Fashion Design Colleges | Become a Fashion Designer

Fashion Design Colleges | Become a Fashion Designer | Our TOP Recommendations
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Fashion designers help design the billions of suits, dresses, shoes, and other clothing articles and accessories that are purchased by consumers every year. Designers examine fashion trends, create drawings of clothing and accessories, choose fabrics and colors, and supervise their design’s final production.

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• Nature of the Work - Many fashion designers concentrate on footwear, clothing, or accessory design, but several others produce designs in all three of these categories. The design process from original design concept to final production lasts between 18 and 24 months. The first step in generating a design is to study current fashion and forecasting future trends. Some designers perform their own studies, while others use fashion industry trade group trend reports.
• Fashion Design Colleges - Bachelor’s of fine arts and associate degree programs in fashion design are provided by many colleges, universities, as well as private art and design schools. Many fashion designers also blend a fashion design degree with a marketing, business, or fashion merchandising degree, particularly those who want to own a business or run their own retail store.
• Other Qualifications - Designers need a strong sense of the esthetic, which is a feel for detail and color, an appreciation for beauty, and a sense of proportion and balance. Fashion designers must also have excellent problem-solving and communication skills. Regardless of the innovation of computer-aided design, the ability to sketch remains a distinct advantage in fashion design. A portfolio of a designer’s best work examples is often is the final decision in getting a job.
  
  

Fashion Design Colleges | Become a Fashion Designer

There are over 240 postsecondary institutes offering programs in art and design that have received accreditation. Several schools do not permit formal entry into a program unless a student has successfully completed basic design and art classes. Applicants typically have to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic capabilities.

Future fashion designers can learn these essential skills by getting internships with design or manufacturing firms. Some designers also earn valuable experience while employed in retail stores as custom tailors or personal stylists. This experience can assist designers in gaining marketing and sales skills while understanding what fabrics and styles look best on various people.


Fashion Design Colleges - Graduate - Job Outlook

Job competition is expected be strong as several designers are attracted to the glamour and creativity that surrounds this career. Few job openings turn up because of low job turnover and the small number of new job openings every year.

The best employment opportunities are in design firms like apparel wholesale firms that create mass market clothing sold in retail chain stores and department stores. Few job opportunities are anticipated in design firms that sell to specialty boutiques and high-end department stores as the demand for expensive, high-fashion clothing and accessories declines in relation to other luxury goods and services.

Job growth for fashion designers is anticipated to grow 5 percent between 2006 and 2016, more slowly than the average for all careers. Job growth will originate from a growing population that wants more footwear, clothing, and accessories. Demand is growing for fashionable, yet affordable clothing, particularly among middle income consumers. Nonetheless, employment declines in cut and sew clothing manufacturing are expected to offset employment increases in apparel wholesalers.


Fashion Design Colleges - Graduates - Earnings Statistics

The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics reports in May 2006, average annual incomes for fashion designers on salary were $62,600. The middle 50 percent made between $42,250 and $87,500. The bottom 10 percent made less than $30,000, and the top 10 percent made more than $117,250.

Incomes in the fashion design industry can differ widely based on the employer and years of design experience. Beginning salaries in fashion design are usually pretty low until designers become more established in the industry. Salaried fashion designers typically earn higher and more steady incomes than freelance or self-employed designers. However, a number of the highly successful self-employed fashion designers can earn many times the salary of the designers who are paid a salary.

Related Occupations: Creative people in other design and art careers include commercial and industrial designers, interior designers, artists and related workers, floral designers, and graphic designers. Jewelers and precious metal and stone workers also create wearable accessories. Other common occupations in the fashion industry include retail salespersons; product promoters, demonstrators, and models; photographers; textile, apparel, and furnishings occupations; and purchasing managers, buyers, and purchasing agents.


Fashion Design Colleges - Universities

There are an excellent number of choices for fashion design colleges if you want to become a fashion designer. Online colleges and universities now provide the same curriculum as the traditional education. Learning online provides you with so much more flexibility to suit your lifestyle and current employment. We include our top recommendations for fashion design colleges online.

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