So you have an incredible passion for fashion – you’ve got the talent and what it takes to start your own clothing line, but unfortunately, you don’t possess the education needed to become a fashion designer. What to do? While it is possible to just jump into the waters feet-first and test your mettle by trying out your sketches on actual fabric, advertising them and selling them under a brand-new label you’ve created, sometimes it takes a bit more background for people to give you their trust and well, their money.
Most of the big names in fashion now got there through hard work and a lot of determination. But they also had the proper educational background and qualifications that allowed them to rise to the top. Face it – when you say you have a degree in fashion, more people will believe you and buy your clothes because they can be assured you know what you’re doing. So if you really want to go for it, why not earn yourself the education needed to become a fashion designer?
The Education
If you’re still in high school, you may want to start taking those fashion, design, textile and art classes as this will serve as your foundation later on. You can even try home economics classes because this is where you’ll learn to make patterns and sew. If you’re past that age, don’t worry, there are still plenty of options for you!
There are full-degree fashion courses where you undergo intensive studies in a college or university campus, and there are two-year courses you can take as well if you’re hard-pressed for time. Four years earns you a bachelor’s degree while two years an associate’s degree. There are numerous accredited fashion schools across the United States and across the globe, for that matter, that specialize in training students on the ins and outs of the fashion industry. Degrees in fashion include fashion and textile terminology, understanding consumer trends and behavior, marketing and merchandising, fashion and art history, pattern-making, sewing and tailoring, economics, sociology, even human anatomy. Most schools screen student applicants based on artistic ability, so if you want to get into a good school, you’ll have to have a portfolio ready showcasing your talents.
The Qualifications
Once you’ve earned a degree, that becomes your biggest claim to future fame and your weapon for whatever you intend to do next. After you’ve earned the education needed to become a fashion designer, you can choose to enter internship programs or enter the field as a stylist, personal shopper, tailor or seamstress or even by joining contests.
It would be good to add to your qualifications though, by going to trainings and seminars so that you not only broaden your knowledge and skills, you can always meet new people and make contacts who can aid you later on. Check out other fashion designers’ works as well, take inspiration from all aspects of life so that you have a variety of palettes to choose from and try working for and with big companies so that you’ll have hands-on experience regarding the fashion industry. With all these under your belt, rest assured that when you enter the fashion world with the education needed to become a fashion designer, you’ll take it by storm!