Becoming a fashion designer requires a combination of creativity, technical skills, and business acumen. To achieve this, one must develop their drawing, sewing, and design skills, work towards a bachelor’s degree in fashion design, choose a specific fashion field, and look for internships at companies in that area. In 18 lessons, iconic designer Marc Jacobs teaches his process for creating innovative, award-winning fashion.
To become a fashion designer, one should learn home economics for basic sewing, use drawing and painting for color pattern understanding, master visual design software like Photoshop, CorelDraw, Xara, and Serif DrawPlus, and read art and design. Fashion designing involves applying the art form into creating designs that aesthetically take influence from social elements.
The career progression of a fashion designer includes becoming an assistant designer, researching other fashion designers, creating new sketches daily, reading books about sewing and craftsmanship, quizzing oneself on fashion terms, practicing making prototype pieces, attending fashion events, and developing one’s own collection.
To become a fashion designer without a degree, one should familiarize themselves with design software, research other fashion designers, create new sketches daily, read books about sewing and craftsmanship, practice making prototype pieces, attend fashion events, and develop their own collection.
To stay updated with the latest trends, experiment with different styles and fabrics, and learn about the business side of the industry, one should take online fashion design classes, go to YouTube, get fashion textbooks, watch fashion shows, practice, and stay updated with the latest trends.
While drawing is not the only skill required for fashion design, it is still valuable. Practice regularly to improve sketching abilities. To become a successful fashion designer, one should start learning to sew, start small, be patient, and use store-bought patterns.
In summary, becoming a successful fashion designer requires a combination of creativity, technical skills, and business acumen. By following these steps and learning from iconic designers like Marc Jacobs, one can become a successful fashion designer.
📹 How To Become A Successful Fashion Designer
In this video, I discuss tips and tricks from a business and marketing perspective on how to become a successful fashion designer …
Can a 15 year old be a fashion designer?
A 15-year-old can pursue a career in fashion design after 12th grade, focusing on the industry-centric approach offered by the Parul Institute of Design (PID). This blog provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities for individuals to develop skills and plan for future studies in the field. It also highlights the importance of understanding fashion designing courses after 12th and their fees.
Can I teach myself fashion design?
Those with a passion for fashion can become self-taught fashion designers and start their own clothing line, even if they can’t draw or sew. Digital Fashion Pro is one of the 5 Key Items needed to help break into the fashion industry with skill, knowledge, and contacts.
Apparel manufacturers, seamstresses, pattern-makers, and sample makers require professional illustrations to create accurate clothing. Visualizing how your design will turn out inspires you, and sketches and clothing designs are the foundation of being a self-taught fashion designer and clothing brand. Landing investors, buyers, and clients with great-looking designs and illustrations can be achieved by trying out different fabrics, colorways, prints, and logo placement.
Digital Fashion Pro Fashion Design Software is easy to use, comes with hundreds of customizable clothing templates, and offers fashion designer and graphic design training. With the skills learned, you can design for other clothing lines, including women’s wear, menswear, baby clothing, shoes, and accessories. This program is used by industry fashion designers, clothing brands, and hundreds of schools worldwide.
In summary, Digital Fashion Pro is a fashion design software and course wrapped in one that can help individuals break into the fashion industry and achieve their fashion dreams.
How do I become a great fashion designer?
To become a fashion designer, one must complete a fashion design degree program, gain hands-on experience, network within the industry, build a design portfolio, and stay updated on the fashion industry. Fashion designers work for major brands on both wholesale and manufacturing sides, creating apparel and accessories for diverse consumers. They draw on fashion trends, textiles, and style knowledge to turn their vision into a reality, ensuring that their designs are original and appealing to consumers.
How old is the average fashion designer?
In 2022, the US fashion designer workforce consisted of 25, 333 people, with 85. 9 women and 14. 1 men. The average age of male designers was 39. 4, while female designers were 36. 1. White was the most common race/ethnicity. The largest age groups were 25-29 years (4, 286 people), 30-34 years (4, 105 people), and 20-24 years (3, 345 people), with 46. 9% of the total workforce being in these age groups.
Is it hard to design clothes?
The fashion industry is a fascinating field, with clothing being a reflection of a person’s personality. Those with a unique and creative style may consider designing their own clothes. This process requires a few key skills and a desire to learn. The goal of designing clothing depends on whether it’s for personal use or to create a fashion line. A step-by-step guide can help determine the necessary skills and knowledge to create custom clothing.
Is fashion designing very hard?
Fashion design is a challenging and creative career that offers numerous benefits. With a wide range of clothing options available, fashion design is an ever-growing industry that allows for creative and independent career paths. Designers must create designs from scratch, requiring imagination and creativity. This rewarding career provides a sense of self-satisfaction and fulfillment that is unique to any other industry.
Practicing creativity is essential in fashion design, as it involves working with various materials and textures, coming up with new ideas, and experimenting with different materials. There are numerous opportunities for designers, both big and small, and if you’re passionate about fashion design and enjoy traveling, this may be the perfect career for you.
Fashion designing also helps people gain confidence, as it offers opportunities to develop skills in various areas, travel, and work with different materials. Good communication and organization skills are essential in any field, but mastering your craft is key to success. With passion and dedication, achieving goals in fashion design is possible.
What is the highest paying job in fashion?
The fashion industry offers numerous lucrative career opportunities, including fashion designers, design directors, fashion buyers, fashion consultants, fashion marketing and PR, fashion stylists, and garment technologists. These careers not only focus on fashion but also encompass marketing, design, and publishing sectors. The dynamic nature of the fashion industry provides excellent career opportunities with lucrative pay packages, making it an ideal choice for those seeking high-paying fashion design careers.
How can I get good at designing clothes?
Drawing and sketching are crucial skills for fashion designers, requiring a combination of creativity, technical skills, and business acumen. To stay ahead in this competitive industry, it is essential to practice drawing and sketching different designs using mediums like pencils, markers, and watercolors. Staying updated with fashion trends, following fashion blogs, attending fashion shows, and observing top designers’ collections can inspire fresh ideas for your own designs.
Experimenting with different styles and fabrics, mixing and matching textures, colors, and patterns, will help you develop your personal style and stand out from the competition. By following these nine ways to improve yourself in fashion designing, you can stay ahead of the curve and create unique and memorable designs.
Does fashion designing worth it?
A fashion degree can lead to a lucrative career, even if it’s quite expensive. Even if you have to take out loans of $100, 000 or more, it can still be worth it in the long run. If you’re passionate about making beautiful clothes for the ritziest retailers in New York, Paris, and London, there are pro tips to help you get your big break in the industry.
There’s no set path to becoming a successful designer. Even a bachelor’s degree in fashion isn’t guaranteed that your designs will make it into Vogue. In the end, becoming a designer requires a creative spark and a will to succeed that can’t be put out by even the most imposing obstacles.
To improve your chances of seeing your styles on the runway at New York Fashion Week, having a background in high fashion is a definite plus. If you’ve admired Tom Ford and Calvin Klein and can rattle off the names of prominent fashion brands like Ralph Lauren, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, and Haute Couture without breaking a sweat, you’re prime material to be a fashion designer. Remember that fashion is a business as well as an art, so having a good financial head will better equip you to make a splash in the industry.
Can I learn fashion design if I can’t draw?
Starting a clothing brand doesn’t necessarily require drawing skills. While it’s possible to start and run a successful brand without drawing, it’s crucial to visualize your ideas for the brand’s sake and success. An illustration serves as a visual communication tool for your design ideas, serving as the foundation for product development and the first link in the chain. Your product ideas can be expressed on paper, computer, or in physical form like a prototype.
From this draft, you can continue creating tech packs, pattern makers can create measurement lists, and factories can create prototypes. Therefore, drawing is not a prerequisite for starting a successful clothing brand.
Is designing clothes a skill?
Fashion designers are skilled artists who create initial designs through a variety of techniques, including sketching, drawing, painting, and color theory. It is essential for fashion designers to comprehend the interrelationships between colors and patterns and to possess the ability to align them in a harmonious manner.
📹 Advice for Young Fashion Designers
Tough love for fashion designers who are just starting out. I love you all and want you to win. If you love the channel, support on …
I know this is obvious but Trend forecasting is really a huge benefit, not only in creating a trend but also in fighting off one. For example, Dr Martens have been a Staple trend for a years, expanding business highly, but the product quality overall has been utter dog water. Now former Doc enthusiasts are moving over to Solovairs, who originally used to manufacture Docs. The trend has taken a toll on DrM’s production quality. Thier enthusiasts no longer have a willingness to participate with the brand, endorsing a competitor that literally used to make the best version of the original products. This can too have a generational effect as enthusiasts tend to pass down to thier kids.
Something I see that more successful designers have in common is that they’re curious and independent. People always ask me where I learned X or where I found a plug for Y, but the successful creators around me search for those things themselves. That doesn’t mean you should never ask anyone questions about anything, but researching it yourself is more beneficial than plainly getting it handed to you.
After looking at the Shein scandal, I think designers need to make clothes that are hard to copy. Like make designs that are too complicated/ avant garde/out of trend/ almost not commercial. Becuase the designs I’ve seen that are copied can be made by anyone and they can be easily sought after in any fast fashion retail.
I have a question. As a person with a intellectual disability, not understanding the ropes of how to become successful and lack knowledge also. Can I just continue to give out my clothes free to celebrities, for showcase and exposure? I really don’t understand the business side of knowing what to do. But the skillsets are there.
9:07 dropped a few tears, not gonna lie. Almost 4 years of studying fashion design as a career (still a lot more to go to get my degree) and you are the first to ever make me realise my self worth. Living a creative life makes me doubt myself sometimes as in “would it have been easier if I had stuck to being a math teacher or whatever”. Never thought of my absence as something hurtful for others.
9:18 I’m literally crying! This article spoke to me on so many levels! I’m 31 and I feel like all my life I’ve been doing something that I like to certain extent but its nothing compared to the feeling I get when I make something that is remotely wearable. I love the business side of fashion too but I feel so old for it all. I see these 17-21 year olds creating amazing things and I just wish I would have been more vocal about what I really wanted at that age… I thought I had to be a scientist to make my family proud and to change the world…But i loved art… I just didn’t know much about the world to know fashion was a career possibility. Anyway, thank you for this article! I’m really glad I clicked on it! It’s really hard to stay motivated…I just need to try harder.
This really hit me. I just got into sewing end of August and decided to drop out of my current college to pursue fashion design. Since I am new to everything I am working full time to earn money for fashion school while trying to teach myself how to sew and design. When you said to “commit yourself to doing the art that you’re meant to do,” I realized I am not using my full potential. I do sewing projects every once a while and tend to take long breaks in between. Since I have been working full time, I have been making an excuse that I am too tired to sew after a long day at work. This was just pure laziness and will never allow me to be the best designer that I aspire to be. Thank you for making me realize that I need to push myself more, that I need to focus on my goals, and that I need to stop making excuses and start sewing daily to keep me on track.
one thing im realizing learning anything about fashion is how its really really hard to make really really nice stuff. that is actually the origin of fashion apparently. an aristocrat showing off how much effort was put into the outfit. they wore outfits only once that cost what amounted to several annual salaries of the worker who made it
Such good advice. I was a contract sewer (retired now) and my worst nightmare was these kids that came out of fashion school with no idea of how to construct their designs, they used inappropriate fabric and they didn’t want to pay either. I went to fashion school after 25 yrs of sewing in factories and it meant that my understanding of garment construction made it so much easier to learn patternmaking and draping. I got all my projects in on time too lol.
The most important thing is to be creative. You draw your creation, have a pattern maker make the first draft, sew it, modify it until you are happy. It’d be nice to have the perfect sewing, patter drafting and draping skills, but people have professional pattern makers knock off garments all the time.
I taught myself to hand sew when i was 8, learned how to sew on a machine at 11. Currently a design student in college and all of this is so spot on. Keep going if you feel yourself being pulled to fashion design. I have learned so much since i started, and i keep gaining new skills everyday. Also love this article, needed that extra motivation lol 💕
I’m a fashion design graduate from last year, I’ve been confused and not confident with every skill I learned in uni, and been overwhelmed with so many information and resources that I don’t know which way is the right way to go to sharpen my skills… Thanks for the advice, I really really really hope from this point on I’ll start practicing and get rid of my fears and confusion
Hey Bliss, this is both inspiring and uplifting! I am learning tailoring down here in Mexico. I have a little tip if anyone finds it useful: make clothes for your friends and family, just tell the to get you the fabric (because it can get expensive). if a piece is no good they will not tell you anything out of empathy but you’re going to be ashamed as hell of making an ill-fitting pair of pants for your mom and that you will push you to do it better next time. this way you always get to “work” and you can always practice, and see your work evolve, get better, and being appreciated by people you love.
Omg I have the pattern magic books and haven’t even looked at it. I was looking for inspiration to fashion sketching and saw your article and thought, “hmm I need these crucial information “. And yes I was also thinking of making the same shirt a zillion times until I can make it with my eyes closed like Alexander McQueen. I want to be so good at tailoring like him.
I’m am 12 years old and I want to be a fashion designer, I think I wanted to be a fashion designer since I was 8-9 and I have been drawing since then, to be honest at first I wanted to be a doctor but then I realize that I was more into fashion and I wanted to make dresses and clothes. I know that some people will say, you will change your opinion but no I want to be a fashion designer. So I hope my dream will come true.
I love these articles. I’m a writer and it’s so interesting to hear the ways that art crosses over. “Keep on working, master the basics, if you finish X then make another X, what are you doing this weekend I’m (making art), make more work” are all things that apply to my writing process. I love learning more about fashion as a hobby and I’m appreciating the artistry and community so much.
Fantastic advice! I’m not an established, nor an aspiring fashion designer, but most of what you said can be directly applied to my field (fine art, custom furniture and home decor items). While i devoted years to honing on my skills (colour theory, realistic drawing, art history..list goes on!), i made the mistake of ‘entering the market’ way too quickly… The majority of my sales come from custom orders and what positively drained my creativity and made me reluctant to touch the media of art i so love and could spend hours on, forgetting about the world outside of the studio, was the tedious back and forth with clients- huge expectations, many very specific requests, haggling about the price or expecting items in exchange for a social media shout out… I found myself spending more time on these tedious back and forth conversations that more often than not would not translate into commissions. I eventually decided to pull back and step away from doing ‘bespoke’/made to order work and focus on developing a fixed range of products that are true to my aesthetic, same goes for paintings. I’m much happier for it, making art that feels authentic to me!:). It’s great to ‘know your customer’, but once you start doing anything in a creative field that only seeks to please someone else, i genuinely believe that can drain your creativity and you may fall out of love with your craft. Just thought i’d share that insight. Thank you once again for this article!
I am a certified fashion designer and what u are saying is not entirely correct!! a lot of designer brands started with unqualified potential and they made it to the highest tops, not because u don’t know the technique, u won’t be able to become someone one day, ur ideology is very cliché… and for ur information, luck plays a big part in the fashion industry, and the vision u have on fashion too is different for styling and designing, you’re basically just a person who pairs jacket A with pants D, designing clothes is a world that sucks all your energy if you’re not careful, I ve seen people in my life who suffered anxiety and depression because they couldn’t make a certain sleeve or number of pieces in time.. and what I hate the most about this industry is that people are supposed to work like a machine, y’all need to chill, this life isn’t not just work and being crazy productive as life depends on it, if you’re not capable of making something, that’s okay loads of good pattercutters are out there waiting to collab or to help you, lots of interns wish to be part of ur brand, the vision and the aesthetics is more valuable than technique.. i’ve seen people with me in class who had amazing technique but sadly too yucky of a taste and that my friend, don’t take u anywhere, especially if you get inspiration from clothes that already exists. And btw no wonder covid19 affected this industry so bad, y’all soooooooo NOT sustainable nor ethical !
Thank-you Bliss for youy bold and blunt advice to aspiring fashion designers. Unfortunately today, social and television media has created an image that becoming a successful designer is an A, B, C process! Even shows like Project Runway give a distorted picture of the hard realities!! If you’re not committed to your craft and expect overnight success to be handed to you on a silver platter………….well baby think again!!! There are so many young designers who are struggling and many work additional jobs in order to survive! Fashon design is not for the faint-hearted, lazy or those who feel entitled in any way!
– Learn the basics. – Accidents are not a good thing. Perfection is the goal. – Pattern Magic books. – Produce a TON of clothes. My first idea is never my best idea: finish a pair of pants, make another one, can I work with the tension, change shapes, make it good on boots, make another pair, another pair, make 60 pairs of pants. – The War of Art book. The world needs what I have to offer, pour my whole being into making clothes. I made my first dress: immediatly start making the pattern for the next one. – Experiment, but try not being wasteful: take the stuff apart, reuse the material. After the 500th creation, look back over the course of everything that I made and see a PATTERN. If it looks unique, make more of it. That’s where every artist’s unique vision comes from. – I should not be precious about my work. – I should not waste time on details that do not matter. If I need to learn to make jacket, I should not waste time on the brand name.
I don’t know, i don’t think this is harsh at all. Or its just me I guess but, These are really great advice, thank you for this. I think, even if its not in fashion people should really learn the basics first, there’s no shortcut to success but you have to learn everything from the start and let yourself grow. 💜
Hey, young fashion designer here, love all the points but have issue with the one of perfection, mainly that I struggled with making everything perfect but in truth nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how many times you do it, its harsh and kinda disappointing, but its better than beating yourself every time you try and don’t get it correct, what is important is always trying your best, you’ll improve over time
found this article yesterday – just finiished it. i focus most of my time on music – so not a ‘designer’ most of the time, but i love this article & it makes me want to be your friend. my approach to music is simple: make a song every single day. my best work is “accidentally on purpose” // always just another day of making a song a day. i don’t “let’s make a banger today” i do “let’s make another song today.” and sometimes, “holy shit this might be some of my best work.” but most of the time, “there, another rep.” anywho. thanks for making cool shit. “i can’t do that right now, i’m sewing” is keen.
Apparel product developer here working with CAD pattern software, 3D rendering, markers and tech packs every single day for mass production, I really enjoyed this article. 😀 I guess for people who want to get a degree to work in the industry rather than starting their own brands first, in my experience, college was a great place to be artsy, fun, avant-garde, and creative, but the real world is very technical. When I left college, I quickly discovered there was TONS of stuff college didn’t teach me that really hindered me in the beginning. Things such as the various industrial specialized machines out there, vendor communications, different patterning methods for mass production, and especially the vast amount of information needed for factories in the tech packs, all could have been better explained for a very technical, engineering type of fashion position. But I definitely had to start off slow, working In production, having to sit and sew for a few years got me the best experience for the position I am in now. Never give up!
This is such a good smack in the face for me. As a fashion design student, what he said is so true. Pattern making is such a crucial basic that many of aspiring fashion designers often ignore when trying to perfect their style and skill for their own brand. Yes, ideas are good but every amazing garment still goes down to every single detail. Thank you for putting out such an amazing article💕🙏🏻
being a fashion designer my self i just wana appreciate your effort plus i want to give u a simple message that even if ur in the business u tend to get impressed and try to hold on to others styles and keep loosing their own by underestimating themselves and thinking about it as its not good enough ! man always keep up the good work get inspired learn the thing but never copy always trust ur own thing it will come out in some time soon so polished that people will stop and consider it !! good luck to all ov u awesome creative people there !!
Can I ‘💖’ this article please? I’m in my final degree year after also studying two years of fashion prior to my degree and I am now finding myself focusing on the basics… Fashion school encourages you to do crazy, experiments but I know people who have graduated and can’t professionally execute a zipper. Never question ‘why are they making me make a t-shirt’, ‘why are they making me make a shirt’. Learn that cuff, multiple cuffs, every cuff you can think of and then find more to learn. The basic skills are really the key to everything and you need to be strong here or it will only limit you down the line. Thank you for this article
This has helped me so much, this advice is really good for fashion designers but also for any people with any sort of creative career or discipline, it´s important to always have the basics well established. II think any person can find value in your articles. I have adhd and I’m aspiring to be a fashion designer, this kind of content always helps me a lot for getting stuff started, I’m so thankful to the people that create it, because i’m totally sure a lot of us need to hear something like this. I just want to make some disclaimer for the ones who read the book by Steven Pressfield: You have to know that a lot of his content is marvelous, it’s really inspiring, but in some parts it implyes that some mental health problems are just fictional and you can overcorme it with discipline (and that’s a myth, some people with certain conditions need a lot of more help to do that), but I think you can even then take something valuable of the book, just keep it in mind.
I admire your intelligence and I know you deeply respect art, but I have to say in this one instance that I profoundly disagree with you, and I even feel that this kind of advice has harmed me in my creative life. (I’m a “classically trained” academic painter who will probably never make another figure painting as long as I live.) I suspect that if you were designing things yourself, you might see the limits of the “make basic things you don’t even want to make until your fingers bleed” attitude. Craftsmanship is integral to some people’s creativity, but there are famous artists who conceptualize objects and have others build them. There are designers who don’t work with fabric. There are designers who only make seamless knitted garments with little to no sewing. There are designers who never make pants, or never make gowns. Your advice is more obviously true for a garment worker than for a designer. In fact, what you’re describing is the life of a grunt. You can exhaust yourself trying to be “competent” in every way by someone else’s standards, draining yourself of the vision and will to bring new things into being. We think, “the people at the top of their field work the hardest.” This thinking is a bit of inherited mythology – the ol’ Protestant Work Ethic. It’s virtuous to put your nose to the grindstone, and it must surely be rewarding. It couldn’t be that a few people with good ideas and a lot of nerve, luck, and social skills end up in a position of power over hundreds of workers who all may have more technical skill than their boss.
Very inspirational! I very often find myself being overwhelmed with these ideas, and because i’m fifteen and school where i’m from is quite demanding, I don’t have the time to do any actual physical work; just sketching- if i get the chance. I also do not have a sewing machine. What would you recommend me to do?
This is crazily accurate timing, I needed to hear this! Fashion Design graduate here, I always felt like I needed more time to brush up my skills but got distracted how people around me are doing fashion shows, got multiple clients and being interviewed etc. Thought that I was a quitter wanting to focus on my sewing than the business side of it all. But aaaa, I will get back to my sewing machine now 😂😂 Also, those photos of Alexander McQueen, I know it’s from a book (or maybe not) anyone knows the title of it?
I am a fashion designer in the works and your advice is great at the moment my specialty is womens wear formals and in sports leotards with the garment practice its very useful if i cant buy muslin i got spare fabrics frm my mentors atalier as practice thank you fr the advce ill continue learning for my career
Making my own clothes has been my dream for sooo long. I’m finally going on a sewing and pattern making course this august and I am so excited. Your advice is really good! I don’t plan on becoming a fashion designer as a career but I just feel like I can’t either find any pieces that I like in shops or I can’t afford them ahahah
Incredible article that actually reassured me I‘m doing the right thing. See, I‘m doing a Tailor’s apprenticeship bc I didn’t have the financial resources available to me to study design at an art school and this article made me realize how much better this approach is because I actually am learning how to MAKE clothing from scatch not just design it. I wasn’t sure if this was a good way of starting my journey but now I‘m damn sure of it
I newly Graduated from a fashion school in Italy and I really loved the article … I know how important is Pattern making and sewing perfectly in the fashion industry I personally feel that once you gained enough experience in pattern making and sewing, things in the future can get so easy and instinctively you start doing patterns and sewing too . I’ve had a little experience in Ateliers and fashion deaigb studios and 100% there is a hige diffrence in the approach of making a dress. If the pattern is made for a wider clientele of course it should be perfect in the smallest detail but don’t expect too much for the quality … there is a lot to be said and not enough time I hope that future students will understand also that the industry requires qlso to be multitasking and a medium to high knowledge of Adobe and 3d (cad… the info inside and outside the fashion industry are a lot so be sure what is that you want to achieve inside the industry and what you want to be . A very good topic to stick to and be informed of is obviously SUSTAINABLY… i hope i was helpful somehow 🙂
the advise on “if you are meant to be …..” that gooes to ANYONE WITH A SPECIAL GIFT………he is infinitely correct. If you got the talent and the ability to do WHATEVER it is art medicine, wood work, what ever skills…..DO IT the planet DOES NEED IT! thanks man …..this part of the article is more than gold. i am trying to get to your patreon now.
And remember, guys: liking fashion doesn’t mean you’re meant to be a designer. Enjoying going to ZARA and looking at clothes does NOT mean you have neither the skill nor the temper for a career in fashion which is a VERY, VERY HARD THING. Be honest with yourself and understand the difference between liking fashion and being a designer.
I am quite concern about the 3th point, I am a multimedia enginieer, and model that tryied to fusion my tech and fashion knolege to create 3Dprinted fashion, I am entusiastic about 3D printing and find a way to make posible the download fashion, And i enjoyed a lot the proces of ignovating in inventing a new way of making fashion, but I am not obssesed with fashion. I find i have to design but I’m not enjoing this proces, and the branding and monetisation gives me true anxiety. I feel i might need teaming with some fashion designer and some entreprenour.
Thanks so much for this! I’m a comic book artist, so I just replaced “making clothes” with “making comics” – it still works! It’s so hard not to get caught up in “The Idea” or some philosophical mumbo-jumbo and not just go do the Art Thing you want to do. Churn and burn, baby. Get it done, and on to the next one.
Omg u just kicked my ass sooo hard . I’m lowkey ashamed of myself now – I am studying fashion design but been focusing more on my makeup clients/business till now- it worked but Now I only have 1.5 years left in fashion school and need to work my ass off to wing it. So sad, I wasted half of my time at uni, didn’t take it serious at all even tho I gave so much to get into it in the first place😩🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️thank u for this article !!!!!🤍🤍🤍🤍
This advice is pure gold, I’ve rewatched it twice. I also just finished Steven Pressfields latest book; “Turning Pro”, I’ll check out The War of Art next. I have a question- if someone whose been in fashion design longer than me wouldn’t mind answering or Bliss please. I’ve just finally committed to it after years of ignoring the urge. I want to specifically get into lingerie and loungewear/ sleepwear design- should I be focusing on the basics of that? Learning how to sew them first, or should I be sewing all clothes? Thank you 🖤
just wanted to say that making crazy things and experimenting, and expressing your creative side is actually a huge part of being a fashion student! As a young designer though, it is crucial to maximize your commerciality, which means understanding how a garment is made, I don’t think Bliss is trying to say as a student, you need to make sure you start with the basics ONLY, but to point out that as a designer, understanding of the human body and garment construction is VERY IMPORTANT.
This article is the serendipitous kick in the ass that I’ve been trying to give myself over the last couple of years. I literally made a voice note to myself in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep to begin the process of making my clothing line. I thought sketching, designing, drafting, getting the materials, perusal different fashion shows, getting the books, etc. mostly a lot of the base level and material things were the things that I needed, and my brother has been telling me this for years but when it comes from an outside source for whatever reason it hits different, but yeah I thought I needed all these material things you see on like project runway to start and to feel motivated, but it makes sense now that those things were distractions and things that I was putting in my way to try and say I need this or I can’t start. But this article has helped me immensely realize that its not the deep and the first step to getting everything started its to start from the beginning, master the basics and practice!! Thank you I’m glad your articles was suggested to me by the YouTube gods and I’m glad I binged a few of your articles that lead me here!!! Thank You!
Well you just lit a fire under my ars !! And inspired me to realize my strengths. I love and started with pattern making!! This is encouraging to me! But I am Bob Ross and have about 50-60 happy little mistakes, things that I don’t wear and I am too annoyed to go fix them. I need to get in gear and see everything how you say it, attention to detail and putting the work in my mock ups!!! The true skill to this trade I think is learning patience. Thank you!!!
So I have a question for anyone with a fashion major. I’m thinking about doing fashion merchandising but I don’t really have much experience with it except for buying clothes lmfao. But my question is, should I hop into a fashion major if I don’t really know much about it? I truly do have a passion for fashion. It’s just that don’t want to put myself in a position to look dumb.
these days I made a pattern for a dress cause I saw it everywhere online but no shops were selling it and I didn’t have the money to buy one online. I literally did contortionism to take my back’s measurements, I had to make 12 sleeve patterns because none of them were puffy enough just to fing out I needed a 70 freaking cm sleeve. I bet I lost 5 years of my lifespan trying to figure out how to make this dress but it worth every effort. It doesn’t look good, obviously, it’s my first dress after all but it feels so good to bring things from imagination to reality
Thank you for this article ! I try my best to make garments and learn by myself after a few fashion design courses. I force myself to say “yes” when somebody ask me for a custom made garment. That way I learn to make clothes for a lot of different body shapes ! It is amazing but it is a pain in the neck as well ! It is ok, I am learning right ! Please everybody be patient, curious and kind to yourself ! You will make it !
Not a fashion designer, but as a graphic designer I can confirm the “don’t celebrate” rule is the most useful advice you will ever hear in terms of improving. It does come with the caveat of never learning when to stop. But there’s millions of us out there suffering that same caveat and I’ll tell you: It is always worth it.
Wow I should have heard this article I graduated from a fashion design school and I still do not feel confident creating clothes for other people This article helped me understand that it’s okay and I need to invest my energy to develop the habit of making simple clothes and grow from there thank you so much 💯😁😊
wow i’m not even a fashion designer, i did get a new sewing machine because i want to learn how to make perfect clothes that suit my style and i also want to tailor some of my favourite clothes i own right now. i don’t even want to be a fashion designer but this advice still really hit me because i’m also a creative in a different field. everyone talks about not worrying about perfection because it’s so hindering, and to accept mistakes easily, but this article really gave me a new perspective. to execute my vision perfectly is something ive always struggled to do, but i’ll work even harder now that ive watched this article. thanks a bunch!
thank you so much for posting this 😭 honestly 8:55 onwards made me tear up a bit – I have chronic fatigue and working out ways around that is so difficult but feels unappreciated. I’m constantly sketching or researching in bed and sewing when I feel better, but it literally feels like even that effort is for naught. thanks again so much for sharing this. it popped up on my feed but I’m grateful that I watched
The other trick my mom use to do as a non professional designer…. She used paper patterns but she also made new clothes from old clothes by deconstructing an existing garment and using that as a pattern. She did this with furniture upholstery and would recover chairs and sofas. Same thing for curtains. If you like your old ones but want new ones….use the old ones as a pattern for the new ones.
Unless you follow your own path ignoring those around you you won’t find your own style your own brand is inside not out there from the words of others Do you think gucci decided to listen to others that it wasn’t feasible when he made his bamboo handle bags? Draw outside the lines as much as you are able and fail frequently til you find a design that flatters and as for waste? Fashion companies waste more fabric than you could afford to buy in half a year don’t concern yourself with waste when creating take the leftovers afterwards and use them after for compacting into something else if they are too small
Wow! Great info. Just came across your vid and this is exactly what I needed to hear right now. I have actually just launched my brand which I done all my designs for but all the pattern and sample making was outsourced. Now I really want to get into physically making my own garments and actually came across the pattern master books but though they may be too advanced for me right now so I purchased the metric pattern cutting for women’s wear book instead and bought all the supplies to start making blocks, patterns and garment samples. Does anyone have any industry standard info on pattern drafting basics and what styles I should start off with? I have a few designs I’ve sketched out but I’m not sure how to draw them out as patterns or if it would be better to just drape in calico first 🤔
Great advise. You should have it transcribed since it goes so fast that most won’t even know where it applies to them most of the time. You’re probably already working on a book, right? Listen to this guy people. He’s a straight shooter. I’ve designed for 33 years. Half as a director or owner of my own brands and he says some hard to hear truths for the beginners. Stop instagramming, posting selfies and talking about how great you are. Work everyday at it. Not every other day because someone that wants the job you want is already working 12+ hours a day for that job.
This comment is probably actually just for me, but for anyone else out there that’s still stuck on making their dad perfectly fitting chinos and a jacket, please remember that people have dedicated entire careers to making clothes that fit your dad perfectly. There’s always more to know. Finish things and keep chugging.
This article is such a big help for me! I’m not technically a fashion designer (I’ve dabbled but don’t plan for a career) but instead an author who’s main character has a large passion for designing, so this really helped me get into his head set and visualize what his fashion journey should look like!
As someone who was interested in fashion but also music, basketball, and other hobbies I really needed this. I love how he explained the apple approach. I think i often do one good thing in my hobby and i get the ego boost and leave instead of aggressively seeing my vision through and finishing it and then going for the sequel. this was so real fuel to stop messing around and do what i love but at a more serious degree in where I can actually look at finished products and be happy at them. it’s cool to look at my ideas and think wow i aM sO aRtIstic but are you? did you really take the time to sharpen those tools and apply yourself or did you let your imagination run wild for a productive 10 minutes and call it a day? thank you for this Mr. Foster
6:18 I feel like this is great advice for any kind of artist who wants to do their craft full-time. Be ruthless to yourself and work your ass off on every detail. A lot of creators have the tendency to like something they make because it is similar to what they wanted it to be because even though it is not what it was supposed to be, it has that “potential”. Sadly and LUCKILY for the artist, people interpret these small details differently and it’s every single of these small details that make the difference between a professional and a hobbyist. Also Bliss I’m happy to see your website grow <3
Oh my god, I came here because I’m a (not recently) graduated Fashion designer that was feeling very lost and I just got my ass whooped by your words, I felt like my momma nagging at me but this is something I really, REALLY, needed to hear in order to open my eyes up and get my butt back to work and work and… work. Thank you so much, I really love your website since I’m a Margiela freak myself and all the topics here are super wonderful, I will always remember you from today on, everytime I’m working and if I can make it in this industry I’ll certainly always remember you because of this.
This article is literally my starting pistol. Just finished listening to The War of Art and it was just what I needed. Dusted my Pattern Magic books and off to do point 3. A quick rundown: 1. Get the basics down. – Learn how to draft a pattern, cut from a pattern, measure the body and sew perfectly fitted and tailored garments. 2. Perfection is the ultimate goal. – don’t just settle for accidents. Execute your ideas as clearly and fluently as possible. If something is not right, learn how to fix it. Be ruthless with details and hold yourself to high standards. 3. Get to work. – Produce a ton of work. Design, develop, experiment, re-develop, produce, produce produce x60. Pour your whole being, commit yourself. 4. Don’t get hang-up on small details. Don’t waste time on obsessing over branding. Nuances on logo design, brand name, IG presence etc can be the last things you do, they will come when it’s time. Focus on what’s really important such as point 1.
Rule number 2 for being a competent designer of clothes: stop thinking fashion is art. Fashion is not art – never has been and never will be and nor does it want to be. Fashion has a much more important purpose than art. Clothes are NOT A MEDIUM OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. If you want to be a designer to “express yourself” you are NOT a true designer. Go into visual arts. The last thing the fashion industry needs is another “fashion lover” who thinks they’re making art with 3-sleeved jackets.
HACKING THE ESTABLISHMENT – whether you plan on pursuing a career in fashion or not, this type of realistic and concrete information will prove to be valid across multiple disciplines. . . Bliss does it again, as he compresses a world of knowledge into a digestible 14 minutes of greatness. There will be people who appreciate this article for its intellectual merit and enthusiasm. & then there will be the people who consciously implement this advice with hyper-focus to become the next greatest designer of our time. Whichever side you’re on, cheers to Bliss! 🥂✨ (whoever said “ignorance was bliss” clearly never met this guy)!!!!n
The Fashion Industry is undergoing a MASSIVE DISRUPTION like I haven’t seen in 30+ years in the business, and the only people who will thrive are those creatives who can genuinely connect with a community that appreciates their ability to design and make PRODUCTS THEY WANT or those who make a career out of using technology to enable brands to design and manufacture products more efficiently. So many people don’t seem to realize that without the ability to MAKE PRODUCTS, all the other industries SUPPORTING the products wouldn’t exist. Fashion is NOT an art form… The ability to create compelling products IS.
came across your website randomly and omg this was like a smack in the face for me ahaha i finished school earlier this year (i’m missing one internship to graduate, but thanks to covid regulations and the lack of fashion jobs in my area i’m on a limbo rn) and i’ve been slacking so much because i’m unmotivated and i don’t even wanna touch my sewing machine. I really need to take this back to basics and get to work again, thanks!
I came here thinking that maybe I’d start “designing clothes” as a hobby to see if I’d want to become a fashion designer, but you literally gave me amazing tips on writing which is as much as I’m afraid to admit to myself, what I feel like is my true calling lol. So thank you so much. And for anyone who wants to become a fashion designer or anything really, I wish you luck and I hope your dreams only grow stronger in the future as you succeed in achieving them. 💕
This feels like terrible advice because it discourages discovery and adaptation and encourages rigidity. For instance Demna, according to his teacher and employer at Antwerp, was known for having intuition and an ability to drape fabric on the body/model rather than starting from sketches, which just demonstrates his three-dimensional thinking style, something that’s crucial in fashion design. This method also allowed him to innovate and explore the material’s properties and how it interacts with movement and form, helping him create garments that are conceptually rich. Being creative and experimenting is most important, with technical execution a close second (and can be outsourced to less creative workers) in my opinion. Unless you must execute on a very specific design for someone. Granted, to get hired, technical skills are probably a big help, I agree with him there.
This article is very interesting, and I have to agree with a big part of it. I do think that if you wanna be a fashion designer, you need your focus, your insistence, your passion and loyalty to you (brand, business). But I also think that getting into the industry is so so so hard. Of course that during this pandemic makes it really hard too, but even before that, all the internships most of them, are unpaid, and some don’t even secure a job after. Most universities, once you graduate, they don’t even give any support for net working. I would be very excited to see a article, if possible, about how to break into the industry, how getting our work visible/noticed, how graduated students start in the industry, what to expect once graduated, what can we do to get a job in fashion, and getting the vision as real and raw as possible. Thank you so much, wish you all guys a great year 🥳
Okay so first of all goddamn thank you for this article. I don’t sew, I’m not a fashion designer, but I do draw people who wear clothes and I always liked to play around with different (almost absurd) styles for my characters….and you’re spot on about everything. I needed to hear all of this today because I have ALWAYS wanted to do more with my art. Just. Seriously. Thank you. ❤
Maybe someone should have told you to not wear that shirt. TI has a few… debates about your article. Here is why. 1) designers and their sketches. People do come up with things without a sketch. Have you ever seen Albert Elbaz, Jean-Paul Gaultier, or Alaia- They weren’t sketchers. In fact, having an idea and playing on the body to get the form is much, much better than working in sketch form- hence if sticking to the sketch is always the way to go, then you will create ok clothes. 2) I am not saying knowing the fundamentals of how to make clothes is not important or even well-made clothes… because even that isn’t true. Hello Rodarta. Have you seen the inside of those clothes… They are questionable at best. 3) I love that people need to work and work and work to make what they are doing. Over and Over. However, an example of Rag and Bone being 60 pants to come up with the perfect pant- super amazing example.. but also super wasteful. So.. I am glad that you offered to rework something and not be wasteful.. because Rag and Bones sound super wasteful. 4) I know plenty of well-branded clothes and the clothes are MWEhh at best. it does say they didn’t sell or it’s not popular. It’s just branded. Ok hugs for the article.
Thanks Bliss, this was really helpful because barely anyone talks about learning pattern making in relation to fashion designing. It’s been up to a year of training myself in pattern making, I used to make garments for friends and clients using freehand pattern making but ever since I started using pattern making, the Garments I make I close to perfection.
Sorry. As much as I am a realist, the majority of great designers actually can’t draft, cut, and sew patterns. I say this as a designer with 15+ years in the industry. If you think Rick Owen’s sketches out those looks and creates them exact to the sketch you’re absolutely 100% crazy. Of course there is intention, but replicating sketches is rarely how good clothes are made.
Going hard at my brand since like 2016 and im still small under 1500 followers but I’ve studied and been into fashion since I’ve been a kid, the grind never stops idgaf about selling millions of garments, the fact 1 person loves my shit, makes my life feel so much more appreciated like I mean something fr.
I took a short course for basic pattern making and it helped so much. without knowing the basics you can’t make anything that has good fitting at all. and since then I keep experimenting on new designs. but sometimes I think, when am I finally going to have a good design to sell? am I wasting time making all these experiments for 2 years? but every now and then I go back to thinking, I need to trust the process. I’ve grown so much in sewing and I’m happy and proud of myself even though I feel like I’m moving slow. your article makes me motivated again to trust the process once more. thank you.
A lot of very valid points. But for me the important skills as a designer is that you can develop, express and communicate your ideas on paper. This means developing excellent drawing skills and sketch book work with intelligent and thought provoking concept and ideas which come from thorough research and diverse knowledge of different areas of art an culture as well as other areas. Pattern making or sewing is helpful and useful skills but they do not make you a great designer. Rei Kawakubo, Miuccia Prada and Christian Dior are not great pattern makers but they are considered great designers. It is important to learn to do proper research and development and these are the foundations of a great designer. Plus, I do agree excessive practice is important until it is like a obsession but just not only in sewing and construction. Otherwise you will be very limited to just your knowledge and experience in the construction and making of clothing.