Fashion designer

You would design clothes and fashion ranges. You could design the popular clothes sold in high street shops. Or you could make the glamorous and expensive creations worn by actors, pop stars and celebrities.

You might specialise in particular types of clothing - for example in men’s, children’s or sportswear.

You’d design the items using your drawing skills and computer-aided design software. To make prototypes of your designs you will need to develop technical skills such as pattern cutting and sewing.

You would:

• Work to design instructions – known as a brief

• Analyse or predict trends in fabrics, colours and shapes

• Produce concept and mood boards with photos, fabric pieces and colour samples

• Develop basic shapes – known as 'blocks' – through patterns

• Estimate costs of materials and manufacturing

• Find suppliers for materials

• Supervise the creation of sample clothing items

• Give in-house presentations, for example to finance departments and merchandisers

You would often work closely with garment technologists and sample machinists.

You’d need to be interested in fashion and be able to spot trends. You’d need to have a good eye for colour and shape and appreciate the characteristics of fabrics and textiles.

It would be important to understand production processes and be commercially aware so you know how clothes will produced and whether they will sell.

You might liaise with manufacturers, often based overseas, to make sure that designs are reproduced accurately.

• Textile Scotland -one of the lead organisations of the Scottish Textiles Skills Partnership

• Creative Skillset – explore the roles and the ways into working in the creative industries

• Drapers Jobs – Insights into careers in fashion

• Chartered Society of Designers - internationally recognised body providing support and guidance for designers

• The Textile Institute - membership organisation that promotes professionalism in all areas associated with the textile industry

• British Fashion Council

• Creative Scotland - enabling people to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland