Fashion Designers

Summary

Fashion designers often work in teams throughout the design process.

Quick Facts: Fashion Designers
2010 Median Pay	$64,530 per year $31.02 per hour
Entry-Level Education	High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Long-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	21,500
Job Outlook, 2010-20	0% (Little or no change)
Employment Change, 2010-20	0

What Fashion Designers Do

Fashion designers create original clothing, accessories, and footwear. They sketch designs, select fabrics and patterns, and give instructions on how to make the products they designed.

Work Environment

Fashion designers work in wholesale or manufacturing establishments, apparel companies, retailers, theater or dance companies, and design firms. Fashion designers are usually found in large cities, such as New York or Los Angeles. In May 2010, almost 75 percent of all salaried fashion designers worked in New York and California.

How to Become a Fashion Designer

Postsecondary education is not required. Most fashion designers entering the industry have some formal education where they learn design skills, including how to use computer-aided design (CAD) technology. Employers usually seek applicants with creativity, as well as a good technical understanding of the production process for clothing, accessories, or footwear.

Pay

The median annual wage of fashion designers was $64,530 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of fashion designers is expected to experience little to no change from 2010 to 2020. Strong competition for jobs is expected because of the large number of people who seek employment as fashion designers and the relatively few positions available.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of fashion designers with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about fashion designers by contacting these additional resources.

What Fashion Designers Do

Fashion designers sketch designs of clothing, footwear, and accessories.

Fashion designers create original clothing, accessories, and footwear. They sketch designs, select fabrics and patterns, and give instructions on how to make the products they designed.

Duties

Fashion designers typically do the following:

• Study fashion trends and anticipate designs that will appeal to consumers
• Decide on a theme for a collection
• Sketch designs of clothing, footwear, and accessories
• Use computer-aided design programs (CAD) to create designs
• Visit manufacturers or trade shows to get fabric samples
• Select fabrics, embellishments, colors, or style for each garment or accessory
• Work with other designers or team members to create a prototype design
• Present design ideas to the creative director or showcase them in fashion or trade shows
• Market designs to clothing retailers or directly to consumers
• Oversee the final production of their designs

Larger apparel companies typically employ a team of designers headed by a creative designer. Some fashion designers specialize in clothing, footwear, or accessory design, but others create designs in all three fashion categories.

For some fashion designers, the first step in creating a new design is researching current fashion and making predictions of future trends, using trend reports published by fashion industry trade groups. Other fashion designers create collections from inspirations they get from their regular surroundings, from the cultures they have experienced and places they have visited, or from various art media that inspire them.

After they have an initial idea, fashion designers try out various fabrics and produce a prototype, often with less expensive material than will be used in the final product. They work with models to see how the design will look and adjust the designs as needed.

Although most designers first sketch their designs by hand, many now put their sketches online with computer-aided design (CAD) programs. CAD allows designers to see their work on virtual models. They can try out different colors, design, and shapes while making adjustments more easily than they can when working with real fabric on real people.

The designers produce samples with the actual materials that will be used in manufacturing. Samples that get good responses from editors or trade and fashion shows are then manufactured and sold to consumers.

Although the design process may vary by specialty, in general, it takes 6 months from initial design concept to final production, when either the spring or fall collection is released. Some companies may release new designs as frequently as every month, in addition to releases during the spring and fall.

The Internet and e-commerce allow fashion designers to offer their products outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Instead, they can ship directly to the consumer, without having to invest in a physical place to showcase their products lines.

The following are examples of types of fashion designers:

Clothing designers create and help produce men's, women's, and children's apparel, including casual wear, suits, sportswear, evening wear, outerwear, maternity, and intimate apparel.

Footwear designers create and help produce different styles of shoes and boots. As new materials become available, such as lightweight synthetic materials used in shoe soles, footwear designers produce new designs that combine comfort, form, and function.

Accessory designers design and produce items such as handbags, suitcases, belts, scarves, hats, hosiery, and eyewear.

Costume designers are responsible for designing costumes for the performing arts and for motion picture and television productions. They research the styles worn during the period in which the performance takes place, or they work with directors to select and create appropriate attire. They also must stay within the costume budget for the particular production.

Work Environment

Fashion designers select fabrics, colors, or styles for each garment or accessory.

Fashion designers held about 21,500 jobs in 2010. Fashion designers work in wholesale or manufacturing establishments, apparel companies, retailers, theater or dance companies, and design firms.

More fashion designers work for wholesalers or manufacturers than for any other industry. The lines of apparel and accessories of these wholesalers and manufacturers are sold to retailers or other marketers for distribution to individual stores, catalog companies, or online retailers. In many cases, these designers are “in-house designers.” Although the brands may be familiar to many consumers, the individual designers are largely unknown.

About 30 percent of fashion designers were self-employed in 2010. Some fashion designers own companies that bear their names. They typically design high-fashion garments and one-of-a-kind apparel on an individualized or custom basis. Self-employed fashion designers who are able to set up their own independent clothing lines often already have experience and a strong understanding of the industry.

The following table shows the industries that employed the most fashion designers in 2010:

Most designers travel several times a year to trade and fashion shows to learn about the latest fashion trends. Designers also sometimes travel to other countries to meet suppliers of materials and manufacturers who produce the final products.

Fashion designers are usually found in large cities, such as New York or Los Angeles. In May 2010, almost 75 percent of all salaried fashion designers worked in New York and California.

Work Schedules

Most fashion designers work full time; however, some work part time. Occasionally, fashion designers work long hours to meet production deadlines or prepare for fashion shows. Designers who freelance generally work under a contract and tend to work longer hours and adjust their workday to their clients’ schedules and deadlines.

How to Become a Fashion Designer

Fashion designers occasionally work long hours to meet production deadlines or prepare for fashion shows.

Postsecondary education is not required. Most fashion designers entering the industry have some formal education where they learn design skills, including how to use computer-aided design (CAD) technology. Employers usually seek applicants with creativity, as well as a good technical understanding of the production process for clothing, accessories, or footwear.

Education

Although postsecondary education is not required for fashion designers, many take classes or earn a 2-year or 4-year degree in a related field, such as fashion merchandising, that can improve their knowledge of textiles and fabrics.

For many artists, including fashion designers, developing a portfolio—a collection of design ideas that demonstrates their styles and abilities—is essential because employers rely heavily on a designer’s portfolio in deciding whether to hire the individual. For employers, it is an opportunity to gauge talent and creativity. Students studying fashion design often have opportunities to enter their designs in student or amateur contests, helping them to develop their portfolios.

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits approximately 300 postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design, and many of these schools award degrees in fashion design. Many schools require students to have completed basic art and design courses before they enter a program. Applicants usually have to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability.

Training

Fashion designers often gain their initial experience in the fashion industry through internships or by working as an assistant designer. Internships provide aspiring fashion designers an opportunity to experience the design process, building their knowledge of textiles, colors, and how the industry works.

Advancement

Beginning fashion designers usually start out as patternmakers or sketching assistants to more experienced designers before advancing to higher level positions. Experienced designers may advance to chief designer, design department head, creative director, or another supervisory position in which they oversee certain fashion lines or brands by a company.

Some experienced designers may start their own design company or sell their designs in their own retail stores. A few of the most successful designers work for high-fashion design houses that offer personalized design services to their clients.

Important Qualities

Artistic ability. Fashion designers sketch their initial design ideas, which are used later to create prototypes. Consequently, designers must be able to express their vision for the design through illustration.

Communication skills. Fashion designers often work in teams throughout the design process and therefore must be effective in communicating with their team members. For example, they may need to give instructions to sewers regarding how the garment should be constructed.

Computer skills. Fashion designers use technology to design. They must be able to use computer-aided design (CAD) programs and be familiar with graphics editing software.

Creativity. Fashion designers work with a variety of fabrics, shapes, and colors. Their ideas must be unique, functional, and stylish.

Decision-making skills. Because they often work in teams, fashion designers are exposed to many ideas. They must be able to decide which ideas to incorporate into their designs.

Detail-oriented. Fashion designers must have a good eye for small differences in color and other details that can make a design successful.

Pay

The median annual wage of fashion designers was $64,530 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $32,500, and the top 10 percent earned more than $130,890.

Earnings in this occupation can vary widely based on experience, employer, and reputation. Starting salaries in fashion design tend be very low. Salaried fashion designers usually earn higher and more stable incomes than self-employed, freelance designers. However, a few of the most successful self-employed fashion designers earn many times the salary of the highest paid salaried designers. In May 2010, the wages of fashion designers in the industries employing most of the occupation were as follows:

Most fashion designers work full time; however, some work part time. Occasionally, fashion designers work long hours to meet production deadlines or prepare for fashion shows. Designers who freelance generally work under a contract and tend to work longer hours and adjust their workday to their clients’ schedules and deadlines.

Job Outlook

Employment of fashion designers is expected to experience little to no change from 2010 to 2020.

Some growth is projected for this occupation in specialized design firms and for self-employed fashion designers. Clothing and accessories designers will be needed to design comfortable and more affordable items for the mass market and everyday wear. In addition, as new clothing technology is developed, fashion designers will be needed to create garments using new fabrics, such as moisture-wicking fabrics.

However, fashion designers in the apparel manufacturing industry are expected to face declining employment, which should prevent overall employment from increasing.

From 2010 to 2020, employment growth of fashion designers in the industries employing most of these workers is expected to be as follows:

Job Prospects

Strong competition for jobs is expected because of the large number of people who seek employment as fashion designers and the relatively few positions available.

Those with formal education in fashion design, with excellent portfolios, and with industry experience will have the best job prospects.

In addition, it may be necessary for some fashion designers to relocate. Employment opportunities for fashion designers are highly concentrated in New York and California. In May 2010, almost 75 percent of all salaried fashion designers worked in these two states.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about careers in fashion design, visit

Council of Fashion Designers of America

For more information about educational programs in fashion design, visit

National Association of Schools of Art and Design