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Fashion Designers

Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

What you’d do

  • Sketch rough and detailed drawings of apparel or accessories, and write specifications such as color schemes, construction, material types, and accessory requirements.
  • Examine sample garments on and off models, modifying designs to achieve desired effects.
  • Confer with sales and management executives or with clients to discuss design ideas.
  • Select materials and production techniques to be used for products.
  • Provide sample garments to agents and sales representatives, and arrange for showings of sample garments at sales meetings or fashion shows.
  • Direct and coordinate workers involved in drawing and cutting patterns and constructing samples or finished garments.
  • Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
  • Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking
  • Active Learning
  • Coordination
  • Judgment and Decision Making

How to get there

Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree

Also called

  • Apparel Designer
  • Costume Designer
  • Designer
  • Fashion Designer
  • Apparel and Accessories Designer
  • Fashion Design Contractor

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