Intro to Fashion Design and Designing Purses
Ninety-five percent of women aged 18 to 64 carry a purse every day and own two to three purses at any given time, according to an article in "Fortune." Purse designers realize the popularity of handbags and use their eye for color and detail to create handbag lines that range in price, size, color, material and design.
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School
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Fashion programs at colleges and universities located in the United States and abroad will give you a degree in fashion design. Typically, these programs are three to four years long and include everything about the fashion world from studying textiles, sewing, pattern making, draping and cutting techniques, marketing and merchandising. Most fashion schools hold close relationships with fashion designers within the industry and can help prepare you for a job straight out of school.
Internship
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Securing an internship as a seamstress, patternmaker or working behind the scenes for fashion shows can give you experience and help you network with professionals who can offer you a career. Select a fashion house and submit a portfolio for an internship, or go through the internship office at your fashion school.
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Launching Your Line
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Start by designing and sewing a line of handbags. You can market your bags on your own website, eBay and Etsy, a popular website for homemade crafts and clothes. By using the website as your portfolio, you can approach manufacturers to secure a deal. Meanwhile, your product can be purchased by the general public and can create revenue. Purse designers also attend fashion weeks and trade shows to expose buyers to their products and network within the industry.
Professional Help
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Jennie S. Bev and Vicki Zolenski, authors of StyleCareer.com eGuide, "Breaking Into and Succeeding as a Handbag Designer," warn purse designers to not feel overwhelmed because there are industry specialists who can help. A purse designer can work with a contract technical designer who will take your drawings and ideas to create technical patterns and prototypes. You can send your design and measurements to contract manufacturers who will manufacture your product. Sales representatives and distributors can search for retailers to carry your line. There are also fashion publicists who can find you media exposure to help make your line go viral.
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