Do I Need A Degree To Be A Fashion Designer?
Along with being a dream profession and company to work for, fashion designers have an exciting career path and lots of perks, such as the ability to work from home. In fact, according to a recent Pew Research Center report, about one-third of US adults living in households with an annual household income over $75K or at least $100K report having at least one person in the household working in the creative sector. Some pros of being a designer include:
* Designers are responsible for creating new products and services on a regular basis. * The design process is highly collaborative; it involves brainstorming ideas and iterating designs until they hit their mark. * Designers enjoy being the ones in the corner office. * There are plenty of opportunities to work on and with other brands. * They work with talented people, including photographers, art directors, etc.
But can you make it as a designer without a degree? The answer is yes! Here are some reasons why:
1) You have time to develop your skills. Working from home means you don't have a boss breathing down your neck all day long and expecting results fast. You can take your time developing and perfecting your skills so that when you decide to launch into the professional world, you'll be well-prepared for the competition and ready to succeed at any level of design.
2) You'll learn from your mistakes and portfolio. Because you're not competing with other designers for a position, the learning curve is much more forgiving and you have time to practice your skills until you get them right.
3) There's a lot less competition for jobs. Since there are so many people looking for work and few positions available, there are far fewer job openings than there are qualified applicants ready to take them on. This also means that in order to stand out, candidates have to put in more time into their portfolios and businesses than they would if they had a degree in fashion design or another related field.
4) Experienced designers don't need a degree or special training to launch their career . And that's a good thing! When you have enough experience, your portfolio will speak for itself.
5) You get to spend more time at home with your family. If you're working with your family, or even remotely from home, being able to stay close to home and on budget is one of the largest benefits of launching your own professional business.
6) You won't need to take out loans for design school . Unlike others in their field, designers without a degree can skip the loans and master their craft from the comfort of their own home!
With so many benefits up for grabs, it's easy to see how you don't need a degree to be a fashion designer. On the other hand, there are plenty of ways that a degree can help you develop your skills and make you a more effective designer. Whether or not you're planning on going to school for fashion design, here's how:
1) You'll learn techniques and concepts . Fashion design requires lots of time spent at the drawing board, perfecting concepts that can take months or even years to develop. Having a degree will allow you to take what you've learned in art class and apply it to your own designs.
2) You'll learn how to get better at something . Fashion design is a skill that you can work on for years and still learn more. Having a degree will show you how to properly research, analyze, and improve your work in addition to how to promote yourself.
3) Someone else will get you started . Designers who have degrees will most likely be able to produce more modern, cutting-edge pieces faster than those who don't have one. They also won't have as many difficulties getting their business off the ground since they'll be able to get the resources they need faster--if they've graduated!
4) You'll learn from other designers . You can learn a lot from other designers, especially when you're working on your own ideas. You'll be able to see how their business runs and learn from them, or even shadow them if they're not in your area!
5) Your portfolio will look more professional. Having a degree will show that you have at least some kind of formal training so that employers won't question whether or not your designs are actually yours.
6) You'll get more opportunities to work with other brands. Working on other brands will give you a chance to work with more talented people from different industries who can help you learn the ins and outs of the design world.
All in all, the benefits of a degree for fashion designers are endless, but so is the ability to launch a career without one. It's up to you how far along you want to go and what your plans are for your future. The choice is totally yours!
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This content is sponsored by the American Sewing Guild. Opinions expressed here are my own or my clients.
A sew in photo filter (left) vs. a photo lacking that filter (right). Which do you prefer?
I've come to realize there's two types of sewists: The type that show off their work and the type who prefers to keep it hidden from the world. I have clients who do both, but for some reason, I tend to attract more of the first kind of client into my Etsy and private sewing classes . Now, there are two types of sewists for you to decide on: the professional sewist and the DIYer. Below are some examples of the pros and cons of each type of sewist, along with some suggestions for which group best suits your needs.
Photo Credit: Bucky & Max
Who Would You Rather Meet?
Here are a couple photos that will help you decide who you would prefer to meet...
I'd rather meet someone like this rather than this... Photo courtesy of Bucky & Max If you're a professional sewist, these are the people who make your life easier. They're open-minded and have their priorities straight on what they want to achieve in their career. They're professionals and will take their craft very seriously, which means they'll never let you down. Every stitch counts to them and they take great pride in what they do. Best of all, they don't have to worry about their work hiding in a cabinet while they go through life with a homemade portfolio. Professional sewists are out there working on creative projects for companies, being interviewed by international TV shows instead of hiding in an attic somewhere .
I'd rather meet someone like this rather than this... Photo courtesy of Bucky & Max If you're a DIYer, these are the people who make your life more difficult.
Conclusion
One of the top requested posts on the blog is "How to launch a successful Etsy store". I'm currently working on an article that will go into detail about how to make that happen, but today I'm going to give you a few tips and tricks for achieving success if you don't want to launch a full-time business.
1) Start with something small. Here's the thing: I know for many, making sales immediately is an overwhelming thought. However, in my opinion, it's actually better to start small and work your way up rather than working for the big dream too soon and then finding out it doesn't work.