Defining the Discipline

Debbie Shaw

Professor Kevin Oberlin

English 289

08 January 2012

The Discipline of Fashion Design

The discipline of fashion design is the process that encompasses conceptualizing, designing, and creating articles of clothing and accessories worn by consumers. According to the United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics, fashion designers fall within the categories of clothing designers, footwear designers, or accessory designers and working within the field can include any single or combination of these categories. Universal to a career in any of the areas mentioned is the need for a strong sense of style, color, and shape, a working knowledge of the qualities of fabrics and textiles, and the ability to sketch well in order to convey one’s vision. FashionSchools.org further elaborates on this list by adding communication and problem-solving skills; sales, persuasion, and presentation skills; and leadership skills.

All websites visited in researching this definition emphasized the need for some formal training, with at least a 2-year, if not a 4-year degree in the area. According to FashionSchools.org, the typical coursework included in fashion design programs includes sewing and tailoring, textiles, colors, pattern making, fashion history, computer-aided design training, and a study of different of types of clothing and the design of those various types.

Types of employment positions can vary, particularly based on the size and/or focus of companies. In a larger corporation there are more “…specialized occupations such as technical designer, pattern maker, cutter, and textile designer” (FashionSchools). In smaller companies a fashion designer is more likely to have to wear multiple hats and accomplish, or at least oversee, a variety of these tasks. Also, some companies may focus on the mass production of garments, while others cater to a more elite clientele who want the one-of-a-kind, or couture garment. This difference in buyers can impact what skills are needed by designers.

There is one exception to the consumer-focused positions, and that is the specialty of costume design for performing arts, cinema, and television. The occupation requires some very similar skills to those of a consumer fashion designer, but most often also requires the designer to research fashion styles of the period in which a production takes place.

Work environment and schedule are generally dictated by the size of the company. A small, beginning design firm can often have less desirable spaces, and longer more demanding hours. Larger companies generally offer more comfort, better benefits, and a regular time schedule.

Two interesting tidbits found within the Princeton Review website were that “… the estimated odds of becoming an internationally famous designer are roughly 160,000:1; and that “…the word “crazy” showed up in more than 75 of our surveys as a plus in fashion design.” I found both of these statements to be rather comical!

The difference between my original brainstorming definition and this one is that the researched definition contains more specific details about the profession while the original definition contains what was important to my situation. I can’t say that this exercise changes how I think about my future work, probably because I have had few years to contemplate the options!

Works Cited

“A Day in the Life of a Fashion Designer.” PrincetonReview.com. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.

FS Staff. “Fashion Designer – Career Profile.” FashionSchools.org. 8 July 2011. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.

“Fashion.” Savannah College of Art and Design. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.

“Fashion Designers.” Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition. Web. 08 Jan. 2012.