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Steps to Become a Fashion Designer

Deepa Kartha
Do you find yourself constantly looking at fashion magazines to learn about the latest trends? Are you always admired and appreciated for the ways in which you experiment with your clothes? If yes, fashion designing is the career for you.
Fashion is an ever changing entity, where nothing remains permanent. So, it is necessary to constantly research about the ongoing trends. Along with the current fashion, one must also be aware of the old fashion styles, so that one can adapt and create new ones.
To be a good fashion designer, it is necessary to be creative to imagine something new and innovative.
One has to find a balance between new trends and one's innovative ideas. One should constantly read fashion related articles and magazines, to be up-to-date about the latest fashion trends.
A fashion designer is a person who designs clothes, by closely following latest fashion trends. At fashion shows and fashion weeks, fashion designers exhibit their creations in front of the world. For most people, fashion designing ends there. But, actually fashion designing is much more than that.
Fashion designers are not just the ones whose garments appear on fashion shows. In fact, every piece of cloth that we wear, is the work of a designer.
One of the very important things required to become a fashion designer is knowing the technical aspects of designing. For this, it is important to join a course in fashion designing. One can enroll oneself into a college that offers a two or four-year diploma or degree course in fashion designing.
To get an admission, you will need to send some of your sketches, along with your application. You would be selected on the basis of whether you have the creativity and the ability to become a fashion designer.
The course will help you in developing your skills by giving you knowledge about colors, textures, fabrics, how to use drapes, detailing, etc. Some courses would also teach you to sew and to use computer programs like CAD (Computer-aided design) which would help you in designing on the computer.
In most colleges, students are asked to design clothes for fashion shows conducted by the institution. This is a good way to gain practical experience, as each student is expected to work individually on their outfits, which would be judged by their professors and also experts in the field.
Working part-time under a fashion designer, while studying, is also beneficial for career development, as it enables the student to earn some money, whilst gaining invaluable experience.
Working after completing the course may not be as easy as you imagine. To secure an internship, you have to send a portfolio of the work you have done to a fashion house or a mass market retail company. It can be disappointing because you have to work for long hours, but your stipend would be low.
After gaining the required experience, one can start ones own boutique. One needs to have business skills, which can be achieved via business oriented courses, even while doing fashion designing. Many colleges train fashion designing students in business management, so it is a good idea to opt for a course which offers training in both fashion and business.
You must have seen some fashion shows or fashion weeks, and awed at the glitz, glamor and fame that a fashion designer receives, and must surely have imagined of becoming one.
The fashion industry may appear glamorous, but it requires lot of hard work to reach the top level. It is not an easy task, but not impossible. It is a competitive world, but with commitment and dedication, you can make a mark for yourself.