Simple question right? You'll be amazed at the misconception of what a Fashion Designer really does......!

I remember a number of years ago, a friend of mine wanted me to custom design something for her personal wardrobe. She assumed that in addition to designing the garment, I would also make the pattern and sew the garment for her. She was shocked when I told her I didn't make patterns, and I didn't sew either. I explained to her that those are specific skills from pattern makers and sewers, and normally, Fashion Designers are not properly trained in those skills. At the time I was the Design Director at a pretty well known women's brand here in Los Angeles. It was an eye opening experience for me as I never really thought of how little people really know what a Fashion Designer does.

Most Fashion Designers graduate from Fashion Schools. In some rare cases, if they possess applicable skills, they can learn from job sights and work their way up. I went to Parsons in New York, which is currently considered one of the best fashion schools globally. I am sure their curriculum has changed since, but back in the day when I attended, having a strong portfolio was more important than having specific technical skills. Being able to sketch and make strong visual presentations took precedence over other skills such as pattern making and draping. ( This was pre-internet, I can't imagine all the courses being taught now that were not available back then! ) I believe the thinking was that you will learn all the technical skills from actual work place once you get your foot in the door with your strong portfolio presentation. In retrospect, this was what happened to me, I did learn most of my technical skills from work sites rather than from school, but I always had impressive portfolios that helped me get great jobs.

Most designers find themselves working for brands in the following categories after landing their first job. These categories are: Women's apparel, Men's apparel, Children's apparel, Shoes, Accessories. Within each category, there are sub-categories. For instance Women's Apparel can be sub-divided into Sportswear, Evening, Special Occasion, Dresses, Activewear, Outerwear, etc.

Brands which Fashion Designers work for can fall into different price point structures. The most expensive and luxurious being Haute Couture, which are super exclusive and made to measure garments. Next comes Ready To Wear, luxury collections of designer sportswear. Following that is Contemporary ( below RTW), then Moderate ( Mass market). I am just generalizing here as these can be further broken down into more categories.

A lot of Fashion Designers, especially in Haute Couture and RTW ( Ready To Wear), whether they design entire collections or specialize in specific categories, don't normally crossover to lower price point tiers. However, sometimes due to certain circumstances, they can. I can only relate this to my own experience as a Fashion Designer, because I started my career working for Polo Ralph Lauren in Menswear, then went to Calvin Klein doing Womenswear. These were and still are two of America's biggest names in RTW ( Ready To Wear). I then worked for mainstream brands who fall somewhere between Contemporary and Moderate, and ended up working in Contemporary.

Okay, so what does a Fashion Designer do? Well, a Fashion Designer's responsibilities can vary but in most cases are as follows:

Interpret the aesthetics of the brand they work for and make it appealing and saleable for the brand's audience.
Research all trends, including silhouettes, colors, prints, fabrics, trims, details.
Design each delivery following brand's market calendar. ( This process is not just sketching, it involves knowing how a garment is constructed, how fabrics work, what trims to use, and being able to communicate your ideas to a pattern maker or tech designer to ensure your garment comes out the way you envision.)
Except in cases where a Fashion Designer has their own brand and is the creative director, they will have to answer to the brand's Founder, Ceo, VP, Design Director ( whomever is their direct supervisor) and collaborate their brand visions.
Depending on their level of experience, they will also have to supervise a team of technicians such as pattern makers, tech designers, cutters, sewers and other design creatives.
Fashion Designers need to know how to fit ( fitting garments on industry fit models) with their pattern makers and tech designers from proto stage through the approval of Sale Samples ( garments used for showing buyers at each market). Sometimes for smaller operations, they will also need to fit production until styles are approved to be produced by factories.

There are times when Designers maybe required to have more technical skills if they work for smaller companies or start ups, where there is less budget for hiring technicians. They may also be required to know how to do "costing" and be involved in more of the merchandising and production development process.

Of course, there are also different levels of Fashion Designers based on their years of experience. Most start off as interns or assistants, and work their way up to Senior Designers, Design Directors, VP of Design, etc.

So you see, being a Fashion Designer is really more than doing pretty sketches and being glamorous! It is a lot of behind the scene work and can be grueling at times. In reality, it is anything but glamorous! Sometimes, managerial responsibilities outweighs creativity as you move up the corporate leader. Unlike the handful of Luxury designers ( Gucci, Balenciaga.....), most designers work behind the scene and seldom get recognition for their work. Therefore, to be a successful Fashion Designer, you really have to love fashion and be passionate about what you do. Don't go into fashion seeking fame and fortune, or you will be very disappointed.

Hey, I am not here to discourage anyone from being a Fashion Designer, if this is your passion go for it! It is not all doom and gloom. Yes, being a Fashion Designer takes a lot of work and perseverance but it can be very rewarding too. For me, going through the stages of development and seeing my designs come to fruition is very rewarding. More so if my designs are selling to people I don't know who become loyal customers and supporters is gratifying! When my friends and family tell me how much they love wearing my designs is also extremely fulfilling. I am grateful to have met so many amazing people from different places where I have worked, some have become life long friends and confidants. I also have had the opportunity to travel to far away places ( Paris, Milan, Florence, London, Japan, China, Hong Kong, ......) where I may not have had the opportunity to go if I didn't end up being a Fashion Designer.

I hope this helps to explain what a Fashion Designer does in a nutshell. It is always good to know some facts about a career choice before jumping in with both feet blind folded............ don't you think??