Patricia Wooster - So, You Want to Work in Fashion?. How to Break into the World of Fashion and Design

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This Beyond Words/Aladdin edition September 2014

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Managing Editor: Lindsay S. Brown

Copyeditor: Kristin Thiel

Proofreader: Gretchen Stelter

Design: Sara E. Blum

The text of this book was set in Bembo and Interstate.

Cover design by Sara E. Blum

Cover by Beyond Words/Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Cover illustrations by iStockphoto.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wooster, Patricia.

So, you want to work in fashion? : how to break into the world of fashion and design / Patricia Wooster.

pagescm. (Be what you want series)

Includes bibliographical references.

1. FashionVocational guidanceJuvenile literature. I. Title.

TT507.W6674 2014

746.9'2023dc23

2014005268

ISBN 978-1-58270-453-1 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-58270-452-4 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-4814-0113-5 (eBook)

Imagine having passes to see all of the runway shows at New York Fashion Week. Or picture yourself opening up Vogue magazine and seeing a model wearing fantastic clothes and knowing you were a part of making that photo happen. In these scenarios, where do you see yourself? Are you a famous fashion designer? A supermodel? Did you photograph the clothes? Maybe your job is to write about the clothes for buyers.

The fashion industry is a fast-paced and exciting place to be. If you love clothes and have a strong sense of style, then you might want to consider a career in fashion. There are a lot of different career fields in fashionbut its a very competitive environment. With a lot of hard work and some planning, you can enjoy all that this industry has to offer. See if any of the five fashion fields below inspires you and makes you want to dive into the wonderful world of fashion.

Do you love to make beautiful things? Are you constantly sketching ideas for new clothes? Do you see the clothes people are wearing and think of ways you could alter them into something new? A person who wants to create new clothes must have a strong imagination. A designer decides the style, cut, and fit of the clothes, and knows about fabrics and industry trends. Theres a lot to learn, but seeing your designs come down the runway is a huge reward!

Do you like to keep a low profile and work behind the scenes? Do you like to work with patterns, cut fabric, or sew? Would you rather someone else come up with the designs, so you can put them together? Are you good at working as a team? Putting a garment together involves a lot of people. Theres a huge demand for patternmakers, fabric cutters, and garment makers.

Are you interested in fashion and business? Do you enjoy gathering information and reading research reports? Can you juggle multiple projects? Are you good at making decisions? If you have a head for numbers and an appreciation for fashion, then a career in merchandising may be for you. This broad field includes retail management, store buyer, advertising executive, and promoter.

Do you love to write or take pictures? Are you interested in fashion news, trends, and designers? Can you spend hours sitting at a computer? Are you good at coming up with ideas? Lots of people depend on fashion writers and photographers. A person in this field can work in advertising, write a blog, or work at a fashion magazine.

Do people often comment on how you dress? Are you good at combining clothing with accessories to make a great outfit? Can you put clothing from different stores and different price ranges together and make a cohesive outfit that works? As a stylist, you might be asked to put fashion looks together for an individual shopper, a photo shoot, or a showroom window. If you are confident and love to shop, this may be a great career for you.

Name: Jeffrey Sebelia

Job: Fashion designer

A FTER HIS BAND , L IFTER, BROKE UP , J EFFREY S EBELIA ENROLLED IN SEWING CLASSES AT THE L OS1 ANGELES T RADE T ECHNICAL C OLLEGE . H IS MUSICAL BACKGROUND INFLUENCED HIS CLOTHING LINE C OSA N OSTRA, WHICH WAS WORN BY SINGERS LIKE D AVE N AVARRO , T OMMY L EE, AND J ENNIFER L OPEZ . I N 2006 HE AUDITIONED FOR THE DESIGN SHOW P ROJECT R UNWAY AND WAS CHOSEN AS A CONTESTANT . T HE RESIDENT BAD BOY WON SEASON THREE OF THE SHOW AND WAS FEATURED IN E LLE MAGAZINE. IN 2009 C LICH MAGAZINE NAMED HIM ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT DESIGNERS OF HIS GENERATION . H IS NEW CLOTHING LINE FOR KIDS , L A M INIATURA, COMBINES LATE-1970S POSTPUNK ROCK WITH PREPPY DETAILS . H IS LOVE OF MUSIC CONTINUES TO BE AN INSPIRATION.

What was the biggest challenge of being on Project Runway ?

The [design] challenges were very hard for me. I have never been the best at sewing fast, and Ive never considered myself to be a dressmaker. I strive each day in my company to improve and hone my design ability, and I know everything there is to know about garment construction, but in the real world, I spend my days working on design, costing, production, textiles, and merchandising, not sewing.

How did your career change after you won?

Because Project Runway is so popular, just being on the show helped get me interviews and opportunities I know I wouldnt have had otherwise. That being said, there is also a stigma attached that most people couldnt imagine. The fashion industry seems to have a love/hate relationship with Project Runway . While most who work in fashion will admit to loving the show, they are also a bit skeptical about what it means and dont quite trust its authenticity. I personally have mixed feelings about it... because no matter how many challenges Ive won, I know that my design ability reaches far beyond my sewing ability and that the time constraints inherent in Project Runway mean it is really a game show before anything else.