Find Grad Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Fashion Designer

Find Schools Near

What is a Fashion Designer?

Job Description: Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

Daily Life Of a Fashion Designer

  • Identify target markets for designs, looking at factors such as age, gender, and socioeconomic status.
  • Attend fashion shows and review garment magazines and manuals to gather information about fashion trends and consumer preferences.
  • Design custom clothing and accessories for individuals, retailers, or theatrical, television, or film productions.
  • Collaborate with other designers to coordinate special products and designs.
  • Read scripts and consult directors and other production staff to develop design concepts and plan productions.
  • Visit textile showrooms to keep up-to-date on the latest fabrics.

Things a Fashion Designer Should Know How to Do

Fashion Designers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

  • Fashion Consultant
  • Stylist
  • Wardrobe Image Consultant
  • Pattern Designer
  • Fur Remodeler

Is There Job Demand for Fashion Designers?

In the United States, there were 23,800 jobs for Fashion Designer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 2.5% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 600 new jobs for Fashion Designer by 2026. The BLS estimates 2,300 yearly job openings in this field.

undefined

The states with the most job growth for Fashion Designer are Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Pennsylvania, Vermont, or South Carolina. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for a Fashion Designer

The average yearly salary of a Fashion Designer ranges between $36,420 and $155,470.

undefined

Fashion Designers who work in New York, California, or Alabama, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Fashion Designers in different U.S. states.

State Annual Mean Salary
Alabama $98,380
Arkansas $61,800
California $95,250
Colorado $63,110
Connecticut $72,280
Florida $57,770
Georgia $72,010
Hawaii $50,800
Kansas $65,490
Maine $80,540
Maryland $64,500
Massachusetts $77,990
Michigan $62,070
Minnesota $52,540
New Jersey $69,640
New Mexico $67,960
New York $95,830
North Carolina $71,330
Oregon $75,710
Pennsylvania $54,840
South Carolina $75,110
Texas $76,240
Utah $43,610
Washington $66,600
Wisconsin $45,940

What Tools do Fashion Designers Use?

Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Fashion Designers may use on a daily basis:

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Web browser software
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
  • Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
  • Financial accounting software
  • Corel Painter
  • Autodesk SketchBook Pro

How to Become a Fashion Designer

What kind of Fashion Designer requirements are there?

undefined

How many years of work experience do I need?

undefined

Fashion Designers Sector

undefined

The table below shows the approximate number of Fashion Designers employed by various industries.

undefined

Similar Careers

Those who work as a Fashion Designer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

References:

Image Credit: Szilas in the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Graduate Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited graduate schools across the U.S.