How to Get Into a Career in Fashion

There is no right way to enter into a fashion career. For every student that attends school and gets a degree in design, you will hear stories about the greats who got there by different means. For example, one famous designer created ties, another opened up a store, and still another started as a seamstress. But should you interview someone in the know, they will probably tell you that getting a fine arts degree in fashion from a good school will be a feather in your designer hat.

Things You'll Need

• Fine arts degree in fashion (optional but suggested)
• Art classes in proportion and design
• Drawing experience (preferred)
• A portfolio of your work
• Sewing experience (optional)
• Color and composition knowledge
• Business sense and corporate knowledge about the industry
• Fashion trade papers like Women's Wear Daily (optional)
• Industry contacts through networking (preferred)
• Interview: advance knowledge of the firm and its product line

Instructions

The Long & Winding Road to a Career in Fashion

1. 

   Plan on attending a college (See: link below) for a bachelor's of fine arts with an emphasis on fashion and design. Also choose courses in fashion history, color, fabrics and textiles, and sewing and pattern making. The wise student will also sketch well and have business and marketing skills.

2. 

   Apply for school awards and grants that will garner positive attention and may help with finances. Keep an eye open for student design contests and enter for the experience and subsequent exposure.

3. 

   Be open to experience and consider part-time work in a related field if possible. Work in retail clothing, shoes, or accessories to gain experience with consumers and customer sales. Also consider photography, modeling, purchasing, textiles or promotion.

4. 

   Create a knockout collection to put in the fashion show at the end of the final semester. It will speak volumes for you and your abilities in creativity, planning and execution.

5. 

   Learn how to rock an interview. First, research the company and know about its lines, its customers and its objectives; also know their competitors and the have at-hand knowledge about the key people in the industry.
   Dress the part and be personable. People hire people they like.

6. 

   Apply for internships and if you can work in Milan, Paris or London, the international exposure will help you mature.
   Continue to build your resume.

Tips & Warnings

• For a fashion "job" versus a "career," you may not need college but have some direction such as sewing or pattern-making experience. Apply for an internship with a design firm but be aware that competition is fierce and some education is preferred. • Fashion schools often have interaction with famous designers who give back to the school with their time and critiques. • While in school, make use of the planned events by attending whenever possible to build industry relationships. • New York and California are the top fashion USA hot-spots. • In the future, students who know how to do computer-aided design (CAD) will have a leg up in the job hunting process because they can create virtual models. • Think about costume design for the performing arts, theater, television and film as an option for employment.

• Fashion internships are not paying positions; try to find something in marketing, design or production part-time to pay the rent. • Look in trade magazines or on the Internet to find internships; many are not posted and require some digging. • Expect long hours and much competition in every related fashion field. • Because of fashion's mainstream exposure and its association with glamour, jobs in design specifically, are few and competition is high.

Resources

• Links to fashion schools
• Vault: Getting Hired in the Fashion Industry
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Fashion Designers