10 Misconceptions About a Career in Fashion Design

Hello Sunshines!

As most of you know, I am pursuing a career in fashion design. This is both awesome and a huge pain when it comes to telling others of my choice. It is awesome because a lot of people think it is the coolest career for someone to have, the pain of it is when some let the misconceptions of the fashion industry influence their opinion.

Not saying you're a horrible person if you believe in these misconceptions, afterall, we are all guilty of this from time to time. However, I think it is time to crush some of those common misconceptions and what better way to do that then to list 10 of them and counter it with the truth from several fashion majors and designers.

Here we go! 10 misconceptions about a career in fashion design.

(Photo above is me "faking" a smile in the workshop.)

1. We can't get jobs or it is not considered a job.

This is definitely not true. As a fashion major and from hearing stories of other designers is that it is harder to make it in the fashion industry, but the careers are there. You have to really want it to get it, just like any other career/job.

Now I don't know how some feel fashion design isn't qualified as a job, but I'm sure after reading the rest of this it'll blow that idea right out.

2. Designers are only successful if they make it to the big leagues (aka NYC).

You guessed it, this is false! A designer can be successful without being in one of the major fashion weeks or fashion capitals. Success is only what the individual makes it, so those small-town designers doing what they love with minimal impact are successful.

3. We make a lot of money.

Very few designers are lucky enough to make a lot of money. Even with average starting salary for fashion designers being close to $67,000, most start as low as $30,000. Basically, we don't choose fashion for the money.

4. It is such an easy and fun career.

You're right about it being fun, but it is definitely not easy. The challenge of making sure to produce new and trendy fashions to satisfy the public is a lot of stress and pressure. As most careers, we have our demands that make it anything but easy.

5. We don't design for REAL people.

Depending on your definition of a real person, I'm pretty sure most of us design for someone real. Sure some of the designs don't fit a certain persona, but it is up to a designer to choose their target audience and market.

6. We aren't a technical or complicated career.

Well if drafting, CAD, draping, geometry, pattern-making, garment construction, and drawing is considered easy and not technical that means no career can even qualify in the "technical/complicated" career realm. But that's just me. ;)

(Forgive my sass.)

7. All you need is creativity, you don't need intelligence.

Creativity and intelligence work hand in hand, neither can function without the other. Some have more of the other, but every career calls for a little of each all the time. Fashion designers have to ensure they understand basic math and be able to cut fabric without waste. We just have a unique intelligence (like every career).

8. We don't work long or hard weeks.

Ever watch Project Runway? Despite it being an exaggerated view of the production of garments, the final episodes where they literally wake up at 4 AM to start their day by 6 and end it at midnight is pretty standard for most designers. We work, on average, 6 days a week and on some holidays just to ensure our fashion is released on time.

9. We have full control over the trends and yet we produce "ugly" garments.

Now I won't deny we have a lot of control over what clothing hits the racks, but society takes our concepts and twists them into the trends they want. So those so called "ugly" garments are created by the masses you are considered to be apart of right now. Designers just respond.

10. We live a life of luxury.

As designers, we love to dress to impress. This means we can take any simple outfit and make it appear 10x more luxurious than it actually is. It is about the way you style and wear it, not about the piece itself.

There you have it! I listed them and then proceeded to counter them. As a small disclaimer, I wasn't trying to insult or offend anyone with this, I'm just enlightening my community with something I'm super passionate about. I encourage you to do the same! People won't learn unless you counter the falsehoods.

xoxo Sunshines!