How Experienced do You Need to Be?
Experience comes in many forms in the garment business. You could have a background in sales or maybe went to fashion school. But more than likely you started your business because of an idea that you felt passionate about. I meet a lot of really talented designers who started off with a good idea or a love of clothes, without any formal training and have become very successful. Let me let you in on a little secret: No one has it all figured out. No matter what you do you will never be completely prepared for what comes your way. It’s a unique experience to start your own brand.
Do you need a fashion degree?
Here’s the thing that my parents cringe to hear me say after sending me to an expensive art school to major in fashion- you don’t need to go to fashion school and if you did there ain’t no shame in saying that you don’t know it all. You can learn basics in school and a general vocabulary but you will not be able to jump into a full time job once you have a degree and be a superstar. Nor do I think fashion school prepares you sufficiently for doing business as an entrepreneur.
I did the whole 4 years at school and was given an opportunity to jump right into a job in the NYC garment district. Yes, school did give me this connection. However, I didn’t know anything! I felt really dumb for a long time, but I learned from mistakes and mentors. My current knowledge doesn’t exist in a book or a curriculum.
I get a lot of emails that either say “I never went to fashion school, but....” or “I went to fashion school, but...” . This ends with asking for my help. Let’s be clear. If the whole technical side of apparel production is not in your wheelhouse or something that you really don’t enjoy working on, there is no shame in asking for help. Quite frankly, as a pattern maker and production consultant, I’m a weirdo who loves the nuts and bolts that go into manufacturing and the minutiae of fitting. I wouldn’t expect you to feel the same or be prepared to take on the same responsibility as I do that can literally make or break your production. It’s a tall order that not everyone is ready to face head on. To be an experienced designer, you don’t need to have the skills of a professional pattern maker.
If Fashion is Your Second Career Path
Some of my best clients are ones that have worked professionally in other fields. I love it when I hear this because I know you know how to work with a team, set goals and measure results. You have have a very realistic point of view and tend to eschew the so-called “glamour” of fashion. Your design experience relates to your real world knowledge.
Experience doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a slow collection of trials and failures until things start to click.
Where to start as a designer with little experience
Learn to sew
Sure, maybe it’s not how you pictured your start, but this will familiarize you with machine basics, terminology and construction. And when I say basics- I mean it! Don’t count on sewing an evening gown your first try. Maybe you are not in the business of making pajama pants or aprons, but just going through the motions will help you to understand what it’s going to take for your project and the processes involved. It’s only going to get a lot more complex from this point out so the more you know, the more your product will meet your expectations. Start simple and be humble.
Also, no one is expecting your sewing to look super professional. That’s why there are professional sample makers and it’s why their services are valued and needed. Don’t skimp on good sampling by saying you can do it when you really aren’t there yet. A factory will need a good sew-by sample to reference and if your sample is a hot mess, it’s going to get confusing.
Learn Adobe illustrator and Photoshop.
These are invaluable. You can draw out your ideas, create your own labels, set up line sheets, advertising graphics, and edit product photos to name just a few of the many, many things. Even if this isn’t your forte, you should at least feel pretty comfortable in the steps required to direct someone else what to do and tweak as needed.
Take an interest in the product development lifecycle
You should research the basic steps that a garment goes through from sketch to production so you know what to expect. Ask questions if you don’t know. Heck, you can read about it on this blog and google some of the finer details. If you are invested in learning how the process works and ask smart questions others will help along the way. You will be in charge of managing the workflow and following up. You should know what to expect when. Don’t think for a moment that you can hire someone else to do this for you. Even if you grow big enough to do so, you need to have the understanding and vocabulary.
Understand how to market your product
You can have the “bestest” item ever, but if there is no one to sell it to then it’s all for nothing. *Tip: your response should not be a runway show. This is just a PR moment, not a sales conversion.
Know your fabrics
This one is a catch-22. You don’t always understand fabrics until you sew with them- so there’s that. If you choose the wrong fabric it can screw everything up and waste a ton of time and money. Consult with your pattern maker or sample maker on their thoughts and learn from their insights if you are unsure.
Before I wrap this up, I just want to tell you about the super power of my most successful clients. These are by far the most experienced designers I know:
None of them have gone to fashion school. They are hands on, know what they want and how to get there. But, their biggest asset is their ability to communicate what they need. Even without drawing skills they can make it happen. Sometimes my job resembles a game of Pictionary, but it’s fun that way! Knowing how to communicate is the key and it relates to all the points above on what you should at least have an understanding of. Trust me. You don’t have to know it all, just a little and you’ll find willingness along the way to fill in the blanks.