Fashion Designers
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications > Visual ArtsProjected Growth: Little or no change
Projected Job Openings
Medium Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.
Common job titles of Fashion Designers include:
.
Experience and Education
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
36.17% said they needed a Associate's Degree.
25.39% said they needed a Some College Courses.
Tasks
Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.
Read scripts and consult directors and other production staff to develop design concepts and plan productions.
Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.
Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
Test fabrics or oversee testing so that garment care labels can be created.
Draw patterns for articles designed, cut patterns, and cut material according to patterns, using measuring instruments and scissors.
Design custom clothing and accessories for individuals, retailers, or theatrical, television, or film productions.
Determine prices for styles.
Adapt other designers' ideas for the mass market.
Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
Develop a group of products or accessories, and market them through venues such as boutiques or mail-order catalogs.
Visit textile showrooms to keep up-to-date on the latest fabrics.
Purchase new or used clothing and accessory items as needed to complete designs.
Research the styles and periods of clothing needed for film or theatrical productions.
Sew together sections of material to form mockups or samples of garments or articles, using sewing equipment.
Tools
Steam irons
Sewing needles
Sergers
Personal computers
Measuring tapes
Layout T-squares
Laptop computers
All ToolsIndustrial sewing machines
Industrial fabric cutting machines
Garment templates
Fabric steamers
Fabric shears
Fabric pressing equipment
Dress forms
Drawing scales
Drafting curves
Desktop computers
Computer laser printers
Computer drawing tablets
Computer data input scanners
Technologies
Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
Autodesk AutoCAD Design Suite
C-DESIGN Fashion
CLO Virtual Fashion Marvelous Designer
Fashion Toolbox
Optitex 3D Suite
Patternmaking software
All TechnologiesStartingAClothingLine.com Digital Fashion Pro
Autodesk SketchBook Pro
Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
Corel Painter
Financial accounting software
Lectra Prima Vision Print Repeat
Skills
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Operations Analysis
Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Abilities
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Originality