Employers
Approximately 21,900 fashion designers are employed in the United States. About 37 percent work for apparel, piece goods, and notions merchant wholesalers. Nine percent of fashion designers are self-employed. Eight percent of fashion designers work for apparel manufacturers, and 3 percent work in the motion picture and video industries. Many fashion designers find employment with large fashion houses such as Liz Claiborne or Jones New York. Some large manufacturers produce a secondary line of lower-priced designer clothing—Donna Karan's DKNY and Giorgio Armani's Emporio, for example. In the United States, New York City, Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are major fashion centers and positions may be found in both large and small companies. Work also may be found in Chicago and other cities, although not as many jobs are available in these locations.
A few fashion designers work for high-fashion firms, but these positions are difficult to come by and competition is very strong. An aspiring designer may have more options in specialized areas of fashion such as sportswear, sleepwear, children's clothing, or accessories.
Other areas for aspiring fashion designers to explore are home fashions such as bed and bath linens, draperies, and rugs or carpeting. Positions also can be found with pattern manufacturers. Some fashion designers work on a freelance basis, contracting with manufacturers or individuals.
An easy way to learn about manufacturers is to visit a department or specialty store and examine labels and tags on merchandise of interest. In addition to major department stores, other retailers such as Target carry a variety of manufacturers' lines.
Starting Out
Few people begin their careers as fashion designers. Well-trained college graduates often begin as assistant designers. Assistants must prove their ability before being entrusted with the responsible job of the designer. Many young people find that assistant designer jobs are difficult to locate, so they accept beginning jobs in the workroom where they spend time cutting or constructing garments.
Fashion design school graduates may receive placement information from their college's career services office. Approaching stores and manufacturers directly is another way to secure a beginning position. However, you will be more successful if you have contacts in the industry through previous summer or part-time work.
- Advertising Managers
- Apparel Industry Workers
- Appliance Service Technicians
- Architects
- Art Directors
- Art Teachers
- Artists
- Automotive Designers
- Beverage Industry Workers
- Business Managers
- Buyers
- Canning and Preserving Industry Workers
- Cartoonists
- Color Analysts
- Comic Book Artists
- Computer and Video Game Designers
- Computer-Aided Design Drafters and Technicians
- Conservators and Conservation Technicians
- Cosmeticians
- Cosmetics Sales Representatives
- Cosmetics Shop Owners and Managers
- Cosmetologists
- Costume Designers
- Customer Service Representatives
- Dairy Products Manufacturing Workers
- Digital Designers
- Drafters
- Electrical Engineering Technologists
- Electrical Engineers
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- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Exhibit Designers
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- Farmers
- Fashion Coordinators
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- Fashion Models' Agents
- Fashion Photographers
- Fashion Stylists
- Fashion Writers and Editors
- Film and Television Directors
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- Laboratory Testing Technicians
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- Makeup Artists
- Manufacturing Supervisors
- Market Research Analysts
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- Medical Illustrators and Photographers
- Models
- Motion Graphics Artists
- Multimedia Artists and Animators
- Nail Technicians
- Non-Fungible Token Artists
- Photographers
- Plastics Products Manufacturing Workers
- Product Designers
- Product Development Directors
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- Product Managers
- Production Designers and Art Directors
- Publicity Photographers
- Quality Control Engineers
- Quality Control Technicians
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- Remote Health Care Engineers
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- Sales Representatives
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- Software Engineers
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- Swimming Pool Designers
- Tailors and Dressmakers
- Tattoo Artists
- Textile Manufacturing Workers
- Tobacco Products Industry Workers
- Toy Industry Workers
- Video Game Art Directors
- Visual Interaction Designers
- Watch and Clock Repairers