Have you ever seen Devil Wears Prada? If you have you’ll know that the fashion world is brutal and to get ahead you need to stay on top of the industry. According to that film to get on you have to be ruthless and work day and night.
In real life, it might not be that cutthroat but you still need to be tough to get on. So if you want to make it and become recognized as one of the best in the world, what fashion designer skills do you need?
1. Understand the Industry
The most important skill, above anything else, is understanding how the fashion industry works. To do this you need to know the schedule of the fashion world. When are the major shows and what designers have come out on top in previous years?
You also need to know which celebrities wear which brand and who is likely to wear which brand this year. What is in and what is out? And what shops are stocking which designer? One example is that in 2019 there was a trend to dress like Anne Boylen.
If you can get your head around this then this can be more valuable then being good at designing since you have an understanding of which way the market is likely to go. This way you can determine which one of your designs is likely to be the most commercially successful. This is one of the great fashion skills.
Also, don’t forget to network with merchandisers and major players in the industry whenever you can so that when you come to pitch a garment the person making the decision already has a connection with you.
2. Good at Drawing
As well as understanding the market and the industry itself, you need to be good at design and drawing. This is one of the most important fashion designer qualifications.
To wow anyone in the industry you need to have good drawing skills that show off the designs you are going to make. Without being good at drawing you will never be commissioned to work on something in the first place, no matter how good it is.
Drawing is what pitching is to journalists. So be sure to book a fashion drawing tutorial if it’s not one of your strong points.
3. Good at Realizing an Idea
Finally, you need to be able to realize your idea once you have successfully pitched it to the right people in the industry. Designing is a different skill to drawing and requires you being good with your hands.
Sewing machines at the ready. Be a perfectionist and ensure you focus on details so that your garment is well made and wows your audience.
Fashion Designer Skills: Be Fearless and Work Hard
They say the ones that make it are the ones that dare to be different. And that is true. But you can’t do something different in an industry if you don’t understand it. In the fashion world, it’s vitally important to tread the line between breaking the mold and staying true to the rules.
So be sure to do your research into what major fashion trends are selling well and how your idea might fit into this.
If you are interested in learning more about fashion designer skills and the skills for fashion designer then be sure to check out the rest of our site.