Top 10 Qualities of a Great Fashion Designer

The fashion industry is exploding and everyone, it seems, is vying for a part in the action. To get ahead in the business and sit with the ranks of Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, you as an aspiring designer should have some of the same qualities as the world’s top designers. Here are some of the qualities you'll need to succeed as a designer:

1. Strong Business Sense
   A great fashion designer has excellent business skills. You understand budgets, marketing, and sales concepts that are vital to getting designs produced and sold.
2. Good Communication
   A number of people are involved in the creation of a garment, and as designer, you must be able to effectively communicate to everyone involved what he or she expects.
3. Sense of Competition
   You continually strive to do better than your peers to come up with quality innovative designs quickly.
4. Highly Creative
   You have a great sense of style and are constantly coming up with new ideas for fashions.
5. Strong Drawing Skills
   Excellent drawing skills mean you can easily sketch your ideas onto paper to start the production process.
6. Good Eye for Materials
   You have an eye for the materials of a garment, as well as the elements that make it unique, such as color and fabric.
7. Strong Sewing Skills
   You can construct the garments you design. You understand what materials work best in the designs you are developing.
8. Team Player
   Great fashion designers work well as part of a team. Designing a garment for production involves the work of many, from pattern making to sewing to shipping. As designer, you must be able to work well with all involved.
9. Knowledgeable of Current Fashion Trends
   You follows trends and have a good eye for anticipating what your audience will respond to next.
10. Strong Visualization Abilities
    Good fashion designers can visualize a garment before ever putting an idea on paper. You can see the finished product well before production and can put your ideas into words and onto paper so others can grasp the idea as well.

High Confidence Level

Fashion designers typically need a high level of personal confidence. The fashion industry is very cutthroat. It takes confidence to present your original work to an employer, retail buyers and the marketplace. You must have faith that all of these stakeholders accept your creations as fashionable and desirable. You may also face rejection multiple times in the process of working your way into a fashion design career. Your name and personal brand are integral to long-term success, but it takes time to develop a reputation.

Artistic and Creative

Fashion designers are clothing or apparel artists. They do much more than simply weave together pieces of fabric into a singular article of clothing. Designers must have a flair for trends, a distinct style and an understanding of how and why people buy certain types of clothes, accessories or shoes. Combining market awareness with a distinctive style, fashion designers can more effectively create differentiated brands.

Quick Thinking

While some fashion designers work independently, many lead a team that designs, develops and produces. In some cases, the designer must make decisions on materials, pricing, production, marketing and sales. Decisiveness is important because of the sense of urgency to get trendy products on shelves when demand is highest. Designers often must make immediate decisions while working on a new design or product.

Business-Minded

Design is a creative endeavor, but fashion designers typically operate a business or play an integral role in a company. A good designer also has a keen eye for business. Many designers do their own analyses and research to get a sense for what is happening in the industry. They analyze competitors to ensure differentiation. You must also have the ability to negotiate, manage budgets and set prices that generate profit, in many cases.