Fashion Design

Archive for October, 2009

The big question is whether Fashion Design School is for you – and if so, how to choose the best from all the rest.
Is sewing one of your skills?
Do you find creating designs enjoyable?
Do you love to change patterns to create different garments from the original?
If your passion is fashion, a fashion design school just might be the right place for you.
Below are some of the reasons that should influence you to attend a fashion design school:
. Up-to-date styles that people buy is one of the things you will learn about.
. Earning your degree will greatly increased your level of confidence about making a living in the fashion industry.
. The rewarding experience of studying and working in a field you love.
. The various principles of the patterns you have worked on and will work on is an area you will learn much about
. Magnifying the shape and cut of your designs with the mixing and matching of color will be something you will become knowledgeable about.
. You will learn how to mix, match and accessorize to stunning effect. This will show you that there are endless possibilities.
. In fashion design school, the people you work with, share ideas with and form relationships with will be of many different kinds but with the shared passion for fashion.
. These relationships will set the foundation you need to start your career in the fashion world in meeting key people such as business partners, employees or employers, begins with the relationships you form in fashion design school.
There are quite a number of fashion design schools around the world. Located in London, the central Saint Martins College of Art and Design is one of the most famous. Other famous schools in London are The Royal College of Arts and the London College of Fashion. In other locations are such famous schools as the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Parsons The New School for Design in New York City and AIU in Los Angeles.
In the schools listed above, most of the course studies last for about three years.
Now, how are you going to choose the school that is best for you?
The ten tips below may be of help to you in making your decision:
Tip#1 Decide what area of fashion you would most like to go into. Then compare the schools to see which has the program that fills your needs
Tip#2 Make a list of things you will need to look into, such as tuition, location, programs offered, degree levels offered, placement record and many more that you might think of. Use this list in your search to find the right school.
Tip#3 Compile a list of fashion design schools that you wish to consider.
Tip#4 Find out everything you can about each school at their websites and list the pros and cons of each one.
Tip#5 Apply your list to the schools you are considering to narrow the field.
Tip#6 If possible, visit the schools that are left on your list. If a personal visit isn’t possible, a video or virtual tour online may suffice.
Tip#7 Submit your application to those schools that remain on your list and meet your criteria.
Tip#8 Search the Internet and apply for grants and scholarships you may be eligible for while you wait to hear from the schools applied to.
Tip#9 Once you receive responses from the schools you applied to and from scholarship grantors, carefully review and compare, then make your final decision.
Tip #10 Now prepare for a journey in life like you have never experienced and enjoy!
You are on your way to one of the best fashion design schools the world has to offer!

http://4mostip.com/presents/Fashion

Passion for fashion? How about a career in fashion
design?
Take a step towards making fashion YOUR career.
Find out about fashion design school at:

http://4mostip.com/presents/Fashion

There’s just something about the fabrics, the colors and the fashionista spirit that drives you to this field. Becoming a fashion designer means so much more than understanding clothes. It’s knowing how to identify the trends that drive the consumer to buy. Learn that, and your career potential may very well be unlimited.

The Fashion Design 411 The fashion design industry is comprised of a wide variety of professional positions that range from the creative to the systematic. The population of true designers is a select group, with new positions and annual turnover remarkably low.

The median annual wage of fashion designers in May 2007 was $62,810, with the top 10 percent earning $121,640 and the bottom 10 percent earning $31,340. Potential salary and employment opportunities should be best with design firms that create mass market clothing. Also, because about 25 percent of professional in this field work temporary or contract positions, the environment can be right for entrepreneurs and business self-starters.

Becoming a Fashion Designer: What It Takes to Get There The road to become a fashion designer is similar to most trade or artisan fields. Two paths exist: a traditional academic route and a career training alternative. Approximately 250 postsecondary institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design offer 2- or 4-year degrees in fine arts. Community colleges and trade schools also provide career training without the breadth of a liberal arts-based degree.

During or after training, potential candidates typically intern with manufacturers, buyers, or retail outlets in preparation for the day-to-day demands of the job. Opportunities for interdisciplinary and international study should be available to promising students.

Program and Course Requirements The changing landscape of the fashion design industry is taking students through an unusually contemporary readiness strategy. The emergence of Auto CAD as a design tool is placing a premium on candidates with advanced technical skills. Also, communications remains an integral part of the job and encourages students to consider the academic development option.

Common courses may include textiles, color, pattern making, sewing, tailoring, fashion history, and more. You may also develop a working portfolio during your studies that can be used both to gauge your progress and market yourself to potential employers.

Become a Fashion Designer: Short-cuts and Time Savers Some things to do to keep yourself ahead of the curve:
•    Prepare Early. Get basic courses out of the way as soon as possible–mathematics, psychology, design and sketching, and human anatomy to name a few.
•    Make Contacts. Use your preparation period to cultivate valuable industry and career contacts that you can leverage when job-hunting.
•    Continue Learning. Professional development is one of the keys to becoming a fashion designer; that means always taking advantage of conventions, workshops, and showings.

Your fashion design career should be what you make it. As with most creative fields, conscientious planning and a determination to learn the basics often make the difference.

Kelli Smith is the senior editor for www.Edu411.org. Edu411.org lists colleges, institutes, and online fashion design school that offer fashion degree programs.

You know you’re destined to be a fashion designer if you: a) spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends; b) read fashion magazines instead of your school books; c) ran a boutique out of your basement at age 10. In other words: if you want to be the next Yves Saint Laurent, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion.

However, there are many aspects of the profession. Working as a fashion designer can just as well mean supervising a design team at a sportswear company as producing a label under your own name. Although the former career may not seem as glamorous as the latter, it certainly will make your life less stressful. To create your own label takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work. Not to mention living just above the poverty line for several years.

Choosing a strategy

There are as many different ways to embark upon a fashion career as there are styles of design. Ralph Lauren’s Polo empire was founded on a small tie collection that he sold to Bloomingdales. Helmut Lang decided to open his own clothing store when he couldn’t find a t-shirt that he liked. Michael Kors built up a network of customers by selling clothes in a trendy NYC boutique. However, most people find that the best foundation for a design career is to get a fine arts degree in fashion at a prestigious school. Besides teaching you the craft, a good school will also add credibility to your resumé. “We live in a brandname society, and having the name of a good school behind you really does help,” says Carol Mongo, Director of the Fashion Department at Parsons School of Design in Paris.

Applying to a school

There are a lot of colleges that have fashion programs, but only a handful has the kind of reputation that can really push your career. It’s hard to enter these schools as competition is high, and they tend to be very selective. You apply by sending a portfolio of drawings of your designs. “We can’t teach you how to be creative – you have to bring your creativity to us and let us lead you on your way,” says Carol Mongo. She recommends students to get some sewing experience before they apply. Drawing is also an important skill for a designer – it is the way you communicate your ideas. In order to build an impressive portfolio it’s a good idea to have some experience in sketching; taking art classes will help you understand form and proportion. But you don’t have to be an expert drawer to get accepted to a school. “The most important quality that we look for in our students is that they are truly passionate and exuberant about fashion,” says Mongo. “If you have wonderful ideas but can’t draw, there are always ways to get around it. You could for example put your designs on a mannequin and take pictures of it.”

What school will do for you

Most fashion programs are three to four years long. During that time you will take fine arts classes and study drawing, color composition and form. You will also learn pattern making, draping and cutting techniques. One of the most important advantages of design schools is that they work really closely with the industry. Parsons, for example, have “designer critic projects” where successful designers like Donna Karan and Michael Kors work directly with the graduating students. Ambitious students also have the chance to win prestigious awards and grants, which bring them a lot of attention as well as financial support. One very important event is the fashion show at the end of the last semester, when graduating students show their collections. A lot of important people from the fashion industry attend these shows to scout new talent. It’s also an opportunity to be really outrageous and get noticed by the media. Hussein Chalayan, for example, became instantly infamous when he showed rotting clothes that he had buried in his backyard for his graduation show at Saint Martins.

Alternative routes

“Let’s be realistic,” says Carol Mongo at Parsons, “School’s not for everyone. If you’re just looking to get a job in the fashion industry – not a career as a designer – you probably don’t need to go school.” If you want to work as a seamstress or a patternmaker, the best thing is probably to apply for an internship at a fashion house and work your way up. However, there are many examples of famous designers who started out as interns with no formal training. For example, Dior’s brightest new star, men’s wear designer Hedi Slimane, had a degree in journalism when he started working with men’s wear designer José Levy. Balenciaga’s Nicolas Ghesquière is another example of a brilliantly successful designer who learned the jobs hands-on, as an assistant at Jean-Paul Gaultier. Usually, you apply for an internship by sending a portfolio to a fashion house you’re interested in. But it’s a good idea to call them up beforehand to see exactly what they need. It’s also important to note that competition is fierce, and unless you have personal connections, it’s very difficult to get an internship without an education.

There are also designers, like Luella Bartley, who started their own business after working as stylists for several years, thus building an industry network as well as a good marketing sense.

Understanding the business

Unfortunately, it’s not enough for a designer to be creative; you also have to have some business sense. As fashion gets more and more corporate driven, it’s important to be aware of the business climate and understanding the mechanics behind it. By religiously reading trade papers like “Women’s Wear Daily” you will get a lot of valuable information. If you want to run your own company, you need to be extremely organized and learn at least the basics of economics. A lot of fashion schools are currently increasing business classes in their curriculum. “Our students have to be smart enough to know how to negotiate a contract, or to pick a business partner,” says Carol Mongo. It’s perhaps telling that many of the designers that are really successful today, like Calvin Klein or Tom Ford, are involved in every aspect of the business – from licensing strategies to ad campaigns to actually designing the clothes.

About the author:

Fashion Designer Omar Ejaz,The owner of The Heer boutique, has previously exhibited in Lahore, Karachi, New Delhi, Singapore, HongKong, London, Glasgow and USA,where his creationswas highly appreciated. Omer work with a variety of fabrics, and what truly sets them apart is the innovative way he combine two or more textures in a single garment.

TheHeer Carries Women’s Designer Clothing, Shalwar Kameez, Indian / Pakistani Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Dresses, Bridesmaid Dresses, Casual Wear, Formal Wear, Evening and party wear.They design and sell Indian and Pakistani fashion dresses. Pakistani clothing store. They have custom made Pakistani/Indian fashion dresses like shalwar kameez, sherwani dress, embroidered khussa shoes, Men’s shalwar Kameez, lehnga and ghagra.

website:http://www.TheHeer.com

TheHeer@gmail.com

Fashion Designer Omar Ejaz,The owner of The Heer boutique, has previously exhibited in Lahore, Karachi, New Delhi, Singapore, HongKong, London, Glasgow and USA,where his creationswas highly appreciated. Omer work with a variety of fabrics, and what truly sets them apart is the innovative way he combine two or more textures in a single garment.

TheHeer Carries Women’s Designer Clothing, Shalwar Kameez, Indian / Pakistani Wedding Lehenga, Bridal Dresses, Bridesmaid Dresses, Casual Wear, Formal Wear, Evening and party wear.They design and sell Indian and Pakistani fashion dresses. Pakistani clothing store. They have custom made Pakistani/Indian fashion dresses like shalwar kameez, sherwani dress, embroidered khussa shoes, Men’s shalwar Kameez, lehnga and ghagra.

website:http://www.TheHeer.com

TheHeer@gmail.com