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When you dream as a child about what you want to be when you grow up, fashion designer ranks high on the list for many who envision a glamorous lifestyle and a chance to influence the way society dresses. Being a fashion designer certainly does come with its benefits; but it is also a career that requires a balance between creativity and skill.
We need only to turn on the television or flip the pages of a magazine to see how fashion influences our culture. The way we dress on a daily basis, the clothing we run to the stores to purchase, all depend on what's popular on the runways. And what's popular on the runways is created by fashion designers. A fashion designer creates a look and makes it happen. But what people don't see, as models strut the runway wearing the latest designs, is the enormous amount of work and skill that it takes to get to that bright shining moment.
A fashion designer must not only be skilled in the manufacturing of clothing – including knowledge of textiles and expertise in sewing – but also in sketching and drawing their designs. The savvy fashion designer understands color and how to use it to capture the essence of their design.
Becoming a fashion designer means attending a reputable school that teaches design, sewing, textiles, and the like. It is imperative that you learn the fundamentals of design before you add your own creativity and flair. Even more important, however, is the working knowledge that you can gain working as an intern or apprentice in an established shop. Working alongside a fashion designer who can give you firsthand experiences and help you build your portfolio is incredibly important to becoming a fashion designer. It's all about experience. So take all that you can from school but put your skills to use – everywhere and anywhere that you can. A strong portfolio that demonstrates your talent and desire to work in the industry will go a long way to helping you realize your dream of becoming a fashion designer.
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Let's say you spent most of your childhood creating clothesfor your dolls, yourself, and your friends. You've always dreamed of being afashion designer and everyone loves your sense of style and the way you combinecolors, fabrics and accessories. Great! It sounds like you've got the makingsof a great designer. That innate talent is critical in the fashion world butyou'll need some formal education as well. The world of the fashion designercan be extremely competitive. Not only are there lots of people gunning forjobs at the top design houses, but the most prestigious fashion designer schoolsonly take the best students. That's not to say you can't do it. But you'll needto make sure you have some basic skills and a few tools in your tool box.
First off, can you draw? It's not necessarily a must havebut it certainly will help. You need to be able to translate the designs thatare in your head into something people can see. So a good first step in yourquest to become a fashion designer would be to brush up on your drawing skills.Next, how about adding a little experience to your tool box? Do you live in a metropolitancenter where you can get an internship or entry level job in a design shop? Ifso, take advantage of the opportunity. If you are free to relocate, try gettingan internship in a city that has a vibrant fashion industry. You'll makevaluable contacts and learn more about the industry in a few months than youcan in a lifetime of reading books and magazines.
Now the education part. If you are just starting out and youare prepared to go to school to learn how to be a fashion designer, think aboutwhat kind of school suits you best. Are you a good candidate for a top notchfour year school or would a technical school better suit your needs? Can youmove away or do you need to stay near home? Either way, you'll never regrethaving the chance to immerse yourself in the fashion designer field and gain asolid foundation of the basics. There is a lot more to being a fashion designerthan sketching out ideas. You'll need to know about fabrics, pattern making,cutting and all those things that go into creating a final design.