Should I be a fashion designer?

What do fashion designers do?

Fashion designers are artists who create clothing outfits and accessories (footwear, handbags, etc.).

Fashion designers can help people express who they are!

Do you want to inspire people to express their own voice? Then being a fashion designer could be the right career for you!

• Wholesale or manufacturing establishments

• Apparel companies

• Retailers

• Theater or dance companies

• Design firms

  

Photo by Darling Arias on Unsplash

• Meeting clients

• Sketching designs

• Selecting fabrics

• Sewing

• Casting models

• Fitting clothing

• Collaborating with hair and makeup artists to complement the look they're working on

• Planning runway shows or photoshoots

Fashion designers work with a variety of professions:

• Pattern makers

• Seamstresses and tailors

• Modeling agencies

• Design firms

• Magazine editors

• Photographers

• Makeup and hair artists

• Merchandisers

• Performers

As part of your job, you'll need to keep ahead of changing fashion trends in major fashion capitals (New York, Milan, Paris, London and Los Angeles) and follow fashion weeks, awards, and trade shows.

If you what to be a fashion designer, you must:

• Have a passion for fashion

• Be innovative with your design choices

• Be resilient, as you'll get a lot of feedback and even criticism from clients and colleagues

• Do a lot of research to learn current fashion tendency, and forecasting future trends

• Have excellent communication and time-management skills

• Have a strong awareness of the fashion business

• And of course, practice creating and adapting designs!

It also helps to have a degree or certificate in fashion design.

The average fashion designer salary is:

In Canada: C$54,861/year

In the US: $66,032/year