Study Fashion Design

Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories.

Modern fashion design can be divided into two basic categories: haute couture and ready-to-wear where the former is dedicated to certain customers and is custom sized to fit these customers exactly whereas the latter is standard sized and not custom made, and is often produced in large production runs. 

Fashion Design - What will you study?

There are many knowledge in fashion design on how to design fashion pieces which are both trendy and functional. 

In most fashion design programs, students will learn about textiles and fabrics and how to use computer-aided design (CAD) technology to transform their ideas into reality. Other than that, fashion designers will also have to constantly study the industry to stay informed of current trends and to be able to forecast future styles. 

In common fashion design courses, some common concepts like creative design, pattern drafting, fashion illustration, fashion and art, and fitting will be taught to students. Besides these common concepts, students will also study technical skills like tailoring and sewing to produce and deliver their product. 

A fashion design student will also have to keep a good portfolio and the initial experience in the fashion industry can be obtained through internships or by working as an assistant designer.

Internships provide aspiring fashion designer with an opportunity to experience the real fashion industry and add some advantages to their portfolio. 

What are the popular fields in Fashion Design?

There are several types of Fashion Design like apparel design, footwear design, accessories design, etc.

1. Apparel design
Apparel designers take care of clothing and costumes, they create and help produce men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, including casual wear, suits, sportswear, evening wear, outerwear, maternity clothing, intimate apparel, etc. 

2. Footwear design
Footwear is an important element in fashion design. Matching the wrong footwear can greatly downgrade the aesthetic value of a piece of design. A footwear designer is responsible for creating different types of footwear- athletic, casual, formal, etc. that combines comfort, form and function to match the clothing’s design.

3. Accessories design 
Accessories designers design and produce items such as handbags, suitcases, belts, scarves, hats, hosiery and eyewear to compliment a person’s outfit. Like other individuals in the fashion industry, an accessory designer must be very knowledgeable about past, current and future fashion trends. 

How long do you study Fashion Design?

The duration of studying fashion design course depends on which fashion design you are studying in and the level of study of your course.

For most fashion design schools, a fashion design bachelor degree will usually take 3-4 years to complete while a diploma course will take 1-3 years to complete. If you would like to further pursue your career, you can continue your study in Master degree for another 1-2 years. 

Why should you study Fashion Design?

1. Stay close to the trend
In this fast-changing world, nothing stays forever and be there for long. Being in the fashion industry, you will stay close to the trend and get the newest update about the current trend in the fashion industry. Not only that, but you will also have a sneak peek on the trend of the next fashion season ahead of other people who are not in the industry.

2. Absolute satisfaction
Being a fashion designer, you will get to see other people wearing your creation and this surely will bring massive satisfaction and pride. Not only that, your satisfaction will be augmented when you receive compliments for your design and product. 

3. Everything is pretty
For those people who appreciate the aesthetic values of products, fashion design is what you want to study. Being in this field, you will be constantly exposed to pretty elements and ideas, and be one of the people who contribute to the aesthetic design. 

What skills do you need for Fashion Design?

1. Creativity
Creativity is the most important quality of a designer, including a Fashion Designer. A fashion designer with creativity will be able to produce a design idea which is unique, functional and stylish which makes the designer and his/her design stand out in this competitive industry.

2. Detail Orientation
There are sayings like “the devil is in the detail” and “God is in the details”, that shows that detail is very important. What makes a design unique and stand out among other design is often its detail. A small detail like a slight difference in colour can greatly affect the feel and vibe of a design. 

3. Computer Skills
Computer software is an important tool for a fashion designer when they’re designing as there are some details in design which are difficult to be drawn using freehand. Therefore, the ability to use computer software in designing would be extremely beneficial to designers design and production. 

What career can you have with a Fashion Design education?

Here are some of the popular career options you can pursue with a Fashion Design education:

• Assistant Fashion Designer
• Fashion Designer
• Fashion Stylist
• Fashion Merchandiser
• Fashion Journalist
• Fashion Editor
• Fashion Model
• Visual Merchandiser
• Textile Designer

What is the Expected Salary?

Fashion Design is a unique field of study. Below are the expected salaries of some popular jobs in this industry.

(Source: Payscale)