My career as an assistant designer in the fashion industry

This site is ment to be like a compilations of peoples experiences in the fashion industry, people that have been working as assistant designers and want to share their toughs in many different areas. Aside from that I am going to talk about what I do and also a few hints for recent or about to graduate students in fashion design. Some of the topics that I will like to share are; what to expect right out of college?, what to do before graduating to build a good portfolio?, and many many other tips, that of course are open to other people to comment.

First off being an assistant designer can be a very exiting career, the reason is that all companies work very different. So sky is the limits...

Now, before I go forward these are all my personal opinion and of course they are open to other comments, here are some tips from me to you for before you graduate...


* If you want to get a real good offer in you first job, try to have at least 2 internships by the time you graduate.

* Never rely just in what your curriculum offers, do some research on what an assistant designer needs to know these days, in my opinion some schools are just not up to what is new out there. Know illustrator and Photoshop from A to Z.

*If you want to be open to work in everything as an assistant designer,Try to take a course in Excel, besides from illustrator and Photoshop, the reason is because you could be doing specs depending on the company of course. (Don’t go crazy over this program meaning that you won’t have to be a brain on this).

*While in school you will have a lot of time to develop a good portfolio, and the trick is to make your portfolio as professional as you can. What do I mean? Very clean, no sloppiness and also try to do research online on other designers,for you to have an idea of what professionals have been doing over the years. One site that was a success for me in many ways, was www.styleportfolios.com here you see millions of peoples portfolios that will give you an idea.

*If you have knowledge in illustrator and like to work with it, try to include some projects done in computer, especially some flats and prints. *I would say this was essential for me to get a job, because out of many many interviews I went, not one didn't ask for it. Why? Because in many companies they do their flat sketching in illustrator, although their still companies work the “old school way” (by hand).

*Lets say you go to an interview in a company that happens to do sketching in computer, (which is almost every company) They will ask you to do a separate project in computer and hand it in the second interview. "Which I have seen"..

*After you have your portfolio done try to get it out there as much as you can, scan it and post it in your blog, and try doing what I did which is posting it over the internet in www.styleportfolios.com , this is what got me the Real Job. Many many recruiters and companies that post openings in fashion are constantly searching for peoples portfolios.

Now, after you get the job, don’t expect to be designing all day, the reality is other, although like I said before it all depends in what type of company you are working at, I would say in almost every company you will be doing a lot of multitasking …

In your first job..

*In the morning check emails and reply to factories is something that you will be doing a lot. This will take probably your first 30 minutes in the morning, and for the rest of the day you won't get off Outlook.

*Helping doing presentation boards, knowing how to work clean and meticulous is important.

*Sketching flats in illustrator, and using Photoshop to scan images for mood boards.

(Some companies will use a lot of Photoshop to manipulate images to use for their

mood boards, so color manipulation is essential)

*In other companies, assistant designers will have to create prints, plaids and stripes in Photoshop, or if not they sometimes just need to recolor them.

(Sometimes companies will prefer to do their stripes, plaids and prints in illustrator, so have this in mind).

*You most probably will be handling a lot of samples and inspirational garments.

Organizational skills are very important to keep track of everything.

*At least where I work (corporative enviornment) Filling is sometime that most of the times you can never escape, I at least file once a month. Filling trims, specs, and cads, "believe me its not the most exciting part of the job, but I tend to do this when is a little more slow, so that I don’t get bored", although in some companies you will just not have time at all.

*Some companies will like you to go and source trims and fabrics around the fashion industry (specially small companies). "I used to do this when I was working for a small line".

*Also going online to find stuff to knock off, is very common in the fashion world, so you will be doing this a lot .

*Specs are something that really depends also in the company, I personally have worked in 2 big companies and in one I did not have to do them and the other company I am. So, that is why I said that knowing a little of Excel doesn’t hurt.

* I will like to say that the position as an Assistant designer can be a little discouraging at the beginning because you will ask yourself, Shouldn't I be designing all day?.... But this is something that everybody goes trough in many careers when they are starting, it will not be just you!

Another Question you ask yourself, is..

Should I start in a small company or a big company?

*When I was in school I personally thought that I wanted to start in a big company, so that I can have a good name in my resume. Because believe it or not, working in a much known company will make an effect in your resume. The other reason is that I wanted to see how a corporative environment runs the business.

*I got the job in a known company and I ended up realizing that working in a smaller company would have given me a more wide experience. In small companies you have to do a little bit of everything so you get more experience, -vs.- in a big company like the one where I work, I do less things because they have their own tech department and cad department.

*That was the conclusion that I can to.. What do you think? Please feel free to comment..

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