Fashion Designer

Kaihoahoa Kākahu

Alternative titles for this job

Fashion designers design clothing and accessories.

Pay

Junior fashion designers usually earn

$42K-$50K per year

Experienced fashion designers usually earn

$50K-$160K per year

Source: NZ Fashion Tech and Competenz, 2017.

Job opportunities

Chances of getting a job as a fashion designer are poor for those wanting to enter the role, but average for those with experience.

Length of training

1-3

1-3 years of training usually required.

About the job

Pay

Pay for fashion designers varies depending on skills and experience.

Junior fashion designers with up to three years' experience usually earn between $42,000 and $50,000 a year.
Intermediate fashion designers with four to six years' experience can earn between $50,000 and $75,000.
Senior fashion designers with more than seven years' experience or designers who work with large companies can earn between $75,000 and $160,000.

Self-employed fashion designers may earn less than this.

Source: New Zealand Fashion Tech 2017; Competenz, 2017.

PAYE.net.nz website - use this calculator to convert pay and salary information

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)

What you will do

Fashion designers may do all or some of the following:

create or update fashion designs
prepare drawings of the designs
adapt patterns to a new style or create new patterns
select and buy fabrics or have fabrics developed
estimate how much the work will cost
inspect the quality of garments
plan clothing production methods
market garments.

Skills and knowledge

Clothing designers need to have knowledge of:

current clothing styles and trends
the history of fashion
design and drawing techniques
fabric types, colours and fabric care
sewing and tailoring techniques
garment construction and pattern-making techniques
different body shapes
computer-aided design (CAD) software.

Working conditions

Fashion designers:

may work long and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends
work in offices, workshops, factories or clothing shops
may travel to different factory sites and to local or overseas fashion shows.

What's the job really like?

Anjali Stewart

Fashion Designer

Childhood friends now run a joint business

Twentysevennames is the brainchild of clothing designers Anjali Stewart and Rachel Easting. Friends since primary school, they've managed to convert their interest in clothing and design into an effective business partnership. "It's a small company, so decisions, down to every button, are made collectively. We used to do everything together – we'd be working at the cutting table, or we'd even sit down to write an email together! Eventually we got to the point where we were like, 'This is too much!' Now it's easier because our roles are more defined.

"Rachel's now taken over the role of patternmaker and getting help for pattern making, while I look after the admin stuff, such as managing our tax and cash flow, and liaising with all our stockists and media. Otherwise, it gets too hard working on lots of jobs at once, as your roles get really blurred and things can fall by the wayside."

Challenges and rewards of working with a friend

Asked if it's ever difficult working with a close friend, Anjali's answer is clear. "It's both hard work and really rewarding – you feel like you have to make the other person proud. I guess it's great having someone to answer to that you value."

How to enter the job

Entry requirements

To become a fashion designer you need to have a New Zealand Diploma in Fashion Technology (Level 5), which you can study through a course provider or apprenticeship.

Some course providers may require you to have a New Zealand Certificate in Fashion Technology (Level 3) and work experience before you can study for the diploma.

Secondary education

NCEA Level 3 is required to enter tertiary training. Useful subjects include design and visual communication (graphics), digital technologies, maths, processing technologies, and painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking combined.

Personal requirements

Fashion designers need to be:

creative and imaginative
motivated and dedicated
organised
confident
adaptable
able to work well under pressure
accurate, with an eye for detail.

I think you need to be someone who is really hard-working, determined and prepared to put yourself and your ideas out there.

Anjali Stewart

Clothing Designer

Useful experience

Useful experience for fashion designers includes:

sewing, fabric cutting or patternmaking experience
experience as a garment technician
fashion buying experience
clothing factory or workroom experience
draughting or computer-aided design (CAD).

Physical requirements

Fashion designers need to have normal colour vision and good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses).

Find out more about training

Competenz: 0800 526 1800 - info@competenz.org.nz -www.competenz.org.nz
Eastern Institute of Technology(EIT): 0800 22 55 348 -www.eit.ac.nz
Whitecliffe College of Art and Design: 0800 800 300 - admissions@whitecliffe.ac.nz -www.whitecliffe.ac.nz

Check out related courses

Job opportunities

What are the chances of getting a job?

Networking gives fashion designers a greater chance of finding work

Chances of fashion graduates finding work as designers are poor as competition for vacancies is strong. This is because there are more fashion graduates than jobs available. Most new positions aren't advertised, so its better to network with people in the industry and approach employers yourself.

Opportunities are better for experienced fashion designers, as fashion companies often have trouble finding skilled staff.

According to the Census, 934 fashion designers worked in New Zealand in 2018.