Jobs, Careers and Occupations

Fashion Designers

Fashion Designer Nature of Work

Fashion designers design and create clothing and accessories for men, women and children. Fashion designers are employed by clothing and textiles companies. Some high-fashion designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. Other high-fashion designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. These designers create original garments, as well as clothing that follow established fashion trends. Most fashion designers, however, work for apparel manufacturers, creating designs of fashions for the mass market.

Fashion designers may conceptualize and produce designs for film, television, theatre and video productions, garments and textiles, displays and exhibits, and for other creative items such as jewelery and trophies. Theatre designers are employed by performing arts and broadcasting companies and by festivals.

Fashion Designer Work Conditions

Fashion designers may work individually or as part of a team.

Working conditions and places of employment vary. Designers employed by manufacturing establishments, large corporations or design firms generally work regular hours. Fashion designers in smaller design consulting firms, or those who freelance, generally work on a contract, or job, basis. They frequently adjust their workday to suit their clients’ schedules and deadlines, meeting with the clients during evening or weekend hours when necessary.

Fashion Designer Personal Requirements

• able to work under pressure
• creative flair and drawing talent
• enjoy artistic and creative activities
• good color and design sense
• good communication skills
• good hand-eye coordination

Fashion Designer Employment Requirements

• A university degree in fine arts or visual arts with specialization in theatre design, clothing design or exhibit design or completion of a college or art school program in theatre design, clothing design or exhibit design
• Creative ability, as demonstrated by a portfolio of work
• Use of computer-aided design (CAD) software may be required

Fashion Designer Duties and Tasks

Fashion designers may perform the following tasks:

• approve final samples before they go into production
• supervise staff
• control merchandising and retailing of garments
• finalize specification sheets with detailed sketches and trim details
• fit samples and discuss them with management, sales and manufacturing staff, and contribute to costing estimates
• illustrate concepts by producing storyboard and specification drawings
• liaise with production staff during mass production of garments, and participate in quality control
• make patterns, or work closely with patternmakers, to draft patterns from sketches or specification drawings
• research and develop fabrics and accessories for production of garments
• select fabric, color and trim, and undertake cutting and machining of sample garments
• travel overseas to gain information on current fashion trends
• use computers to manipulate and develop patterns and modify designs

Fashion Designer Example Titles

• Clothing Designer
• Costume Designer
• Couturier - Haute Couture
• Fabric Designer
• Lewelery Designer

Fashion Designers Related Occupations

• Dressmakers
• Fashion Coordinators
• Interior Decorators
• Interior Designers
• Tailors
• Set Designers
• Textile Designers

Apparel Related Industries

• Design
• Graphic Arts
• Sales