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A Career as a Fashion Designer

Fashion designers create the clothing and accessories that you purchase in stores or order from catalogs. Fashion designers may design for women, men or children. Some specialize in accessories or footwear, while others design in all categories.

 

It takes at least 18 months to go from concept to final product. Designers look to trend reports to get an idea of what fabrics, styles and colors will be popular. They sketch ideas freehand and also use computers. A fashion designer may open her own firm or work for an existing firm. Most will start as apprentices to established designers or as junior designers at clothing companies before branching out on their own. It is not unusual for a fashion designer to log a lot of hours on the road to attend fashion shows and trade shows, as well as meet with suppliers of textiles and other materials needed to execute their designs.

 

An aspiring fashion designer can earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in fashion design. Fashion design majors take coursees in computer-assisted design, art history, and fashion design. Some fashion schools will require students to submit portfolios or complete foundation art classes before being formally admitted as fashion deisgn majors. It’s also a good idea for up-and-coming designers to complete an internship in a fashion capital such as Paris or Milan.

 

Successful designers have a eye for color and style, along with great problem-solving skills. An aspiring designer must be good at communicating ideas to others and working in teams. The median annual wage for a fashion designer is $61,160.

 

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Working With a Fashion Consultant

Are you the person your friends turn to for help putting together outfits? If so, maybe a career as a fashion consultant is right for you! Fashion consultants, also known as image consultants or fashion stylists, work with clients to create a wardrobe that is suitable for their body type and lifestyle.

When a potential client contacts a fashion consultants, the consultant typically schedules a consultation. During this initial meeting, the consultant determines the client’s body type and asks them what their lifestyle is like. This will help the consultant in picking out clothing that is good for the client. While a stay-at-home mom will want comfortable outfits  an executive will need suits. Among the services that a fashion consultant might offer are:

 

  • Going through a client’s existing wardrobe to determine what should be kept and what can be given away. A client might find that after a thorough review of her existing wardrobe, she is starting out from scratch, or she may discover that she has some nice items but needs a few new pieces to give her wardrobe an overhaul.

 

  • A consultant can go to stores and pick out potential outfits for a client, who then meets the consultant at  the store, tries the outfits on and purchases what she likes.

 

  • In order to make it easy for a client to put outfits together, a consultant can prepare a “look book.” This is done by photographing outfits together with accessories and shoes; the photos can go into a binder and even be separated by category (work, weekend, evening).

 

By working with a fashion consultant, you can take the stress out of getting dressed!

 

 

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Three of the Most Exciting NYFW Designers: Jeremy Scott, Michael Kors, and Vera Wang

It’s New York fashion week again!

Jeremy Scott

Jeremy Scott dialed into his inner Andy Warhol and delivered a bubblegum-pink pop culture extravaganza. While every other designer was delivering 70′s chic or grown-up glamor, Jeremy Scott brought us back to our childhood. The collection was one word: fun. Models carried animal-purses down the runway. Graphic tees went high fashion. Pigtails became high fashion. Most notably, Jeremy Scott chose to play off of the classic “Coca-cola” graphic design and replace “Coke” with “God.” Clear raincoats and furry high heels? Kilts? Supermen dresses with actual capes? Why not?

Michael Kors

Who wasn’t at the Michael Kors show in New York City? Here’s who was: Debra Messing, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michael Douglas, Anjelica Huston, Rene Russo, and Emma Roberts. The Fall collection was set to celebrate 30 years of classic Michael Kors. Tailored coats. Black bodysuits. Flowing outerwear. Flannel. Fur. Cashmere. Silk. What didn’t Michael Kors do in his collection? Kors also brought out older models like Frankie Rayder, Carmen Kass, and Isabeli Fontana to walk the runway. His key colors in this collection were camel, blush, grey, black, and red.  Let’s celebrate and hope for another 30 years of Michael Kors.

Vera Wang

“English aristocracy of the 1930s?” Well, now, that’s a very specific inspiration, Vera Wang. She took it and run with a feminine collection that was sheer, flowy, and delightfully retro without being costumey. Fur and feathers? Why not? Celebrities will be lining up to get her looks that are startlingly unique without being over the top. They’re restrained and well-made. Vera Wang’s aristocratic color palette was comprised of burgundy, mustard, ivory, and smokey gray. Key accessories were scrunched leather gloves and leather platform boots. This collection is perfect for a girl who is undefined by modern silhouettes and doesn’t mind reaching back to earlier times for a showstopping artsy look.

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The Relationship Between Hip-Hop Music and Fashion

Music and fashion has always shared a very close bond. In the 50s and 60s people flocked to stores to purchase fashionable clothing that mimicked the style of their favorite musical group or singers. However, the relationship between music and fashion became extremely close when hip-hop music came on the scene.

Hip-Hop music started to make its way onto the music scene in the 1980s. Teenagers and young adults all flocked to hear rap and hip-hop groups like Run-DMC, Ice-T and L.L. Cool J. With the popularity of these groups came the desire by teens and young adults to dress just like these musical artists. People began to search for hip-hop inspired clothing. While some stores could offer similar fashion trends, others could not. It was this demand that sparked the relationship between hip-hop music and the fashion world.

Fashion manufacturers started to notice that there was a real demand for hip-hop and urban inspired clothing and responded with clothing lines like Rocawear. It wasn’t just a style of clothing that hung on the rack to these people; it was a way to dress like their musical idols. However, the development of full clothing lines was a slow process.

Fashion manufactures were unsure of how to approach the hip-hop music scene and develop a clothing style for them. Instead of putting out shirts, pants and other clothing items, manufactures started out with accessories. Hip-hop accessories were extremely popular. People would buy the same shoes that artists wore, necklaces, sunglasses, watches and even hats. Realizing that they may have found a niche market the fashion manufacturers started to design clothing that is based off of the style that the hip-hop and urban artists wore.

Today, fashion manufactures have started to cash in on this popularity by inspiring the actual hip-hop artists to design their own lines. This is how brands like Rocawear, Apple Bottoms, Phat Farm and Dereon have come into existence.

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Lovely Ladies: Carolina Herrera, Monique Lhullier, and Donna Karan at New York Fashion Week

It’s New York Fashion Week once again, and these three elegant female designers proved their prowess in the fashion world. Well done, ladies!

Carolina Herrera

Send a femme fetale gown and feather gloves down the runway and your audience will be hooked for the rest of the show. Carolina Herrera masters the cool elegance found in a Hitchcock film: breezy, elegant fashion that’s never overstated. Herrera’s show was gorgeous and exquisitely edited. Modern women could easily see themselves in her designs, while celebrities and high-profile clients are already knocking at her door. Accessible opulence: that’s Caroiina Herrera. It was clean. It was incredibly tailored. It was glamorous. What more could you want in a collection?

Monique Lhullier

50′s feminine with an oh-so-modern twist: that was Monique Lhullier’s collection. Sweetheart necklines and sugary a-line silhouettes were well balanced by edgy fur and lace. The collection was figure-flattering and beckoned to every girl in the audience. Who wouldn’t want a pair of lace-up ballet-inspired heels or a gorgeous bow-tied waist dress? Who wouldn’t want to look like a modern Grace Kelly with an edgy twist? No one, Monique Lhullier bet: and she was so right.

Donna Karan

In the wild colors, tricks, and gimmicks involved in New York Fashion Week, Donna Karan took a calculated pause. Where others were wildly gesturing with flashing lights, Donna Karan was a breath of silence. Karan designed her collection for a woman who “commands a room.” Not a power-crazed woman at the head of a board meeting, oh no. Karan is talking about the woman who turns heads without saying a word. The woman who looks sexier than anyone else in a simple full-length, long-sleeved gown. Think Angelina Jolie or Cate Blanchett. They’re inherently attractive and commanding and they don’t need flashy colors and head-turning designs to stand out. Karan crafted her subtle collection from cream, blush, grey, and sea green. The accessories were edited carefully and included micro pearls and elbow-length gloves.

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Making the Most of Your South Beach Vacation

Many travelers visit South Beach Miami because they want to enjoy the trendy, luxurious restaurants, clubs and hotels in the area. This guide will help you find some of the attractions that suit your interests so that you can make the most of your trip.

Restaurants in South Beach

South Beach attracts some of the best chefs in the world, so be sure to set aside a couple nights of your vacation to enjoy fabulous meals at trendy restaurants. Some of the top restaurants in South Beach include 1220 at the Tides, 510 Ocean and Joe’s Stone Crab. The chefs at these locations prepare some of the most innovative cuisine in the country.

Recreation in South Beach

The restaurants in South Beach are terrific, but you can’t forget about the original reason that people started flocking to this area of Miami: the weather. Your trip should include plenty of time on the beach. You can choose to lie in the sand and soak up some rays while you relax, or you could try something more adventurous. Numerous rental agencies on the beach can give you access to surf boards, body boards, parasailing equipment and other equipment.

Luxury Hotels in South Beach

Finding a luxury hotel South Beach style that meets your budget limitations allows you to make the most of your trip. The best hotels are located right along the waterfront, making it easy for you to enjoy the activities that interest you. A good luxury hotel in South Beach should also give you numerous guest services that will make your vacation memorable.

Using the Internet can help you find the best deals on luxury hotels in South Beach. Consider using websites such as Kiwi Collection to find low prices on the best hotels. Comparing all of your options will help ensure that you enjoy your vacation as much as possible.

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