What is Needed to become a Fashion Designer

From 3arf

What is a Fashion Designer and what are the skills and abilities that will be required for anyone to embark successfully upon this career? Essentially fashion designers are those group of people whom, individually or working in a group, create the clothing styles that we all purchase. It follows therefore that, in order to become a successful, a fashion designer will require a number of unique skills and abilities.

Perhaps the most important skills that a fashion designer requires are innovation combined with artistic talent. In terms of innovation it has to be remembered that, although a fashion designer will understand the basic shape of the clothing range he or she is setting out to create a new clothing range. Effectively the designer will be starting out with a blank sheet of paper on which they will need to produce a unique and appealing new design that will appeal to the consumer.

Artistic skills are also needed at this preliminary stage. The ability to be able to transfer the design from their head onto a sketch that show what the final apparel is intended to look like is important. This is particularly essential if the decision as to whether the range will be sanctioned for production lies with another party, for instance the buyer of a major fashion retailer. The shape and flowing lines of the garment, together with its colours and material content also require artistic talent if the final clothes are to be a success in the high street.

Fashion designers also require practical skills. Although in many cases they will work with others to produce a prototype of the final garment, it is still important for a designer to have a full grasp of the art of dressmaking. This includes the knowledge of how to work with a range of different materials and combine these within a pattern in a way that adds value to the design, as well as the ability to create shapes that accentuate the body of the garment.

Finally, a good fashion designer will also need to have some commercial skills and knowledge. Whether the intention is to develop a fashion brand that is unique to the designer or becoming part of a fashion department for a major clothing manufacturer or retailer, it is important for the designer to be aware of the market that they are intending to attract to their range of clothing. The purpose of designing clothes is after all to sell these to consumers. Therefore, the designer needs to know what consumer segment are being targeted for purchase of the clothing. For example, is it designed to be sold to be high price exclusive fashion retailers or high street multiples for the mass market? Tin terms of the latter the designer will need to have the ability to incorporate the issues of cost and profitability within their design process.

Although it can be argued that the innovative and artistic skills of a fashion designer may be acquired through natural talent, many of the other skills and competences required can be learnt through appropriate education. Indeed even the natural artistic skills can be enhanced and honed as a result of attendance at art and fashion courses at colleges and universities.

In conclusion therefore, if one has the desire to become a fashion designer it can be seen that there are a range of skill requirements. In addition to innovation and artistic abilities these will also include some element of consumer and commercial wisdom and knowledge.

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