Fashion Designer job description
Common Tasks
As a fashion designer, your job description may include a variety of tasks. Designers may be responsible for the following kinds of things:
• Researching fashion trends and staying current on contemporary styles
• Creating sketches and samples
• Choosing materials
• Attending fashion shows
• Performing business administration tasks
• Marketing products
• Supervising or working with design team members
Essential Skills for a Fashion Designer Job
• Creativity and Style – The fashion design industry is in a perpetual state of metamorphosis. Fashion designers need to be able to draw inspiration from past trends and see new possibilities for their future designs. They need to be able to innovate and put a fresh spin on things. From sketching to execution, fashion designers need artistic ability and originality to succeed in the industry.
• Knowledge of Fashion History – Fashion designers have to stay a step ahead. To do that, they need knowledge about previous styles and movements in fashion history. They also need to be aware of current fashion events and developments.
• Business Know-How – Knowing the ins and outs of business beneficial for any fashion designer. In this highly competitive industry, aspiring designers can't rely on their artistic vision alone to bring success. For fashion designers, understanding basic principles of marketing and business can help them reach their goals.
Ability to Perform Under Pressure – A fashion design career isn't for the faint of heart. Fashion designers should thrive in high-pressure environments. Those entering this occupation should be willing to work in a team, and they should work well under the demands of deadlines. They should also be able to handle criticism. Critics in this field can be brutal. Successful fashion designers know how to learn from a critique while maintaining their individual style.
Fashion designer skills
I chose to be a fashion designer from the options we had on the brief. In this table I have looked at the skills that a fashion designer needs to have, five being the highest skill level and one being the lowest. I have also graded myself to show what skills I need to improve.
Skills | Fashion Designer | Me |
Communication | 5 | 4 |
Passion | 5 | 4 |
Marketing | 2 | 3 |
Negotiation | 4 | 3 |
Innovation | 5 | 4 |
Pattern cutting | 3 | 3 |
Machine Sampling | 5 | 3 |
Accounts | 3 | 2 |
Organisation (Filling and Admin) | 3 | 2 |
Organisation (Time management) | 5 | 3 |
Ability to source materials | 5 | 3 |
Previous experience | 3 | 2 |
Employment law | 5 | 5 |
People management | 5 | 3 |
Project management | 5 | 3 |
Maintain equipment | 5 | 5 |
Health and safety | 5 | 5 |
Flexibility | 4 | 4 |
Interpersonal skills | 3 | 3 |
Numeracy | 2 | 4 |
Motivation | 5 | 3 |
Initiative | 5 | 4 |
Confidence | 5 | 3 |
Draping on the stand | 3 | 3 |
