Change is the essence of life, if the change is for good reason and brings lots of rejuvenation to ones life then one must welcome such change in his or her life with wide open arms…..

We all know that fashion changes rapidly according to the trends and taste of people. Fashion is the word which means self confidence and satisfaction. Fashion has its own definition to any fashionable person….. as being fashionable is one’s choice and its a mirror to ones own personality.

Talking about the education and courses in this field, it is considered as one of the most exhilarating and challenging career options in today’s world. In a country like India, where textile and garment industries have been flourishing for ages, the recent boom in fashion designing & textile industry has led to innovation and new prospects in the existing sphere of garment and accessory design. If you have a inclination for creativity, style and novelty, a career in fashion designing can be perfect for a person who likes to do experiment and who is innovative. On one hand, the fashion industry satisfies both the creative fancies and the materialistic needs of the people, on the other hand it promises glamour, fame, success and high pay packages.

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But yes, no doubt its challenging career because fashion designers need to combine their imagination with administrative skills to continue and sustain in this industry and the competition is tough, thus, if you can create magic with lots of hue, imaginative designs and unique trendy shapes & sizes just get hold of appropriate professional skills to begin a successful career in this field.

There are many career scopes for the students who enter to this industry. A qualified fashion designer can work in areas like designer wear production, planning and concept management, fashion marketing, design production management, fashion stylist, fashion media, quality control, fashion accessory design and promotion of brands.

All the capable students can also find jobs as costume designer, fashion consultant, personal stylist, technical designer, graphic designer, production pattern maker, fashion coordinator, apparel production manager, fabric buyer, fabric quality control manager, and show room sales representative, illustrator, cutting assistant, fashion photographer, fashion journalist and public relation executive in this industry.

Self-employment is an important feature of Fashion Designing course students interested in establishing their own business & goodwill can also become entrepreneurs and open their own companies.

After this several export houses, garment store chains, textile mills, leather companies, boutiques, fashion show organizers, jewelry houses and media houses gives them proposals for long term associations.

The students can classify their area of interest and match it with their aptitude while choosing the specialization offered in various areas of Fashion Designing. There must be a single minded approach for finally choosing the particular course, as being a wi de field it is some times very difficult for students to get focused. So accurate approach is essential for choosing the area of their proficiency.

Fashion designers are the merchants of the fashion industry. They are the ones who live and breathe fashion everyday to make trends and new designs. They are the creative geniuses who foresee and even dictate what people will be wearing next. While what we usually here in the catwalks are big European names, it is undeniable that a lot of American designers have also marked their names not just in the clothes they sell, but in the fashion industry in general.

In no particular order, here are some of the great American fashion designers who have earned great respect and adoration in the world of fashion.

• Ralph Lauren. Who would not know his Polo collection? Most of the people have one or even more of his classic Polo shirts. There are about 35 boutiques all over US, and his success has already spread the world over. He is now a leading international designer who is well-respected in the fashion world, and is in fact, a subject of several biographies.

• Marc Jacobs.

He is an American designer who has his own line, but is popularly known for his work at the French fashion house Louis Vuitton as its Creative Director. Part of his notoriety is his peculiar choices of advertising models like the young actress Dakota Fanning and the Russian pop duo t.A.T.u.

• Vera Wang. Her name is closely related to Hollywood. She is usually associated with wedding gowns, and gets regularly mentioned in pop TV shows. Among the celebrities she has made wedding gowns for are Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne and others. Apart from her trademark wedding dresses, she has expanded her lines to include fragrances, jewelry, shoes, eyewear and house ware collections.

Vera Wang has Chinese descent but was raised and is currently based in New York City.

• Donna Karan. This designer is the famed creator of the clothing label, DKNY or Donna Karan New York. Her first store opened in 1999 in Madison Avenue, and now has spread all over different cities in the world such as Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Cancun, etc. Over the years, she has also developed a number of fragrances that are loved by both men and women. With several awards under her belt, Donna Karan has truly become a big name in fashion.

• Anna Sui. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Sui has already taken interest in fashion at a very young age. She eventually attended Parsons School of Design and now, she has become a global brand. She is even included in Time Magazine’s top five fashion icons of the decade. Sui has also ventured into children’s lines, fragrances, shoes, cosmetics and accessories. Her celebrity clients include Paris Hilton, Maria Sharapova, Sofia Coppola, Naomi Campbell, among others.

Alber Elbaz is not your typical fashion designer. Not only does he look a bit different than most fashion designers, his life has also not been spent in the glitz and glamour of Paris until he became one of the world’s best fashion designers.

You see, Alber Elbaz was born in the city of Casablanca in Morocco, in 1961. His whole family emigrated to Israel when Alber was 10, and he grow up in the working class neighborhoods of the city of Holon. After having served in the army, he studied at Israel’s finest design school – Shenkar College of Engineering and Design and moved to New York City in 1987. He worked for a manufacturer of typical “mother-of-the-bride clothing” in New York for around 2 years, and then moved on to Geoffrey Beene, where he worked for 7 years. This was his stepping stone to the big league. Alber Elbaz worked for Guy Laroche between 1997-1998 and for Yves Saint Laurent, before being hired as the artistic director for the fashion house of Lanvin in 2001.

He made the brand Lanvin into the success it is today, and branded himself and his designs as some of the best right now. Many Hollywood celebrities, as well as socialites and other fashionistas constantly wear his designs, and something tells me Alber Elbaz still has more to give.

He lives with his partner Alex Koo who is also Lanvin’s director of marketing and is reportedly shy and right on trend. He has been involved in several very modern and hip collaborations during his time at Lanvin, including one with Swedish denim brand Acne.

About the author:

JoJoGal is a fashionista who lives, loves and obsesses about fashion every day, and blogs about fashion on her blog Things that make me go mmmm.

Question by SPARKLE: FASHION DESIGNER??!!!???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
I’m 14 and I’m going to be a freshman this fall. I beyond love fashion and my dream job is to become a fashion designer. I started sewing and I have a sketchbook full of clothing I designed. I’m a VERY creative person…art has always been one of my favorite subjects in school. My friends always compliment me on the outfits I wear. But there is one problem, i really do like science too especially biology and i would love to be anything in the medical field as an adult. I get straight A’s in school..& yea i dont know which to become. i dont think there is a really good college for both..i just want some thoughts

Best answer:

Answer by Who Me
Listen to your heart, Lol not to should corney. You’re only a freshmen so you have some time! Good luck sweetie.

What do you think? Answer below!

Bernard Shaw wrote in his famous play `Man and superman’; decency is the indecency’s conspiracy in silence’. In the same way `fashion’ is the word which covers every possible craze of a particular age in a sophisticated glamour. When handsome and charming lord Byron, who walked with a limp, started writing poetry; it became a fashion all over England to walk with a slight limp.

The word `fashion’ is usually related to dress, but it also relates to manners and ways of behavior. With the fast growing consumerist culture –every thing which is advertised in a glamorous and charming manner –becomes a fashion. For example, the advertisements o ice- creams are so attractive that nowadays it become a fashion to have creams in elegantly decorated ice cream parlors.

During our independence struggle, it was fashion to wear khadi and speak Hindi. The British Raj faded but the relics of its past were so fascinating that speaking English came into vogue. But nowadays, when our culture has shaken hands with western culture, use of a queer mixture of both the language has become a `fashion’.

This can be implied on many aspects of socio-economic life. Where does the `fashion’ originate? it infect originates in the minds of great economic authorities of a ho influence the society in every possible way in the market, by producing new goods, in the field of media etc. the middle and low class people are simply hypnotized by whatever they want to feed to our body and mind.

Since fashion keeps changing, it expands our area of wants and desires. it is not a bad thing to be influenced by any `fashion’ but one should always try to find out the logic behind that `fashion’ so that he could not become a mere victim of the consumerist culture by spending money ion every possible new `Craze’.

Question by – Bei -: Fashion Designer?
I wanna be a fashion designer but my mums all
no become a doctor or scientist. my familys chinese so yea, thats expected.

im 13 and i didnt take any fashion related subjects.
can i still take a course in university ?

Best answer:

Answer by eugene_xxxx
of coarse do what you feel you will suceed in!!! l

What do you think? Answer below!

The world of fashion was dominated in the 20th century by French and Italian designers. With incredible imagination, with daring attitude and undeniable flair, all of them were obsessed by enduring elegance.

The most influential designers left an individual mark, made a statement, changed the norms, and created an identifiable style; in the process they redefined the image of the modern woman and paid her tribute.

Driven by enormous energy and inflated egos, but most importantly blessed with talent and originality, their craftsmanship was impeccable. Authentic in their creations those giants of haute couture dictated fashion trends and imposed a style that will endure time.

COCO CHANEL. The fascinating world of high fashion begins with Coco Chanel whose name alone conveys prestige, impeccable quality, unique taste and unmistakable style. As early as the 1924 she was setting trends for women of all ages, instituting what will be later called “haute couture”.

Her design was simple, practical and sophisticated all at the same time.

After her success with Chanel nr. 5, she was well established and in 1926 her “little black dress” was the new and definite stone marker of her career.

She introduced the jersey suite, the chemise, the pleated skirt, the turtleneck sweater and the strapless dress.

Coco Chanel started the pants revolution and the craze for bobbed hair style using the philosophy “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise is not luxury” as well as another famous quote “elegance is refusal”. She firmly believed that “a woman has the age she deserves” and that every time a woman leaves the house she should “be prepared to eventually meet destiny that day”.

Convinced that “fashion is architecture and a matter of proportion” she dressed some of the most beautiful women of her time, from Marlene Dietrich to Ingrid Bergman and Princess Grace.

Her style of simple elegance never changed much with time and it is easily recognizable. Since taking over the House of Chanel, designer Karl Lagerfeld kept the image of distinguished elegance.

CRISTOBAL BALENCIAGA known as “The Master” was the only Spanish giant in the fashion world dominated by French and Italian designers. His first store opened in San Sebastian in 1919 and was followed soon after by stores in Madrid and Barcelona. Eventually he moved to Paris, the undisputed capital of the fashion world and he was known both

as a designer (anticipating trends) and a craftsman obsessed with perfection.

He was seeking simple essence, elegance and simplicity. His most productive era was the ’50 when Balenciaga introduced the “sack” dress and the “Baby Doll look”. His preference was for deep black and rich brown colors. Young and talented designers as Givenchy and Emanuel Ungaro regarded him as their mentor.

NINA RICCI. After working most of her life for other designers, Italian born Nina Ricci found fame and fortune in Paris when she opened her own fashion house in 1932 at the age of 50. She created elegant, sophisticated dresses in classic style that addressed a specific need of the older Parisian high society woman.

Her strength was in discovering and highlighting the personality of her clients rather than trying to fit them into the dress already created.

She favored refined femininity at a time when Coco Chanel was the dominating force of the high fashion and boyish styles were being celebrated.

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO was a leader in the shoes industry for more than 70 years. As a very young boy he immigrated to United States and made imaginative, but also absolutely comfortable shoes for Hollywood stars as Rita Hayworth, Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn.

In 1927 he returned to Italy and introduced innovative materials as raffia and jersey, Bakelite heels, wooden soles and in 1937 the most famous invention of them all – the cork wedge. He is also the father of stiletto heel and platform shoe introduced in 1947, only to be revived in the ’70 and than again in the early 2000.

CHRISTIAN DIOR was considered a national treasure by French women and fashion authorities of the time. He was more interested in perfumes and cologne at the beginning of his career, until he come in contact with Yves Saint Laurent and together created the “New look” presented at a fashion show in 1947.

Through his designs he imposed opulence as a rebellion against the austerity of the war era; the fitted jacket, the full calf length skirt was his first statement, followed by evermore extravagant designs. Some of his dresses will use up to 80 yards of fabric, most of them 35 to 60. His rounded shoulders, small waist, wide skirts and little hats made the trade mark of the “Dior woman”. A few short years later Dior presented the “Second look” characterized by a loose fitting shape, elongate torso, narrow shoulders and triangular shapes.

EMILIO PUCCI was born into a Neapolitan aristocratic family. He was the first member of his family to actually work in over 1000 years, so in order to spear additional embarrassment to his noble and reluctant family, he signed his collection simply as Emilio. In 1949 he opened his first boutique and introduced the “Capri pants” which took the world by storm. In the ’50 he gained a reputation as a brilliant designer of patterned sport wear and relaxed daywear, creating a line of light weight, wrinkle free, comfortable dresses.

YVES SAINT LAURENT was the creative force at the House of Dior and after the death of Christian Dior in 1957 he took over and imposed a new and personal style. His first collection called “The trapeze” was very successful and his talent was credited with the imposition of the triangular shape and the “bubble dress”. His sense of practicality and a desire for new energy made him abandon the dreamy, romantic, overly sophisticated Dior woman for a more dynamic one; the length of the dress was just below the knee but the shoulders remained narrow.

BILL BLASS study fashion in New York in the late ’40. His name will always be associated with true American fashion; modern, practical, tailored clothing. Most of his designs went into mass production, but some exclusive ones were made for First Ladies Nancy Regan and Barbara Bush, as well as Barbara Streisand and Barbara Walters.

GUCCI made his contribution to the high fashion industry by bringing accessories to a status of elegant necessities. His passion was leather goods, from handbags to shoes and luggage; later on he extended his influence to watches, jewelry, silk scarves, ties, eyeglasses, perfumes and cologne for men and women alike. Many celebrities as Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy will happily display a Gucci bag as the ultimate touch of elegance.

EMANUEL UNGARO was a follower of Balenciaga, but developed a personal style by accepting the changes of the time in terms of practicality and the sense of independence that the new woman was displaying with a renewed confidence. His trade mark is the printed patterns and bold colors and he said more than once “my dresses speak for themselves”. Ungaro is also known for high quality perfumes and cologne.

VALENTINO emphasized the feminine style and accentuated the delicate side of every woman, her liberated spirit. In 1960 he introduced the gypsy look with the full skirt, mixed prints, knotted fringes, making it an inspiration for the hippy era. A new collection presented in 1962 was called “No color” and every single dress was a shade of white, cream, sand, ecru and beige. His biggest contribution to the world of fashion was the introduction of the first “pret-a-porter” (ready to wear) line in 1969.

The success was immediate, but Valentino’s ego was not satisfied; his heart was forever in high fashion, his dream was to capture the imagination of the very rich and very famous, the most beautiful women of our times. In the early ’80 he went back to luxury and sophistication, his designs become characterized by puffed sleeves and ruffles intended to balance tight bodices; light and ethereal fabrics were used adding mystic to a translucent look.

His dresses are not only romantic, youthful and beautiful, they are also impeccably made. The king of the red carpet, Valentino designed the wedding dress for many celebrities, including Jacky Kennedy (when she married Onassis), Claudia Schaffer and Jennifer Lopez.

Princess Diane, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and many other legends enjoyed his unique sense of beauty; his quotation “I design energy not dresses” explains best his enormous success.

ANNE KLEIN: for the American fashion world she created a line of simple, smart and practical clothes with the working woman in mind. In 1948 she opened her firm with a junior line and in 1967 Anne Klein patented the girdle especially designed for mini-skirt wearers.

CHRISTIAN LACROIX worked initially for the Hermes House and his creation were easily recognizable because of the bright color combination. The look was predominantly layered. His design of raffles, frills and lace ornate with gems, provided a cheery alternative to the sedate and sober creation of his colleges in the fashion world.

MISSONI made a distinctive mark in the fashion world by creating colorful patterns of stripes knit wear. Instantly identifiable as a unique style the House of Missoni uses many different fabrics such as wool, cotton, linen and silk in over 40 colors and shades. In time their artistry expended into tapestry and carpet design and more recently opened a chain of hotels.

BENETTON is competing in the knit wear segment of the fashion industry and the trade mark is a youthful, hip style full of colors and patterns. Their creation resembles the use of colors of the Missoni fashion, their advertisement approach is one of global diversity where acceptance and tolerance is celebrated.

DONNA KARAN started her career at Anne Klein and her contribution made the company the most profitable sport wear line in United State in the ’70. In 1985 Donna Karan started her own label and in 1988 presented DKNY a mix and mach collection of coordinated working outfits that combined simplicity with comfort. She designed wrapped and draped garments in a sexy but controlled way, attractive but not too alluring.

Donna Karan casual chic is a classic fashion statement with a twist of modern flair. Influenced by Armani her style is sober with minimum ornamentation and sparing use of jewelry and accessories, her colors are predominantly sober.

GIANNI VERSACE started his career in 1978 with a pret-a-porter collection and opened his first boutique in Rome. His dresses had a distinctive cut, vibrant prints and the materials used were unconventional. His mark in the world of fashion is made by striking colors and fabrics, by daring cuts that took a sexy look all the way to vulgarity. His fame and fortune was made mostly in home furnishing, accessories and fragrances.

After his death, sister Donatella took over a declining business and struggled to meet the fashion’s industry expectations.

CALVINE KLEIN was born in Brooklyn in the late ’40. He started by designing a ready to wear sport line for men with a clean look and spare shapes. His fashion is simple and effective, his name associated with jeans and underwear. His advertisement campaign is at time too daring and pushing the limits of good taste and decency. Like many other designers before him Calvin Klein launched perfumes that become household world fragrances.

GIORGIO ARMANI is the most influential modern Italian designer with immediate and recognizable impact. In 1974 he entered the fashion arena and introduced his menswear collection and a year later his women collection followed by “Armani Junior”. He expended his design by creating accessories and fragrances. In 1981 a new, more affordable line was launched known as “Emporium Armani” and “Armani Jeans” bringing his enterprise to over 1 billion dollars in sales.

His clothes are practical, yet sophisticated, understated and wearable. The typical Armani colors are washed out grays, sand and nuances of olive and he never uses prints. He is no doubt a fashion aristocrat with immediately identifiable flair and style recognition.

Question by Mme. Harry Potter: Fashion designer?
I am in high school, and I want to be a fashion designer when I grow up. What colleges offer good fashion design programs? What do you have to do to become a fashion designer? How did people like Donatella Vercace and Max Azria make it to the big time?

Best answer:

Answer by mickie
Apply for an intern to a fashion magazine like teen vogue, thats how lauren conrad got her line of clothes out. show they you have potiential and they might pick your designs

Add your own answer in the comments!

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, or as many know her as, Coco Chanel, was born August 19th, 1883 in Saumur, a small city in France.  She was born in a poorhouse to traveling salesman Albert Chanel and Jeanne Devolle.  She had two sisters, Julie and Antoinette and three brothers, Alphonse, Lucien and Augustine.

When Coco was just twelve years old her mother died, leaving her father to care for the six children.  He left a short time latter, and for the next seven years, Coco was in the orphanage of the Catholic monastery of Aubazine.  Here she learned the trade of a seamstress.

During school vacations female relatives, in the provincial capital of Moulins, taught Coco how to sew much more elegant, than the nuns at the monastery were able to teach.

At the age of eighteen, she left the orphanage and began work for a local tailor.  While working at the tailor shop she met Etienne Balsan, an English playboy, and began having an affair with him.

While working as a cafe and concert singer, Chanel adopted the name, Coco.

While Coco was living with Balsan, she began to design hats as a hobby.  Her hats quickly caught the attention of the female Parisian elite.  In 1909, with the help of Balsan and Arthur “Boy” Capel, another rich lover, Coco was able to open her own millinery, or hat shop called ”Chanel Modes.”  It was located at 31 rue Cambon in Paris.

French actresses wore the hats Coco made.  This helped her to get a reputation established.  In 1913 at her new boutique in Deauville, France, Coco introduced her sportswear for women.

In 1923, the Chanel suit was launched.  It was a boxy jacket made of woven wool with gold buttons and black trim, warm with a large pearl costume necklace.  The skirt was of knee length with trim.  A truly elegant suit.

In 1925, she introduced her signature cardigan jacket.  Coco also brought out the little black dress in 1926 and not only made it very popular, but also versatile.  Depending on how it was easily accessorized, it could be worn day or night.

Coco also introduces the bobbed hair style, pants for women, skiing accessories, she eliminated the use of the corset from women’s fashion, added the use of knit jersey and unvailed the women’s bathing suit.  These are only a few of her accomplishments.

Coco also was a Hollywood fashion director.  To attract women to the theater, Coco was asked to design costumes that would appeal to the women.

In 1923 Coco launched the first perfume to bear a designers name, Chanel No. 5.  Pierre Wertheimer became her partner in the perfume business and the Wertheimers continue to control the perfume company today.

Her fashion empire, until her death, brought in over 0 million dollars a year.

In 1938, Coco decided to retire and for the next fifteen years, she moved back and forth between Vichy and Switzerland.  During this time, she began seeing a Nazi officer named Hans Gunther Von Dincklage.

In 1954, she decided to make a come back and the Chanel suit once again caught the eyes and the pocket book, of women.  Coco also introduced the pea jacket and bell-bottom pants for women.

In 1969, Katharine Hepburn, played Coco in a Broadway musical, “Coco” based on Coco Chanels life.

Coco Chanel worked up until her death.  Coco died on January 10, 1971, in Paris, France at the age of 87.

Sources:
wikipedia online
womenshistory.about.com
time.com

The fashionindustryin Australia makes room for Australian Fashion Designers for some new creations and experiments. The demand for designer fashion clothing for woman that is individual and unique in nature is very popular in Australia. The demand for designer woman clothing is why RenownedAustralian Fashion DesignersSara Afonso have started to take note and begun their own exclusivewoman clothing brand Amilita. Her fashion clothing brand Amilita has soured to popular heights within the woman fashion clothing market.

Amilita is one of the best known and renowned fashion clothing brands in the fashion and haute couture world. Their designs are produced for women to feel comfortable and look dignified. Amilita fashion clothing is emblematic of free-flowing and easy-wear style and known for innovative fabric and color combinations. Be it loose capes, jackets, blazers, cardigans, and vests, or any other women’s clothing, the emphasis is to achieve modern classism which combines relaxed tailoring with avant-garde design inspirations. Pick up any Amilita fashion clothing and you can yourself draw the difference. The cool and comfortable clothing range ensures that woman feel modern and absolutely beautiful to look at.

Amilitacan offer new designsand fabric prints that are in line with the latest styles in the Australian and international fashion world. Amilitaalso has a range of fabrics in metallic colors, which are a favorite forevening gownsand night party dresses. Amilita fashion clothing has a customer base of thousands of happy customers and offers a unique shopping experience with a personal touch. Online enquiries and further informationon latest updates onfashion trends, style tips, and in-store newscan be found at http://www.amilita.com/.

Fashion typically follows the statements of each season and guides men and women to dynamically express themselves. Although fashion cannot solve the global warming issue nor can it be a solution for world hunger, it can make people feel better and improve their psychology. It is widely accepted that good appearance can profoundly impact one’s psychological state as well as the broader environment.

Fashion designers are people who have spent most of their youth devouring fashion magazines and making clothes for their dolls in the hope of becoming the next Jean Paul Gaultier or Calvin Klein. In majority, they are attracted at an early age by the fascinating expressions of fashion that reflects the beat of society at any particular time. However, it takes a series of careful steps and thorough knowledge of employment prospects to forge a successful career in fashion design.

Duties performed by fashion designers

Every piece of clothing and every accessory is a means to make people feel more confident or powerful. Fashion designers think of clothing and accessories as artistic expressions that project people’s perception of the world. To that direction, they study fashion trends on a regular basis to anticipate the kinds of clothing people are expected to wear over the next season, namely menswear, women’s fashion and children’s apparel or accessories including belts, hats, and handbags.

Besides producing innovative concepts and developing patterns, fashion designers are responsible for the right choice of colors and fabrics. With their creative eye for color and texture, they are able to make the right color – fabric combination in order to visualize their designs in 3D shape. In doing so, they project their concepts in real form and with their enhanced technical skills they transform trends into fashion. Finally, in order to ensure that their ideas will be correctly transformed into the proper clothing and accessories, fashion designers often oversee production and supervise a design team.

Other core tasks of fashion designers include the selection of fabrics; the adjustment of on hand designs for mass consumption; the close cooperation with sales teams to decide on customer base, target market and pricing; the negotiation with customers and suppliers; and the management of marketing and finance activities if they are self-employed.

Skills required for fashion designers

Overall, fashion design is one of the fastest growing careers. A major requirement for being part of this fascinating career is creativity. Creative people with the ability to design innovative patterns and follow fashion trends are highly likely to become successful fashion designers. Moreover, the ability to demonstrate effective communication skills and express themselves can help them convey the inner message of their designs to salespeople, suppliers, and customers.

Finally, working as a fashion designer requires ability to meet deadlines and work under extreme pressure. The world of fashion is quite demanding and glamorous and unfortunate mistakes can cost a fortune. Therefore, successful fashion designers know how to perform under pressure, prioritize their tasks and cooperate with all kinds of people to produce the best of their abilities.

Sources:

http://www.citytowninfo.com/education-articles/career-guides/how-to-become-a-fashion-designer

http://www.fashion.net/howto/fashiondesigner/

http://www.allartschools.com/faqs/fashion-design-job

The fashion industry is a lucrative one if you know how to get around it effectively. You will need to be an entrepreneur as well as a designer. Designing alone will not make you as much money but if you open your own shop or have your merchandise all over the world

you will have more money. Nowadays many people are trying to get into the fashion industry as it’s easy to make money and it’s very lucrative if you’re one of the designer that get picked to have your merchandise available world wide. If you’ve reached that point then your business is a sure success.

It’s not that difficult to get there. All you need is good taste and hard work and you can even get there on your own as you can open your own shop any time or even do consignments to any store. It’s not difficult if you have talent. You can start right away as fashion designing is an artistically field you probably already have most of the skills for the job. You can go to college for it but it doesn’t mean that you can’t do business right away.

College will help you so much more but you probably possess the artist skills and that’s one of the most important skills in designing. People like new and fresh designs and they will buy what is the best. Don’t hesitate to start your own business right away. I did a long time ago and many people adore my clothing. If your clothing is fresh, hot and trendy then you will have fans. All you need to do is copyright your label and you’re on your way to success. It’s one of the easier industries to get into.

In other words: if you want to be the next Yves Saint Laurent, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion.

However, there are many aspects of the profession. Working as a fashion designer can just as well mean supervising a design team at a sportswear company as producing a label under your own name. Although the former career may not seem as glamorous as the latter, it certainly will make your life less stressful. To create your own label takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work. Not to mention living just above the poverty line for several years.

Choosing a strategy

There are as many different ways to embark upon a fashion career as there are styles of design. Ralph Lauren’s Polo empire was founded on a small tie collection that he sold to Bloomingdales. Helmut Lang decided to open his own clothing store when he couldn’t find a t-shirt that he liked. Michael Kors built up a network of customers by selling clothes in a trendy NYC boutique. However, most people find that the best foundation for a design career is to get a fine arts degree in fashion at a prestigious school. Besides teaching you the craft, a good school will also add credibility to your resumé. “We live in a brandname society, and having the name of a good school behind you really does help,” says Carol Mongo, Director of the Fashion Department at Parsons School of Design in Paris.

Applying to a school

There are a lot of colleges that have fashion programs, but only a handful has the kind of reputation that can really push your career. It’s hard to enter these schools as competition is high, and they tend to be very selective. You apply by sending a portfolio of drawings of your designs. “We can’t teach you how to be creative – you have to bring your creativity to us and let us lead you on your way,” says Carol Mongo. She recommends students to get some sewing experience before they apply. Drawing is also an important skill for a designer – it is the way you communicate your ideas. In order to build an impressive portfolio it’s a good idea to have some experience in sketching; taking art classes will help you understand form and proportion. But you don’t have to be an expert drawer to get accepted to a school. “The most important quality that we look for in our students is that they are truly passionate and exuberant about fashion,” says Mongo. “If you have wonderful ideas but can’t draw, there are always ways to get around it. You could for example put your designs on a mannequin and take pictures of it.”

What school will do for you

Most fashion programs are three to four years long. During that time you will take fine arts classes and study drawing, color composition and form. You will also learn pattern making, draping and cutting techniques. One of the most important advantages of design schools is that they work really closely with the industry. Parsons, for example, have “designer critic projects” where successful designers like Donna Karan and Michael Kors work directly with the graduating students. Ambitious students also have the chance to win prestigious awards and grants, which bring them a lot of attention as well as financial support. One very important event is the fashion show at the end of the last semester, when graduating students show their collections. A lot of important people from the fashion industry attend these shows to scout new talent. It’s also an opportunity to be really outrageous and get noticed by the media. Hussein Chalayan, for example, became instantly infamous when he showed rotting clothes that he had buried in his backyard for his graduation show at Saint Martins.

Alternative routes

“Let’s be realistic,” says Carol Mongo at Parsons, “School’s not for everyone. If you’re just looking to get a job in the fashion industry – not a career as a designer – you probably don’t need to go school.” If you want to work as a seamstress or a patternmaker, the best thing is probably to apply for an internship at a fashion house and work your way up. However, there are many examples of famous designers who started out as interns with no formal training. For example, Dior’s brightest new star, men’s wear designer Hedi Slimane, had a degree in journalism when he started working with men’s wear designer José Levy. Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière is another example of a brilliantly successful designer who learned the jobs hands-on, as an assistant at Jean-Paul Gaultier. Usually, you apply for an internship by sending a portfolio to a fashion house you’re interested in. But it’s a good idea to call them up beforehand to see exactly what they need. It’s also important to note that competition is fierce, and unless you have personal connections, it’s very difficult to get an internship without an education.
There are also designers, like Luella Bartley, who started their own business after working as stylists for several years, thus building an industry network as well as a good marketing sense.

Understanding the business

Unfortunately, it’s not enough for a designer to be creative; you also have to have some business sense. As fashion gets more and more corporate driven, it’s important to be aware of the business climate and understanding the mechanics behind it. By religiously reading trade papers like “Women’s Wear Daily” you will get a lot of valuable information. If you want to run your own company, you need to be extremely organized and learn at least the basics of economics. A lot of fashion schools are currently increasing business classes in their curriculum. “Our students have to be smart enough to know how to negotiate a contract, or to pick a business partner,” says Carol Mongo. It’s perhaps telling that many of the designers that are really successful today, like Calvin Klein or Tom Ford, are involved in every aspect of the business – from licensing strategies to ad campaigns to actually designing the clothes.

Prince of Scots to Introduce Iona Crawford, a Vogue Premier Scottish Designer, to North America
Iona Crawford is nominated Young Designer of the Year in 2011 Scottish Fashion Awards (PRWeb June 12, 2011) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8533463.htm
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