FASHION DESIGNERS create clothing and accessory designs and may plan the production and marketing of their creations. They may specialize in one type of garment or accessory such as men's or women's wear, children's garments, swimwear, lingerie, handbags, or shoes. 

Some high-fashion Designers are self-employed and design for individual clients. They make fashion news by establishing the silhouette, colors, and kinds of materials that will be worn each season. Other self-employed, high-fashion Designers cater to specialty stores or high-fashion department stores. They design original garments as well as follow the established fashion trends. Designers who work for apparel manufacturers do less original work; they adapt to the mass market and the fashions set by other Designers.

Designers

• Sketch their original ideas and may make patterns to be used as guides for cutting samples
• Are responsible for selecting fabric and trimmings and may visit textile manufacturing and sales establishments to keep current on the latest fabrics
• Combine basic principles of dressmaking and tailoring with flat pattern work and draping techniques to obtain desired effects
• Are responsible for properly fitting the finished garment, and may supervise their display at showings for press representatives and buyers when the sample garment line is ready
• Continually compare their merchandise with those the of competitors
• Keep current of fashion trends by reading fashion literature, trade publications, and newspapers

A large manufacturer generally has a Head Designer and several assistants. Many small firms, however, do not employ Designers but purchase ready-made designs or patterns or copy higher priced designs.

Head Designers

• Are responsible for executive and creative functions
• Supervise design room staff
• Those with less experience may be responsible for small divisions or specialized garments

Assistant Designers

• Are generally all-around assistants to Designers
• Make first patterns and samples or may supervise sample makers

Specialty Designers

• Arrange for styles to be made in foreign countries
• Work with other Designers to coordinate special lines, such as sweaters

Theatrical Costume Designers

• Design costumes for movies or theatrical productions, usually on a contract basis

Fashion Designers frequently use the following skills and abilities:

• Active Learning -- Working with new material or information to grasp its implications
• Operations Analysis -- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design
• Visioning -- Developing an image of how a system should work under ideal conditions
• Coordination -- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions

The work environment for Designers varies. Some Designers work in quiet, spacious, well-lit and well-ventilated areas. Others may work in small areas close to crowded workrooms. Designers work independently but spend much of their time coordinating their work with workroom personnel, buyers, sales personnel, firm members, patrons, and other artists. Designers may travel out of the country for showings, conferences, or shopping. They may work under pressure for long periods to meet deadlines and budget limitations. Although the fashion business is seasonal, most Designers are permanently employed, preparing styles to be previewed the following seasons. Others work intermittently and are laid off when a line is completed.

Fashion Designers may join professional organizations such as the Fashion Group International of Los Angeles, Inc. and the Costume Council.

The following information is from the 1996-2006 California Projections and Planning Information published by the Labor Market Information Division. The figures represent the broad occupational group, Designers, Except Interior Designers, which includes Fashion Designers.

(These figures do not include self-employment.)

The estimated number of job opportunities from 1996 through 2006 is expected to total 11,270.

Occupations in all areas of the design field are expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2006. The continued demand for all types of apparel will favorably affect the need for Fashion Designers.

California Fashion Designers earned an average of $18.00 per hour and a median wage of $16.49 per hour in 1997, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Employment Statistics Survey. County-specific earnings are reported in the Directory of California Local Area Wages published by the Employment Development Department and available on the website referenced at the end of this guide.

Earnings of Fashion Designers depend on individual ability, the size of the employing firm, and the kind of fashion designing involved. Frequently, well-trained applicants begin at entry-level positions as Design Room Assistants or Assistant Designers while proving their capability for the more responsible job of Designer. Highly skilled and well-known Designers may earn well over $100,000 annually. Incomes of self-employed and freelance Designers vary with their talent, business ability, reputation, acceptance in the community, and type of clientele. They may be guaranteed a percentage of the gross, or be paid on a unit or retainer basis. Such earnings can exceed those of salaried Designers.

Designers work a 40-hour week but may work considerable overtime during rush periods.

Fringe benefits vary with employers. Designers often negotiate their salaries and fringe benefits individually with employers. Some firms provide one to two-week paid vacations and group health insurance plans.

Artistic talent is crucial in fashion designing. People in this field need a good sense of line, color and form, and a sense of balance and proportion, and an eye for detail. The work requires initiative, self-discipline, perseverance, stamina, and the ability to organize and work independently. A portfolio, representative of a Designer's best work, is sometimes more important in finding a job than an extensive education. Formal training, however, is important for most Designers.

Graduation from a school or college that provides specialized training in fashion designing is recommended. In California, students may obtain a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in art and specialization in costume design at accredited colleges or universities.

Vocational schools offer two-year programs in the fundamentals of fashion design. Students in these schools may earn certificates of completion or an Associate of Arts degree in the field. Some Industry officials feel that community colleges and other vocational/professional training schools are closely associated with the garment industry and, therefore, provide more intensive, current, and realistic training than training at four-year colleges or universities.

Courses usually include sketching, pattern making, draping and grading, garment construction, textiles and trimmings, costume history, principles of design and color; and how to plan, price, and promote seasonal lines. High school students interested in fashion design should take courses in sewing, art, mathematics, business, speech, and English.

The learning process continues on the job. Designers' Assistants in apparel manufacturing are exposed to the fast pace of production schedules while performing routine aspects of the job. Assistant Designers acquire the knowledge of what creations will sell in an intended market, within a defined price range, at a particular time of the year, and at a profit. They learn the personality of firms, types of stores that buy the merchandise, and the age and tastes of the stores' clientele.

Prospective Fashion Designers may find jobs through their training facility job placement offices. Experienced Designers sometimes locate jobs through other people in the industry, professional affiliations, or advertisements in trade journals or newspapers. Jobs may also be found through direct application to dressmaking firms, manufacturers, custom dress shops, design studios, department stores, pattern houses, and a variety of apparel and specialty shops.

Private firms are listed in the Yellow Pages under Clothing & Apparel. California job openings can be found at CalJOBS at http://www.caljobs.ca.gov or at America’s Job Bank at http://www.ajb.org.

For more information, see your local employment and training provider and visit the Employment Development Department Labor Market Information web page at http://www.calmis.ca.gov.

Beginning Designers often start as Assistant Designers, as trainees in design departments, or as pattern makers, pattern graders, or sketchers. Those who prove their ability are usually promoted to Designer status within two to four years. Promotion for most Designers is reflected in a salary increase or in a work assignment which involves greater responsibility. Others may become self-employed.

Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
919 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(800)711-7175
http://www.fidm.com

The Fashion Association
475 Park Avenue South, 9^th Floor
New York, NY 10016
(212) 683-5665
FAX (212) 545-1709
http://www.thefashion.org

Information from: http://www.calmis.cahwnet.gov/file/occguide/FASHION.HTM