how do i know if i'm 'good enough' for fashion design?

[madeline20]

Hey guys,
i am a 24 year old university student from Sweden and i'm seriously thinking of applying to study fashion design in either france, spain or italy. i'm currently studying sociology, which is OK, but i'm not passionate about it and i wouldn't want to hold a normal office job in the future. i'm veery creative, good at drawing, i have a sense of style, beauty, space and colour and i LOVE fashion. but i am NOT good with sewing!! and i am not a picasso with drawing either, but i think i would get great if i practised more. i just started designing clothes a few weeks back (hadn't been drawing in 5 years before that) and i've been improving a loot! today i was drawing the whole day, and the designs just came one after another, i have so many ideas. but i'm still doubtful. i know there are a lot of highly talented people in the field, and i am afraid that someone would always be better than me and i woulnd't succeed or get jobs. what do you guys think? should i just go for it? do you have to be a master with drawing and sewing in order to get somewhere?

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPLYS!!

 

[gius]

Hi there,
I think you just have to really want it
If you would still do fashion even if you didn't get a job related to it or if you got one at a low salary and still continued
Not good to compare yourself to other people
It's all up to you and what you want for yourself, regardless of what other people have

We'd love to see your designs in this thread, madeline !
Aspiring Designers Lookbook - share your designs

 

[homeboy]

With all creative professions there is a learning curve and a process everybody has to go through. Although the field is highly competitive, especial if you want to enroll in top schools, everybody has an equal chance of succeeding in the industry.

Like with many other things in life practice makes perfect. So if you seriously want to pursue a career in fashion design then you have to give it all you've got. It's an expressive field and everything is communicated through drawings or sewing. Don't worry if you're not an expert since your skills will be improved with formal education.

 

[madeline20]

thanks! but the most important personal quality for a designer has to be creativity, right?
and designers don't have to sew that much in the end?

 

[homeboy]

thanks! but the most important personal quality for a designer has to be creativity, right?
and designers don't have to sew that much in the end?

If you want something done your way you sometimes have to do it yourself. With that being said sewing skills are essential if you want to become a design with your own label.

 

[Blondes]

I think the only realistic approach is that you'll have to be able to do everything by yourself. You need to be able to show what you've got in order to have even a chance to get to the point where you can subdelegate sewing to someone else.

Tillskärarakademin gives courses in sewing, pattern construction etc. I've actually been thinking about taking one of their basic clothes sewing courses myself.

Also, when applying to fashion design schools, I know that at least some schools consider being able to draw and paint crucial skills in order to be accepted. My mother is involved in the process where she teaches, and I know they have turned away applicants that have shown up with whole collections (that they have liked), because the person had no painting skills.

 

[Spike413]

Speaking from experience, I had never sewn, draped or drafted a garment in my life before starting at design school, but I knew that I loved to create fashion. That's the most important thing, if you love it and you want to learn, you will.

The worst case scenario is that you try something in design, and you find that it isn't for you. If that happens, there are so many other areas of fashion to go into, merchandising, styling, buying.....

I really do think that the true test of whether or not you want to do fashion design is actually trying it, learning about it and experiencing it. You can't truly know until then, because fashion design is highly glamourized, and you really do need to love it in order to succeed.

I hope that helps!

 

[superbeautiful]

Sewing helps. Especially if you go to a design school, you are expected to learn how to sew for projects etc. Drawing and sewing is important but not as much as your creativity. You can be the best sewer in the world, but in the end of the day, if your designs are good and innovative, nothing else will really matter.

I have to agree with Spike that you don't really know if your into fashion design until you experience it. Before I took fashion design, I thought I would just learn how to sew and blah blah blah but it was so much more then that. I learned how tough it really was and even though that was a little turn off for a while, it ended motivating me even more. It made me realize that fashion is not just clothes, but its everything. The more I learned about the industry and how difficult it was, the more attracted I came to it just because I knew if was a challenge.

If you really love fashion, watch the shows, look at what other designers have done in the past and their contribution to the fashion industry and you feel that you fit in, you should definetly try. You don't have to be the next Lagerfeld but if this is a passion of yours then you should go for it. Fashion is a lot of work, more then people realize.

 

[BetteT]

Here's a related thread ... about what career might work if you don't like to sew, draw or make patterns .... http://www.thefashionspot.com/forum...-i-can-tsew-make-patterns-draw-etc-29650.html

And other fashion careers ... just for some other ideas: http://www.thefashionspot.com/forum...shion-career-help-29223.html?highlight=career

Then we have threads about many individual fashion careers, Use the advanced search ... search thread titles and ask for results as threads and try some of the different careers listed in the two previous threads ... to get more in depth info about anything that interests you, if you decide that designing might be more than you are willing to take on.

 

[madeline20]

thanks guys. i am thinking that i'm gonna give it a shot. i definitely can draw, i always had an A in art in high school. i have so so many ideas for clothes, i have become addicted to designing and i just can't stop could any of you who are studying fashion design post some of your sketches so that i could have a picture about 'how good' it has to be? i know there's a thread about this, but i guess there's others than fashion students designs there(?). i might post some of mine later if i get over my shyness
thanks!

 

[MUXU]

all the technical stuff aside, which are the things you can learn and practice, it all comes down to creativity.

like others said, yes, you have to try it and give it shot first.
in terms of true creativity, you either is or isn't. i believe basically everyone can design a garment but being an actual fashion designer that can push fashion forward is not achieved by everyone. i think there are designers working right now in the industry that i don't think should be called a fashion designer.

i think once you tried it and really really look at your designs and ask yourself, 'are my designs creative enough to differ it self from current designers? is it something others have not done yet?' and you have to ask yourself with the utter most honesty.
i didnt make this advice up. it was the one advice Alexander Mcqueen said when asked, 'what is your number 1 advice to give to aspiring design students?'
dont get me started on the "every thing has been done" debate. it's such a morbid thinking for a designer i find. there is always always room for improvement.

technical skills is very important as well. but i think that should come after you realize whether or not you truly have potential in design.

i am coming to an end of my year of foundation study at saint martins, in the fashion pathway. creative wise i barely learned a thing, technical wise, nothing much either. but i did learn a lot about my way of working and whether or not i have enough creative juice flowing to be a designer. of course i also learned how to do a sketchbook and the development sheets and all and i realize i suck at doing a "proper" sketchbook. it's probably the hardest thing to do. i have shhh loads of design ideas coming out of my head but having to piece it together and lay it down nicely into a sketchbook is agonizing for me. saddly, sketchbook to them is such a big deal.
how saint martins take in their students for BA is generally based 60% on creativity and 40% on hard work/commitment.

of course, my above advice (and ranting ) is for those who want to be up there with all the big names. but if you just want to make beautiful garments and have your own boutique that is fine too.

i mean, "design" isnt really the only way to change fashion and moving it forward. there are other ways, even technical ways to make fashion innovative such as by pattern cutting. i believe pattern cutting is a huge deal when it comes to design.
so, even if you may not be the best designer on paper, but if you study pattern cutting and really explore and think about it, you can be just as creative and innovative.

 

[superbeautiful]

Maybe you can post some of your stuff so we can get a taste of your designs. I'm sure they're really creative.

 

[PeaceAndPout]

I was actually wondering the same thing about myself a couple of months ago. In the end I decided to quit my current study and do whatever I can to get myself into Fashion School. I just went by the school and asked them, what they'd expect from me. The teacher told me that they weren't looking for someone who could actually sew and make things already, it would be a plus, but it ain't neccesairy. Since they will teach you that. The only things you need are commitment, willing to work hard and learn, passion for clothing and most important: being creative.

 

[gius]

how can someone if they are "creative" enough?

i meet a couple of people at school who seem to have trouble coming up with ideas for projects. usually i go for whatever i'm drawn to. what could it mean if someone is not really drawn to anything

 

[Spike413]

^ That's a good point gius, cause imo you can't really know how creative you are with designing until you have a dress form, pins and muslin in front of you. A sketch is just a plan.

Plans can always be changed.

Some of what I consider to be my most interesting designs happened completely naturally, on the form, and with only a vague idea in my head.

That's a big part of why trying it is so important, learning the technical skills can open up a whole new range of creativity.

 

[le go garçon 84]

I'm in almost the same position as Madeleine, I'm 23 years old, I love sketching I know that drawing it's only the beginning of a long road. Currently I'm 3/4 done through an Architecture degree in a very good school in Mexico, I like architecture and that's why I choose this career but through out the proccess I've found out that what really love and what really excites me is fashion design, so I'm thinking that since I'm through most of my degree, I will finish architecture first and then really focus all my energy in pursuing a career in fashion.

What would your advice be to me since there aren't really any good schools here in Mexico that offer a degree in fashion design? If anyone has been in this position of maybe having to emigrate to another country to study F.D. your experiences would be very appreciated. (Specially info regarding scholarships or just sharing tips on good schools) Thanks

 

[madeline20]

now i'm pretty sure that i would make it in fashion design, but i've started to get worried about the superficiality of the industry. in university i've met not so superficial people who i get along with great, and i think there are a loot of more important things in life than looks. so how are the people like in fashion? also i'm worried that i wouldn't get to 'use my brain' enough if i went along with fashion and started regretting leaving uni. and i'm afraid that i'd get 'bored' with just making clothes and i would constantly compare myself to the genius designers in the industry. but then again i really don't wanna hold a normal office job in the future, that would really bore me! why does this have to be so hard!!! :S i'm also thinking of doing something with music in which i have a long history. i've written tons of songs and started performing now too. i just really really don't know which route i should take with my life since all of my options won't guarantee a well paying job and happiness :S guess i just have to keep on exploring different ideas.

 

[Spike413]

The superficiality is a part of the industry as a whole unfortunately, and that's kind of something that you either get wrapped up in or forget about. But the work itself only holds as much value as you put on it. I mean, there are so many people who think fashion is just "silly" or "nonsense" that no intelligent person really cares about. But that's something that, if you love it enough, really doesn't matter in the end.

As for comparing yourself to other designers, you're only human, and no matter what field of work you go into, eventually you'll have a moment where you compare your work to someone else.

In all honesty though, it sounds like your still a bit unsure of how much you really love fashion design, and that's never good if you're thinking of making a big change.

 

[madeline20]

i'm getting this up since it's urgent to me again, anybody have anything new to say about the topic?

 

[BornToBe]

Well I was about to go to school for a degree in molecular biology but I've ended up realizing that my dream and purpose is to become a designer. I had made a plan in my mind that I would go to college for a regular degree and then maybe try later on to start my fashion career but now I know that I don't want to waste my time and youth focusing on Biology.

I think you need to ask yourself this question : Would you feel accomplished/complete/happy if you never pursued your dreams?
if your answer is no, then I think you should go for it!
I mean it's not going to be easy but it will be worth it!
P.S. - you need to do lot's of research about the fashion industry and also schools because even a simple summer course is better than none.