Cool Career: Fashion Designer
Education option: 2 Years Community College w/CAD training or 4 Year College similar to FIDM, Parsons or F.I.T.
Salary: $$,$$$ to $$$,$$$
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Vice President of Design and Merchandising at 'Michael Gerald Ltd', Danette Cubic
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Love clothes? Is your Marc Jacobs tote bag filled with fashion magazines? With much of the world (and your parents) looking to S.T.E.M. driven careers and hoards of graduates applying to Duke or Harvard for their MBA to be the next CEO and COO - you might not have even considered a career in FASHION.
But do you know what ALL the scientists, tech gods, engineers, doctors, chief-executive-officers and chief-operating-officers, bloggers, chefs, architects and socialites have in common?
THEY ALL WEAR CLOTHES.
Work, Weekend, Workout, Wedding. Day clothes, evening outfits and weekend chic. You probably change your clothes a minimum of 3 times per day! Someone's got to design them!
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Meet Los Angeles based Fashion Designer, Danette Cubic.
Danette's world is a combination of strong computer skills and unique, creative design. Department stores and specialty stores buy THOUSANDS of pieces of product that her and her team create. One of her biggest clients, 'Tillys', just re-ordered 50,000 pieces of a best selling shirt!
Best perk: Twice a year SHE TRAVELS AND SHOPS THE WORLD for design and trend inspiration.
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Want to see some of Danette's designs? You're probably wearing one right now! Some of her biggest clients are Jack Threads, Tillys, Macy's, The Buckle, Kohls, Sears, Dillard's and Urban Outfitters.
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Fabric swatches and source books lead to the final product
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CAREER MAP: Fashion Designer
CAREER: Vice President of Design and Merchandising at Michael Gerald in Cerritos, CA
SCHOOL: American College for Applied Arts (see Danette's TOP TIPS below for a 2 year option).
SCHOOL: Take a look at the Los Angeles Trade Tech College (LATTC) 2 year Fashion Design program here. Famous LATTC fashion alumni include celebrity-favorite, Rick Owens.
DEGREE: Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design. Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Merchandising.
AWARDS: Design Partnership Excellence Awards
DUTIES: Designer for young men's and boy's apparel - 14-28 demographic. Oversees all aspects of design and merchandising, trend forecasting, fabric, trim, graphics and pattern development. Collaborates with retailers and overseas manufacturers on concepts, design and production. Attends trade-shows throughout the U.S. and Europe. Conducts trend forecasting and research and development with shopping trips across Europe, the U.S. and Asia.
DANETTE'S TOP TIPS:
1. SCHOOL: 'I don't necessarily think that you need a 4 year degree from one of those big fashion colleges. Personally I find that I hire candidates with strong CAD skills, a strong creative eye and innovative portfolio. (However, those 4-year schools do get you in front of employers on a regular basis and can be vital for internships and first-jobs out of college.) But I think you would do well with a 2 year degree with strong CAD skills, some business acumen and a portfolio that shows potential and passion.'
Computer-Aided-Design (free CAD classes here)
2. EXTRAS TO BOOST YOUR PORTFOLIO:
Start creating your own design and concept boards (for free!) on Polyvore.com. These inspiration/theme boards give job interviewers an idea of your talent and your 'creative eye'. For example, if you think you would like to design for a surf or skate company - create a board featuring those themes and trends. If it's a shoe company or denim line you would like to work with - then create a board around those themes.
Pinterest.com (also free!) is great to show off your interests and your ability to search and curate unique looks and interests.
Start your own blog/portfolio on Wordpress or Typepad or create an online portfolio that you can forward to potential employers or school professors. These sites are good for creating a portfolio online.
3. SOCIAL MEDIA: Consider using Instagram (freeee!) to make a little extra money #FashionBlogger. Take snaps of yourself in the outfits you've styled or designed. Post them with the top style hashtags and grow your followers. Many times fashion companies will want to work aka: PAY top bloggers to wear their clothes or post a 'shout-out' to their followers. Here's a cool 'How-To' link.
4. DESIGNER TRAITS: You need to be highly conceptual, passionate and creative!
MORE TIPS TO BOOST YOUR CAREER PATH
KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY:
Attend trade shows, and industry networking events to meet like-minded people, build your network and stay on top of industry innovations. Consume fashion magazines for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And don't just look at the photos - read the articles and interviews and really learn who the movers and shakers are in the industry.
WHO TO FOLLOW: TRADE MAGAZINES AND WEBSITES
@WWD - The Fashion Industry's 'Bible'. A daily dose of anything and everything happening in fashion. Make sure YOU are 'in-the-know'.
@DailyFrontRow - Everything happening in the fashion industry with a humorous twist
@FWDaily - more fashion industry news
Check fashion magazines and their websites to find editor's twitter names and follow them. Make sure to comment on their posts! Here's a few - and here's a few more.
STUDY: If going to a Community College, take the basics and focus on as much CAD training as you can get. KNOW YOUR BUSINESS. Make sure to include accounting, business, finance and economics classes in your curriculum. These are the basis of every business in order for it to succeed.
WORK / SUMMER JOB OPTIONS: Donna Karan once famously said that whatever aspect of fashion that you wind up working in, you should start in retail first - Because at the end of the day it's about sales and the customer. Working in the department store trenches will give you great insight into what sells and why. (hint: Most every department store and boutique hires extra help over the holidays. This is a good time to get your foot in the door, earn some holiday money and make a great contact for a Summer Job. Non-sales options: Consider an internship with corporate management or a retail buyer or help our the visual-merchandising team.
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Danette keeps a vast resource library including fabric samples, design books and trend reports
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What might you find in Danette's 'Goyard' tote bag? A Pantone Color Guide book, a sample of one of her 'work-in-progess' t-shirts and a leopard-print notebook for when design inspiration hits!
Fast Fact: Danette makes fitness a priority and runs 3-5 miles at least 5 days a week. She is also passionate about cooking for her family and friends. It's not unusual for her to prepare French toast with caramelized apples for her little ones… all before she goes to work!
Productivity Tips: Juggling a thriving career and busy family-life means that detailed scheduling for Danette and her family is a must. Try this: Rather than put it on your "To-Do List"… JUST DO IT!
More 'Secrets of the Most Productive People' here.
And we love this 'How to shrink your 'To-Do List' idea: Don't write things on your To-Do list that take under 2 minutes. JUST DO THEM.
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Create your own online portfolio (Krop.com) to show professors and potential employers. Use Pinterest.com to build Style and Inspiration boards to show your personal style, interests and creative-eye.
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Questions or Comments: Email us at: [email protected]
Happy designing xx The A-List
