Fashion designing produces what people wear.
Department and online stores are filled with items that people wear. Professionals who enjoy working with clothing and accessories create these items. They specialize in the field of fashion design. This field provides approximately 22,700 jobs, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. With some basic information about what exactly fashion design is, you can determine whether fashion design is a career option you might enjoy.
Definition
Fashion design is an area of study and work that concentrates on clothing and accessories. It involves creating and producing the items people wear. The look and function of these items depends on the sociocultural factors within a region in a given time period, so fashion design is a field that constantly is evolving.
Seasons
Fashion designing typically happens in two main seasons, according to Apparel Search. Designers release clothing and accessories intended for fall/winter and for spring/summer. A fashion designer usually refers to his collection of clothing and accessories by his work name, the year and the season (e.g., Ima Designer, 2010 Spring/Summer Collection). The events that showcase fashion design thus occur primarily twice a year.
Education
To enter the field of fashion design, an individual typically has to have a minimum of an associate's or a bachelor's degree in fashion design, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is helpful, although not required, to also hold a degree in marketing, business or other related field. Even with a degree, fashion designers typically start out in entry-level positions, for which competition is fierce. Fashion designers may get industry experience through internships or jobs in the retail/beauty areas.
Design Work
Fashion designing is a complex process that takes up to two years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During this time, fashion designers study fashion trends to see if they can predict what people will want to wear in the near future. Then they make sketches of new designs, often using computer software to save time and to make their design sketches as accurate and glamorous as possible. Once the sketches are done, the designers select the colors and materials for the fashions and oversee the production of their items.
Fashion Design Meaning
Fashion design is an art. This means that, as explained by Claire Suddath of Time, fashion designers try to make a specific impression or give a specific message through their work. They exaggerate their work for fashion shows so that the message they want to send through their collections is clearer--they don't really intend for people to wear the runway versions of their ideas. It is the artistic, creative side of fashion design that often appeals to those who enter the industry.
Tags: fashion design, clothing accessories, people wear, Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics