So you are really interested in clothes. And not only designing them and stitching them too. You spent a lot of time in choosing a sewing machine for this. You certainly have the passion to be a fashion designer after all you like scouring everything from fashion blogs to fashion magazines.
But if you want to take up this interest as profession do you really have what it takes?
Here are the top 5 skills you need to become a fashion designer:
Self-Confidence & Communication Skills
First of all you need to have confidence. Not only in yourself but in your concepts and designs as well. Moreover, you have to look confident too so that you are able to survive in the cut-throat competition in the fashion industry. You would not want to be pushed around by people right?
Along with confidence you need to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills because designing clothes, accessories and footwear requires you to have string people skills. This also helps greatly in effective teamwork and sharing your vision with others.
Basic Art Skills
To become a fashion designer you do not have to be Picasso or Leonardo da Vinci. But you need to have the basic skills of sketching and painting your designs. It is extremely important for your visions/concepts to materialize into actual clothes. You can do some practice in the start when you work from home.
Creativity
To be in the fashion industry, one has to possess an innate sense of creativity. If you are known to be a very artistic person with a unique sense of fashion and personal style, you can channel both your imagination and creativity into being a fashion designer. These are necessary to convert simple cloth into a beautifully stitched dress/outfit.
A Good Eye for Detail
Fashion designers should have the ability to draw as well as a good eye for detail. For example how you can imagine the pleats of a skirt or a blouse that cinches at the waste. Same goes for embroidery, ruffles too.
Most often, it is the detail that will make your product one-of-a-kind therefore having this skill is necessary even if you are good at drawing and visualizing.
Knowledge & Understanding of Fabric, Texture &Color
Fashion designing requires you to have a good sense of fabric, texture and color. You need to know what color clashes with which shade and which compliments the other beautifully. You need to be able to know creating flattering clothing.
Furthermore, you need to know which type of fabric works best with other material. It is the knowledge and basic understanding of all these differences that shall allow you make a great outfit. With these basic skills you shall have what it takes to be a fashion designer. You might possess some of these skills already need to polish them. You can learn it all. You simply need to work a bit on your skills and develop those needed to become a fashion designer.
All Images from DESIGN SCENE Magazine shoot featuring top model ANA CRISTINA at NEW YORK MODEL Management photographed by Alejandro Cabezut, in charge of the styling was New York based Fashion Stylist Lex Robinson, see the full story on DESIGN SCENE exclusive. Originally published in Design SCENE Magazine #013 print issue, see more.
