Fashion Design programs are perfect for anyone fascinated by the creative and outrageous possibilities of fashion. If you have an eye for style, color, trends, and flair, you might want to consider this field. According to the Parsons School of Design, however, Fashion Design is about more than beautiful clothes. It is a barometric gauge of our society and culture. If you pursue a career in Fashion Design you’ll also design shoes, accessories, and even costumes. You’ll be sketching and designing on both paper and computer, and most programs culminate in a publicly attended fashion show of student work. One of the best aspects of a Fashion Design program is the potential for internships, travel, and close work with top designers. When choosing a school, keep location in mind-a school in New York, for example, will give you far better opportunities for schmoozing with the best designers than, say, a school in Idaho. The Fashion Institute of Technology, for example, is located right on Seventh Avenue-or Fashion Avenue, as it’s called in the business. It’d be hard to get any closer to the heart of fashion than that.
Be prepared for lots of hands-on work. As with most creative fields, the core of Fashion Design is learning by doing. You won’t be hitting the books like your Liberal Arts-majoring friends-you’ll be hitting the sewing machine, the design software, and, eventually, the runway.

Preparation

Since most Fashion Design programs encourage emphasis on Fine Arts including drawing and sculpture, take advantage of your high school art department. It goes without saying that a Home Ec class or two would be on the right track. And don’t forget History and English courses-any good designer knows that fashions are greatly influenced by society and culture.