Fashion Designer

Education and Training: Degree in any of the following fields: fashion, textiles, knitwear, graphic designing, fashion marketing, buying, art and design, clothing technology. MA in fashion/textile design is an add-on.
Average salary: $31,402 to $91,334 depending on experience and demand and popularity.
Job Outlook: Good

The job of a fashion designer demands a lot of creativity. Fashion designers deal with designing clothes and fashion ranges such as haute couture, ready to wear designer outfits, etc. Some fashion designers choose to leave their mark in specific areas of clothing such as child wear, sportswear, or bridal wear. Fashion designers also can entirely be involved in designing jewelery or accessories.
Fashion designers are required to work in varied areas. Their job begins with high street fashion. In this area the designer produces designs and clothing is mass produced and sold mostly in Europe or the East. This area has a lot of pomp and show as celebrity catwalks are organized, the buying process is huge, the seasonal trends along attract a lot of media hype.
The second area or event is that of the ready wear collection where the well renowned fashion designers launch their own designs on demand. The manufacturing of garments in this area is relatively small.
The area of haute couture is the most time consuming area as it requires a great detail of time and effort to be given to each garment. The products produced in this process are usually made to endorse brands and can’t be worn otherwise.
Fashion designers must be creative in ideas and able to produce it either by hand or by computer technology, be well updated with the fashion trends, be aware of general trends dealing with fabrics, colors, and shapes, plan and develop different fashion ranges, etc.
It is expected that a fashion designer will buy their own fabric according to the need of the garment and design, to supervise the production of the garments, to negotiate prices with clients and suppliers, and will manage marketing and finances. If employed in a small company the fashion designer may have to play the role of the pattern cutter and machinist preparing sample garments as well.
It is very important that a Fashion Designer is well versed with the production and sales team so that he or she is certain that the item produced is as per the needs of the customer and the market.

Education and Training

The training of a Fashion Designer begins right from the time when one applies to a course in the field of fashion. Once employed, the fashion designers are trained in the methodology that the company uses to function. Each organization uses different process and technologies so the training could vary. In the pre-employment phase, an aspiring fashion designer is usually apart of a number of practical classes. Nonetheless, these practical training sessions continue even after gaining employment.
Famous and large organizations usually provide business and computer training pertaining to computer aided design (CAD), Photoshop, and other software.

Getting the Job

Fashion designers usually work for independent labels or huge brands and fashion houses. Employment opportunities may also be found at the in-house design studios. One can lookout for job opportunities overseas as well.

Job Prospect, Employment Outlook and Career Development

Seeking advancement in this field is slow. Many may start off their career as an assistant. It is very important to make contacts and becomes proactive in the field and it may take years of experience to come up to the post of a head designer. One could also choose to be self-employed.

Working Conditions and Environment

Working conditions could be anything from an office to a large firm or a small studio. Extra working hours may be needed when the work load is excessive. There could be pressure regarding meeting deadlines leaving one with no personal time. The scope and extent of success yielded in the field depends entirely on creativity, deliverance ability, and communication skills of the individual. There is also the possibility of traveling abroad.

Salary and Benefits

A junior designer with three to four years of experience can expect to earn $30, 000 to $45,000. Senior designers can earn anything between $55,000 and $90,000 per year. One can get the opportunity to travel abroad.

Where To Go For Further Information:

Academy of Art University
79 New Montgomery St
San Francisco, CA 94105
http://drf.fashionschools.com/Academy-Of-Art-University/

IADT Las Vegas
2495 Village View Drive
Henderson, NV 89074
Phone: (866) 400-4238
http://www.iadt.edu/

The International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT)
IADT Chicago
One North State Street
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (888) 318-6111