How to Become a Fashion Designer Without a Degree

Fashion designing is one of the most attractive career choices among the Indian youth of today. India is home to some of the most prominent, respected and well-known fashion designers like Rohit Bal and Sabyasachi, more and younger people are getting inspired to take up this career. But while for most career choices you need a degree to be certified, fashion designing is not so. In this industry hard work, creativity and persistence are all that matters and thus in this article, we will take more about how to become a fashion designer without a degree.

10 Simple Tips to Become A Fashion Designer Without A Degree

Learn & improve your basic knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator and CAD
gain as much as you can from online courses on fashion related subjects
Start drawing & fill sketchbooks
Build up a solid portfolio of your ideas and creative designs
Learn & improve basic of sewing from magazines, books or the internet.
Give your best to get an internship job with a brand manufacturing firm
Try to get connect with as many fashion industry brands as you can
Send theoretical or practical applications to companies you’d like to work for
Try to register and participate in all fashion design related events, stitching and sewing competitions
Visit Museums and galleries, try to learn about the history of costume and art as it is a key source for any fashion designer of the future.

Get more Concept to Become a Fashion Designer or Fashion Stylist Without a Degree

Dreams and Ambitions
Understanding the Industry
Internships
Start your own business
Network

1. Dreams and Ambitions

A lot of students today dream about how to become a fashion stylist without a degree, but one aspect they tend to miss out the most is that a look of work needs to be done and a lot of time needs to be invested before one can become recognised in this industry. Having a degree from a reputed organization works like a charm because when most people see your degree, they trust you with your skill set right away.

But choosing the alternative path and not getting a degree means that:

You have to put additional hours and work extra hard to beat the competition and make your dreams a reality.
To begin with the process you must first decide the niche you want to work on, such as men’s design, women’s design, accessories etc.
Once that is done you need to figure out if you would follow a computer-based design approach or you want to follow a more hands-on approach, which will involve cutting, stitching and tailoring.

Once you have got the above steps figured out, you need to start making your portfolio. As an aspiring fashion designer, your portfolio should include your unique ideas and designs either in pen and paper format or in the digital format. If you plan to start your own business or fashion studio, you will need to show your portfolio to potential investors and if you plan on working for someone else, the same portfolio will help you land a job.

Understanding the Fashion Design Industry

Experts from around the world have always made it clear that the fashion designing industry is one of the most volatile in the world. By this, they don’t mean that the industry faces a lot of economic ups and downs, but they indicate that the current trends are always changing. Thus if you want to be a recognised fashion designer you need to always be on the top of the current trends.

Experienced fashion designers have always noted that one of the best ways to do this is by subscribing to fashion magazines or newsletters which are famous for recognizing trends early and letting the world know about them.

As an aspiring fashion designer, you can also be considering taking online courses as well as attending a part-time college, which will help you get the basics of business and recognizing market trends.
Additionally having a brand name on your resume will help you launch your own brand and even get employed at the organization of your dreams.

Doing Internships

This is a common myth that you need to be in college in order to land an internship. Let us tell you right now, that’s not absolutely true.

If you have the skills employers are looking for and a stunning portfolio to match them, you can land an amazing internship.
Although it is common knowledge that most of the established fashion designers are busy throughout the year, it can be rightly said that they are always eager to meet someone who has the guts to try and book an appointment.

Start Your Own Business

Most of the fashion designers who are in the industry today made their mark not by working for someone else, but by starting their own business. Therefore if you dream to get into the fashion industry with no experience consider opening your own business.

In the technologically advanced world of today, with sites like eBay, Etsy and much more, opening your own virtual store just takes a few minutes and little to no technological knowledge. But you have to note that your marketing skills need to be honed over time if you want to thrive in the industry and not just survive.

Network

There is a famous saying in the world of business, that it is not what you know that matters, but who you know, and the same cannot be more applicable than to the fashion industry.

Try and connect with as many fashion brands, celebrities, and influencers as you can.
The more number of people you know, the more people will see your portfolio, and chances are, a few of them will fall in love with your work and would want to hire you, right off the bat.
Being a fashion designer, consider making yourself viral on social media platforms like Instagram.
Invest some time and a little money in portfolio shots and fill your profile with them. But don’t post everything at once, take your time, plan a schedule and post accordingly. This will slowly and gradually increase your fan base and when you have social proof that your work is loved by people already, getting employed with a big brand or even pitching to investors for your business would become easier than ever.

With all that being said, we hope that your journey of becoming an established fashion designer is smooth and you reach success in record time.