What does Fashion Designer do?

Summary: Ever wondered what does a fashion designer do? For students pursuing a degree in fashion designing or aspiring for one, it's important to understand the roles and responsibilities of the job. Discover what a fashion designer does on a daily basis.

The world of fashion design is a captivating blend of art, commerce, and innovation. Fashion designers are the creative minds who translate trends, cultural influences, and artistic inspiration into wearable garments and accessories.

Their work goes beyond sketching; it involves collaboration, technical knowledge, and a keen understanding of the fashion business. Let's have a look at what does fashion designers do.

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What is Fashion Designing?

Fashion designers are the visionaries who blend creativity, technical skills, and an understanding of fashion trends to create clothing, accessories, and footwear. Their work influences the way people present themselves, express their personalities, and identify aesthetics.

What does a Fashion Designer do?

Fashion designers are primarily responsible for designing and making clothing, footwear, and/or accessories. Fashion designer responsibilities may include overseeing teams of designers or other team members to make their designs a reality and then marketing their designs for retail or other markets. There are other fashion designer duties, such as:

• Observing fashion trends to predict designs for consumers
• Choosing a theme for designs and collections
• Utilizing computer-aided design (CAD) programs for designs
• Participating in fashion shows with designs
• Picking fabrics, colors, designs, and more for pieces
• Instructing manufacturers or teams of designers on how to make the piece
• Managing the production of pieces
• Creating prototypes or models
• Discussing designs with directors or managers
• Finding new consumer markets for designs

What does a fashion designer do on a daily basis?

Here are the responsibilities of a fashion designer:

What does Fashion Designers Do	Description
Explore current fashion trends	Examining current fashion trends and estimating what the public will find appealing.
Design skill set	Developing sketches for new items with the design team and using research data.
Product design	Sketching out fresh product ideas with a design team and modifying existing designs to meet customer needs.
Sourcing Materials	Source fabrics and materials, create patterns, select colours and trims and produce clothes patterns on a large scale.
Explore all types of textures and design patterns	Fabrics, colours, patterns, and textures are tested and chosen for each design.
Hands of tasks	Controlling the creation of designs, including fittings, pricing, and marketing management.
Networking	Preserving connections with suppliers, buyers, and models.
Communication and Collaboration	Technical design information for client samples communication.
	Collaborating with team members to create clothing for future seasons and presenting collections to buyers and clients.
Technical tools	Making tech kits with specified requirements
	Creating CAD drawings to show stakeholders
	Controlling the production of prototype samples
Working with Team	Creating mood boards with the design team and discussing product lists and cost sheets.

Check: Is Fashion Designing a good career

What do designers design? 

Common things designers design under the costume section are as follows: 

• Formal Dresses
• Bridal gowns
• Suits
• Casual wear
• Swimsuits
• Intimate apparel
• Shoes
• Handbags
• Jewellery
• Sunglasses etc.

Designers also design various products, including websites, logos, graphics, software, advertisements, packaging, and displays. They may also design user interfaces, user experiences, and physical products.

Check: NIFT Fashion Designing Courses 2023

"Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life" ~ Bill Cunningham

What are the requirements to be a Fashion designer?

Here are a few requirements to be a fashion designer: 

• College bachelor's or Masters's degree in fashion design or a comparable field, or a bachelor's degree in creative arts.
• 5+ years of design expertise.
• Proficient in both Adobe Illustrator and Microsoft Excel. (if applicable)
• Travel availability for product development and research.
• Capability to draw by hand.
• Great conceptual and design abilities.
• Great colour and style sense.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Work under pressure to meet several deadlines.

Check: How to Prepare for the NIFT Situation Test 2023

Fashion Design Entrance Exams

If you want to pursue a career in fashion design, you must appear for atleast one of the entrance exams conducted by individual institutes or universities. The following are some of the most popular fashion designing entrance exams conducted at the national level.

NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology)	SEED (Symbiosis Entrance Exam for Design)
NID (National Institute of Design) Aptitude Test	AIEED ( All India Entrance Exam for Design)
UCEED (Undergraduate Common Entrance Exam for Design)	AIFD CAT (Army Institute of Fashion & Design Creative Aptitude Test)
FDDI AIST (Footwear Design and Development Institute All India Selection Test)	DE-CODE (Design Aptitude Test of Centre for Design Excellence)
IIAD (Indian Institute of Art and Design Entrance Exam)	-

Check: How to Create an Effective Fashion Portfolio as a NIFT Student

Key Takeaways

Fashion design is a demanding yet fulfilling career path. If you possess creativity, an eye for detail, and a passion for fashion, this dynamic field might be the perfect fit for you.

• Fashion designers are the visionaries who translate ideas into wearable concepts, considering aesthetics, functionality, and target audience.
• From patternmakers to stylists, fashion designers work with a team to bring their vision to life.
• The role extends to fabric selection, production oversight, and even marketing activities.
• Specialize in womenswear, menswear, or even costume design – the opportunities are vast.
• Stay updated on trends, technologies, and the ever-evolving fashion landscape.

Check: NIFT Drawing Questions