Fashion Design - Fulbright.no

Are You Ready To...?

• Invent new designs
• Choose fabrics
• Attend fashion shows
• Collaborate with a team
• Keep up with trends
• Work hard to build a career and keep it

It Helps to Be...

Full of drive and ambition: the glamorous allure of the fashion world draws a lot of competition. You’ll also need to have the talent and the artistic vision to back it up.

Make High School Count

• Study art. It will help you develop the eye for color, design, and proportion that you’ll need.
• Learn how to sew.
• Sharpen your math skills: measurement and proportion are fundamental to good design.
• Try your hand at costuming by working on the school play

Source: collegeboard.com

Being a Fashion Designer

"You know you're destined to be a fashion designer if you: a) spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends; b) read fashion magazines instead of your school books; c) ran a boutique out of your basement at age 10. In other words: if you want to be the next Yves Saint Laurent, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion.

However, there are many aspects of the profession. Working as a fashion designer can just as well mean supervising a design team at a sportswear company as producing a label under your own name. Although the former career may not seem as glamorous as the latter, it certainly will make your life less stressful. To create your own label takes a lot of time, dedication and hard work. Not to mention living just above the poverty line for several years."

Source: fashion.net

Where to Begin

"Truly successful careers in fashion design usually begin at top postsecondary design schools like the Parsons School of Design in New York, and if you're serious about reaching the top in this field it's worth making every effort to attend such a school. Further, since a portfolio review is an important part of the admissions process, you need to develop a portfolio that demonstrates artistic talent, skill, and sense of style.

However, many other schools offer good technical programs. Some community colleges offer two-year fashion design programs, and many universities offer four-year programs. Classes include sketching, pattern-making, garment construction, textiles and trimmings, fashion marketing, and principles of design and color. However, graduates of these "second-tier" schools find it more difficult to move into jobs in the studios of top-flight designers unless they're unusually talented.

In either case, educational qualifications are not enough to ensure a successful career in the field. While attendance at a top-flight school help enormously by giving a graduate the necessary contacts to get a job in the fashion world, designers also need taste, sophistication, technical expertise, and luck."

Source:

In-Depth Information

"In fashion design, employers seek individuals with a 2-year or 4-year degree who are knowledgeable about textiles, fabrics, ornamentation, and fashion trends. Designers must have a strong sense of the esthetic—an eye for color and detail, a sense of balance and proportion, and an appreciation for beauty. Fashion designers also need excellent communication and problem-solving skills. Despite the advancement of computer-aided design, sketching ability remains an important advantage in fashion design. A good portfolio—a collection of examples of a person’s best work—often is the deciding factor in getting a job.

Bachelor’s of fine arts and associate degree programs in fashion design are offered at many colleges, universities, and private art and design schools. Some fashion designers also combine a fashion design degree with a business, marketing, or fashion merchandising degree, especially those who want to run their own business or retail store. Basic coursework includes color, textiles, sewing and tailoring, pattern making, fashion history, CAD, and design of different types of clothing such as menswear or footwear. Coursework in human anatomy, mathematics, and psychology also is useful.

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design accredits approximately 250 postsecondary institutions with programs in art and design. Most of these schools award degrees in fashion design. Many schools do not allow formal entry into a program until a student has successfully completed basic art and design courses. Applicants usually have to submit sketches and other examples of their artistic ability.

In addition to creativity and sketching ability, fashion designers also need to have sewing and patternmaking skills, even if they do not perform these tasks themselves. Designers need to be able to understand these skills so they can give proper instructions as to how the garment should be constructed. Fashion designers also need strong sales and presentation skills in order to persuade clients to purchase their designs. Good teamwork and communication skills also are necessary because of the increasingly international nature of the business that requires constant contact with suppliers, manufacturers, and buyers around the world.

Beginning fashion designers usually start out as pattern makers or sketching assistants for more experienced designers before they can advance to higher level positions. Experienced designers may advance to chief designer, design department head, or other supervisory position. Some designers may start their own design company, or sell their designs in their own retail stores. A few of the most successful designers can work for high-fashion design houses that offer personalized design services to wealthy clients."

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook.

To Find Schools - Two Good Search Engines:

• Peterson's search engine
• College Board's search engine

Result of Search on College Board

• Academy of Art University, San Francisco, California 
• Allan Hancock College, Santa Maria, California 
• American InterContinental University: Buckhead - Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia
• Art Institute of California: San Francisco, San Francisco, California 
• Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 
• Art Institute of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
• Art Institute of Portland, Portland, Oregon 
• Art Institute of Seattle, Seattle, Washington 
• Baltimore City Community College, Baltimore, Maryland 
• Bauder College, Atlanta, Georgia 
• Bay State College, Boston, Massachusetts 
• Baylor University, Waco, Texas 
• Bethesda Christian University, Anaheim, California 
• Brenau University, Gainesville, Georgia 
• Brooks College, Long Beach, California 
• Burlington County College, Pemberton, New Jersey 
• Butte College, Oroville, California 
• California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California 
• California Design College, Los Angeles, California 
• Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, New York 
• Centenary College, Hackettstown, New Jersey 
• Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, California 
• College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota 
• Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 
• Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, Ohio 
• Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois 
• Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
• El Centro College, Dallas, Texas 
• El Paso Community College, El Paso, Texas 
• Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts, New York, New York 
• Fashion Careers College, San Diego, California 
• Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Los Angeles, California 
• Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising: Orange County, Irvine, California 
• Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising: San Diego, San Diego, California 
• Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising: San Francisco, San Francisco, California 
• Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, New York 
• Finlandia University, Hancock, Michigan 
• Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida 
• Fullerton College, Fullerton, California 
• Harcum College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 
• Harding University, Searcy, Arkansas 
• Houston Community College System, Houston, Texas 
• Humber College, Etobicoke, Canada 
• Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 
• International Academy of Design and Technology: Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 
• International Academy of Design and Technology: Detroit, Troy, Michigan 
• International Academy of Design and Technology: Henderson, Henderson, Nevada 
• International Academy of Design and Technology: Nashville, Nashville, Tennessee 
• International Academy of Design and Technology: Schaumburg, Schaumburg, Illinois 
• International Academy of Design and Technology: Tampa, Tampa, Florida 
• Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 
• Kent State University, Kent, Ohio 
• Lasell College, Newton, Massachusetts 
• Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville, Pennsylvania 
• Lindenwood University, St. Charles, Missouri 
• Long Beach City College, Long Beach, California 
• Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles, California 
• Los Angeles Trade and Technical College, Los Angeles, California 
• Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida 
• Manatee Community College, Bradenton, Florida 
• Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York 
• Mars Hill College, Mars Hill, North Carolina 
• Marymount University, Arlington, Virginia 
• Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Massachusetts 
• Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina 
• Miami International University of Art and Design, Miami, Florida 
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 
• Modesto Junior College, Modesto, California 
• Moore College of Art and Design, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
• Mount Ida College, Newton, Massachusetts 
• Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 
• Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, California 
• Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 
• Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, California 
• Pace University: Pleasantville/Briarcliff, Pleasantville, New York 
• Palomar College, San Marcos, California 
• Parsons The New School for Design, New York, New York 
• Penn Valley Community College, Kansas City, Missouri 
• Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
• Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Ponce, Puerto Rico 
• Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York 
• Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island 
• Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, California 
• Salt Lake Community College, Salt Lake City, Utah 
• San Joaquin Delta College, Stockton, California 
• Santa Fe Community College, Gainesville, Florida 
• Santa Fe Community College, Santa Fe, New Mexico 
• Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California 
• Santiago Canyon College, Orange, California 
• Sauk Valley Community College, Dixon, Illinois 
• Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, Georgia 
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 
• State University of New York College at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 
• Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri 
• Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 
• Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 
• Texas Woman's University, Denton, Texas 
• Tucson Design College, Tucson, Arizona 
• Universidad Autonoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico 
• University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 
• University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 
• University of Hawaii: Honolulu Community College, Honolulu, Hawaii 
• University of Minnesota: Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 
• University of North Texas, Denton, Texas 
• University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas 
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 
• Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, Ohio 
• Ventura College, Ventura, California 
• Vincennes University, Vincennes, Indiana 
• Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 
• Virginia Marti College of Art and Design, Lakewood, Ohio 
• Wade College, Dallas, Texas
• Wallace State Community College at Hanceville, Hanceville, Alabama 
• Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri 
• Waukesha County Technical College, Pewaukee, Wisconsin 
• West Hills Community College, Coalinga, California 
• West Valley College, Saratoga, California 
• William Rainey Harper College, Palatine, Illinois 
• Wood Tobe-Coburn School, New York, New York 
• Woodbury University, Burbank, California