Facts about being a fashion designer

Fashion designers conceive and design clothing for every purpose. High-fashion designers in Nigeria  design haute couture pieces for specific purposes and children's designers in one-person shops design lines for play clothes, but both kinds of designers need the same skills, and both must know what their customers wants.

You Need a Creative Eye

Above all else, good fashion designers need a strong sense of creativity and artistic vision. Standing out as a fashion designer demands work that is stylish and unique, but also functional and, in most cases, practical. Designers often must be able to envision clothes that look good while meeting basic needs. They must be able to sketch designs and express their visions through illustrations on paper or computers. They also must be able to craft prototypes of new pieces and see how they need to be refined.

You Need a Finger on the Pulse

Successful fashion designers know their industry inside and out. They are aware of trends around the world and of what their competitors and fellow designers are doing. They must have a strong commercial awareness not just for what's selling now, but what will sell in the future. Successful designers also develop strong networks among models, suppliers and distributors in order to keep abreast of new developments and tap the right resources at the right times.

You Need Excellent Technical Skills

An artistic eye and a knowledge of the industry won't help designers who do not understand the technical aspects of the job. Designers must know fabrics, their characteristics, and what they can be used for. Designers also need solid computer-aided design skills to work in most medium or larger studios, as well as superior drawing skills. And they need to understand the technical aspects of the production process from first sketch to final item.

10 Things Fashion Enterpreneur should know and do!

Starting your own fashion business can be a daunting prospect, especially in these economically challenging times. Ayosanya Damilare shares some worthy advice for any would be fashion entrepreneur:

1. BE UNIQUE

Fashion is a really competitive industry. Whilst you may be passionate about your idea you need to be sure it’s going to get noticed by consumers. Stand out in the market; make sure your product or service fills a real need and is different from the competition through its design, function or the way you sell it.

2. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

 You’ve got the great idea, but you’ll need to figure out how to make the numbers work to create a viable business.

Fashion is a creative business so you may not be that analytical by nature. Enlist outside help if the idea of financial management brings you out in a cold sweat.

3. CREATE A BUSINESS PLAN

This will be essential if you’re looking for investment or plan to borrow from the bank to get your idea off the ground. Do your research and build a good understanding of who your customers will be and who you will be competing against for their attention.

After describing the market, the business plan should cover the operational side of the business; everything from how you will manage production and order fulfillment, stock management, to the staff you’ll need to execute the plan. Your backers are going to want to see how their money will be spent and at what point it’s going to make them some money back.

Even if you’re not looking for investment, mapping out your plans will really help you stay focused. Allow yourself some flexibility to test things out.

Changes happen quickly in the fashion industry, especially online. We are constantly learning what works best for our business and regularly revisit our plans.

4. BUILDING A FASHION BRAND THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT

Most brands we’re familiar with today have taken years to become household names. We’ve been running for a year now and the most common reaction we get from women is “why on earth didn’t I hear about Txquizit Fashions before, this is a brilliant idea! “We’ve still got a lot of work to do to raise awareness.

5. Keep abreast of industry trends and news.

Understanding the outside forces that will shape your business will help you make informed decisions. Granted, finding the time is not always easy when you have so many other things on your plate. Subscribe to daily industry email alerts and then set aside 15 minutes to flick the headlines, taking a deeper dive into the most relevant stories. My personal favourites is www.businessoffashion.com

6. PR is invaluable –

Endorsement from the fashion press helps give your brand credibility and gets your message out to consumers. Expect to spend a lot of time on this activity.

I’d suggest you engage the help of a PR agency or freelancer if you’ve got the budget. We’ve worked with a couple of different agencies and they’ve been fantastic.  Their experience and contacts help us to execute our plans much more efficiently than we’d be able to do in-house. Set yourself a realistic monthly PR budget and work closely with the agency to create a plan that sticks to it. Easier said than done when there are always so many good ideas!

Bloggers can be massively influential and it’s definitely worth nurturing personal relations with the important ones. Let them experience your product/service first hand and really engage them in what you are doing.

7. Show your product in the best light.

You may have the most fantastic product but customers won’t have confidence to buy if they can’t see it properly, or it’s not desirably presented. Investment in decent product photography will be money well spent.  If you’re selling online, multi angle shots and zoom functionality both really help to make the sale.

8. The customer experience is everything.

Your customers are your most important assets and your best allies. Look after them. Make sure your product quality is excellent and your service stands up to the “Would it delight me?” test. Give your customers an amazing experience and they’ll be sure to come back and also tell their friends. One in four of our customers come to Upper Street because a friend has recommended our service. That’s powerful marketing!

9. Cultivate a strong personal network.

The fashion industry can seem pretty intimidating from the outside. We’ve learnt that it’s far from that once you get stuck in.

There are so many wonderful characters who have plenty of great advice and stories to share.  Building and nurturing relationships can open many interesting and often unexpected doors. This can really help you get ahead, especially when it comes to securing creative partnerships. But as much as others can help you, there are always plenty of ways that you can be a useful contact. I’m a true believer that you reap what you sew in this life.

10. Believe in yourself.

Finally, don’t let the naysayers derail you. Whilst it’s important to stay open to constructive criticism, you’ll find yourself tugged in all kinds of directions if you let yourself always be influenced by outside opinion. Have a clear vision, trust your instinct and determinedly pursue that dream.

If you have a strong idea, with an excellent people behind you, then you can make your business succeed even in a difficult climate.

T- XQUIZIT SHIRTS

WHAT IS FASHION DESIGN?

Fashion design is a form of art dedicated to the creation of clothing and other lifestyle accessories. Modern fashion design is divided into two basic categories: haute couture and ready-to-wear. The haute couture collection is dedicated to certain customers and is custom sized to fit these customers exactly. In order to qualify as a haute couture house, a designer has to be part of the Syndical Chamber for Haute Couture and show a new collection twice a year presenting a minimum of 35 different outfits each time.

Ready-to-wear collections are standard sized, not custom made, so they are more suitable for large production runs. They are also split into two categories: designer/createur and confection collections. Designer collections have a higher quality and finish as well as an unique design. They often represent a certain philosophy and are created to make a statement rather than for sale. Both ready-to-wear and haute-couture collections are presented on international catwalks.

Who Invented It?

The first fashion designer who was more than a simple seamster was Charles Frederick Worth, in the 19th century. Before he set up his fashion design house in Paris, clothing was made by anonymous dressmakers and fashion standards were derived from the styles worn by royalty. Worth was the first designer to actually dictate to his customers what to wear rather than following their demands.

His fashion house became so famous that people were able to attach a face and a name to designs when they knew they were from the House of Worth. This was the beginning of the tradition to have a designer of a house not only create clothing, but also represent the symbol of the brand.

What Does It Take To Be A Fashion Designer?

Fashion design is a form of art. To work as a designer, you should have an artistic and creative personality. You also have to be good at drawing and able to express your ideas in sketches. You don't necessarily have to be a great artist, but you must have some special skills for combining colors, tones and shades. You also have to be able to work with fabric and use textiles in a creative and original manner. Fashion designers have a good visual imagination and are able to think in three-dimensions and put their ideas into garments.

Fashion designers have to be aware of the fashion market requirements. They have to be very interested in learning new things and read magazines, journals and books on fashion design history and new trends. They also have to be interested in art, visit art galleries and interact with all kinds of artists whenever they have the opportunity. A designer should also have some knowledge and experience of tailoring (cutting, draping, sewing etc.) and be able to tell the difference between different fabric quality levels.

A good understanding of the audience's lifestyle and customer needs and requirements is also needed in fashion design. Designers should have good communication skills and be able to express their ideas clearly. But most important, they have to be very original and have fresh, innovative ideas