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Many girls and boys dream of becoming fashion designers, but it doesn’t mean they’re cut out for the profession. Do you actually have what it takes to make it in the field? ESMOD JAPON made a list for you, to review the top skills you’ll need to excel in the fashion world.

Interest in Current Fashion Trends

You’ll need to know whether everyone is wearing skinny jeans, boyfriend jeans or something else entirely. Knowing what’s on trend will let you know what the public is buying and what designers are creating. That’s why ESMOD JAPON provide to their students in the first year, an analysis of Market and Consumer (in additional classes).

Highly Creative & Artistic

Are you known for being artistic? Do you have a unique sense of personal style or appreciate the fine arts, music and dance? An innate sense of creativity is extremely important in the fashion world. Together, artistry and imagination can give you the instincts necessary to turn raw materials into a beautiful finished product. ESMOD program help students to developing their personal style during the second year, after a first year focused on learning the fashion basics.

Drawing Skills

Do you like to draw? If so, that’s good news because you’re going to need this skill as you pursue being a fashion designer. But if you’re lacking in this area, don’t worry! ESMOD JAPON provide drawing classes and share with you some tutorials to let you practice drawing. For our free tutorial it’s here (in japanese): https://esmodtokyo.com/event/10823/

Ability to Work Well with a Team

A strong sense of collaboration and camaraderie between departments at a fashion house allows creativity to flourish and contributes to its overall success. At ESMOD JAPON, student realize in teamwork a personal creation in fabric of a skirt and a shirt during their 1^st year.

Excellent Communication & Interpersonal Skills

Designing footwear, clothing, and accessories requires collaboration with colleagues. It also requires strong people skills. This not only helps designers encourage their teams but also enables them to effectively share their vision with colleagues.

Strong Visualization Skills

Prior to the drawing phase, a good designer must have strong visualization skills. This enables her to translate ideas onto paper, so that her colleagues have a sense of the look she’s aiming for as they work toward a finished product.

A Competitive Spirit

To create innovative designs, a competitive spirit is necessary. You don’t want to lag behind the competition or follow their lead. You want to be a trendsetter, and having a thorough understanding of the economy and the fashion industry will keep your ideas fresh.

Good Eye for Detail

Fashion designers need to have a good eye for detail. For example, how do you envision the pleats falling on a skirt or a blouse cinching at the waist? What about ruching, ruffles or embroidery? It is often the detail that makes a product unique, so this skill cannot be overlooked, even if you’re great at visualizing and drawing. This is how ESMOD teaches to their second year students product analysis.

Understanding Texture, Color, and Fabric

Design requires a good sense of texture, color, and fabric. For example, you’ll need to know whether a garment would work best in silk chiffon or another material. You’ll also need to know which combinations of colors will be most flattering on a piece of clothing. It is these differences that make a design stand out. During their third year at ESMOD, students first of all learn design and pattern-making codes for the products in their specialization, which they can then apply to their end-of-year personal collection. They will learn the history of fashion and textile during their second year.

A Good Sense for Business

A thorough understanding of the business world, including finance, sales, and marketing, is essential to becoming successful in the world of fashion. Creativity is the essence of fashion, but without a good understanding of business, it is difficult to sustain a fashion brand and make it profitable. Many talented fashion designers have ended up bankrupt because they had a poor understanding of fashion’s financial side. That’s why ESMOD JAPON provide the “Fashion Business Course”. You can find more information here (in japanese): https://www.esmodjapon.co.jp/gakka/saturday-course/.

Wrapping Up

Now that you’ve reviewed this list, ask yourself if you think you have what it takes to be a designer. You may excel in some areas but need work in others. Don’t let that discourage you. Drawing fashion sketches, imaging universes waring shapes and colors, creating patterns, working a muslin prototype, hand or machine sewing, assembling pieces of fabric using rigorous know how to create dresses, shirts, suits, … These are what make up the specific content of ESMOD’s courses. Because design is never as when is approached technically, ESMOD has merged its design and pattern-making courses to provide students with a complete overview of the design process, from concept to manufacturing.