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Fashion
Fashion is a world that is, on the surface, familiar to many. It connotates glamour, wealth, chic exciting careers. In reality it is sometimes like this but more often involves the very ordinary business of producing and selling apparel, accessories or home furnishings, all of which have a “fashionably” transitory style. The fashion world is fast paced and future oriented. It is not always glamorous but is usually is hectic whether you’re dealing with the creation of fabric, clothing or the merchandising of the final product. This brochure will talk about the various aspects of the fashion industry from the production of fabric to the sales of the articles and all the resulting careers. It is an exciting group of careers in which the assertive, entrepreneurial and creative individual has a good chance of succeeding and succeeding quite handsomely.

TEXTILES
The textile field, that which produces fabrics, can be divided into several sub sets. First, there is the division between apparel fabrics and home furnishings fabrics. The basic difference for those involved in design between the two is that the former usually requires smaller scale designs while the latter is larger, often more dramatic. Second, within each of these areas there are three sub sets: printed, woven and knitted fabrics with the latter being most prominent in the apparel market.

Apparel Fabrics
Most people think of printed textile design when they consider this career field and it is true that the vast majority of jobs involve design applied to fabric. Within the printed textile area there are two primary modes of printing: silk screen and heat transfer. The latter must be used with synthetics but allows much finer detail. A designer working in the printed textile field will need specific knowledge of motifs, repeats, coloring, strike offs and so forth, some of which can be learned in classes, some on the job. The usual entry level position is as a colorist, working on the designer’s sketches and developing color schemes. For this field you need a good color sense, a range of drawing and painting skills from tight to loose and, to grow in the field, your work will be increasingly tied to marketing and sales. The most successful designers are intimately involved in the marketing and sales process as they discuss the design of exclusive patterns for client companies. In addition, as a great deal of work is now done with the computer, it is advisable to become familiar with the computer software currently in use in the industry. The printed textile designer can work for the fabric company, the converter (most common), a design studio or as a freelancer (very few, mostly with reputations).

Woven Fabrics
The design of woven fabrics involves specifying yarns, pattern and weaving sequence. For volume production it requires an understanding of loom weaving, a good color sense and a strong mathematical ability. The latter is involved in both pattern design and the Career Services, Pratt Institute, 2003 2 application of computer programs. This area, like all textile careers, finds those with good entrepreneurial skills rising to the top fastest. Positions are with fabric produces which tend to be large corporate structures which indicates a slightly less mercurial career path than other areas of the industry.

Knit Fabric Design
This requires special knowledge of the weaving/knitting machines and has it’s own computer software programs for the designer. It is similar to the design of wovens in its technical orientation but is largely a design process involving graphing of patterns. Knit designers, similar to the other areas, work with color and pattern but also utilize texture in the design process. (in addition to specifying a textured yarn, they can design with a knit pattern that produces texture) Knitwear designers usually work for the fabric manufacturers.

Home Furnishings fabrics
The categories described above apply to the home furnishings field as well (although there are far fewer knits used here) but here, the consumer is the architect, interior designer or home decorator rather than the apparel designer or home sewer. The primary difference is the scale of the work and the fact that trends change more slowly. Pattern design skills in home furnishings might also be applied to wallpaper, rugs, carpeting, vinyl tiles or dinnerware.

FASHION DESIGN
Once the fabrics have been produced they are chosen by various apparel firms for manufacture into clothing. Within the fashion design field there are, again, several sub sets. First, there is the division of type of apparel: children, juniors, sportswear, tops, missy, womens and menswear. Second, there is the division between volume, designer ready-to-wear and couture. While most people envision the couture designer when they think of fashion design (or the big name rtw designer), by far the greatest number of jobs are in the volume market. In recent years the “seventh avenue” have achieved approached the celebrity status of couture houses but jobs here only go to the most talented. Entry level jobs in fashion design are usually as an assistant designer which can involve anything from draping and making first patterns to coordinating samples and trims. There are also jobs as sample hands for those who are particularly adept seamstresses. Fame and fortune in this field are usually gained in direct proportion to the degree of entrepreneurial energy exerted. Those who become known in the fashion world are usually well connected socially even though they may have begun with humble roots. (take a look at the career of Pratt alumnus Jeremy Scott for a hint at the entrepreneurial skills and risk taking necessary to get noticed by the press and to eventually make a living with your own collection). Career Services, Pratt Institute, 2003 3

FASHION MERCHANDISING
Apparel, accessories, dinnerware or designer sheets must all find their way to the consumer. “Merchandising” or rather promoting and selling merchandise has occurred all through the production process from the ding of the first piece of fabric. The largest promotion effort occurs when goods are offered to the public. Here “merchandising” is largely involved with retail stores. The primary professional staff members of most stores are the buyers and the department managers. One is involved with selecting what will be sold in a particular area, the other with displaying, pricing and selling. Positions in retailing are almost always considered a pre-requisite for other, more specialized merchandizing and promotion jobs.

The most plentiful entry level jobs are those in department store executive training programs. These involve training for buying and department management. Similar positions are sometimes available from resident buying offices (firms which provide buying services for several stores out of the New York area). Outside of retailing, there are many positions which are allied with the fashion field and involve the merchandising and promotion of products. For example, promotion with a textile, fiber or cosmetics firm. However, these positions usually require several years basic retailing experience. The same is true of the “fashion coordinator” whether in a department store or allied fashion firm. If you hope to work outside of retailing but in an adjacent field, it is essential that you have additional. Fairly comprehensive knowledge in display or packaging or graphics to call upon. IS IT POSSIBLE TO WORK PART TIME? It is possible but not probable. Within the textile and apparel industries, most jobs are full time. (that’s why the fashion design students should take full advantage of their Internship Program since it offers access not usually available). Occasionally one can find a job in either a garment center or home furnishings showroom on a part time or summer basis but it requires a lot of pavement pounding. There are also part time and holiday sales jobs which is a good experience for anyone interested in the fashion world because you get a chance to see, firsthand, how the public purchases various items. Thus, when you are faced with designing, buying or displaying products, you will have firsthand experience upon which to draw. DO I NEED A PORTFOLIO? If you are a textile or apparel designer, certainly; if you are going to see work in merchandising or retailing, maybe. A textile or apparel designer will have samples of their work, as varied as possible, showing an understanding of all aspects of their craft. The portfolio should focus or emphasize the specific type of work sought. Thus, a portfolio would emphasize sportswear or lingerie, florals or wovens if that is the sort of Career Services, Pratt Institute, 2003 4 work produced by the firm with which you are interviewing. A “specific” portfolio is accomplished by rearranging your work for each interview. Additionally, you will want to include samples of actual work whenever possible in the form of photographs or even a video of your work from a fashion show. If you want to work in the areas of fashion merchandising or retailing that involve display or packaging, you will need samples of your work in this area (more specifics in the Portfolio and Industrial Design brochures in Career Services). You might have a portfolio of writing samples for a position in publicity or public relations and you would certainly include “clips” of any writing you’ve had published regardless of whether it is related to the fashion world. HOW DO I FIND POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS IN…?Textile Design The most useful book for any job search will probably be the Yellow Pages of the city in which you wish to work. Sometimes manufacturers will be listed by type of fabric produced (woven, synthetic) rather than simply “fabrics” and these listing will e in the Business to Business book. Additionally look under Textile Converters and Textile Design Studios. Another source will be the fiber representatives like Cotton Incorporated and the Wool Bureau. It is strongly recommended that all textile designers register with New York State Employment, Professional Placement Art Unit which has an excellent track record in the textile field and is free.

Fashion Design
Again, the Yellow Pages is an easily accessible source of names. In New York manufacturers are listed by type of apparel (which is not the case in other cities). You should know that 99% of the fashion industry is in New York so this is the place to be. When you skim the Yellow Pages listings, you will be able to identify buildings where most of the “name” designers have showrooms and concentrate your efforts there. You should also follow listings and articles in Women’s Wear Daily and W. As was mentioned earlier, success in fashion often has to do with your connections in the right social set and this is covered in Women’s Wear as well as the NY Times etc. Home Furnishings Very similar to the above, you can look up Home Furnishings Fabrics but most of the showrooms for these products are in the D&D building (979 Third Ave) and nearby locations.

Allied Fields
Getting into Cosmetics, Public Relations or even Advertising is possible with a fashion background usually along with solid writing skills. You can use one of the volumes of the Career Services, Pratt Institute, 2003 5 Standard Directory of Advertising Agencies to research which ad agencies specialize in fashion accounts. In addition, certain web design firms specialize in advertising and can be located by visiting web sites of this nature and researching their creators. The Creative Blackbook provides lists of photographers and TV commercial producers who may need stylists. The Literary Marketplace and several other directories provide listings of fashion related consumer magazines or you can simply look at the masthead of the magazine to discover the name of the Fashion Editor. Conde Nast and Time Inc are two of the publishers of several fashion magazines who have centralized human resources offices so that you can apply for work on several magazines in one location. Specialized career objectives of this nature can also be discussed with your counselor in Career Services.