Fashion Designer

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Work Tasks

• Design and make clothes and accessories like coats, suits, dresses, hats, purses, shoes, gloves, and jewelry
• Offer ideas to customers based on what they need (may work for an individual person, a store, or for the general public)
• Consider fabric color, material, care, and cost when designing
• Make sketches and patterns by hand or on computers
• Work indoors for clothing manufacturers, fashion salons, specialty and department stores, the entertainment industry, and for individual clients
• Work with all kinds of clothing and accessories, sketches, patterns, fabrics, sample garments, and dressmaking equipment

Salary, Size & Growth

• $58,500 average per year ($28.00 per hour)
• A small occupation (15,100 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow slowly (0.1% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree in fashion design and a portfolio of the artist's best work, plus knowledge of textiles, ornamentation, and fashion trends
• Skills/Courses: College courses include computer design, fine arts, sketching, and fashion design.