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Industry Snapshot: Fashion Design

September 23, 2022
Fashion Design

Working in Fashion Design requires a plethora of both physical and digital skills. As recorded by EMSI, a Fashion Designer today needs a working knowledge of garment construction, hand and machine sewing, sketching, mock-ups, textiles, and draping, but also the Adobe Suite, selling techniques, marketing, user experience, and more.

A fashion designer has to combine the many required skills listed above to create garments in a creative, eye-catching way. Designers have to be both technicians and creatives, producing garments with high attention to detail and accuracy. If you are interested in pivoting into a career in Fashion Design, it is essential to learn the skills and best practices needed to be successful in such a fast-paced and ever-changing industry. Fashion trends are constantly in flux, with the current emphasis on nostalgia, escapism, different aesthetics, sustainability versus affordability, and a changing definition of workwear as the pandemic alters workers' daily lives. Other aspects of the industry, such as consumer behavior and supply chains, have also been disrupted due to the ongoing pandemic.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, last year there were 22,400 jobs recorded for fashion designers, with the median salary being $77,450. Employment in this field is projected to grow 3% by 2031, with most job openings for fashion designers result from workers who leave the work force or switch to different occupations. The field has seen an increased demand for fashion designs with the popularity of social media influencers and ambassadors, and with more companies selling products directly to consumers online.

Fashion Design

If you are interested in starting or transitioning into a career as a Fashion Designer, we've compiled a few industry stats and tips below.

Fashion Design Opportunities

Top Skills

  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Merchandising
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Textiles
  • Marketing
  • Product Design
  • User Experience

[Source: EMSI]

Top Cities Posting

  • New York, NY
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • San Francisco, CA
  • Beaverton, OR
  • Seattle, WA
  • Chicago, IL
  • Portland, OR
  • Austin, TX

[Source: EMSI]

Top Cities Posting

  • Nordstrom
  • Nike
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Chanel
  • Travelers
  • Under Armour
  • Bloomingdale's
  • Land's End Resort

[Source: EMSI]

Build Your Skills

If you are getting started with Fashion Design, consider our Fashion Design Certificate. This certificate focuses on design trends and techniques while teaching basic technical skills such as sewing, construction, draping, patternmaking, and textile selection. Our Fashion Business Certificate covers best practices for an entrepreneurial fashion career, focusing on leadership and product development. If you are looking to become familiar with cutting edge software commonly used in the fashion industry, our Clo3D Virtual Fashion Design Certificate is a wonderful chance to create virtual 3D fashion and soft-goods samples and practice basic patternmaking.

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