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Fashion Designer

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Fashion Designer Career Details

Fashion designers design clothes for designer labels or for the mass production clothing industries. They may also design accessories, footwear, sportswear or millinery.

Only a small minority of designers work for haute couture firms (which design one-off garments for individual customers) or produce their own collections. Most work as commercial designers for clothing manufacturers, producing designs for the mass market.

Designers usual produce designs for two seasons ahead, collaborating with other staff such as buyers and forecasters. The design process involves sketching ideas by hand or on a computer, developing a pattern, cutting and sewing a sample garment, and overseeing the production process. In smaller companies the designer may carry out all of these stages. In larger companies they will often focus on the design aspects – the preparation of patterns and samples will be undertaken by other staff.

Working Environment

Fashion designers normally work from 9am - 5pm, but may have to work longer hours and weekends to meet deadlines. Part-time work is sometimes possible.

Freelance designers do not have set working hours and may be under considerable pressure to complete existing work and market new designs.

Fashion designers usually work in small studios or workshops, either alone or with a small group of designers. They attend meetings with textile designers, fashion buyers and customers, and visit fabric houses, exhibitions and fashion shows to gain information on colour and fabric trends. There can be extensive travel, both in the UK and abroad.

Fashion Designer Related Skills

To be a fashion designer you need:

to be artistic and creative with an eye for colour, texture and pattern
good drawing skills
a good understanding of the properties of different fabrics
practical skills for producing clothes, for creating designs and for making up sample garments
skills in pattern-cutting and sewing
to be able to communicate ideas through sketches or computer-manipulated images
the ability to budget and cost out work
to be able to market your own work, negotiate with clients and buyers and organise the administrative and financial side of the business if freelance.

Fashion Designer Career Opportunities

Most opportunities are with clothing manufacturing or retailing companies. It may also be possible to find employment with design studios which produce designs for a number of manufacturers. There are comparatively few opportunities with top design houses.

Progression to senior and head designer may be possible with several years' experience. Further progression to design or technical director may also be a possibility.

Work as a free-lance designer involves marketing work through agents, trade fairs or through buyers from larger companies.

Some designers move into related careers such as fashion stylist, buyer or journalist.

Further Career Information

If you would like to know more about a career as an Fashion Designer related facts, statistics, articles and websites.

Career Steps

Not quite sure about a career as a Fashion Designer? Try our step-by-step career guide to reaching your chosen career.

Career Courses

Not quite qualified to be a Fashion Designer? Take a look at Training Fashion Designer courses, Postgraduate Fashion Designer courses, Undergraduate Fashion Designer courses, Adult learning Fashion Designer courses, Adult learning Fashion Designer courses, our course browses or use our search form and find courses which will help you on your chosen career path.

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