most employers will hire those with related work experience who have complete courses or hold degrees from trade schools or colleges of art and design.
Formal Education
Clothing and shoe designers generally need an associate or bachelor's degree in fashion design from an accredited school. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are around 300 postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design in the United States, and many of these offer fashion degrees. Students take courses on a range of topics such as history of fashion, drawing, clothing design, draping and construction, sewing and tailoring, pattern making, anatomy, art history and color theory. Individuals who wish to run their own retail store or design company may pursue a separate business or marketing degree. Fashion school applicants often need to submit a portfolio of sketches and designs for acceptance into a program.
Work Experience
Prospective clothing and shoe designers can acquire related job experience working in retail stores, as tailors, or as personal stylists. These experiences give individuals the marketing and customer service experience valuable and necessary for the career. Many fashion design agencies also offer internships for those getting started in the field. Some fashion designers even get their start designing costumes for theatrical productions or films.
Skills and Qualities
Competition for fashion design jobs is fierce, and candidates must possess the necessary skills and qualities, in addition to their formal education, to be considered for the job. An extensive knowledge of the fashion industry, including trends, models, design firms and fashion shows, is highly useful. Clothing and shoe designers should have a good eye for detail and colors, as well as a strong appreciation for aesthetics. Excellent communications and problem solving skills are also extremely important.
Job Outlook
New York and California continue to be the main centers of fashion in the United States, and though competition can be stiff, candidates will find the greatest number of job opportunities in these regions. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2008 around 31 percent of fashion designers worked for merchant wholesalers, piece goods and apparel. Around 13 percent worked for apparel manufacturers, and others were self-employed as freelance designers. The BLS also estimates that jobs for fashion designers will grow by only one per cent between 2008 and 2018. The average salary for fashion designers in 2008 was $61,160.
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