Fashion Designer Education

By Clark Hunter

Fashion designer school is for people that have a passion or extreme interest in all things fashion. While putting together great outfits for friends has always been something you've liked to do on the side, you can do it for a living. Creating clothing and accessory designs just comes naturally to some people, and when you attend classes to really refine your skills you'll be impressed not only with how much you can learn, but how much you can be paid to do the things that you love to do! While designing clothes and even putting together patterns and outfits for yourself and your friends may be a great hobby, it can be an even better job if you go to school and learn how to do it all the right way so that you can come across creative and professional to prospective clients.

Fashion designers will be taught to sketch their ideas, draw and cut patterns, create simple garments, fit and modify finished garments, arrange showings for press as well as buyers, compare merchandise to that of competitors, learn how to keep current, and how to visit textile showrooms when they attend fashion design school. These skills will all contribute to helping someone with a passion for fashion develop their skill and utilize it in the real world.

Most fashion designers are self-employed and simply design for individual clients. Designers become popular by setting themselves apart by being professional, reliable, and using different colors, shapes, and materials that will allow them to stand out among their competition. A great way to learn how to create your own methods of creating great clothing, accessories, or jewelry is to become a designer's assistant. Helping a designer will not only allow those that are learning to see what goes into the business, but will also help them define a sense of self and a true sense of what they want to do in the fashion business.

Some fashion designers work for larger firms and this may be a great way to get a fashion designer education when you get out of fashion designer school, as well. These firms or corporations typically have a head designer, which is responsible for most of the creative aspects and supervision of the design room staff. Assistant designers are often hired by firms and often make the first patterns and help the head designer oversee creative and personnel issues. There are also specialty designers that may be hired by corporations that will work with other designers to help create limited or special lines of clothing. Special designers will often have a specific article of clothing or accessory that they work with and often they design for a specific market or country and can play a vital role in a large design company. There are also theatrical costume designers that create costumes or articles of clothing and accessories for plays, movies, or other theatrical productions and these designers may work on contract. Of course, all of these jobs can be done independent of a firm, but some individuals find these jobs easier to get through a firm first, for a more consistent income.

The work environment for every designer varies, as some work in very professional settings while others work in very cramped and rushed environments. If you work for yourself you can really set the standard for yourself so that you do not have to work in unfavorable situations. If you are looking at working for a firm, be sure to ask hard questions about the work environment and schedule. Just because you just graduated from fashion designer school doesn't mean that you should be subjected to less than comfortable working conditions! Freelance fashion designer work can also be done outside of your own job so that you can slowly create your own client base away from your corporate job.

There is a lot of money to be made by fashion designers once they have graduated and obtained some experience. Many designers make more than $20 an hour and the average salary for a designer is more than $57,000 a year! Of course, education, experience, licensing and a grasp of trends and professionalism are what get you to such a salary, but after attending fashion designer school you can achieve all of these things. Remember that you may not start out at the top, but when you get there all the little jobs you have worked will seem more than worth it so get your fashion designer education now.

Clark Hunter Fashion Designer Education

How To Make Successful Applications To Fashion Design Schools

By Kelly Hunter

There are many ways to get into a career in fashion. Gianfranco Ferrer, who recently left us and was best known as the creative director of Christian Dior from 1989 on, studied architecture instead of art. He then turned to fashion design, launching his own label in 1978.

For most of us mortals, however, going to design school will be a necessary and pleasurable way of stepping into a career in fashion. There are more openings than ever before in this exciting field. Fashion awareness has grown enormously in recent years and people are becoming more brand-conscious. Many fashion design schools offer degrees in fashion design, marketing, and merchandising, to give you the necessary leverage launch the career of your choice. For a strong foundation in both traditional and high-tech approaches, you could opt for any number of excellent schools. Fashion design school is like a little bit of history repeating. You will find that there is nothing new under the sun – the most abstruse-seeming designs are almost always borrowed from somewhere or other. The knack is to come up with a new fashion or accessory design based on a development of something with a historical perspective.

Fashion is an expression of the times, so it is important to keep up with the latest trends in politics and art. Design school courses will help you to explore these tendencies.

Design would be nothing these days without a deep understanding of technological devices and tools – CAD is something you will need to learn in depth.

Fashion design schools also teach the necessary technical and business skills involved, from sketching and pattern-making, sowing, design theory to the practicalities of accounting, retail, store merchandising, marketing and management.:

Getting a job in the fashion industry is no easy business, but do not be discouraged – prospective employers are looking for commitment, enthusiasm and a solid foundation in terms of training. Only the determined will make it in such a highly competitive field. To optimize your chances of getting on, follow our tips below: Connections are everything. Employers like recommendations and it is up to 60% likely that you will be offered a job because a friend or acquaintance has passed on your résumé. Bosses from way back, former colleagues, neighbors, your hairdresser or bank manager - Networking is where it’s at. So send out those mails, letting everyone know you are looking for a post. If you do not currently have a job, you should be investing at least a full 40 hour working week in job hunting, half of which you will be devoting to networking. Follow up leads, make notes, call back, insist. There is no mystery – perseverance will get you what you want.

There are a number of things you should watch out for when choosing a school: Look at their statistics – how many of the ex-students went on to successfully embark on a fashion career? The hub of the fashion design world is in New York City and Los Angeles, so people tend to gravitate there – about two thirds of those working in the industry are established in these cities. A quarter are self-employed, while 35% are working under a corporate umbrella. Another quarter are clothing wholesalers, while a mere 15% are clothing manufacturers. Competition in all fields is fierce, so you will do well to enter the fashion school which will give you the best chances possible.

Kelly Hunter operates http://www.fashion-design-schools-center.com and writes about Fashion Design Schools

When People Think Fashion Design School - They Think Italy

By Robert Byrnes

Think of all those fine leather shoes, the smart looking dresses, and the attractive hats that the rich and famous wear everyday. Most of us have admired them, but have you ever thought of designing them yourself?

If you have, chances are you know that today the highlight in the world of fashion is Italy. Just mention that something is Italian and everyone will know that, if you are talking about fashion, it belongs to the top of the line.

And everyone knows that for that very reason the best fashion designer schools are in Italy. But because there are so many good ones, how do people go about selecting the right one?

If you are thinking of traveling to Italy to attend one of the many schools of fashion design, here are some tips that may help you decide which one will best meet your needs.

1- School Background:

Some schools tend to focus on one or another area, and that is important when making your selection. What field interests you the most? Are there any well known designers in that field that have graduated from that school? How well have other exalumnae fared after graduation? The school mission and goals are important aspects to understand, as they will inform you about what you should expect to achieve there, and what the school expects from its students.

2- Word of Mouth:

Besides learning about a school from their own publications, another way to find out what it is truly like is to talk to graduates from that school, or others that have attended there. Find out what positive and negative experiences they had, and what they liked and disliked about it. Then consider what you have learned and weigh the pros and cons. Keep in mind that not all schools are made for everyone, and not everyone is cut out for all schools. Compare your own goals and interests with what you glean from others' experiences.

3- Finances:

This will obviously be a determining factor in your selection process. Check the fees carefully to ensure that all possibilities are covered. Are all the expenses listed, or are there any hidden fees? What about room and board? Do you have to find an apartment on your own, or does the school have anything available for students? Are the materials included? If not, will you be able to afford the extras? Or can you work and study at the same time and, if so, are there jobs readily available? Don't be afraid to ask, for you do not want to discover that you have unexpected costs once you are in Italy.

4- Entrance Requirements:

Most schools have a specific list of qualifications needed in order to be admitted into their school. Be sure to review this list carefully; some find that a checklist can be very helpful to ensure that nothing is missed. Gather and send all the necessary documents together. This will save you and the admissions officer time and additional expense. It will also allow you to understand whether or not you do possess the required conditions, and will allow you to concentrate on the schools where you are more apt to be admitted.

If you have the appropriate qualifications, and are determined to get into the Italian school of fashion design you have selected, the tips listed above will certainly help you obtain your goal. It may not be easy to gain admittance, but with clear and concise guidelines your dream of becoming a renowned fashion designer may become a reality before you know it!

For more information on fashion design schools please visit http://fashiondesign-school-info.com a website which specializes in tips, advice and resources on fashion design schools