Fashion Design Art Career

Beauty, harmony and a balanced composition is part of the fashion industry. The fashion industry will always be about money. Being with the trends and adapting designs is a constant demand in the fashion world. Billions of dollars are spent every year in America on clothes and accessories. Varieties of artists are needed for clothing designs as well as photographers, advertisement artists, fashion coordinators and many more. Here are a few notes on fashion design and fashion illustration.

Fashion Designer

A fashion designer works out his or her own ideas by hand-drawing or by computer illustration. From this idea a first example can be cut and sewn. Then, after approval and budget decisions are made, a run of the model can be produced by a team of craftspeople, such as textile experts and pattern-makers. Then, prospective buyers give their input according to the tastes of their customers. This process assumes that a fashion designer is working with a large organization. A fashion designer could work free-lance from his or her home base and adapt to fit into a teamwork system.

helpful qualities - creative imagination, adaptability, ability to keep research files with drawings and photographs, willingness to accept feedback, ability to meet deadlines.
preparation - take drawing, painting, art history, drafting, and 3-D design classes. Seek experience in your school and local retail shops for fashion and costume experience. (... also, see FIDM)

Fashion Illustrator

Fashion Illustrator might be one of the most reliable paths in the fashion industry. Illustrations for advertising are a major part of being able to sell fashion: magazines, retail displays, advertising agencies.

Fashion illustrators must be able ton show how fabric clings to or folds around the body. The illustrator, ideally, draws the target clothing from a live model. The artist relies on his or her background in design to finish a drawing that will be seen by potentially millions. The advertiser or retailer will give a final say whether the illustration fits their "look."

helpful qualities - talent for drawing and painting; an understanding of current fashion trends, meets deadlines, ability to work with art directors and advertisers.
preparation - take drawing, painting, art history, drafting, and 3-D design classes. Seek experience in your school and local retail shops for fashion and costume experience. Keep abreast of fashion illustration trends in the popular magazines, such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Town and Country, and WWD.

Other Careers in the Fashion Industry