Becoming a Fashion Designer

It seems like everyone is jumping on the designer bandwagon these days. And why not? The fashion industry is sexy - fashion shows, parties, celebrities, recognition, and even fame go along with a career in fashion.

Now herein lies the question: do you go to design school or go straight to starting a business? Not all fashion designers go the traditional route to design school, instead drawing on an entrepreneurial spirit, some "designers" turn their head for business into a thriving fashion enterprise.

Ralph Lauren is an example of a fashion designer who bypassed the sewing machine and headed straight for the marketplace. Which path you take depends on your personal motivation. If you love sewing and pattern making, the traditional route is going to bring the most satisfaction. If you love the fashion world but don't have the patience for needle and thread, a career in the fast-paced and exciting fashion biz is still possible ... read on.

So you want to go out on your own, what's first?

You've always admired fashion designers and their ability to design trendy, unique and wearable fashions season after season, as if by magic. But it's not magic; it's a business. And to succeed in business, nobody is an island (meaning that everyone needs a little help to accomplish his or her dreams). And it's not all glitz and glamour. Being a fashion designer means you have to actually run a business.

Before you print up those business cards, ask yourself if you're prepared to roll up your sleeves and tackle the not-so fun aspects of fashion.

At first, running a fashion business could mean fulfilling orders yourself (i.e., packing boxes until the wee hours of the morning), steaming clothes repeatedly during fashion shows, and bookkeeping. You could spend only a small percentage of your time actually designing; instead you're networking, schmoozing and negotiating with suppliers and vendors.

If you're planning to take the direct-to-consumer path, you'll have to create a website and maintain it (and most likely have to pay someone to handle these tasks), get a merchant account to process credit card transactions and manage charge back cycles. If you're not interested in learning what these things mean, then you may decide to work for a large fashion house to learn the ropes.

But if you have the endurance and enough friends with skills or services you can trade for, you could go out on your own and succeed. Today is the age of entrepreneurship, why shouldn't you get a piece of the pie?

Why Fashion Shows Are Reaching Out To Everyone And Not Just The Elite

Now I'm sure that you know what a fashion show is but have you ever been to one? Most of you probably think that fashion shows are only for the rich and I will admit at one time that was mostly true but of late I have seen that change immensely. These fun functions have been geared more for the Rich at "Heart" as well as the Rich of pocket book. So if you enjoy fun, fashion and your own piece of the fashion world then get out and partake in one.

"Why should I attend a fashion show?" Well you don't exactly need a reason to attend one as long as you remember that they are for everyone and anybody. And if your feeling uneasy and have a fear of the unknown join some friends and attend one or better yet go alone and gather up the fashions for you while making new friends. Need other suggestions, read on

You may not wind up making any purchases from the numerous designers carrying their latest trends but one thing for sure is you will learn what is popular and selling. And this alone is a great reason to attend especially if you own or run a clothing store, fashion store or even a clothing accessory store. You'll want to make sure your stores are selling what is selling nationally and locally and stocked with the latest fashions. Attending any fashion show can help improve your business, by becoming the store that is sought after for stocking the styles and fashions most wanted in your area.

Is Fashion Your Passion? Make Fashion Your Career

Do you live and breathe fashion? Would a career in the fashion industry suit your style and aspirations?

For fashion enthusiasts, a career in fashion might be the ideal job; an opportunity to influence society and change the way a nation dresses for the day and evening. Read on to see which branch of the fashion industry might be right for you.

Fashion careers are essentially of two types - those in fashion design and those in the sales and marketing side of the industry (fashion merchandising). You can further customize your specialty by choosing to focus on a particular style or kind of garment.

Other fashion niche opportunities include costume design for TV, film and theater productions; personal stylist positions with high-end department stores and private clients, fashion photography; and modeling work for everything from newspapers ads to strutting the catwalk in Milan or Paris.

But to turn your passion for fashion into a lucrative career you need more than just the ideas and enthusiasm; you need technical and industry expertise to turn your creative energies into saleable apparel.