Careers in Fashion: Fashion Designer
The work of a fashion designer has changed tremendously over the last century. Ever since Charles Worth opened his first boutique and sewed labels with his name into the garments, through to the genius of Marc Jacobs, the figure of the fashion designer has ranged from brilliant artist to commercial showman. Under Worth, haute couture fashion and the system as we know it today came to life. Back then, the fashion designer was a refined figure whose job was to dress the wealthiest ladies from the highest social classes. They pampered the woman's body, highlighting her femininity, and the designer’s main goal was to highlight the natural beauty of women. Today, the fashion designer is often referred to as creative director precisely because the most valued traits in this profession are those of creativity, novelty and modernity.
From Designer to Genius
The first famous designers (like Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret) were people who made dressing women their greatest inspiration. Fashion was something very exclusive and, by extension, they were too. The designer created two collections per year and presented them in his fashion house. The work was done at a frenetic pace since they did not have the aid of computers as they do today. They made sketches, chose fabrics and colors, and supervised the workshops where their seamstresses and apprentices worked. The finishing touches were always added by the designer, who expected perfection from his garments.
This figure of the organized, refined designer soon gave way to new, young talent considered true artists for their innovative capacity. It was at this time that it started to become very clear that the goal of a designer was not just to create clothes and looks for women. His ideas became art, breaking all the rules, and his runway shows were true performances. We began to appreciate the genius of the designer and the importance of fashion.
Being a designer in today’s world
Nowadays, studying design and dedicating oneself to fashion is a legitimate vocation. There are schools of great renown such as Saint Martin's School in London (where John Galliano studied), as well as others less famous. However, there is commonality shared among all these schools: they no longer teach just how to cut, make a pattern or draw sketches. Today’s education includes the importance of marketing within fashion, how to manage the business, the importance of publicity and image, as well as how to create a sense of anticipation because, after all, today’s fashion is about expecting the unexpected.
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