Fashion Technology

Designers breathe life into what could otherwise be a drab world. From styling our looks with influence of textiles and accessories to styling our homes and businesses with appropriate appeal, designers truly contribute to the color, shape and beauty of our existence here on earth. Fashion and interior design are both forms of art, and like every artist, prospective design students are inventive individuals that excel in creative environments.

Design degrees with fashion emphasis encompass a few primary divisions of the industry. Fashion design students are educated on the actual designing process, in which students gain a comprehensive understanding of how to produce and even create apparel, footwear, and accessories. Coursework includes color, textiles, sewing and the like.There are many uses for a fashion degree after college. They are available in both two and four year programs, and often students choose to couple a design degree with a degree in business, marketing, or fashion and merchandising. This offers the advantage of an additional level of business education that is often helpful in such an industry.

Designers can obtain work with manufacturers, department stores, and wholesalers after graduation. These designers supply clothing and accessory design to the merchandisers, who in turn sell it to consumers in the mass market. Sometimes these designers can land jobs with design firms or even provide work as a sole proprietor.

Interior design is another kind of art program that focuses on creative conceptualization. These designers are in a competitive industry, largely because like fashion degree seekers, they are a talented bunch. Students work course loads including classes like CAD (computer-aided drawing), spatial planning, furniture making, color and fabrics, and more.

Degree holders earn an Associate’s degree with a two or three year coursework completion. Four-year students earn a Bachelor’s degree and additionally can qualify for apprenticeship in many cases. Among the approximate 300 design schools providing collegiate degrees in art and design, nearly all of them offer interior design concentrations for art degrees, and 150 of them offer accredited interior design programs.

Most designers enter apprenticeship programs after graduation that last one to three years in order to gain firsthand experience in the industry before beginning their own careers. These programs often offer invaluable insight to how to use the skills taught in the courses of study. Many states require licensing, and because license requirements call for a combined minimum of six years post-secondary education and interior design experience, most interior designers wait until after their apprenticeship is complete to initiate the state licensing requirements when applicable.