Fashion design is a competitive industry. In 2010, only 15,060 fashion designers worked in the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the glamour and creativity inherent in a fashion career makes all the competition worthwhile for thousands of designers every year. Formal education can be the key to success, as many hiring managers look for workers with two-year or four-year fashion design degrees, plus training in fashion marketing, business, or merchandising.
Explore Fashion Design Degree Programs
A brilliant fashion designer isn't made overnight. The career can require years of working your way to the top, combining a degree or certificate program with experience in retail management, personal styling or tailoring. In addition to training in fashion design, courses in business or marketing can help you build your work experience in existing retail markets so you can eventually run your own store. While only 200 job opportunities for fashion designers are projected to enter the U.S. industry between 2008 and 2018, the career presents an exciting life goal and a rewarding challenge to anyone who has a passion for designing clothing, footwear and accessories.