There are an endless number of sub-genres in the fashion design industry that one might study in school.
Fashion design colleges prepare students for a multitude of fashion industry gigs; from sewing and manufacturing to the glitz and glamour of catwalk ready apparel, but the most important role they play might be in deciding where a person feels best in the industry.
For those who have that burning desire to design and produce top selling lines of clothing, there are plenty of general categories for fashion designers and trying out a number of them before finishing at a school of fashion design can really help future designers get a handle on what it is they are the best at.
Fashion design colleges are a great place to learn about designing apparel like kids wear, teenage (girls and boys) wear, sports apparel, knit clothing, outer wear, bridal fashion, and even accessories to consider. Within these general categories, fashion design colleges let students flex their creative muscle to find the type of design that feels perfect for the student.
It takes time to build a reputation and it takes dedication to the art of design. Fashion designers are rarely “general designers”, right out of a fashion design school. But to be truly successful, it might take a lot more than getting good at evening wear; famous designers rarely stop at one type of apparel on their way to claiming fame.
Fashion design colleges do just as much to help students find their place in the industry as they do to teach design. Just to name a few of the other possible careers that can be born of fashion design; consider pattern maker, tailor, stylists, buyer, seamstress, educator, customizer, illustrator, and model. For those who always seem to know what the next big trend is, there is even the career of “fashion forecaster”.