What it Takes to be a Fashion Designer

Let’s get one thing straight – to be a fashion designer you’ll need to possess a formidable range of skills and personal qualities. Be honest with yourself, evaluate the extent to which you possess these skills and qualities otherwise you’ll eventually run into obstacles in your attempts to be a fashion designer.

First and foremost you need talent. This encompasses a wide range of skills including drawing, sewing, research, vision and creativity. Without a high level of natural talent you can never be a Joules fashion designer.

The fashion industry is tough and competitive – you need to be prepared to use your abilities to give yourself an edge over your rivals. This only comes through having the confidence to truly believe in what you’re doing and the assertiveness to deliver.

Without a high level of ambition and the necessary commitment to achieve that ambition you may struggle. You have to be prepared to work hard yet remain open to learning. Displaying high levels of flexibility and using criticism from others in a positive way will allow you to adapt in what is an ever-changing environment.

Effective communication skills are a must. If you can’t explain, listen, negotiate or delegate you’ll struggle. Likewise organisational skills – if you can’t plan and co-ordinate you simply won’t finish jobs on time. Part of this comes from being able to make quick decisions and accepting responsibility for those decisions.

If you want to be a fashion designer then you need to accept the fact that you’ll also be running a business. That means being able to spot opportunities as well as carrying out the more mundane tasks that are part and parcel of running a business. You’ll need to be able to show leadership and be prepared to take a few risks if you want to achieve real success.

On a more artistic level you’ll need to be imaginative and creative to generate new ideas. Without a genuine ability to visualize, draw and paint in two dimensions you won’t be able to deliver innovation which is the energizing force of fashion design. Joules Clothing The same can be said for color sense and the many practical skills that go into making a fashion designer.

To be a fashion designer means being prepared to work as part of a team. You’ll need to enjoy group activities and recognize you’re only part of a bigger picture that draws from the input of many players. This calls for a friendly, calm temperament, patience, humour and at times a little bit of humility.

The one personal quality that pulls all of this together is having a real passion for fashion – without this the other skills and personal qualities become undermined and you’ll find it difficult to be a fashion designer.

If you feel you possess these qualities then don’t give up until you cover all the steps you need to take to become a fashion designer.

Fashion Jewelry – what’s hot for 2009?

So just what is hot this year in the world of fashion jewelry?

Well thankfully ‘affordable’ is the name of the game for 2009 – Beads, tribal jewelry and handmade pieces are hot, hot, hot! It seems the fashion world has taken notice of the global economic crisis, and instead of lavish diamonds and precious metals we’re talking wood, plastic, glass, crystals and non-precious metals.  Of course to us ladies diamonds and white gold will never be out of fashion but at least we know we can look fabulous for less this year.

Topshop, H&M and River Island have all responded to the new trends with beautiful collections, and we’re expecting the rest of the highstreet mainstays to follow suit.

For something a little different why not take a trip to your local flea market or car boot sale – vintage remains huge in 2009 and, with handcrafted jewellery all the rage, you’re sure to unearth some beautiful bargains.

Beads are everywhere this year in all shapes and sizes. If you can’t find a set to complete your outfit then why not try making your own, that way you can pick your own beads to perfectly compliment your ensemble, and you can be sure you’re wearing a true original. There are loads of jewellery making kits available online or from craft shops and it couldn’t be easier. What are you waiting for?

Brooches are also making a comeback this year, although some will say they never went out of fashion. Big, bold and colourful is the way forward so again, flea markets, car boot sales, jumble sales and vintage shops are the place to look. If you’re not into trawling round for second hand treasure then rest assured the highstreet stores will have plenty on offer.  

We’ll be tapping into our wholesale fashion jewellery contacts for the lowdown on what’s hot for 2010 so watch this space.

How To Choose And Join The Best Fashion Design School

Fashion design is an upcoming career which is authenticated by many universities. You get a proper degree for it. Fashion design is not an abstract thing, it needs appropriate training and necessary acquaintance with the work required from a fashion design school. A fashion design school can be understood as an institution where people become skilled at creating exclusive designs with fabrics.

Choosing the right place.

There are several factors associated in choosing your future career institute. Same holds in case of a fashion design school. In the recent times, India has seen so many fashion design schools, that you can not take each one of them on similar grounds. These vary in their reputation, fee structure, course structure etc just as you would do in case of your engineering or medicine schools. Before joining a fashion design school, one needs to take care of the following things. Firstly, think on your area of specialism in the fashion world.

To a common man, fashion might seem a piece of cake, but actually it has many branches associated to it. After deciding, look for the fashion design school offering it. Secondly, find out the facts like location, course offered, fee structure, degree level, placements and the total cost associated. There is a difference between the fee structure and the total cost required.

Fashion being a practical thing, inculcates huge cost of accessories and fabrics. Thirdly, collect all information and make a list of all the fashion design schools. Apply to them, check out id there are any scholarships or merit distinction. There can be different criteria for admission to different fashion design schools. Lastly, also try to check these institutes personally. After receiving responses to your applications, start considering the best ones.

How to get your foot into the door?

Getting into a fashion design school requires as much work as would been have been for an engineering college. To get an idea of the essential work that needs to be done in a fashion design school, you should talk to the people who are already in this industry for years. The first step towards fashion is the skill of being able to draw it on a piece of paper. Many people might wonder that art and fashion are two different things. Without the drawing, fashion is an abstract thing.

You need the aptitude to outline your ideas on a piece of paper, to communicate it to other people before developing it actually. The very basic requirement of your portfolio depends upon your designs. After that, to make samples of your complete work, you should be able to sew yourself. You will also need a basic knowledge of the use of computers for using several fashion design software’s. You might also need references of your mentors in order to find work in large fashion houses.

As we know that a fashion design school is just like a normal school, so getting good grades is also very important. And then you finally see yourself at a fashion design school, you will gain knowledge of many innovative things new marketing tools and fashion design software’s.