Is anyone involved in the fashion industry?

Question

Im starting college and im not really sure what i want to do but i am very interested in being a fashion designer. What does it take to be a fashion desiner and is there any websites about fashion designing and stuff. Tell me what i need to know about this career.

Answer 1

I am about to finish my degree in Fashion Merchandising from Virginia Commonwealth University, so I can try to help you some! I actually went to school to do fashion design, but I ended up not liking it too much, so I switched to merchandising and it was a much better fit. To be in fashion design, you should be able to draw fairly well (they will teach you how to actually illustrate clothing in school, but a little drawing talent is def. a plus), you should know about color, design principles, and how clothes are constructed. Also, you should be aware that most of the fashion design jobs out there are not as exciting as most people would think, a lot of them involve technical design (or specs), patternmaking, etc and you probably won't get paid well. BUt on the plus side, it is still pretty cool and more laid back and creative than a lot of jobs. A lot of this you will really learn if you do go to school for fashion design though. I actially interned at Marie Claire magazine last summer too, so it has been a really good experience for me and I am glad that I chose fashion as my major. I am going to put some links below that should be helpful, so good luck!