Not only does fashion design not pay as well as people think, it’s nowhere near as glamorous as people think it is either. Verbal Croquis says it all:
This post is for those who think fashion is glamorous. This post is for those who are thinking they may want to pursue fashion as a career choice…You think designing is easy and fun? Honey, designing is only 1/10 of a designer’s job, if you’re lucky. Ordering samples, picking swatches, making samples, overseeing fittings, schmoozing over the phone, meeting with vendors, research research research, trying to get everything to cost out to your pricepoint, edit edit edit, hyperventilate, hyperventilate, hyperventilate, lather rinse repeat but make it snappy-I want it all done yesterday. Don’t get me wrong-I love all that stuff. And I love love love my job. There’s nothing else that I want to do.
My point is that’s HARD WORK. If you’re lazy, don’t get into fashion. If you imagine yourself with your sketch pad all day, get over yourself and find yourself a sugar daddy. If you’re stupid, you will get screwed over many many times, by your vendors, by your contractors, by your very own employees, employers and coworkers.
Amen to all of that!
If you are looking to be a celebrity or look cool and have an entourage, have your hair and nails done, etc.. get into modeling or acting- being a designer is not for you.
If you are willing to learn how to run (and thread) all sorts of tools, walk around with lint on your clothes, give up social events because the shipment needs to go out and say “no” to your boyfriend/girlfriend/signi-other because you have to do some WORK.. then MAYBE you can handle it.
knowing now i think every design student needs to take Jimmy-rigging and body building because their is a lot of “figure it out/fix it” and schlepping things around.