How to Become a Fashion Designer Without Sewing

At La Mode College, we get asked all the time by students how to become a fashion designer without sewing. Many students ask ‘Do I need to know how to sew to be a success in the industry?’

Well the answer will surprise you-  You certainly don’t need to know how to sew to have a successful career as a fashion designer!

Of course knowing how garments are made and understanding what a good fit is, and the basic construction of a garment are all part of being a great fashion designer-  however you don’t actually need to know how to sew.

Being a successful fashion designer isn’t based on how well you can sew a garment-  its based on how well your designs suit a target market!

In our ‘Fashion Design Success’  program-  our online Fashion Design Mentoring Program- we teach you the below principles.

 

How to Become a Fashion Designer Without Sewing in 5 Steps

1. Develop your Drawing Skills

Whilst it’s not essential that you are a great illustrator-  it is important that you can draw well enough to be able to communicate your designs to your clients or employer- or design team.  Sometimes you can have the best ideas, but it can be hard to explain your vision to someone else- without having some sort of visual.  The good news is though- even if you aren’t that great at illustrating your fashion designs-  you can easily learn how to draw your designs quickly and professionally using a croqui.  In our Fashion Design Success– Program-  we give you 20 fashion croquis-  which are fashion figure templates- that you can trace and draw your designs on top. They make your designs look super professional- help you get the proportions right- and illustrate your ideas in a better and more flattering way.  ( and its super easy!)

2. Surround Yourself With Inspiration

Some students can find it hard to come up with new ideas all the time.  The trick is not to reinvent the wheel each time.  Fashion Design isn’t about coming up with the wildest and most creative design ideas- it’s about improving a garment to make it as flattering and desirable to wear for an actual person in everyday life.  The most successful fashion designers – and the wealthiest are not the most creative- they are the most practical.  Successful Fashion Designers are the designers who design clothing for the everyday person-  and design clothes that fit well, look great on, and are comfortable to wear.  Good designers are ones that improve designs already in the market place.  They take a basic block or garment,  and add a better neckline, or a different waist,  or a more flattering back.  So inspiration can come from everyday life- and taking something that we use all the time, and giving it a breath of fresh air.  In our fashion design success program, we give you the top trend research companies and websites to give you that inspiration.  We teach you how to develop your ideas from drab to fab- using our 5 step process.

3. Know Who You Are Designing For

A really important part of being a great fashion designer- is to learn who you are designing for.  Not all garments suit every body shape, or every age.  Younger people tend to love brighter colors, and are more inclined to wear figure-hugging garments.  An older person may have a larger budget to spend on a garment, and expects a higher quality- they may appreciate a designer brand more then fast fashion. As you can see there are so many different demographic types-  so you need to focus on one demographic, and design with that person in mind. You also need to design with a price-point in mind as well.  ( A garment that sells for $1,000  is going to be of different fabric quality, fit and detail to a garment that sells for $69.95.)  In our fashion design success program we give you 5 research topics that you need to know about your target market before you start designing.  The more you get your designs correct for the right target market- the more your designs will sell!

4. Get a Mentor

The fashion industry can be hard- so having a mentor in the fashion industry will help you shortcut your success, and get to where you want to be faster.  All successful fashion designers and people in business have a mentor- who coaches them and inspires them to keep pursuing their dreams. A mentor can help direct you where to go and teach you the things that you need to know to be successful in the industry.

5. Know How to Market Yourself

Sometimes the most successful fashion brands aren’t necessarily the best designers. I’ll give you a tip-  the most successful fashion designers and brands- are the best marketers!  Marketing is even more important than the designs!  It’s hard to believe- but it’s true.  Just think about MacDonalds-  certainly not the best hamburger around, or the best quality.  But why are they so popular?  Marketing!  Marketing your fashion designs will be a key part of making it as a fashion designer. ( So good news is- you can be successful by replacing your lack of sewing skill with marketing skill!)

We teach many marketing skills in our Fashion Design Success program-  from how to organise a rocking photoshoot- to creating a brand name, to mastering social media!  The more people who know about your brand the better-  and we give you the secrets to getting maximum exposure as a Fashion Designer!

 

If you are interested in Becoming a Fashion Designer– without going to college and without learning to sew- we highly recommend our fashion design success program- for only $49 per month!  You can click here to find out more details about what’s included- and to enrol in the program online.