Did you know that, around the world, nearly 1 in 8 people have a career of some kind in the fashion and textile industry? That means that, if you want to work in fashion yourself, there are plenty of avenues and opportunities out there for you to explore.
But what if you want to know how to become a fashion designer? How does someone get started pursuing a career like that, anyway? And are there any tips and tricks that you can use to increase your chances of finding success in the fashion industry, especially early on?
In this article, we’ll give you a 10-step guide that you can follow to become a fashion designer yourself. We’ll help you decide on a specific niche to pursue, as well as tell you how to figure out what degree you need so you can get the exact job that you want.
That way you can make your dream of being a fashion designer a reality!
1. Have a Strong Passion for Fashion
It goes without saying, but if you want to get into the fashion industry, you first need to have a strong passion for fashion itself. Simply put, without passion, you’ll find it hard to be successful, as the fashion industry is relatively hard to break into.
With that being said, if you’re reading this article, odds are you’re already pretty passionate about fashion. When times get hard, you need to make sure that you lean on that passion, and remember why you started this journey, as it’ll help keep you motivated.
A pro tip? Keep a daily journal where you jot down your thoughts and emotions throughout this process. That way you can go back and reference this journal to see how far you’ve come over the years, again, helping to keep you inspired and motivated.
2. Be Prepared to Work Hard
Sure, it’s not easy to have a successful career in the fashion industry, especially if you want to be a fashion designer. You most likely have lofty goals, and to reach those goals, you’re going to have to mix your talent with a lot of hard work.
Sure, that might sound a bit obvious, especially if you already know a lot about the fashion industry and the struggles that come along with it. But it’s worth mentioning on this list, as again, it’s something that you need to mentally prepare for before you sign up for any kind of fashion-related classes.
3. Pick a Niche to Focus On
The fashion industry is rather large. There are tons of niches located within the fashion industry itself, all of which rather different from one another.
If you love fashion, odds are you already have an interest in a few of these niches. Our advice? Pick the one that you care the most about and focus all of your effort and energy on that specific niche.
For example, if basketball sneakers are your thing, try to make it in fashion doing something with basketball sneakers. Keep that end goal in mind whenever you make decisions, that way you can have a more focused idea of what it is you want to do.
4. Go to School and Get Your Degree
Alright, now it’s time for the real journey to begin. Once you’ve determined that you’re up for the challenge, and you’ve decided on a niche to pursue, it’s time to go to school.
Depending on what you want to do, various programs or degrees could be worth pursuing. If possible, try to find someone who has found success in your niche and ask them what kind of degrees they have.
If you can’t get people to respond to you directly, try to find them on career websites like LinkedIn. If they have a profile on LinkedIn, odds are they’ve got their education information listed, which can be quite helpful for you, especially if you don’t know what kind of schools to apply for or degrees to pursue.
Also, don’t be afraid to connect with them on LinkedIn and shoot them a message. Be polite and professional, but also explain who you are and what you’re trying to do. If you reach out to a few people, odds are at least one of them will message you back and give you some helpful advice.
5. Make Connections Wherever You Can
To piggyback off of that last point, it’s important to note just how helpful connections can be when trying to break into the fashion industry. Sure, the same logic applies to anyone trying to start a career in any field.
But because the fashion industry is so tough, and competition for spots is so high, it really is all about who you know and what they can do for you.
It may sound cheesy, but try to treat everyone that you encounter with kindness. Not only is this a great way to live your life, but it ensures that you leave a positive impression on anyone that you meet.
Because you never know who you’re going to meet and what they can do for your career in a few years.
6. Get Work Wherever You Can
Once you have a degree, and an idea of what you want to do, it’s time to start working.
We’ll be honest, at first, you may have to take some jobs that aren’t ideal. This is especially true if you need to start making money right away, or if you’re looking to build up your resume as quickly as possible.
Getting work wherever you can is truly the key to getting your fashion career off the ground, especially at first. So, don’t be upset if you have to take a job that isn’t your “dream job.” Work hard, try to advance in your career fast, and never stop looking for newer, better employment opportunities.
7. Focus on Building a Portfolio
After you start working, it won’t take long for you to put together a solid portfolio. Once you have this portfolio, you can use it to start getting better jobs.
With that in mind, make sure that you document everything that you do so you can create the best fashion portfolio possible. Try to get reviews from clients, too, so you have something that you can show potential clients and employers in the future.
8. Set Tons of Goals (and Track Them)
If you want to be someone who is successful at anything in life, you need to set goals for yourself. Writing these goals down, and then tracking them, is more than a good idea, too.
Remember that journal that we mentioned earlier in this article? Use it to keep track of your fashion goals. Be sure to check them off once you’ve completed them, too, so you can constantly remind yourself that you’re trending in the right direction career-wise.
9. Never Stop Learning New Things
The fashion industry is always changing and evolving. If you want to keep up, and not get left behind, you need to make sure that you’re always on the hunt for more knowledge.
The best way to do that? Never stop reading things like interviews and articles. This interview with Courtney Sarofim is the perfect example of something you can read to make sure that you’re up to date on the latest fashion trends.
10. Stay up to Date With Trends
It can’t be overstated just how important keeping up with fashion trends is. In fact, you need to almost be ahead of the curve, and know what trends are going to be hot in the near future, to be a big-time player in the fashion industry.
There aren’t really any tips to help you do this. You need to have solid connections, and a bit of skill, to know what’s going to be going on months, and even years, in advance.
But if you keep these other 9 tips in mind, and you work hard, you should be able to make some noise in the fashion industry rather fast.
Still Not Sure How to Become a Fashion Designer?
Remember, if you want to know how to become a fashion designer, you need to find someone who has done it before to study. Go online and find someone who has the exact job that you want one day, and then study them, or follow their career path, so you can get to where you want to be.
Looking for more fashion tips and tricks? Want to know what styles are hot at the moment? Check back with our blog often for tons of useful information and ideas.
