A Career in Fashion Design

Parker Cummins

Mr. Alburger

English III Honors

Nov 1, 2018
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Parker Cummins

Mr. Alburger

English III Honors

Nov 1, 2018

A Career in Fashion Design

Fashion designers serve as inspiration to communities as a whole through their work,

because of the beauty and significance they leave in their art. This art grows in popularity all

around the world, showing its importance that began almost a century ago. Fashion has seemed

important for almost as long as we can remember, and it still has that grandioso aura about it.

Ask anyone about fashion, and they will almost always have an opinion about it. Almost

everyone has a favorite designer, or wants to talk about what the biggest celebrity wore to the

Met Gala or some other event. And the fashion shows too. They have risen in popularity over the

years, not just to show off clothes, but as an art exhibition. But just picture it, the scurrying

around backstage to make sure those beautiful clothes look great on the runway. All the work

that goes into perfecting those pieces of art. To make certain the audience admires it, gets

wowed, walks away stunned. Every designer has that dream, that aspiration. And others want to

know this feeling, to have that career, have everyone see them as a fine artists in this admirable

path. Yes, having the role of a fashion designer seems like an ideal career to many, but many

hurdles stand in the way, such as school, figuring out a position in the workplace, and competing

with other famous brands that exist in the industry today.

Not many schools offer the opportunity to learn about fashion design, but the ones who

do, do it efficiently. MassArt, or the Massachusetts College of Art And Design, offers
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undergraduate and graduate programs. Fashion design students learn to create and manufacture

apparel for men, women, and children at the undergraduate level. MassArt encourages their

students to develop their own style and master detailing techniques, along with pattern making.

Faculty teach traditional design methods, alongside new computer design technology. The

students try to involve the obstacles of marketability, cost, and comfort. These undergraduate

students also have to produce an annual fashion show for their works, which consists of creating

their own apparel lines. “Last year, third-year students competed for the opportunity to have their

designs produced as part of the catalogue firm Chadwick's fall-winter collection.” (Young). At

the University of Delaware, students can take part in a graduate certificate program in Socially

Responsible and Sustainable Apparel Businesses. While students try to focus on a path, part of

their coursework involves redesigning green apparel and socially responsible apparel, or the

global policy.

Another college that offers degrees in fashion design, Otis College of Art and Design

based in Los Angeles, aims to forefront fashion design. The students there work with apparel

vendors on projects that include developing textiles made from corn and flax, and use dyes that

come from coffee and beets. The founder and publisher of the Los Angeles times, Harrison Gray

Otis, founded Otis College of Art and Design, and it’s campus sits in the heart of the Los

Angeles fashion district. Around 1,100 students attend, with about 200 students majoring in

fashion design from the sophomore to junior years. About 55 seniors graduate from the program

each year. The program recruits top designers to serve as mentors each year. The graduates

usually work as assistant and associate designers. Some of the alumni work at firms like

Abercrombie and Fitch, Calvin Klein, and Gap.

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Obviously the skills acquired in college remain very useful when someone gets a job in

the fashion industry. “The fashion designer’s day is characterized by periods of independent and

collaborative work” (Hughes). A few designers take the responsibility of overseeing the entire

design process. This includes researching trends, sketching their own designs, making patterns,

testing and costing materials and construction, and working with manufacturing production

teams. However, this work gets stressful and tedious for just one person, thus providing an

opportunity for multiple people to work on several projects together. “Fashion designers with

experience may supervise other employees” (Hughes). The designers might give leadership

along with technical guidance to multiple people. The Junior fashion designers usually have less

responsibility than the senior designers. For example, they might have to work within the

parameters of price, and fabric selections that have already been chosen by more advanced

designers. In big companies, sample and pattern makers assist the fashion designers. ​Venancio

Tadeo, a designer who lives in Mooresville, North Carolina, has his own input on this career. ​“​I

helped a designer and they said they like my stuff. I was her assistant and she wanted me to

create my own” (Tadeo). His popularity began with his work on the popular science fiction

movie, “The Matrix,” and grew from there. After working with another designer as her assistant,

he moved back to his place of birth, the Philippines, to open his own boutique. He still owns it to

this day, though he lives in the US.

Venancio, or Veni as a nickname, says his days consist of mostly preparing all the

necessary materials, such as fabrics, appliques, and decorations. “Sometimes I draw it but mostly

it is in my mind” (Tadeo). This comes from his origins. “When I was young, I would sketch my

designs in the ground because I didn’t have paper. That’s why I don’t draw anything down, all
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my ideas are in my mind” (Tadeo). Veni’s past serves as a perfect example of how designers can

come from anywhere. And through his experience, he has learned a lot about the fashion

industry. He says that the hardest part about designing lies in how someone gets out there and

developing a company and reputation.

Designers do not have to stay in just one spot, provided that their business gains enough

popularity. “He showcased his latest bridal creations at the Aashni + Co Wedding Show in

London and a few weeks later lit up the catwalk in Mumbai at Lakme Fashion Week

summer-resort 2018 show” (Mistry). If a fashion designer works hard enough and has

successfully created popular designs, they will stretch out to countries all around the world. It

could happen with any profession or career, but since fashion appeals to almost everyone, it

grows in larger amounts than almost any other interest. Designers that originated in Europe have

shows in New York every year, and their clothing appears in stores all around the world. One

would have to work very hard, though, in order to achieve this amount of success.

Fashion design first started to get recognition as a serious thing in the late 1800s, early

1900s. This time held many wars, leaving the women alone at home. As they stayed home, they

started to grow as the prime customer. Companies wanted to expand their businesses, and seeing

that women would be buying clothes because all the men left for the war, they started to broaden

the horizons. “... leading Parisian department store and the famous couturiere Madeleine Vionnet

in the inter-war years” (Polese). Fashion design rose in popularity and importance during this

time period.

Now the history of these fashion brands can not stay relevant after all these years if the

preservation of old designs and clothing does not remain important. The preservation of fashion
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will continue as an important practice in order to keep legacies safe. “The purpose of an archive

is not just preservation but inspiration, a reminder that, while fashion moves ever forward, each

house has a lineage” (Max). Laudomia Pucci, a family member of the owner and originator if the

well known and older fashion brand, says that these popular brands almost resemble aristocratic

families. Preserving the old garments and designs from decades ago helps to keep tradition. It

keeps the styles the same, or at least similar. Moving forward, the designers hired to come work

at Pucci will go to the archives to see the details put into old designs, and use those aspects in

new clothes. For example, the dresses that come out of Pucci have bright, bold, and organic

shapes as a print. This trademark remains popular today. New designers need to stay within this

style, and seeing the old creations will help to make the new ones seem more authentic. This

practice remains one of the sole reasons that brands from the older eras continue to maintain their

popularity today.

Christian Dior started out as a powerhouse and still exists as one today. He built his own

company up from nothing, and even after his death, it still creates hugely popular looks today. It

all started in the 1930s, when Dior began to submit his fashion sketches into fashion magazines

and fashion houses. Famous designer of the time, Robert Piguet, took note of Dior’s work and

chose four of his sketches for his fashion house in the year 1937. A year later he hired Dior to

work for him full time. Piguet trained him for a year, until World War II forced France to draft

Dior into military service in 1939. Dior served for two years, before returning to Paris in 1941,

and upon his return in 1941, he began to work as a design assistant to fashion house owner

Lucien Lelong. While there, he collaborated with designer Pierre Balmain and had the

opportunity to design dresses for some of the most famous and wealthy women in the world. He
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developed costumes for films as well. However he later went on to form his own company,

creating dresses and garments. He also created a fragrance and named it after his mother.

Even though he died in 1957, Dior lives on today. The powerhouse of a company has

hugely popular shows, and has survived under many creative directors. The business now

produces dresses, shirts, pants, shoes, bags, jewelry, and fragrances for both women and men.

The styles adopted by the company expand beyond anything that the original owner would ever

imagine. High end costumes and avant garde evening wear parade the runway in strange and

interesting performances. The elegant and regal pieces still exist, but the company has grown to

so much more. The easily recognizable name receives respect all over the world, and

Alexander McQueen’s personality showed in his garments and his shows. “'You’ve got to

know the rules to break them. That’s what I’m here for, to demolish the rules but keep the

tradition.’” (Julius). His name will go on in the industry as a hugely successful and hardworking

designer, who broke boundaries and pushed limits. Although his prime took place in the late 90s

and early 2000s, many still see him as a genius today. He highlighted social issues in his work,

having no fear to send the most absurd garments onto the runway. Some of his dresses showed

almost every inch of the human body, while still managing to show the thought process and

elegance of the dress itself. In one of his shows, he sent models out in metal restraints, purely for

the global awareness of sexism. His models sported makeup that made them look insane, almost

other-worldly. This just added to the ambiance of his work, and complemented his clothing.

Many of his shows had a dark nature about them, which sent the viewers walking away with a

new appreciation for art and what could be possible.

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One of his most famous shows had a model in a white dress standing on a turntable, as

robots danced around her, spraying paint onto the fabric, creating strange and hypnotic designs.

Another show had viewers sitting on the outside of a giant glass box, viewing the models

walking around on the inside, who could not see out, because of the one way mirror they stood

trapped in. Many of his dresses from that show possessed an almost violent nature about them,

with straight jackets and tight corsets. He also told his models to act mentally ill, giving

themselves characteristics of clinically insane people. At the end of the show, a second layer of

walls on the inside of the box fell to reveal a naked woman lying on a couch, with hundreds of

butterflies perched over every inch of her body. Yes his shows contained an absurd nature about

them, but they pushed social norms, almost to desensitize the audience.

Nowadays, designers do not use that sort of darkness in their shows or their dresses, but

craftsmanship has grown into one of the most important aspects of design. Long flowing gowns

have come back into style, making the smaller details, such as embroidery or the construction, an

impressive contributing factor.

Guo Pei serves as a hugely popular brand that made history as China’s first haute couture

company. Many people know her work, especially those who follow the fashion industry, as she

has started to develop into more popular in culture today. The famous pop singer, Rihanna, wore

one of Guo Pei’s pieces to the Met Gala, where more dresses by the same designer stood on

display. This dress took the internet by storm, becoming a sensation as well as a joke, many

calling it the “pizza dress”. While it did look like a pizza, it also contained some of the most

admirable craftsmanship to date. All designs by Guo Pei have the same amount of effort and

passion put into them. “Each look pushed the envelope on a technique that the Chinese couturier
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harnesses when her real-life clients come calling: appliqués, beading, pleating, fringing.”

(Templeton). We may soon see more famous female powerhouses wearing Guo Pei’s dresses,

thus furthering the influence of successful and admirable fashion.

“Avant garde” fashion, or strangely beautiful art in the form of clothing, represents itself

lately more and more with newer brands, and will certainly take off in the future. It almost takes

the form in science fiction novels and movies. This style shows itself in stories such as Star Wars

and the Hunger Games trilogy. However, many people in society today choose to wear avant

garde clothing in order to break away from social norms. They want to stand out. Many people

consider avant garde fashion as art in some of its purest forms. Going back to Alexander

McQueen, most individuals in the fashion industry recognize him as one of the masters of this

style, as his designs could not function in public without judgement from others. He shows how

fashion will move beyond all boundaries in the future, pushing limits and breaking rules, even

though his shows peaked years ago, before his tragic suicide.

But other artists of the same medium still triumph today. Iris van Herpen creates

garments that amplify our society's values and structure. “Science and technology are her muse

and the primary stimulus to her creations.” (Benesh). Her pieces consist of odd materials, shaped

in ways that no other human could think of. Her models walk to strange music, and walk in the

center of futuristic scenes, that all reflect the nature of her work. She uses three dimensional

printers to create different aspects of her clothing. No one would dare put on her dresses and take

them out in public, but she has created her work for that purpose. Avant garde fashion has

always represented a deeper meaning, trying to convey the issues in society for all to see. Many

see her message as this: the world today makes itself up today of science and technology, all of
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which man has created. But in doing this man has also begun to destroy the world with pollution

and disease. By using technology, man’s terrible creation, in her clothing, Iris van Herpen brings

to light the fact that men refuse to acknowledge their faults. Her work reminds others of that

terrible creation, and fills those with guilt for what they have done.

Yes, fashion just contains clothing, but it also gets recognition from many as an

important art form. Just like any other form of art, fashion has the reputation of conveying

messages and evoking emotions and thoughts, just like Alexander McQueen and Iris Van Herpen

have done. It inspires millions of people all around the world, uniting many under one interest.

Yes this could apply to any other topic, but at least fashion still does that. It will not remain just

another snobby, rich woman’s sport. However, it seems that the most influential people in the

fashion industry unfortunately have lots of money. According to Veni Tadeo, some of the most

influential people in the fashion industry have large amounts of fame, such as pop singers

Beyonce, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga. But having a more hefty social status would let a person

influence the world the way these women do.

Of course one could achieve anything with more popularity, especially world wide

popularity, but fashion stretches out over almost everyone, and serves as an interest for many

people. Someone having the opportunity to showcase fashion and receive praise for it, just

because they stand higher than others in the social ranks, seems wonderful, and it most likely

feels that way too.

Many obstacles stand in the way of becoming a fashion designer, particularly one with

global recognition. First someone must find a school. Schools that offer an education in fashion

design do not really have huge reputations, as they get recognition for other degrees. However,
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some universities stand out because of their art programs, and they include fashion design. But

many individuals and popular designers have achieved fame and respect without attending a

design university. Then if that person learns enough about how to design clothing and all the

aspects that come with it, such as fabric selection, sizing, and pattern making, they have to find

their standing in the workplace. It takes hard work and determination to build a company from

the ground up, but luckily lower positions continue in availability. At already popular businesses,

people get hired all the time as assistant designers, taking part in the long process of designing.

And later down the road, one has to consider how they want to be known after their company

passes into other hands, if they wish that. People must develop their own style, and have

recognition for that style. It helps that company stand out, and if it stays popular for a long time,

that style also stays popular for a long time. Also, that designer has the opportunity to move

mountains with their work, such as other famous designers before them. Fashion conveys

messages and meanings, letting many around the globe understand. Fashion will always stand in

importance for all communities. It just depends on how someone gets to that position, where they

stand in importance with fashion as well.

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Works Cited

Benesh, Carolyn L. E. “IRIS VAN HERPEN: Transforming Fashion.” ​Ornament,​ vol. 40, no. 3,

Jan. 2018, p. 26. ​EBSCOhost​,

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&scope=site.>

Hughes, Kylie. “Fashion Designer.” ​Salem Press Encyclopedia,​ 2013. ​EBSCOhost,​

<search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89550265&site=eds-live&s

cope=site.>

Julius, Corinne. “SAVAGE BEAUTY: The Performance Fashion of Alexander McQueen.” ​Craft

Arts International,​ no. 94, July 2015, p. 72. ​EBSCOhost,​

<search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=108684698&site=eds-live

&scope=site.>

Max, D. T. “Fashion’s Attics.” ​New Yorker,​ vol. 93, no. 5, Mar. 2017, p. 62. ​EBSCOhost,​

<search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=121729962&site=eds-live

&scope=site.>

Mistry, Mita. “A Fresh Take on Tradition: Design Great Tarun Tahiliani Talks Fashion And

Wedding Wear.” ​Eastern Eye​, no. 1444, 23 Feb. 2018, p. 32. ​EBSCOhost​,

<search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=128282767&site=eds-live

&scope=site.>

Polese, Francesca, and Regina Lee Blaszczyk. “Fashion Forward: The Business History of

Fashion.” ​Business History​, vol. 54, no. 1, Feb. 2012, p. 6. ​EBSCOhost,​

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<search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=72338807&site=eds-live&

scope=site.>

Rohland, Lindsay. “Christian Dior.” ​Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia,​ 2017. ​EBSCOhost​,

<search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89404777&site=eds-live&s

cope=site.>

Tadeo, Venancio. Personal Interview. 3 Dec. 2018.

<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zspjV37rYoVJAP4EJfOJkb8X1Hrjw86bFQtFUjU0XFw

/edit>

Templeton, Lily. “Guo Pei.” ​WWD: Women’s Wear Daily​, Jan. 2018, p. 8. ​EBSCOhost,​

<search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=131643329&site=eds-live

&scope=site.>

Young, Vicki M. “Jobs Season Puts Focus On Fashion Schools.” ​WWD,​ no. 85, 2008.

EBSCOhost​,

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=eds-live&scope=site.>
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