Any advice for a starting designer.

[Aleks]

Thank you everyone. This thread has certainly opened my eyes quite a bit.

[franzakhi]

copy margiela instead. interviews by fax. no cell phone. don't answer emails. inaccessibility is the new accessibility.

I love this advise... haha

[franzakhi]

I haven't reached a great amount of success, but I've been picking up steam lately and have some advice that has helped me try to break into a creative field (music in my case).

The first, comes from an interview with Terry Richardson of all places. He said the greatest advice he ever got was "just keep taking pictures" take as many as you can and never stop working. Whether success is coming to you or not, keep making clothes, keep producing work, be productive as if you are hugely successful. That way when a break does come your way you are prepared. Personally, I've continued to compose as much as I can in the past year whether there are any prospects of having it played or not. I'm starting to get some opportunities and I'm very glad I have a body of work behind me to pull from. Nobody is going to hire you just because you have a lot of good ideas, you gotta have the work to back it up.

The second I've learned recently myself, don't be afraid to ask people for stuff! I'm usually shy and hate to impose myself on people, but it's amazing the opportunities that will open up if you just ask! Be bold, as long as you are sincere and talented people will respond well to your requests. You can't wait to be discovered, you have to force yourself onto the world. I'm putting on a concert in NYC in October that came about just from asking some friends if they want to play some pieces of mine and asking some other composers if they want to write some pieces, everyone said "yes" and voila.

Being in a creative field can suck, you have to do everything yourself at the beginning. Don't worry about school or not, a school isn't going to build your career. After getting my Master's at NYU I've been burned 2 years in a row getting rejected from every PhD program I've applied to but that has been a great motivation for me to get off my ass and make it happen myself, fuck 'em!

Anyway, that's my rant, I've had far too much espresso...

This gives me motivation.

[ahn]

Hi all, this is a really heartening thread. It’s nice to see this level of support in this field.

I’m in a similar position to you (well kind of). I have been making basic pieces for the last 10 years now and have been producing my own gear and pushing it in small boutiques (its makes enough money to pay for some industrial machines, a small studio). I’m in my mid 20’s now and have been working full time in a different field to support this interest. In the past few years it has become more and more obvious to me that I’m lacking fundamental skills and knowledge in garment construction and design to take it to the next level and while working in different field will provide money to take a small business to the next level it robs me of the time and inspiration to actually do this. For me I have resolved to go back to school next year to get some higher education fashion design.

I’m not too worried about if this is going to be good or bad idea, I’ve already had enough people tell me if it’s a dumb idea and I’m smart enough person to know that I’m not going to be the next big thing. I know from first hand experience the industry is rarely glamorous, running your own business is an epic money sink and wages working for someone else in fashion are notoriously poor or non existent.

At the end of the day though the thing that makes me happy is sitting in my little studio working away.

My advice (be it good or bad) would be to think long and hard about what you want to do with you life. Taking up fashion is not so much a career choice but more a life choice. I know from my experience that going down a fashion based road means you are more than likely never going to make as much money as your friends who work in the business world.

This is exactly my story but in jewellery. I was making a line, self-taught, I had some very small successes, some stockists, a little press... but I couldn't take it to the next level because I didn't have the skills or knowledge.

I went back to study, yes all my friends thought I was crazy but I've learnt so much and enjoy every single second of my time when I am in a class.

I'm in my late 20's, I am still at home working in retail while I study and it's tough when all my friends are buying their first homes and have steady incomes in their careers.

But it's my joy and if I want to make my joy my life there are sacrifices.

As I approach the end of my course and have to put on my first (group) exhibition I'm terrified what will come next. Will I keep studying? Get a full time job and make on the side? When will I be able to afford to move out of home?! But I want to build my brand, I think it has great potential.

If I can give any advice - just make sure you want to do (fashion) design for the right reasons. You have to love the craft itself, not because it seems artisinal and exciting, but because you love the technical process just as much as the finished product. You have to want to learn how to make, and make well. Whether it's the long and monotonous hours of cutting patterns or the meticulous process of finishing a piece of jewellery from the first file to the final polish... it's hard work, so it's got to be for love.

Good luck :)

[i-d-g]

As I was reading this, I realized that Aleks was eerily similar to myself in the sense that we both have a generalized idea of what we want to do, and are trying to pursue it. We have a very similar plan- or lack of plan if you will.

I'm going to hijack this for a brief moment in hopes that I can receive an answer as insightful as some other posts in this thread:

I want to attend FIT as well. Menswear is much more interesting to me than womenswear. I could see myself designing womenswear, but my ideas for garments just naturally gravitate toward menswear. Basically, I'm torn between studying menswear at FIT for two years, or studying fashion design for four. I feel like two years is not enough to develop creatively, and specifically at FIT, the menswear curriculum doesn't look like it lends as much room for creativity as the fashion design program.

That got me thinking that I should just study fashion design. Even though I'd be designing womenswear, I would still have more time and room to develop creatively, and I could see myself interning at a tailor to keep my menswear skills up to par.

Which path would be the better option?

[Faust]

I'm in my late 20's, I am still at home working in retail while I study and it's tough when all my friends are buying their first homes and have steady incomes in their careers.

But it's my joy and if I want to make my joy my life there are sacrifices.

Let me tell you a story. I just got back from San Fran where I stayed at an acquaintance's house. He works in sales for some HR company. His buddy that was staying with him worked in finances. Both are very well off. Both were telling me how much they hate their jobs. As they were saying this, it struck me that I have not heard the phrase "I hate my job" since I left Wall St. It was literally jarring to hear those words because I have not heard them for so long. No matter how little money we make compared to them, or how much time we put in, there is something to be said about doing what you love for a living. (This is not a blanket statement - I am sure plenty of people in fashion hate their jobs, but they are probably not on the creative side of the industry. I am also sure some office drones love their jobs too).

[Faust]

i-d-g, I don't know anyone who has praised either the quality of FIT curriculum or the career paths they offer after graduation. This is not an expert opinion by any means, but I suggest doing some research before you take the plunge. Perhaps others can chime in.

[Arcane]

To be quilte honest, I've never understood the reason why so many people choose to go to fashion design schools. There's such a huge pile of designers building up that if you haven't attended one of the very top schools it would probably be hard for you to be successful.

Without judging anyone, I feel that a lot of people who take fashion designer courses aren't all that creative but rather have a dream of being so. It might sound harsh but when I talk to people who've actually completed their studies without being able to succeed it seems obvious to me that there must be better ways to success than design schools, especially for people who already know how to harness their creativity.

Why not learn patten making (I know they do in designer classes as well, but there's a reason you have professionals doing nothing but pattern work), get an apprenticeship with a tailor and learn how to actually make well made clothes.

Being in a creative business (though not in fashion) I know how a creative process works and I am quite convinced by the fact that with the technical tools you'll get from a tailor or a pattern making course you will be better off than going to a lower tier fashion design school. If you're really a creative person...

My five cents anyway.

Note: When I say fashion design schools I intend the ones who actually suggest that you'll be a fashion designer when finished. Nothing more, nothing less. I you the term is diffuse and there will be overlaps.

[Archaics]

.....

[viciouscircle]

Great thread!

The key is to learn selling yourself and work as hard as you can.

I'm working on it

Best regards,