The World of Fashion Design

Fashion design is an exciting and rewarding career.  Blending artistic ability with practical knowledge, a fashion designer creates clothing and accessories. While employment growth in the field of fashion design is expected to be average, since many talented individuals are attracted to careers as designers, those entering the world of fashion design should expect intense competition for most spots.

Creativity is a critical part of being a designer; however, honing your skills at a good fashion design school can make a difference between landing or not landing a job.  

Career Summary
Fashion designers create original clothing, as well as attire that follows established fashion trends.  Some fashion designers are self-employed, working alone or in small businesses, creating clothing for individual clients.  The majority of fashion designers work for clothing manufacturers, creating men’s, women’s, and children’s fashions for mass marketing efforts.  If you are lucky enough to land a job as a high-fashion designer, you may be creating for specialty or high-fashion clothing stores.

In the world of fashion design, employers seek candidates with either a 2- or 4-year degree from a fashion design school or a school with a major in fashion design.  Prospective employers also look for designers that are experienced in textiles, fabric variations and garment decoration.  A savvy about upcoming fashion trends can be a huge plus for a designer looking for employment.

Earnings
In 2002, average annual earnings for fashion designers were $51,000.  50 percent earned between $35,500 and $76,000.  The bottom 10 percent earned less than $25,000 and the top 10 percent earned more than $105,000.