How to Become a Fashion Designer: Tips, Tricks, & What It Takes to Succeed

Everything you need to know about making your dreams of becoming a fashion designer a reality

Written by Christina Santelli | Edited by Savannah Vold

Last Updated: March 23, 2023 References Approved

Honing Your Skills

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Choosing a Design Field

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Is the fashion industry right for you?

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Setting Yourself Up for Success

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Creating Your Fashion Portfolio

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Fashion design is a fabulous industry perfect for those with a passion for fashion and a creative eye. While it may seem challenging to begin a career as a fashion designer, it’s totally possible with a lot of dedication and commitment to the craft. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about the ins and outs of becoming a fashion designer, so you’ll feel ready to take on the world with your daring designs in no time!

This article is based on an interview with our professional stylist, Christina Santelli, founder of Style Me New. Check out the full interview here.

Things You Should Know

Develop skills in drawing, sewing, and design. Honing these skills through a degree in fashion design or an internship can be beneficial to your career.
Narrow your interest to a specific design field, such as haute couture or ready-to-wear.
Practice your craft as much as possible by creating original designs. This will help you develop a better sense of your unique stylistic vision.
Learn about the business and marketing aspects of the fashion industry by researching successful fashion houses and designers to give yourself a competitive edge.

Part 1

Part 1 of 5:

Honing Your Skills

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Develop your skills. Successful fashion designers have a wide array of skills, including drawing, an eye for color and texture, and an ability to visualize concepts in three dimensions. Most importantly, aspiring fashion designers should be able to cut and sew all types of different fabrics.^{[1]
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- Even if you’re already an exceptional sewer, keep honing and practicing your skills by experimenting with a multitude of different designs, patterns, and fabrics. Being able to sew with difficult fabrics under challenging conditions like limited time will serve you well in this career path.
- Start learning about how fabrics move, drape, breathe, react when worn, etc., as well as where to source them from. Your in-depth knowledge of fabric is essential to understanding what fabric works best for specific designs.
- Learn from existing designers you admire by researching their backgrounds, signature styles, and where they studied. Knowing this will help you become a better designer yourself, as you can borrow and build on their ideas.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Chloée Ohayon-Crosby
  Fashion Stylist
  Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.}
- Learn how to create storyboards and product ranges. Research fashion trends by paying close attention to runway shows, popular looks on social media, and displays at retail outlets.
- The earlier you can start honing your fashion designing skills, the better. A little bit of learning every day will help you gain a deep understanding of the fashion industry over time—trying to learn everything at once will be overwhelming.
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Consider getting a degree in fashion design. Earning a degree in fashion design or a related program can benefit you greatly by allowing you to hone your craft and gain contacts in a supportive, well-connected environment.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Susan Kim
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 20 April 2019} Access to skilled professionals' expertise and critique of your designs can help you become an exceptionally skilled designer. Do one (or both) of the following:
- Get a degree in fashion design. Most programs are 3-4 years long. FIDM and Parsons are two of the most popular design schools in the United States. You will study drawing, color and composition, pattern-making, and draping, among other useful skills.
- In addition to learning practical skills, you will also be working with industry professionals who may serve as important contacts in the future and can give you first-hand advice and feedback on your work.
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Apply for an internship or apprenticeship. If school isn't for you and you feel that real-world experience could benefit you more, find a fashion internship. You will need to create an impressive portfolio to apply and be willing to start at the bottom—interns are often given menial tasks like getting coffee.
- Don’t be discouraged by seemingly small tasks— the connections you make through your internship or apprenticeship will be vital as you pursue your career in fashion. Plus, working with industry professionals will allow you to pick up important skills first-hand.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 5:

Choosing a Design Field

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Decide which design field is your principal interest. It’s important to start with a good sense of what aspects of the fashion industry interest you most.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Christina Santelli
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 22 April 2019.} Each design sector, such as haute couture and mass market retail, has unique advantages and disadvantages you'll need to explore before deciding which pathway to pursue. You don’t have to be dead set on only one type of design, but it’s a good idea to try one thing at a time and not over-extend yourself. As you learn and grow as a fashion designer, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to determine what you like designing best.^{[6]
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Research source} For example, you might be interested in:
- Women's daywear, women's evening wear
- Men's daywear, men's evening wear
- Boys' wear and girls' wear; teenage wear
- Sportswear/fitness/leisure wear
- Knitwear
- Outdoor, adventure, outerwear
- Bridal wear
- Accessories
- Costume design for theaters and the film industry
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Prioritize a passion for the craft over a desire to become famous. If you’re planning to become a fashion designer, keep in mind that it takes time, hard work, and a great deal of effort to succeed. While most aspiring fashion designers aim to have their clothing worn by celebrities, successful designers keep the average consumer in mind first and foremost, as they’re the ones regularly purchasing the clothes. Typically, celebrities are gifted items from fashion brands for publicity and don’t have to purchase them themselves, so it can be hard to sustain yourself without appealing to the mass market.^{[7]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
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Ask your customers what they need. Be realistic: if you live in a very warm climate, you'll have a tough time selling ski jackets. Pay attention to what people wear to determine what real people need and want. For example, the average buyer is more interested in practical clothes they can wear every day, like shirts and bottoms. Keep it simple and realistic—extravagant sketches are nice on paper, but great tops and jeans will likely sell more than daring evening dresses.^{[8]
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Perfect your designs. If you plan on creating a style that will be produced more than a hundred times, ensure it’s perfect before sending it to production. The more you work with the fabric, fit, and draping of the piece you’ve designed, the better it will become, and the more quantity you will sell. Poorly designed styles that don’t fit right or are simply unappealing will get you returns and result in a loss of profits.^{[9]
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Get inspiration from your competitors. Note the type of hardware (like zippers and buttons) comparative designers are using, as well as the comfort, breathability, and care of the fabrics they’ve chosen. Using your competitors for inspiration is not copying, but rather, product research to better your own designs and influence your style.^{[10]
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Sarah McDonald
Certified Stylist & Image Consultant
Expert Interview. 26 August 2021.}
- Pay particular attention to best-sellers. These “favorite” items are a success for a reason. It’s up to you to determine what makes these items great and employ those characteristics in your own designs.
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Play into your strengths by focusing on what you design best. Ask yourself what your strength is in design. Perhaps you're a whizz at accessories or a genius with yoga pants. Great fashion designers capitalize on their passions and skills while also focusing on what the market wants. To do this, pay close attention to current trends and look for opportunities to expand upon a current trend in a new and exciting way through your designs.

Part 3

Part 3 of 5:

Is the fashion industry right for you?

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Assess your skills and personality before pursuing a career in fashion design. You may have a passion for fashion, but an eye for clothing design is only a small part of what it takes to succeed in the fashion industry.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Christina Santelli
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 22 April 2019.} You'll need excellent communication skills, a willingness to work very hard, an ability to take criticism, and a high tolerance for stress. Going from city to city with your designs, having many different clients or bosses, and constantly promoting yourself to get your brand out there can be very challenging. Fashion design might not be your best career path if these aspects of the industry seem too overwhelming.
- Being a fashion designer is probably for you if: You want to devote your life to this career (it's your "vocation"), you don't mind uncertainty or insecurity, you are willing to stand up for what you believe in, you have distinct ideas about what’s important in fashion, you listen to clients well, you know the fashion industry inside out, and you live, eat and breathe fashion.
- Being a fashion designer is probably not for you if: You can't manage stress well, you don't like uncertainty or instability, you don’t want a career with constant highs and lows, you need other people to praise your efforts, you need a lot of guidance, or you hate being financially unstable.

Part 4

Part 4 of 5:

Setting Yourself Up for Success

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Get educated about the business side of fashion. Being a successful fashion designer requires talent, creativity, and a sound knowledge of the business and marketing aspects of the fashion world. Keep yourself updated on the goings-on of the fashion industry by regularly reading trade journals like Women's Wear Daily.
- Many fashion design programs include courses in marketing and financial literacy. Some programs/majors highlight these helpful courses more than others, so be sure to do ample research on the coursework involved in the program you choose.
- Learn beyond design. There is an entire supply chain involved in the fashion industry, and you need to understand each person's job so that you can see things from their perspective too, to make compromises, meet demands and understand where things get held up.
- Research what others do, such as buyers, merchandisers, pattern cutters, garment and fabric technologists, quality controllers, graders, sample machinists, salespeople, PR and marketing people, fashion journalists, retailers, event organizers, stylists, and so forth.
- Know how much your customers spend, their lifestyles, where they like to shop, how they like to shop, and what they like and dislike. This will make you a more competitive designer because you’ll know what the customer wants.
- Always keep an eye on what other fashion designers in your area of interest are doing.
- Trade fairs are an excellent place to better understand how the fashion industry works behind the curtain, like supply chains and manufacturing plant operations.
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Look for a job in fashion design. There are various ways to find work in the fashion industry as a designer, depending on the type of design you're interested in. Be willing to take a job that isn’t exactly in the sector of design that you’re interested in for the experience alone.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Christina Santelli
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 22 April 2019.} Being versatile will help you land the job of your dreams as you gain more experience. You'll need to be persistent and apply to many different job listings in order to get your foot in the door. For starters, some places to apply to include:
- Existing fashion houses and designers with open listings like internships, entry-level paid positions, assistants to designers, etc.
- Costume positions with movie studios, theaters, costume stores, etc.
- Online advertisements through various online job platforms like Linkedin.
- Word of mouth––use your college or fashion industry contacts to get you through the door. This is a good way to get started in an industry that values what well-positioned people have to say.
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Keep on top of your finances. The fashion industry is very expense-heavy, so you’ll need to pay close attention to the money your spending and making each month. If you’re not good with numbers, hiring an accountant to handle the financial aspects of your business is an excellent idea if you can afford to do so.^{[13]
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- Don’t forget that you can always work as a designer for a fashion house instead of running your own label if you don’t want to run your own business.
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Design for your market. If you have a passion for designing bikinis but live in an often freezing climate, moving where the climate suits your designs might be beneficial and make them more likely to sell. Designing for your market is all about playing into the area's lifestyle. For example, cold climates sell a lot of jackets, whereas warm climates sell more shorts and dresses. By designing for your market or sending your designs elsewhere, you’ll be better able to sell the most product possible.^{[14]
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- Consider the power of selling online. With great stock photos and a user-friendly webpage design, you can sell to anyone, anywhere.
- Living in a city with a thriving fashion industry is a great way to kick-start your career. The following cities are among the top fashion capitals of the world:^{[15]
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  - Paris, France
  - London, England
  - New York, US
  - Milan, Italy
  - Tokyo, Japan
  - Barcelona, Spain
  - Madrid, Spain
  - Seoul, South Korea
  - Toronto, Canada
  - Sao Palo, Brazil
  - Berlin, Germany
  - Mumbai, India

Part 5

Part 5 of 5:

Creating Your Fashion Portfolio

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Assemble a portfolio of your work. A well-put-together design portfolio is vital when applying to design jobs and internships, as it shows your skill level and your ability to market yourself. Display the designs you’re most proud of and those that highlight your skills and creativity. Use a high-quality binder to show that you take yourself seriously as a designer.^{[16]
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Research source} Include the following in your portfolio:
- Hand-drawn sketches or photographs of your sketches
- Computer-drawn designs
- Resume
- Mood or concept pages
- Color or textile presentation pages
- Any other pieces that reflect what you're capable of or are evolving into.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I start fashion designing?

Chloée Ohayon-Crosby
Costume Designer & Wardrobe Specialist
Chloée Ohayon-Crosby is a Costume Designer and Wardrobe Specialist in Los Angeles, California. With over eight years of experience in fashion consulting, Chloée specializes in personal, film, theater, and commercial styling as well as image consulting and costume design. Chloée has worked as an assistant designer for the distinguished fashion house Chloée and as a freelance stylist with Glamour Italia. Chloée studied Fine/Studio Arts at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts and Fashion Design and Merchandising at the world renowned ESMOD École Supérieure des Arts in Paris, France.

Chloée Ohayon-Crosby

Costume Designer & Wardrobe Specialist

Expert Answer

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Pay attention to the fashion trends and research other designers so you can get inspiration.
Question

What's my first step to starting fashion designing?

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Your first step should be to practice your ability to sketch and sew. Fashion design is centered around quickly drawing out your designs and bringing them to life by sewing various fabrics and materials together to form your unique clothing item. Once you've mastered the ability to sketch and sew, you're well on your way to becoming a successful fashion designer.
Question

What if I'm 12 years old?

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Having an interest in fashion design at a young age is wonderful because it will put you at an advantage if you start honing your skills now, like learning how to sketch and sew. The younger you are, the more time you have to become a competitive candidate in the world of fashion design.

Warnings

The fashion industry is extremely competitive; only pursue a career in fashion if you’re 100% devoted to the field.

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Working as a designer can be a physically strenuous career. You must be willing to work consistently long hours to meet deadlines.

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