IS IT POSSIBLE TO BECOME A FASHION DESIGNER WITHOUT A DEGREE

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Fashion inundates every part of our lives. It is in the furniture one buys, the shoes one wears and most importantly the clothes one dresses in. Fashion can be taught and therefore successfully learnt. But in some people it is something inherent that just needs a little polishing. Many ask if they can become fashion designers without having a bachelor’s degree. The answer is that yes it is possible. It is however important to highlight that being a fashion designer is not all about leggy models and fancy fashion shows. This means that there is a lot of hard work, actual sweat and blood (normally from needle stabs) that goes into the making of a beautiful world famous garment. If one is to get a job as a fashion designer without the needed degree, one should be ready to work their way up the ranks from the basic entry jobs. This means that it might actually be harder than enrolling in a technical institution. This essay tries to outline how to become a fashion designer without having a degree.

LET’S GET TO WORK

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If one has an interest in being a fashion designer, it is important to have at least a few of the basic skills required. These skills range from drawing fashion illustrations to pattern making and stitching. This is because for one to get that one foot into any fashion house, one has to be able to do something. Sewing either by hand or machine can be learnt online. Moreover, there are many books both online and in secondhand shops that one can buy or borrow and learn from. The web-service provides assignment help for students  says that as much as one does not need a degree, they should have at least finished high school. For most jobs that is the minimum level of education allowed in. If the fashion bug bit early, one can attend textile and design classes either in high school or on the side. One can practice free hand drawing so that one can better illustrate their creative ideas on paper. Computer Aided Design (CAD) has fast become an integral part of fashion design and can be learnt online. One should also have the basic computer literacy skills. Armed with this arsenal of skills one should apply indiscriminately for any entry-level jobs at fashion houses. No job should be seen as lowly as one stands to be seen more as a pattern maker in the fashion house than a job seeker looking in from the outside.

GO GET THEM, SON!!

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It bears repeating that visibility is very important. This means that as one continues to learn and hone their skills, one needs to build their portfolio. This can be done through designing dresses for the upcoming cousin’s wedding or having a look book or portfolio even if nothing is stitched yet. One should enter any and all fashion design, stitching and sewing competitions. This is a great place to make meaningful business connections. It can also be added on to the resume and can unlock a lot of doors in the fashion world especially if one wins. Still, if one does not win, competitions have a way of honing one’s skills and encouraging growth. In the present day and age of social media, one has no excuse for not making it. The above diagram is testament to this. It is the design that one eighteen year old high school teenager came up with for her prom day. She took a photo in the dress put it on social media and the reaction was overwhelming. This is what gave her, her first celebrity client to design for. So, learn the basics and fearlessly put yourself out there. Everything else will fall into place.