Fashion is just not a word – its an emotion. There’s so much more attached to this word that it goes beyond the realm of glamour, the fame & the makeup. It’s a way of life for individuals looking to express their thoughts and their mood.
All around the globe, there are thousands of aspirants looking to make a breakthrough in the world of fashion. Equally, there are millions of people working in the fashion sector which is growing with every passing day. Becoming a fashion designer involves a lot of hard work and persistence. Moreover, one has to work harder than ever, especially if you’re starting off – while making a conscious attempt to develop several other skills if you really want to excel and make a mark in this field. That being said, here’s a list of a few things that you need to keep in mind before opting for a career in Fashion Designing.
1. Make the right contacts early on
If you take the effort of scouring the market, you will find that there is a wide range of diverse opportunities for fashion designers in the market. However, the key is to capitalize on these opportunities. To break into the fashion industry, you need to start making some good connections right from the get-go – preferably while you’re still pursuing the fashion design course. There are several internships offered by fashion houses so latch on to these even if they are unpaid. The key is to get noticed and convince people that you have what it takes to cut it in this industry.
2. Stand out from the pack
An often under-rated but crucial factor is to keep reinventing yourself. The fashion industry is evolving with every passing moment so you’ll need to think out-of-the-box and come up with ideas that are fresh, innovative, & unique that will help you stand out from the crowd. Unless you can bridge a perceivable gap and do what the rest is not doing, how do you think people notice you? Don’t hesitate to ask about other people’s experiences so that you can build a more specific and realistic set of goals for yourself. Most importantly, exercise creativity, Fashion illustrations, contact brands directly, and above all, persevere.
3. Be prepared to slog it out
If you think fashion is all about glamour, style, and living the high life – you need a reality check. The fact of the matter is that fashion designing as a profession can prove to be a stressful career choice. There will be days and nights where you will have to work without sleeping. Skipping meals or eating on the go will also become the order of the day. Hence, before choosing fashion designing as a career option, you need to sit down and retrospect how passionate you are and how far are you ready to go to make it big in this field.
Additionally, when you consider this as a career choice, you need to be mindful that even the smallest amount of research might mean working off to extreme limits. If you are willing to push yourself to the limits and have the passion & drive to do it, the world of fashion awaits you.
4. Fashion is a business
Pretty obvious but it still needs to be reiterated. Fashion might be an art but it’s also a business which is why you need to hone your business and marketing skills not only to promote your work but also to survive. Furthermore, sustaining a life as a fashion designer doesn’t come easy and is certainly not cheap. Despite living on a relative pittance, you will still be expected to dress well which doesn’t come cheap. Moreover, while working, you will need to stay ahead of the curve and come up with innovative designs which are where exercising shrewd business acumen will surely help.
Although there are cases where many a designer started from the bottom and made it – the key lies in how well you manage it all. Make sure to learn the ropes of the industry – which means knowing where to cut corners and how to maximize your profits – if you really dream of starting your own label someday. If you can go through all this and still be happy and content in what you’re doing, then by all means, go right ahead.
5. Choose a particular niche
Another important piece of advice before starting off your career is choosing a specific area of fashion you are interested in. There are several niches to choose from styling to designing and you should look towards building focused experience on the area you’re interested in and go from there. Think about what types of designers are in demand and thereon, make sure to your time while you’re still in designing school to find that one area you think you can see yourself excelling in for the rest of your career.
6. Multi-Tasking
How good are you at juggling two or more different activities at the same time? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a student, an intern, or a designer – multitasking is a skill which is a pre-requisite if you’re looking to survive in this cut-throat arena. Right from being at multiple places at almost identical timings to working on editing pictures & more – a lot will be expected of you. Which is why, how you manage to perform more than one task, or activity, at the same time will go a long way in determining your overall success in this field.