Job description
Fashion designers create original clothing, accessories, and footwear. They sketch designs, select fabrics and patterns, and give instructions on how to make the products they design (O’NET, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Create original designs or adapt fashion trends and understand texture, color, and fabric (Balance Careers). Also known as Apparel Designers, Costume Designers, Fabric Designers, Fashion Designers, Footwear Designers, Shoe Designers, Textile Designers, Theatrical Costume Designers, Theatrical Designers (Eureka).
2. Personal characteristics required (including skills and values)
Some skills and values that are required and essential for this career in fashion industry is being over all creative. Some specific skills are having good drawing skills since you have to create designed for what you want to create in clothing, shoes, jewelry and etc (O’Net). Another skill is to keep up with the industry itself like the trends and textures that are being demanded, ones that will sell. You will also need critical thinking, coordination, active listing, active learning and judgment and decision making as well (O’NET). These skills will help you in the educational part of your career, when developing your skills from a school to an actual management. You would also need technology skills like, Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Graphics or photo imaging software, Spreadsheet software. (O’NET). Values in fashion would be to have an overall good personality and people skills knowing how to behave in a workplace. Specifically Achievement, Independence, Working Conditions values when working as a designer.
3. Work environment and physical demands
Some work environments are to develop artistic or design concepts for decoration, exhibition, commercial purposes, coordinate design activities, draw detailed or technical illustrations, write informational material and, collaborate with others to develop or refine designs. (O’NET). Needing these work environment skills will be very important to this job because its very hands on. Some physical demands are being able to work with your hands a lot because you will be drawing, typing, sewing and caring materials. Occasionally lift objects weighing up to 20 pounds; frequently lift those weighing up to 10 pounds. Travel is required for showings, conferences, or fabric shopping. Excellent near vision, far vision, and color vision are required (Eureka).
4. Tools and equipment/technology used
Designers must often work within a tight budget and may be required to buy their own tools (Eureka). Many talented fashion designers would quit or go bankrupt with the amount of money needed for different tools or materials. Money would be a big tool needed to launch your start. Money will help with materials and machines maybe even workers if you start off in a business (Balance Career). You will also need to know how to operate certain technology like design on a computer, being able to color in your drawings or make a design on the computer/device itself. You will need to know Accounting software, Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Graphics or photo imaging software, Spreadsheet software (O’NET).
5. What kind of education is required for this Occupation, (i.e. high school diploma,
two-year college, apprenticeship, bachelor’s Degree, etc.)?
The kind of education that is required for this career/major is a bachelor's degree in
fashion or also a two year program if it's offered. Also the career suggested and may
require depending on the job you apply to a two year experience in the field either an
internship or a paying job dealing with fashion experience (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics). They also work on projects they can add to their portfolio, which showcases their designs. They have to create a portfolio in order is graduate so they can use that as their resume and show of exactly what kind of fashion design they are into or designs they create. Also some schools may require them to submit sketches or pieces they have created just to get into the school and see if they can be a good fit there.
6. List three schools that offer programs in this Occupation
Some schools that offer fashion design programs or degrees the biggest being schools in New York the biggest capital of fashion the staple of it all. The number one school for fashion design is Parsons School of Design in New York City having well known designers as the alumni. For example Alexander Wang, Jenna Lyons (J.Crew), Marc Jacobs,and Tom Ford (Wischhover, 2011). Another school that is well known for fashion design is the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising located in Los Angeles. Also community college is your option Fullerton College located in Fullerton offers the major as a degree in arts or a certificate in fashion design.
7. Positions to which you can advance
Some position that you can advance in with fashion design is anything that can deal with fabrics. Interior design is another major but, as a fashion designer you know fabrics and can advance in helping certain careers like interior design in picking the right fabric and designs. Also since you know trends and how to sell your designs at the right time, an advancement in marketing is very possible as well since it can be a skill already (O’NET).
8. Earnings – entry, middle and top
Earnings in fashion overall is difficult because it's either on commission from what you sell or how much each piece of design cost and it becomes the income. The entry earnings can vary depending if you start off well. For example if you start as a fashion designer for a company it can start as the lowest earned less than $33,910 in 2017 (U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics) . That's only if you do well when you graduate. The middle pay $67,420 and the highest pay can be up reported in $135.490 in May 2017 (O’NET). The career is very competitive and most may not make it in high end fashion so most may not even earn the lowest because they might just work their own bunnies and can lose money if sales don't escalate (Eureka).
9. Employment outlook and related occupations
The employment outlook is fashion usually involves using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals (O’NET). Proven ability and a good reputation are factors determining advancement opportunities. Promotion is often in the form of a salary increase, a better work assignment, or to another company. Those working as assistant designers may advance to designers, to designers who head small departments, and then on to head designer (Eureka). Related occupations can be Buyers and Purchasing agents, Marketing manager, Fashion store owner, Interior designer, Tailors, and personal stylist (Eureka). The job industry for fashion is estimating that 22 percent will be the projected growth for next period of growth in demands and careers in fashion (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
10. What is your personal opinion of this Occupation? What is most and least appealing to you?
My personal opinion of this occupation is that you need to be dedicated from the beginning to make it in this career of fashion design. I remember wanting to be one and how much competition there was and how much people would have experiences that were incredible. I never really looked deep into it. Now that I know how talented and creative you have to be for this career is incredible and not something I could commit to. I wouldn't want to have my whole life surrounded by internships and designing clothing at an early age because I wouldn't be able to change my major since i've worked hard to get into the fashion industry. Also the most appealing thing to me is the pay actually, I did not know how well it could pay if you got the highest pay it can all vary depending on who you work for if it's Dolce and Gabbana to a personal celebrity designer. My least appealing thing in this career is the competition because you are not guaranteed a job in high fashion or at all its very difficult to start as a designer somewhere if you already do not have a guaranteed job when you graduate. I just congratulate to those who go for it and succeed because it seems very difficult to advance in this specific career.