A Day in the Life of a Fashion Designer Careers
Ever wonder what Giorgio Armani, Betsey Johnson, Donna Karan, and Ralph Lauren do
all the time? Work! Few other professions depend so much on keeping on top of fickle popular
opinion and watching what competitors produce. The life of a designer is intimately
linked to tastes and sensibilities that change at a moment鈥檚 notice, and he or she must be able
to capitalize on or鈥攅ven better鈥攊nfluence those opinions. Designers reflect society鈥檚 sensibilities
through clothing design. 鈥淵ou have to know just about everything that鈥檚 been done
before so that you can recognize it when it becomes popular again,鈥 wrote one respondent.
Fashion designers are involved in every phase of designing, showing,
and producing all types of clothing, from bathing suits to
evening gowns. Those with talent, vision, determination, and ambition
can succeed in this difficult, demanding, and highly competitive industry.
Fashion design can be more glamorous than a 1940s Hollywood musical or drearier than
a bank statement, but it鈥檚 always taxing. A designer鈥檚 day includes reading current fashion
magazines, newspapers, and other media that reflect current trends and tastes. He or she
looks at materials, attends fashion shows, and works with other designers on projects. A
designer should be able to communicate his or her philosophy, vision, and capabilities clearly
and comprehensively through sketches, discussions, and, occasionally, samples. No matter
what his or her personal style is, a designer must produce a creative, exciting, and profitable
product line.
As in most professions that produce superstars, it is easy for a competent but otherwise
unremarkable designer to wallow in obscurity, designing small pieces of collections, generic
lines (the plain white boxer short, for example), or specialties (cuffs, ruffles, etc.). The personality
that raises itself above this level must be as large as the vision of the designer; perhaps
that鈥檚 why the word 鈥渃razy鈥 showed up in more than 75 percent of our surveys as a plus in fashion
design.
Paying Your Dues to Become a Fashion Designer
People entering the field should have a good eye for color, style, and shape, an ability to
sketch, and some formal preparation in design. An excellent portfolio is a must for the job
search. A two- or four-year degree in fashion design is helpful, as is knowledge of textiles and
a familiarity with the quirks of a variety of fabrics, but no formal certification is required.
Candidates should have a working knowledge of business and marketing. The hours are long
for a fashion designer, and the initial pay is very limited. This is one of those hit-or-miss
occupations where beginners work as someone鈥檚 assistant until, when they can muster up
enough confidence in their abilities and sell that confidence to their superiors, they design a
few pieces themselves. The superstar rise is an unlikely event, but it happens. Based on the
number of 鈥渋nternational star designers鈥 in the last 10 years and the number of people who
have entered the profession, the estimated odds of becoming an internationally famous
designer are roughly 160,000:1.
Present and Future Outlook for Fashion Designer Careers
With the invention of the sewing machine by Elias Howe in 1846, cheap reproducible
garments became available to the public. Individuals could rapidly design and commission
their own wardrobes. Fashion opened up to the public. At its highest levels, called 鈥渃outure,鈥
fashion is available only to the wealthy鈥攃outure dresses and gowns can sell for more than
$20,000 each. But the concept of fashion, applied to the world at large, has become a democratic
principle.
As the fashion market expands, some predictors hold that pockets of smaller, more
unique brands of clothing will be marketed over television, the Internet, and the mail. The
ability to reach large numbers of people for little cost will determine if this future is real or
merely a pipe dream dangled in front of young, aspiring fashion designers.
Quality of Life
PRESENT AND FUTURE
Surprisingly few people (less than 8 percent) leave the profession in these rough
early years, perhaps because they are prepared for the rigorous, unremunerative
entry-level jobs. The hours are long, and the duties are ill defined; one day the duties
may include tracking down magazine articles on the resurgence of 1970s style, and on another
day, duties may include finding the phone numbers of five dance clubs and finding out
which night is most popular with the 19鈥27-year-old crowd. Connections and networking are
important during these early years; most designers learn as much about the business as they
can. Some of them take part-time jobs in other fields to pay the rent.
FIVE YEARS OUT
Frustration with the slow pace of progression, a leveling of responsibilities for people
who have failed to rise, and increased competition for the few available jobs are
cited as the main reasons for a massive professional exodus; nearly 50 percent leave
the profession at this point. Individuals who remain are actually designing partial lines and
simple pieces. Designers gain valuable experience around this time working with production
and advertising people.
TEN YEARS OUT
As competent and proven 鈥渟enior designers,鈥 10-year veterans have specialized areas
of responsibility. One may be in charge of shepherding all designs through the production
process. Another may be in charge of scheduling lines based on season and
available fabrics. A third may be in charge of overseeing the young designers and their partial
lines, scouting for talent. They become both producers and educators, as newer designers
look to them for advice and guidance. Wages are solid, the hours are long but manageable,
and connections are extensive. The constant challenge 10-year designers face is in reinventing
themselves and proving themselves relevant in the fast-changing world of fashion design.