| Cool Careers: Designer By: Carrie Pestritto In the film, The Devil Wears Prada, Stanley Tucci’s character, Nigel, speaks reverently about iconic fashion designers saying, “What they did, what they created, was greater than art because you live your life in it.” Translating your design ideas into clothing is an art but so is creating something that can be worn off the runway. Many talented designers have trouble with the business end of fashion: launching their careers and creating a commercially viable enterprise. Although there are no requirements to become a fashion designer, it is strongly recommended that you go to fashion design school. The time it takes to earn a degree can vary from school to school. The Fashion Institute of Technology offers a one or two year program to earn an Associate's degree after which you can attend a two-year program to earn a Bachelor’s degree. There is no set salary in the world of fashion design—you can earn as little as $30,000 working as an assistant fashion designer or strike it rich as a successful, independent designer. Besides providing excellent learning opportunities, going to design school and working for other designers will give you the chance to network and meet different people in the fashion world who can help advance your career or start your own line. James Bradbeer, President of Sugartown Worldwide, Inc. (which is also known as Lilly Pulitzer), believes going to design school is an absolute must before debuting your own line. “Design is a very specific skill. To design and design effectively you have to practice your craft, find out where your natural interests and skills are. There are a lot of different kinds of designers, just like there are a lot of different kinds of doctors. I also recommend getting experience first, before launching your own line 100%—1000%! Work for someone whose style you admire, like Ralph Lauren or Juicy Couture. Get good training on how to develop a product, learn about sales people, and network. Then, find a sales team passionate about your designs,” said Bradbeer. Talented designer Kara Janx got her “big break” through television—starring on the second season of Bravo’s Project Runway. Before Janx received exposure on Project Runway, she studied at FIT part- time in the evenings (she also holds a degree in architecture). Janx auditioned for Project Runway and qualified after completing initial interviews and undergoing an intensive screening process which included a psychological evaluation. She ultimately placed fourth on the show and her designs gained publicity and media attention. However, she had already started her own line around 2004, selling her clothing online and in small boutiques where she gained a following. “It was a way to advertise my collection,” Janx said of her decision to be a part of Project Runway. “Before that, it was all self promotion. Choosing to go on the show was a personal decision. I wanted to help my business and being on the show perpetuated that,” she added. Janx credits already having her own line as an initial reason for her success over some of her other Project Runway competitors. “I understand what’s key to selling,” she said. “When people started calling asking for clothing they saw on the show, like the kimono dress, I had immediate product available, whereas some of the other designers would have to sew their orders one at a time. It’s important to combine merchandising and designing.” Bradbeer describes what aspiring designers should do to promote their lines. “The Internet is an effective way to reach consumers and so is having events and parties to showcase your work,” he said. “Start ups can take their lines to independent sales people at showrooms who represent designers and sell their products to retail stores or go to trade shows, where retailers come to see lots of different lines.” After Sugartown Worldwide, Inc. bought the business from Lilly Pulitzer in 1984, they went to recruiting shows in Atlanta and Dallas to find a salesperson who would sell the brand to the stores they wanted. Bradbeer emphasized that the stores the designer’s clothing was sold in said something about what the brand stood for and who its target demographic was. Janx advises aspiring designers to be very patient and to leave their egos aside for the beginning. Like Bradbeer, she suggests working with another designer or just really shopping the stores. Janx says, “Being a designer takes a lot of time and there’s no real financial stability in the beginning. It’s worth it to work in a corporate environment, so that when you start your own line, you can come in with some capital.” You can view Janx’s clothing by visiting www.karajanx.com or go to www. projectrunway.com to learn more about the show. |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
