Design, Arts and Crafts - Fashion Design Assistant
Design, Arts and Crafts - Fashion Design Assistant
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Fashion design assistants help designers to create new materials, styles, colours and patterns for fashion brands and labels.
- Create prototypes and tailor garments
- Produce technical sketches
- Explain creative ideas to designers
- Source fabrics and trimmings
- Create mood, shape and trend boards
- Get approval for designs from customers
- Work closely with factories and suppliers
- Meet with customers and fabric agents
- Inspect products during the design process
You could work in a creative studio or in a workshop.
Fashion Design Assistants tend to work between 40 to 42 hours a week. You could work evenings and weekends.
Starting: £14,000
Experienced: £23,000
You could do a foundation degree or higher national diploma in fashion design or fashion and textiles. You'll usually need 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma.
You could take a college course to learn skills in pattern cutting, computer-aided cutting techniques and design software. Courses include:
- Level 2 Diploma In Skills for the Fashion Industries
- Level 3 Diploma in Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design
- Level 3 Extended Diploma in Fashion Design and Production
- T Level in Craft and Design
A course that teaches both design and technical skills will give you the practical knowledge that employers look for.
You could do a fashion studio assistant or garment maker advanced apprenticeship. If you have an EHCP you may be able to apply under the DfE exemption which allows the apprentice to use Entry level 3 English and Maths qualifications. The apprentice would have to be component enough to successfully achieve all other aspects of the apprenticeship requirements, become occupationally competent and achieve Entry Level 3 in English and Maths before the end of their apprenticeship.
There is strong competition for jobs in the fashion industry, so any contacts and experience you can get will help when looking for work. You could get this through internships, work placements or volunteering.