I’ve recently received two similar inquiries, looking for an advice on how to be a fashion designer. I was really flattered that I was asked. Although I don’t think I’m in the position to be giving advice on this, especially because I don’t really consider myself as a “designer” (I’d like to be called “seamstress”:) )I tried my best to give my honest response to the girls.
This might bring some controversial discussion, especially regarding my opinion on fashion degree (I’m sure some of you will hate me..), but I decided to share it here. Any opinion and comments are welcomed! ❤
In addition, I really recommend reading Gabby from Hopeless Lingerie’s “Starting from Scratch” series. I 100% agree with her opinion!
P.S. the girl’s name has changed for privacy purpose. I do have her consent to share her email.
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Hi,
My name is Christina, 14, and I was looking through some of your collection, and pieces online and I absolutely love them!
I hope to be a fashion designer when I am older and was wondering if you had any tips on how to improve.
I have made a few pieces, but your style is exactly what I love.
If you have any free patterns that I could start off with, that would be great too.
Kind Regards,
Christina
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Hello Christina,
Thanks for contacting me. I am flattered and humbled by what you said….very much undeserved. Any way I can encourage or help you is my pleasure. I don’t have any patterns but there are many online, for instance, burdastyle.com is a great site to go for sewing tips and some free patterns.
-On my first point, my company has been experiencing growth recently but it is certainly not something that could support me. I hope someday to do it full time but I am not sure how feasible this is…..in other words plan on doing this as a hobby/part time job in your free time as a start. Find regular employment that will keep you fed and let fashion pay for your vacations 🙂 That is what my husband and I do. We both work and my Vivat Veritas money keeps us in the black with enough extra money to enjoy vacations and fun things like that.
-Secondly, let me be quite honest about degrees in fashion or majors in fashion, I really do not see the point. At a fashion school you are not be taught anything that google tutorials cant teach you. I have known many who have gone to fashion design schools, and many of them ended up working at a coffee shop. I recommend training yourself on how to make clothes. If you are interested I can provide you with links and sites for self teaching. I don’t mean to sound harsh but I would recommend studying something like chemistry, law, math, education anything that can get you a good full time job upon graduation….fashion jobs are few and the vast majority do not pay well.
I think opening an etsy shop would be a great idea for you to practice and see what response people have to what you make. Criticism is your best friend. Get making things, take criticism, define what you want your style to be and have fun doing it. Study blogs you like, try to find ways to stay ahead of trends:)
Hope this helps any more questions feel free to ask. I wish you all the best and will look forward to seeing how you grow, learn and expand over the next few years!
Chie
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