become a fashion designer essay

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How to Become a Fashion Designer: Tips, Tricks, & What It Takes to Succeed

Last Updated: July 24, 2024 Fact Checked

Honing Your Skills

Choosing a design field, is the fashion industry right for you, setting yourself up for success, creating your fashion portfolio, expert interview, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Christina Santelli and by wikiHow staff writer, Savannah Vold . Christina Santelli is the Owner and Founder of Style Me New, a wardrobe styling concierge based in Tampa, Florida. She has been working as a stylist for over six years, and her work has been featured in HSN, the Pacific Heights Wine and Food Festival, and the Nob Hill Gazette. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,093,194 times.

Fashion design is a fabulous industry perfect for those with a passion for fashion and a creative eye. While it may seem challenging to begin a career as a fashion designer, it’s totally possible with a lot of dedication and commitment to the craft. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about the ins and outs of becoming a fashion designer, so you’ll feel ready to take on the world with your daring designs in no time! This article is based on an interview with our professional stylist, Christina Santelli, founder of Style Me New. Check out the full interview here.

How to Get Started as a Fashion Designer

Develop your drawing, sewing, and design skills, and work towards your bachelor's degree in fashion design. Try to choose a specific fashion field you want to design in, and look for internships at companies in that area. In your free time, practice making original designs.

• Even if you’re already an exceptional sewer, keep honing and practicing your skills by experimenting with a multitude of different designs, patterns, and fabrics. Being able to sew with difficult fabrics under challenging conditions like limited time will serve you well in this career path.
• Start learning about how fabrics move, drape, breathe, react when worn, etc., as well as where to source them from. Your in-depth knowledge of fabric is essential to understanding what fabric works best for specific designs.

• Learn how to create storyboards and product ranges. Research fashion trends by paying close attention to runway shows, popular looks on social media, and displays at retail outlets.
• The earlier you can start honing your fashion designing skills, the better. A little bit of learning every day will help you gain a deep understanding of the fashion industry over time—trying to learn everything at once will be overwhelming.

• Get a degree in fashion design. Most programs are 3-4 years long. FIDM and Parsons are two of the most popular design schools in the United States. You will study drawing, color and composition, pattern-making, and draping, among other useful skills.
• In addition to learning practical skills, you will also be working with industry professionals who may serve as important contacts in the future and can give you first-hand advice and feedback on your work.

• Don’t be discouraged by seemingly small tasks— the connections you make through your internship or apprenticeship will be vital as you pursue your career in fashion. Plus, working with industry professionals will allow you to pick up important skills first-hand. [4] X Research source

• Women's daywear, women's evening wear
• Men's daywear, men's evening wear
• Boys' wear and girls' wear; teenage wear
• Sportswear/fitness/leisure wear
• Outdoor, adventure, outerwear
• Bridal wear
• Accessories
• Costume design for theaters and the film industry

David Reeves

Keen observation is crucial in fashion design. Really immerse yourself in the textures, movements and colors you see in the real world around you. Draw inspiration from the nuances you observe, and think about how your designs will translate from sketch to actual fabric.

• Pay particular attention to best-sellers. These “favorite” items are a success for a reason. It’s up to you to determine what makes these items great and employ those characteristics in your own designs.

• Being a fashion designer is probably for you if: You want to devote your life to this career (it's your "vocation"), you don't mind uncertainty or insecurity, you are willing to stand up for what you believe in, you have distinct ideas about what’s important in fashion, you listen to clients well, you know the fashion industry inside out, and you live, eat and breathe fashion.
• Being a fashion designer is probably not for you if: You can't manage stress well, you don't like uncertainty or instability, you don’t want a career with constant highs and lows, you need other people to praise your efforts, you need a lot of guidance, or you hate being financially unstable.

• Many fashion design programs include courses in marketing and financial literacy. Some programs/majors highlight these helpful courses more than others, so be sure to do ample research on the coursework involved in the program you choose.
• Learn beyond design. There is an entire supply chain involved in the fashion industry, and you need to understand each person's job so that you can see things from their perspective too, to make compromises, meet demands and understand where things get held up.
• Research what others do, such as buyers, merchandisers, pattern cutters, garment and fabric technologists, quality controllers, graders, sample machinists, salespeople, PR and marketing people, fashion journalists, retailers, event organizers, stylists, and so forth.
• Know how much your customers spend, their lifestyles, where they like to shop, how they like to shop, and what they like and dislike. This will make you a more competitive designer because you’ll know what the customer wants.
• Always keep an eye on what other fashion designers in your area of interest are doing.
• Trade fairs are an excellent place to better understand how the fashion industry works behind the curtain, like supply chains and manufacturing plant operations.

• Existing fashion houses and designers with open listings like internships, entry-level paid positions, assistants to designers, etc.
• Costume positions with movie studios, theaters, costume stores, etc.
• Online advertisements through various online job platforms like Linkedin.
• Word of mouth––use your college or fashion industry contacts to get you through the door. This is a good way to get started in an industry that values what well-positioned people have to say.

• Don’t forget that you can always work as a designer for a fashion house instead of running your own label if you don’t want to run your own business.

• Consider the power of selling online . With great stock photos and a user-friendly webpage design, you can sell to anyone, anywhere.
• Paris, France
• London, England
• New York, US
• Milan, Italy
• Tokyo, Japan
• Barcelona, Spain
• Madrid, Spain
• Seoul, South Korea
• Toronto, Canada
• Sao Palo, Brazil
• Berlin, Germany
• Mumbai, India

• Hand-drawn sketches or photographs of your sketches
• Computer-drawn designs
• Mood or concept pages
• Color or textile presentation pages
• Any other pieces that reflect what you're capable of or are evolving into.

Develop your own point of view as a designer. "It is important always to have really original talent. There are lots of good designers that make attractive clothes and make women look beautiful. But at the same time, one doesn't want to lose the idea that there is someone out there who can change the way you look at fashion."

Kickstart Your Fashion Design Career with this Expert Series

• Accept criticism gracefully. Constructive criticism can take your designs to the next level. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you plan to launch your own fashion line instead of designing for an existing one, start out with your own online shop. You can then spread your designs across sites like ASOS marketplace (where budding designers sell their creations) and Etsy (where people sell handmade goods such as clothes, jewelry, candles, and artwork). Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Try to practice your artistic works every day, no matter how busy you are. Take a few minutes to sketch out design ideas or sewing a new pattern.
• If you're able to, try to live in a main fashion city, like New York or Los Angeles, to increase your chances of finding a good design job.

• Working as a designer can be a physically strenuous career. You must be willing to work consistently long hours to meet deadlines. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0
• The fashion industry is extremely competitive; only pursue a career in fashion if you’re 100% devoted to the field. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about fashion design, check out our in-depth interview with Christina Santelli .

• ↑ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/top-skills-required-to-become-a-successful-fashion-designer-as-a-student/
• ↑ Chloée Ohayon-Crosby. Fashion Stylist. Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
• ↑ Susan Kim. Professional Stylist. Expert Interview. 20 April 2019
• ↑ https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/workplace-talent/how-to-find-an-internship-in-fashion/
• ↑ Christina Santelli. Professional Stylist. Expert Interview. 22 April 2019.
• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/types-of-designers-in-fashion
• ↑ https://hbr.org/2018/06/5-surprising-findings-about-how-people-actually-buy-clothes-and-shoes
• ↑ https://www.infoentrepreneurs.org/en/guides/know-your-customers--needs/
• ↑ https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/four-strategies-for-making-concessions
• ↑ Sarah McDonald. Certified Stylist & Image Consultant. Expert Interview. 26 August 2021.
• ↑ https://www.robertwalters.cn/insights/career-advice/blog/finance-career-in-fashion-industry.html
• ↑ https://www.marieclaire.com/career-advice/a7896/how-to-start-your-own-clothing-label/
• ↑ https://thevou.com/fashion/fashion-capitals-of-the-world/
• ↑ https://education.seattlepi.com/prepare-portfolio-fashion-design-school-1459.html

About This Article

If you want to become a fashion designer, enroll in a school for fashion design, where you can study fabrics, sewing techniques, and the history of fashion. If school isn’t for you, apply for an apprenticeship or internship working for a fashion designer. As you’re completing your training, design and create clothing for customers to build your portfolio. Once you’ve completed school or your internship, you can either apply for jobs with different clothing manufacturers or you can start your own clothing label. For tips on assembling your fashion portfolio, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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