Starting a Fashion Business

Getting Paid to Dress People and Make Them Feel Good
Envision getting paid to dress people and make them feel good. You work with the most talented and creative people in the industry. Your name is franchised internationally; you can find it on billboards all over subway stations.

You hang out with the world’s most stylish people; some are celebrities, some are ordinary people with discriminating tastes. More importantly, you earn a six, or even, seven-figure income annually.

While there are only 18 haute couturiers worldwide acknowledged by the Syndical Chamber of Haute Couture in Paris and only a few designers have the privilege to operate showrooms or boutiques on Manhanttan’s Seventh Avenue, you can be successful as a fashion designer regardless of where you live and whether or not you graduated from fashion school

What if you have never worn “designer” clothing before? Of course, you are stylish but you cannot afford to wear an evening dress designed by Yves St. Laurent nor a pair of jeans by Donna Karan.

You may even ask, “Can a person whose apparel collection comes from neighborhood department stores, who doesn't live in New York City and didn't go to fashion school become a fashion designer?” The answer is a definite yes.

Despite the misconception that designer clothes are very highly priced, every piece of apparel is, in fact, designed by a designer. More than 95% of fashion designers work outside the small circle of haute couturiers and international fashion houses.

A fashion designer is a creative and technical professional who designs clothing within a specific theme for a specific purpose and a specific market.

Here are some examples of what a fashion designer creates, which range from everyday clothes to precious metal jewelry in various prices, shapes and sizes:

T-shirts
Evening dresses
Jackets
Socks
Career suits
Baby outfits
Denims
Maternity clothes
Hats
Jogging clothes
Bandanas and scarves
Umbrellas
Glass bead jewelry
Shorts
Swimsuits
Beach wears
Uniforms
Shoes

There are several career paths in this field that you can choose based on your strengths and interests. You’re not restricted to become an haute couturier or to work with one.

Some of the career paths to choose from:

Creative Designer
Technical Designer
Sketcher
Cutter
Pattern Maker
Textile Designer

Types of employers you can work with include:

Textile Manufacturer
Apparel Manufacturer
Fashion Studio Owner
Haute Couturier
Men’s Tailor
Retailer
Trend Consultant

Editor-in-Chief Jennie S. Bev talked to many fashion professionals, including successful designers, professors and trend consultants to provide you with the best and the most comprehensive self-study guidebook filled with insider information, tips and advice for breaking into and succeeding as a fashion designer.


Five-time Coty Award winner Alexander Julian
interviewed in this eGuide

Among them are:

A five-time Coty Award winner (the “Oscar” of the fashion industry)
A designer who has her own TV show
A dean of an internationally-recognized fashion school
A New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology cum laude graduate
A home-based women's apparel designer and manufacturer whose products are sold in 110 retailers nationwide
A designer and manufacturer of upscale men's hosiery who did not have any formal fashion training or business contacts prior to entering the business. His products are now sold in exclusive retail stores throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.

About the Author

Jennie S. Bev is THE fashion and image career expert, whose reputation has been acknowledged by prestigious media
internationally. She has been profiled and mentioned in Entrepreneur, Teen People, Canadian Business, Home Business, Dong (France), San Francisco Chronicle, The Independent, Daily Southtown, The Arizona Republic, Femina (Asia) and Dewi (Asia).

Editor-in-Chief Jennie S. Bev was named 2003 EPPIE Award finalist in Non-Fiction How To category for excellence in electronic publishing. She has published over 40 books and 900 articles in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany and Southeast Asia. She is also a college professor based in San Francisco Bay Area.

Jennie's career as a fashion writer has earned her the prestigious offer to act as a member of the judging panel for the Indie Fashion Award Festival in New York City. The contest is conducted annually by Bright and Aspiring Designers (BAD Expo), a non-profit organization that supports new independent fashion designers