Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Fashion Girl,

Dear Fashion Girl,

I love designing clothes and everyone who sees them tells me that they're really good. I have over 200 designs, not including the shoes and accessories. I have a logo, color charts, saved articles on designers and a million magazines. But, no matter how much reading the magazines or watching tv shows I do, I have no clue on how to do anything with my designs. I've even taken a survey on who would actually wear my clothes and a lot of people would. Oh yeah, one more detail I forgot to add, I'm only 15. I've written letters to teen magazines but I never got a reply, so I have no idea what to do. How can I get my designs out there, and turn my hobby into more of a career?

Aileen

Dear Aileen,

Its exciting to hear from a 15 year old designer who has so much ambition for a career in fashion. If you really want to get your designs out there and turn your hobby into a career, I have two suggestions. Number one is to stay on top of current trends in fashion as well as other creative fields like music, theater, interior design and graphic design. What's hot in a related art field will often effect what is hot in fashion. For example, Seattle grunge bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana were the driving force behind the grunge look in fashion.

To keep up with fashion, continue reading magazines and watching fashion-related television. You can also take advantage of FIDM's Fashion Club. Its a free way to view monthly trend reports and read about the teen fashion world. Check out our Kool Connections page for links to web sites that feature related creative fields. The most important thing is to stay informed about current trends.

The second suggestion I have is to get a good education in fashion design from a reputable school. A good education will help you refine your design skills and teach you how to turn your passion into a profitable career. Remember, being a successful fashion designer is as much about producing and selling clothes as it is about designing them. Compare the curriculum at top schools to judge which will give you the most well-rounded education.

Thank you for your e-mail Aileen and good luck with your fashion design career. I hope to see your clothes on the runway soon,