By How to Become a Fashion Designer at 15 | Best Guide For you
The fascination, glory, creative details. Becoming a fashion designer hopes all this and more. But, is the love for doing fashion designing enough to become a good designer at your young age? Devoluxe brings you this article and after reading this you may able to get an answer to this question.
In point of fact, fashion designing is a fiercely competitive field today. It is a trillion-dollar industry and it grows 5.5% annually. So, if you want to pursue a career in this industry, you will have to work hard and develop the skills needed for it. As the first step, let’s see the skills needed to become a fashion designer at 15.
Skills needed to become a Fashion Designer
In fact, fashion designing is no longer just about art, creativity, or design. It needs plenty of skills. We are living in a full of the technological world. So, is the realm of fashion. Because you are at your young age, you have enough time to leverage the technological advancements and merge them with fashion to create extraordinary work that speaks for itself. So, these are the skills that you need to improve to be a fashion designer at 15.
- Creativity
- 3D Designing Skills
- Excellent Visualization Skills
- Digital Drawing and Sketching
- Communication Skills
- Multitasking Ability
- Pay attention to the environmental and social impact of fashion
- Learn the social Network and influencers’ world
- Analyzing big data
- Develop business acumen
Creativity
Actually, creativity is a fundamental asset to becoming a successful fashion designer. Not only in the beginning, but creativity also needs to level up in the fashion industry. For instance, when you look at a piece of fabric, you should have enough creativity to envision what it is going to look like in a garment, how the material will work, and what design will suit it best.
Moreover, if you are creative enough, you will always be equipped with new style ideas and fortunately, it will be a great foundation for your success in the field.
3D designing Skills
So, this is one of the major skills that embraced new technologies. In this age of social media, fashion trends come and go faster than ever. So, if you want to grab the trends and capitalize on the opportunity, you will need to reduce the time that your designs need to go to the market. So, implementing 3D in the design and development process can acutely shorten your design to market time.
Because you are at a young age, you have enough time to equipped with 3D designing skills. With 3D designing skills, you will be able to achieve faster decision making, accelerate the development process, and reduce the number of physical samples for your collection. So, consider developing your 3D designing skills in order to be a successful fashion designer in your 15.
Excellent Visualization Skills
Your visualization skills are the most helpful skills that help you to bring your ideas into reality. Acquiring and honing your visualization skills will enable you to see the finished product before it is made and put the ideas on paper in a way that allows others to seize them as well. So, improve your visualization skills, that lead you to the success of the fashion designing industry.
Digital Drawing and Sketching
Digital drawing and sketching is another skill that you need to equipped with technology. Actually, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop are the main tools that have been used in the industry for over 20 years. So, now it is considered a fundamental skill for any designer when making flat illustrations or sketches. These digital sketches include beneficial information about your garments. The most important fact is, that details can’t be explained through a hand sketch.
Communication Skills
The collapsed world of fashion depends on alliance and communication. A fashion designer has to communicate with buyers, suppliers, other designers, and team members.
For instance, before the production of a fashion line starts a fashion designer has to explain the designs to your team and answer all their questions. Not only that, he/she also might expect to collaborate with the manufacturer on styling, fabric, and garment construction, to secure the design integrity of the products are maintained and executed in production.
Moreover, a fashion designer should have the skills to discuss with manufacturers and suppliers, pitch the collection to the target audience, and spread the message to customers. This is why you need to improve your communication skills before becoming a fashion designer at 15.
Multitasking Ability
In fact, the task of a fashion designer is not limited to just sketch designs or source materials and fabrics. In order to become a successful fashion designer, you should have to work and sympathize across different fields at the same time. Such as production, promotions, improving public relations, assisting events, and many more.
So, though you are now 15, try to manage everything efficiently and stay organized to get the best results through fashion designing.
Pay attention to the environmental and social impact of fashion
So, this is a very important skill that you should improve to become a fashion designer at 15. Though fashion designing is considered an impressive field, fashion is a big contributor to pollution and global warming. As well as, when it comes to ethical labor practices it doesn’t have a flawless track record.
Now, you are in your teenage and you should practice paying attention to the environment and social impact of fashion. Then, you will be able to be a great fashion designer physically and mentally. So, have the ability to incorporate sustainable strategies in your garment and collection design and development at each step of the process will make you stay ahead in the fashion industry while making a positive impact on the world.
Learn the social Network and influencers’ world
Actually, social media has changed the world. The leading social media platform like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest supply an airstrip and marketing medium for the fashion industry. So, collaborating with the right influencers can expose your collection and the lines to a much larger audience than the traditional media.
So, to promote your new collection or to reach a new set of audience, you need to learn well social media tactics and best practices such as posting times, content formatting, and hashtags in order to include them into your marketing strategy effectively.
Analyzing big data
With the improvement of technology, we connect with our consumers in a very different way. Analyzing customer data and interrupt this information into trends and product lines has become a major skill for the designer of today. In order to be a successful fashion designer in 15, you have to be creative as well as analytical to deliver fashion which is also commercial in this fiercely competitive market.
Develop business acumen
So, you are going to become a fashion designer, at your 15th. Though you are in your teenage, you are going to step into a great stage. In order to flourish in the world of fashion, you must have a sharp business sense. Actually, this goes beyond basic financial skills and intuition.
In order to stay tuned in the field, you need to have the expertise to quickly spot new competitors, detect the trends and the major shifts in the industry. So, that can adapt your designs to stay ahead of the market.
Steps to become a fashion designer
Fashion designing is an exciting career that allows you to express your passion and individuality throughout your career. But, becoming a fashion designer is not an easy task. It needs your courage and dedication. So, follow the correct steps and become a fashion designer at 15.
- Getting educated well
- Get the tools that need to design
- Expand your horizons and improve your skills
- Choose a strategy
- Create an impressive portfolio
- Decide whether you want to work solely or take a company job
#1. Getting Educated Well
As your first step, it is so important to certify you understand the mechanics and specifics of the fashion industry in as much detail as possible. In fact, your deeper understanding of the industry will provide you a better chance of becoming a part of it.
So, at first, learn about the fashion industry. If you want to chase an education in fashion designing, the first step is doing your homework. Not having an idea about Homework? Well. You just need to research fashion history and become familiar with current trends as well as the challenges in the industry. Actually, self-directed learning can be a great source for inspiration and will give you a supreme start on your education that will serve you when applying for schools.
Then, consider teaching yourself the basics. Learning the basics in fashion designing like drawing, sewing, pattern making, and other skills, is also one of another important way to prepare yourself for education on fashion designing. If you can teach yourself these basics at home, or you can follow any online course, or follow a low-cost program in your community. After learning the basics, you can quickly move to the more advanced techniques in fashion school.
As you are 15, you may be unable to commit to more formal educations programs, a recognized online fashion design courses could be a good place to start with your teenage.
#2. Get the tools that need to design
Actually, fashion designing is all about using the correct tools and equipment. There are six basic tools that every person needs to become a fashion designer.
Pair of Scissors
A fashion designer must-have pair of scissors to design a fashion. In order to create a perfect design, a beginner fashion designer will need,
- Card Scissors:
This scissor will help you to do the cardboard design. With that, the sewing phase can be made easier. - Shear Scissors:
This type of scissor is a bit heavy than the card scissor. It uses to cut different types of fabrics. - Lightweight Scissors:
Not heavy and this is used to cut fussy cloth materials such as silk, lining, etc.
Tape Measure
Generally, you may have seen fashion designers have a tape measure constantly around their necks. A tape measure is very important because it is the one tool that allows you to create picture-perfect fitting clothes.
Tailor’s Chalk
Tailor’s chalk is the great tape measure partner. You can draw the lines once you have taken the measurement and you can start snipping away.
Dress Maker Dummy
A dressmaker dummy will kelp you to decide how to look at a real person. Actually, it helps a fashion designer to save time, by preventing making any changes if a piece does not fit a body part. So, try to buy an adjustable dressmaker dummy because it allows you to make clothes in all sizes.
Pearl head pins
These pins are the perfect size to sink into the dummy and they can be grabbed easily. These are helpful in getting an idea pre-sewing.
Sewing Machine
Last one on the list, but the most important: the sewing machine. How could a fashion designer complete without a sewing machine? So, make sure to take a good sewing machine and start your works with these basic tools.
These basic tools will help you to get into your job much easier. The correct tools will automatically guide you to the fashion skills you need.
#3. Expand your horizons and improve your skills
You are in your teenage and you are going to step into a great stage. In order to be a fashion designer, you have to do some dedication. In reality, if you just stick to the comfort zone at all times, how could you improve your skills.
Though the fashion industry might appear glamorous, it requires hard work to reach the top level. So, apart from your comfort zone, broaden your creativity, and improve your skills.
#4. Choose a strategy
Actually, becoming successful in the industry depends on how to categorize the work. Many types of fashion designers are doing well in the industry. But, some of them are apart from the competition because some fail to choose the right sector of their industry. Actually, there are several types of fashion designers and you have to choose your type, in order to be successful. According to the basics of fashion, there are three types of fashion designers; shoes, apparel, and accessories.
Apparel Fashion Designing
Apparel fashion designers focus their energy on creating styles for every part of the world’s population. Mass market experts and costume designers work within the title of apparel designer. There are three main categories in apparel fashion designing.
- Haute Couture Fashion Designer
They are the designers that stick to the old rules of design for wealthy clients. They are specialized in creating custom apparel for an individual customer. - Pret-a-porter Designer
They are named also ‘ready-to-wear’ designers. Ready to wear designers don’t create designs for millions of people. They just manufacture in limited numbers. - Mass Market Fashion designer
They are creating new styles for the general population. There are no limited editions or custom fitting involved in producing mass-market apparel. Actually, the mass-market appeal is the most popular option among new designers who entering the fashion industry.
Shoe Fashion Designing
Simply, this is the category that designs footwear. Footwear designers in the market, design shoes, and footwear. There is a number of types in this category including formal footwear, athletic footwear. Not only that, they can categorize in the same way as the type of apparel designers.
Fashion Accessory designing
Fashion accessory designing is the category that includes designers focus on designing jewelry and other items that are not necessarily considered ‘apparel’. This field creates necklaces, bracelets, hats, scarves, handbags, and many other more accessories we use.
So, each category has its own pros and cons. So, before you reach your financial decision you need to discover which way to pursue it.
#5. Create an impressive portfolio
After choosing your strategy, you can have experience in sketching. every aspiring fashion designer has their own fashion design portfolio. So, though you are 15, you also need to make a portfolio. It will help you show your strength as a fashion designer.
In fact, a portfolio is about quality, not quantity. So, it is not about including every design you have ever done, your favorite work. It is about including the designs that best speak to the brands you are applying to work for.
There is no magic number of how many projects to include, a good starting point is 3-5 projects. But, you are younger as well as you are young in your career too. So, 2 projects may be enough. Decide wisely, how many pages each product get. A good range is 2-4 pages per product. But, it totally depends on the size of your product and the size of your book. So, let’s see the Fashion design portfolio checklist.
Fashion Design Portfolio Checklist
- Inspiration
This is essential to be in your portfolio. These are the mood boards to show the origin of your ideas and your research process. This can be as simple as a small collage of 4-8 photos. - Ideation
This is optional for your portfolio. These are the rough hand sketches to show how your ideas evolve. Not every single style needs to be represented and a page or two from your sketchbook is enough. - Design
Design is a must in your portfolio. - Presentation
This is optional and you can use fashion illustrations to enhance visual appeal. Hand or digital few illustrations are enough. - Technical
Technical sketches in your portfolio will show you how to spec a garment. A few samples of construction callouts, closeups of details, or artwork placement specs are enough. - Production
These are the photos of finished garments to show how designs translated from inspo and sketches. You can include professional-looking photos of the entire garment, close-ups of detail, or even fabric swatches.
A portfolio can show your strength as a fashion designer, sense of the aesthetic, appreciation for beauty and proportion, and balance. Actually, though you are 15, you are young and young in the fashion design industry too. An impressive portfolio can help you to assist you as a fashion designer.
#6. Decide whether you want to work solely or take a company job
This is the last, but the most important step. Deciding whether you want to work solely or take a company job is really important than anything else. So, now everything is ready to become a fashion designer. But, where do you do your career as a fashion designer? That’s why you have to decide. Each one has its own pros and cons.
If you work Solely,
You can be your own boss and as well as you will have more creative control and more flexible in working. Though creativity needs to become a fashion designer, unfortunately, creativity is not enough. You need a good understanding of the business. When you run your own business at your young age, you should understand clearly and deeply the basics of economics. Getting knowledge from a fashion school is not a bad idea.
If you take a Company Job,
We all know that, when we are working under someone, the deadlines are an inescapable factor. So, if you decide to work for a company, you need to prepare for emotional health and the ability to cope with pressure. Not only that, you could learn the necessary skills with manufacturing or design firms. In fact, many designers get the precious experience of working in some fashion houses, in order to develop their marketing and sales skills.
However, because you are too young for this industry, you will need more and more useful advice from fashion luminaries who can reveal how to become a successful fashion designer.
Finally, now you may have an idea a fashion designer’s life is not all about making glitzy clothes. In reality, most designers work in relatively conceal corners of the fashion world, studying fashion trends, sketching designs, and selecting materials to use in ordinary clothes. In order to be a successful fashion designer, you may eventually have to practice them.
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