Fashion Designer Responsibilities

Fashion designers are involved in creating designer clothing and apparels apt for certain occasions. They design and develop the fashion range for various fashion areas including high street fashion, ready-to-wear, and haute couture. Some designers may opt to specialize on certain specialist areas and may design garments only for certain field / occasion like sportswear children's wear, wedding dresses, footwear, or accessories.

The main area of fashion designers comprise:

• High street fashion - Mass manufacturing of fashion apparels inspired by seasonal trends, buying patterns, and celebrity catwalks
• Ready-to-wear - Creating ready-to-wear collections in relatively small numbers
• Haute couture - Creating promotional garments for fashion shows and ramp walks, which are not considered as practical wear

Key Responsibilities

Fashion designers design apparels and accessories for men, women, and children of all ages. Depending on that they need to design each piece which suits their target consumer accordingly. For that, they need to study international fashion trends, sketch designs based on ideas, choose color, fabric and style, etc., to create a new look with it, and supervise the further production of that design.

A successful designer has the quality of perceiving the future, and thus she stays ahead of the trends. Market research is the primary requirement for designing an apparel which is in conformity with the current trend. As it takes between 18 to 24 months approximately for an idea to develop into a fashion apparel, a fashion designer has to stay two seasons ahead of the current trend for designing an apparel that matches the trend that would appear in the future.

The key responsibilities of a fashion designer comprise:

• Visualizing a designing idea/concept as per the current trend analysis, sketching rough and detailed drawings of design using computer-aided designs (CAD) or by hands, and mentioning the specifications like color combination, use of fabric, material type, process of details designing, and accessory requirements for further reference
• Directing the assistants involved in preparing rough samples of the design, coordinating their work in alignment to meet deadline, etc.
• Examining the look of sample garments on models, making sure that the designed product matches the age, gender, style, and socioeconomic status of target consumers and modifying and redesigning the garments if need arises
• Keeping an up-to-date knowledge of current and upcoming fashion trends, noticing the general trend in fabric, color scheme, and shape of the garment, predicting the later advancement in upcoming trends, and developing fashion range accordingly
• Collaborating their work with other fashion designers, prospective buyers, and merchandisers for predicting the trends in near future, assembling designer team for carrying out the designing process, discussing designing ideas with boutique owners, sales and marketing representatives, and working on it accordingly
• Preparing budget on garment designing using fabric, accessories, and other materials as per financial agreement and pricing the garments accordingly
• Collaborating with buying outlets, boutiques, agents, and sales representatives for marketing purpose; organizing a sales meeting for it or displaying sample garments at a fashion show
• Visiting textile showrooms for buying fabrics, new clothing items, and accessories for completing the designs as needed
• Understanding the various aspects of designing techniques like layering, producing patterns using toiles and embellishments, etc., and selecting appropriate production techniques accordingly
• Attending fashion shows for obtaining more knowledge on the latest trends and techniques in fashion designing, reviewing fashion magazines for obtaining more intricate knowledge on the same, etc.
• Overseeing the production of garments, negotiating price range with suppliers and customers, and managing the other business activities like marketing, finance, and human resource management

Required Qualifications and Skills

The basic qualification required for being eligible to work in the fashion industry is a bachelor's / associate degree in fashion designing, clothing technology, or fashion marketing. One can also obtain a degree in a relevant field of fashion, textiles, knitwear, or graphic designing to get entry-level opportunities in the fashion industry. Moreover, a fashion designer must have a strong background in textiles, strong inclination towards fashion trends, and a keen eye for observing and predicting the future trends. To enter into the fashion industry as a fashion designer, one must also have strong portfolio samples demonstrating one's previous work in designing. A postgraduate degree in fashion designing is considered, but not recommended.

Along with the educational qualifications, one must also possess certain skills which aide the designers. Skills requirement for obtaining better position in the fashion industry comprise:

• Sense of creativity, innovation, and flair for designing fashionable items
• Keen observation for determining color schemes, patterns, and designs
• Knowledge of different types of fabrics and its identification
• Designing and visualization skills
• Knowledge of garments and technology
• Commercial awareness with business orientation skills
• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Negotiation skills
• Ability to work individually and in teams
• Organizational and time management skills

Working Conditions

Self-employed designers work on their own will, while the designers hired by organizations have to work 40 hours per week in shifts. The shift timings may be fixed or rotational, depending on the organizational requirements. During on-season, they may have to work longer and meet various professionals from the fashion industry for promoting their collection. They may also attend fashion shows, exhibitions, and visit the clients personally for creating their designs accordingly.

Fashion designers work in a small studio or in a workshop and are surrounded by clothes, designs, and accessories from which they create complete apparels. They spend most of their time on the sewing machine. Sometimes, they also travel to international fashion destinations like London, New York, Paris and Rome for observing the latest international fashion trends. The job of fashion designers require one to have a great fashion sense and show lots of creativity in their work. If you wish to get into the fashion industry, having a look at the roles and responsibilities of a fashion designer might prove beneficial for you.