Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
How to become a fashion designer
Apply your creative skills to create the next big thing in fashion.
What is a fashion designer?
As a fashion designer, you'll be fascinated by the cultural landscape and you'll seek inspiration from the world around you to create fresh and original clothing designs.
How do I become a fashion designer?
Jobs in the fashion industry are hotly contested and typically you'll need a degree, HND or foundation degree.
Ideally, you'll be studying to develop your creative and technical skills. Relevant subjects could include:
- Art and design
- Fashion and fashion design
- Fashion business
- Fashion marketing
- Garment technology
- Graphic design
- Textiles and textile design
What would I do as a fashion designer?
As a fashion designer you'll be creating new designs for clothing, responding to consumer trends and market demand.
You'll be completely immersed in current fashion trends and have an intuitive sense of what's coming next. You'll be visualising your ideas, deciding on fabrics. colours and patterns, and selling your designs to fashion buyers, or to your own team if you're working in a larger company. You'll also be involved in the production of your designs, developing patterns and technical specs, and dealing with manufacturers and suppliers.
Depending on where you work your role may involve:
- Drawing up your ideas by hand or using computer-aided design (CAD) and creating moodboards to support your designs
- Keeping up with the latest fashion trends
- Working with buyers, forecasters, sales and production teams to develop clothing that meets market demand
- Creating sample garments and refining the fit, detailing and any changes ahead of production
- Visiting trade shows and manufacturers to source fabrics, trims and fastenings
- Showcasing your designs at fashion shows
- If you're self-employed, you may be managing marketing, finances and other business activities
Becoming a fashion designer could be for you if...
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You've a flair for fashion
You're bursting with ideas and excited by the prospect of working in a constantly-changing, highly-creative industry.
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You are the business
While you're energised by creativity, to succeed, you'll need a handle on the business side of fashion, especially if you're self-employed.
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You make networking work
You're good at self-promotion and building up your connections – again, especially valuable if you work for yourself.
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You see the future
You soak up influences from the world around you and you have a strong instinct for what people will be wearing in 6 months' time.
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You're a natural collaborator
In most cases, you'll need to work successfully with a wider team in order to get your ideas out into the world.
What are the typical working hours for a fashion designer?
Working in-house in a studio you'll work regular hours but you can expect to work extra hours around key deadlines such as fashion shows.
If you work for yourself, the hours can vary considerably and you can expect to work long hours.
Starting salaries in the fashion industry are often low. As a design assistant you may be paid around £16,000 to £18,000.
Junior designers can expect to earn around £25,000 a year.
Senior designers and creative directors can earn between £42,000 and £85,000.
