The fashion industry is a huge business but, for someone who is new to this business, you need to be well informed and know all the facts before you take a dive into the unknown. The real secret of a successful fashion design career is all about “Preparation”. Many people assume that the fashion industry is a no-brainer business; however, it is not. One needs to be savvy and master all facets of one’s technical life skills. Every year, there are several thousands of students graduating from all the fashion institutions around the world. Unfortunately, not every fashionista makes it in the business, due to the many factors that can derail a young designer’s career. If you want to stay ahead of the pack, do your research thoroughly, ask the right questions, and talk to professional designers who own their businesses before you jump into the fashion industry.

For instance, the biggest mistake most people seem to make is a lack of research, when it comes to choosing the right school for their fashion training. The second biggest mistake is how people use all their money to invest in their fashion education. As we all know, the bigger and the more famous a school is, the more you pay. Okay, let’s pause right here. Just because a fashion school is prestigious, how is that going to help your career if you have no real technical life skills to obtain employment? In reality, your technical life skills, such as sewing, pattern drafting, French draping and pattern grading, are your trade skills, which are all you really need to create a garment to sell or obtain employment, right? Paying a lot more does not mean that you are guaranteed to be successful in any way. It is far more important to master all of your basic life skills – and fully understand how to connect them together – and, eventually, by the time you find the right opportunity, you will have learned a lot more and gained plenty of experience…