Fashion design is an art of putting together aesthetics, fashion, structure, and beauty in textile materials and their accessories. It varies greatly over time and location, and is largely affected by culture and other trends. Although one can be a skilled in “minor arts” such as painting, printmaking, ceramics, woodcrafts, and furniture-making, to have a firm grasp on fashion is a bit more difficult. One can choose a major in Fashion Design which is usually a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelors Degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising from an accredited University or College. The program will include a number of classes focusing on the creative aspect of fashion, history of fashion, design theory, and methods of visual communication. It also includes courses on textile materials, color, textiles, apparel, accessories, and graphic design.
Throughout college, students are taught to become skilled at interpreting current fashions and cultural expectations in clothing, accessories, and hairstyles. They are taught to look at designs from all points of view, including commercial, consumer, and design magazines. Students are taught how to research the latest trends in fabrics, materials, colors, patterns, and makeup that are popular with fashion designers and other consumers. They learn how to research and document the emerging trends and how to create a product that will meet or exceed the desires of the consumers.
Fashion designers also learn about color, textiles, and design fundamentals. They learn how to work with photographs and illustrations to create an image that will represent a new trend in evening wear, accessories, or clothes. Fashion designers learn to sketch their ideas and then draw them on fabric using computer software, or in the hand-written styles of local designers. They learn how to find and use samples of evening wear, garments, or accessories in order to determine if there is a market for their design.