Fashion designer is one of the most prestigious and sought-after creative professions. The fashion industry is characterized by high competition and the pace of development, but at the same time it provides an opportunity to realize creative potential, gain global recognition and a high income.
Step one. Decide on the direction.
You can make a name for yourself in many different areas: creating women’s, men’s, children’s, evening, sportswear, underwear, costumes for theater, sports and film. You can become a print or textile designer, stylist, creative technologist, designer, fashion illustrator.
Tip: Attend professional events. Don’t miss fashion shows, seminars and workshops. Stay on topic and keep up with everything that is happening in the industry.
Step Two. Get to know the profession from the inside
The profession of fashion designer is often chosen on the basis of superficial notions of the fashion world. To understand what’s behind the gloss of fashion shows, try to find an internship and see what a designer’s day-to-day work consists of. Make sure you are comfortable with technical sketches, design, creating patterns and layouts, sewing and hours of trying on.
Step Three. Get an education
If the internship has convinced you of the correctness of your choice – start looking for a university. Professional education in this field is just as necessary as in any other.
Need to know:
- the history of fashion and costume;
- peculiarities of working with different kinds of fabrics, leather, fur;
- stages of creating clothes – from illustration to catwalk;
- methods of market analysis and trend forecasting.
One must be able to:
- draw by hand and in computer programs;
- cut and sew;
- understand the needs of the target audience;
- anticipate and take into account fashion trends;
- offer non-standard solutions.
Some of the highest quality fashion programs are offered by Italian universities. They provide a deep immersion into the profession and give students the opportunity to receive cooperation offers from well-known studios and fashion houses already during their studies.
The advantage of Italian education is its focus on practice. While studying fashion design, students and graduates present their collections at fashion weeks and are published in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, GQ magazines.
Tip: Find your style. Look for inspiration and ideas in a variety of places: travel, go to exhibitions, study culture and traditions, meet new people.
By the end of your studies you graduate with a creative portfolio or a diploma work – a whole collection, which students show at fashion shows inside and outside the university.
For example, a group of talented students from Istituto Marangoni designed a clothing collection inspired by the Disney film “Alice in Wonderland”. The finished work participated in the fashion show – the result was appreciated not only by the media, but also by Disney itself.
interesting to know
- Opportunity to learn from teachers-practitioners and fashion masters – for example, director of Trussardi fashion house Guy Trussardi, Vogue Italia editor Sara Maino and founder of Costume National Ennio Capasa teach at Domus.
- Inter-university mobility – for example, Mod’Art students can continue their education at partner universities in the U.S. (Berkley College New York), UK (London College of Fashion and London Metropolitan University) and other countries.
- Study in international team.
- Workshops in production and studios: Students join together in creative collaborations and create their own collections.
- Internships at fashion houses and international companies such as Valentino Fashion Group, Giorgio Armani, Trussardi, Versace, Missoni and Swatch.
- Participation in fashion shows and international competitions such as Milano Fashion Week, Business Links, Paris London Week.
- Modern campus facilities: 2D and 3D scanners for measuring, studios and media libraries with up-to-date materials.
Where do graduates of design and fashion schools work?
The university diploma gives a huge advantage in employment – graduates of European and American design and fashion faculties are in demand in both domestic and foreign fashion houses. Young fashion designers, who graduated from university abroad, were trained according to new programs, they are aware of current and future fashion trends, have up-to-date information from teachers-practitioners. Therefore, having such a specialist in the team significantly increases the company’s chances for creative and commercial success.
Tip: take part in competitions. This will allow you to feel the competition, to get acquainted with the experts, and to receive an objective critique.
If you want to start a career in Russia, you can work for maestros like Tatiana Parfenova, Alena Akhmadullina, and Ulyana Sergeenko. Costume designers are always needed in film, theater or television. Finally, many graduates open their own ateliers.
If you think about a career abroad, such titans of the fashion industry as Prada, Versace, Valentino, Dolce&Gabbana, Missoni, Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton open their doors to you.
Stories of successful graduates
Vladislav Krivdin became Designer of the Year in Istituto Marangoni (Milan) – his graduation collection was recognized the best. The jury voted unanimously for the talented graduate’s victory.
Katy Garbuz trained as a stylist at the Istituto Marangoni (London) and built a meteoric career for several years after graduation. During her studies Katya worked with Tom Ford, Idol Magazine, Mawi, Temperley London and Browns Focus, and today she is the art director of the international project Mercedes Benz Kiev Fashion Days.
Liya Haerova opened an atelier in Kazan at the age of 26, then graduated from Istituto Marangoni, did projects for Michael Kors and Max Mara, did an internship in Spain, and now has founded her own brand LIA HAEROVA with headquarters in Dubai.