Jennifer DelaneyFashion BusinessPossible Career Options

Graphic Designer for apparel itemsMy major is graphic design and I have been designing posters and experimenting with typography for the past few years. When I was at TCU, I designed the Delta Gamma shirts for my sorority and I was thinking, what if that was my full time job. How cool would it be to design shirts for Nike and get paid A LOT? If I wasn't working for a major company, I could make my own apparel design studio and offer custom design, production services, and consultation services. I could employ artists and a team of graphic designers for a new clothing line. We could offer screen printing production and screen printing classes- which is one of the most important skills for printing onto clothing. I could take client's conceptual ideas and produce them into powerful and marketable designs. The possibilities here are endless.

Fashion IllustratorFashion illustration as a job would require a very developed client base. The goal here would be to work with a design or advertising agency. A portfolio is also a huge part of this. I have been paid two hundred dollars before on multiple occasions to do fashion designs for fashion merchandisers and fashion students. Not all fashion designers have paper and pencil skills and this can cause a problem when trying to visualize a concept or idea. It would be really cool to work directly with a famous designer to get these ideas on paper. The job calls to work closely with fashion designers and art directions. Both traditional and digital media can be uses, which I am proficient in both. I see a lot of fashion illustrations in print ads, television commercials, and online ads.

Fashion Pattern DesignerPatternmakers can actually earn twice as much as designers. It might not be the most exciting job but it is a necessary one that is often overlooked. They provide development and production services to many companies. THey have to know the history of patterns and what makes them popular or desirable. Almost every garment is created by a patternmaker. The patterns are simple and many times overlooked. Many patterns are used for mass production.To become a patternmaker, you must have textile background with sewing and patternmaking. H&M is currently offering this job.