How can I become a fashion designer?

Fashion designers normally have a bachelor’s degree in fashion design or marketing and gain initial experience in the industry through internships or working as an assistant designer. During this time, an aspiring designer creates a portfolio, which is used by a fashion company to gauge the creativity and talent of an individual before employing him, according to Trinity.

The design process, which typically takes between 18 and 24 months, involves the following steps:

  1. Researching future fashion trends. Some designers use trend reports that project the particular styles, colors, and fabrics which are expected to be popular for a certain season in the future.
  2. Sketching preliminary designs. Although most designers initially sketch designs by hand, a growing number now make use of computer-aided design (CAD) software to translate these hand sketches to the computer.
  3. Visiting manufacturers or trade shows. Fabric samples help designers decide which fabrics to use with which designs.
  4. Creating a prototype of the article using cheaper materials. The prototype is tried on a model for design adjustments.
  5. Making samples using the actual material, marketing them to clothing retailers, and displaying them at fashion and trade shows. When retailers at the shows place orders, these items can then be manufactured and distributed.