How to Be a Successful Fashion Designer

Classic design

Achieving success as a fashion designer requires a great deal of work, and maintaining that success takes a lifetime. Fashion is an extremely competitive business that is hard to penetrate. Successful designers possess advanced skills, well thought out marketing strategies and connections. Luck plays a part. Even if you have a knack for being in the right place at the right time and garnering support from industry insiders, gaining exposure for your designs is not guaranteed.

Things You'll Need

• Fashion education
• Design collection
• Marketing plan

Instructions

Skills

1. Develop your skills. Sewing, tailoring, pattern making, fashion illustration and draping are the basics. Perfect them all. Take fashion marketing classes. Learn what it takes to get your designs noticed.

2. Choose your first post-graduation position based on where it will get you, not solely on earnings. Make this first job a strategic move. Intern or assist the best. Gain your initial experience working at an established design house, even if it means starting at the bottom. This is where you will make your first connections, gain a reputation and learn the ropes.

3. Establish your brand's style early. Develop a signature look. Find something to set your collections apart season after season. Whether it is impeccable tailoring, soft draping, boyish cuts or a signature knit, carry it forward and make it identifiable with your brand.

4. Know your clientele. Familiarize yourself with their lifestyles. Understand the man, woman or child for whom you have chosen to design. Learn price points, favored designers, average sizes and shopping locales.

5. Market consistently, season after season, to that demographic. Appeal to them not only with your designs, but also with your presentation method. The Guess Jeans ads of the 80s and the earlier Calvin Klein jean ads were famous for this.

Tips & Warnings

• Consistency is key to successful advertising.

• Knowing who you design for will help you make successful design decisions.

• Design is only half the game. Marketing is the other half. Both work together to attract your customer.

References

• College Crunch