Education and Requirements

If you are new to the fashion industry, you must be prepared to work in a junior position at first. Training will happen on the job as you work alongside more experienced people.

The fashion industry is open to anyone but it does raise your chances of being recruited if you have a degree in one of the following:

• fashion;
• textiles;
• knitwear;
• graphic design;
• clothing technology;
• fashion marketing and buying;
• art and design.

You also need to be creative, communicative, have the ability to visualise things, have organisational skills, the ability to meet deadlines and work within a budget.

To be a fashion designer it helps to be interested in things like trends in fashion and clothing, art and design, analysing form, sketching, fabric sourcing, production.

An employer looks for creative flair, and past experience and education, confidence in your ideas and having the technical skills to work in the industry.

Requirements of a Fashion designer include:

• to be creative
• an eye for colour, texture and pattern
• the ability to visualise things in three dimensions
• technical skills in areas such as pattern cutting, grading and garment construction
• to be able to draw, either by hand or on the computer
• good communication skills to explain their ideas clearly and persuasively
• the ability to meet deadlines and work within a budget
• business skills and commercial awareness, particularly if they are self-employed
• good negotiation skills when selling their own designs
• to keep ahead of trends in colour, fabric and style
• strong organisational skills.