What You Need to Do NOW to Become a Fashion Designer
There's one thing most of us have in common: We love fashion!
Although our styles and designers of choice may differ, we all need to follow a certain path to turn our passion for fashion into a career.
(via Alexia Maria)
The road to fashion isn't quite as conventional as that of a lawyer or doctor. But if you've ever dreamed of taking a path in this field, you're in luck because we met up with young designer Alexia Maria to walk us through the steps she took in her teens that helped her get to where she is now.
From the most fabulous red carpets to having her designs worn by the biggest fashion bloggers, she spills her secrets for a career in fashion with you!
The Beginning
It all started when she was a child. Alexia says that ever since she can remember, she wanted to be a designer. As a young girl, she had the clothing-design bug. She always found herself gravitating towards looks from the 1950s and she drew inspiration from this era. The love for this time period can now be seen in her classic and feminine creations. Way before she debuted her first design, the fashionista-to-be always made sure to add personal touches to every garment she ever wore. Who knew outfit personalization would be the start of an amazing career?
Getting Her Toes Wet
Her love of evening wear brought her first taste in the business of fashion. Before she became a designer, she started a dress rental business with one of her young friends. She quickly discovered that although she liked many of the dresses they had on file, none of them stood out as perfect to her. This is when the flashbulb went off and she realized that she would be better off designing her own creations. She later enrolled in fashion school and learned the basics of designing.
(Via Alexia Maria)
Advice For Teens
We picked Alexia's brain and asked her for the best advice somebody thinking about a career in fashion should follow.
"Always stay true to yourself and your sense of style," she tells Sweety High. "Don't let anything or anyone get in the way of your dreams. And remember to always dream big, there's nothing hard work and dedication cannot accomplish."
She advises that you wake up early every day and try to clear your mind with exercise. She prefers a run or yoga herself. Then she makes sure to go into her studio every single day. Being the boss doesn't mean you get to skip work, in fact, it means that you show up every day and work harder. She learned that teamwork, discipline and dedication are the keys to getting big things done.
Try putting her advice to work, yourself. Figure out ways to make soccer practice into a teamwork exercise. Make yourself accountable and disciplined even with the smallest school task, and make sure to participate in extra credit assignments. Completing these small exercises now will build character for running your own business later.
Another practical way of reaching the career of your dreams is to set goals. For starters, figure out what age you want to enroll into fashion school. It's also never too early to start saving your sketches and images of designs you love. You can later use these to draw inspiration.
Now That You've Made It: What It's Really Like
No two days are alike for fashion designers. From fittings, to making patterns, from photoshoots to actual clothing-design, you need to be prepared for whatever the day throws at you. No matter how busy the day gets, it's important to carve out time for your loved ones.
Alexia tries to leave her studio at a decent time to have a good dinner and spend time with those she considers nearest and dearest. The biggest payoff once you've made it as a fashion designer is being able to transform an idea into a reality. There is nothing better than seeing a design you created come alive when somebody wears it.
Now that you know that you don't have to settle for a boring career when you grow up, explore other industries. Start by hearing from Sprinkles Cupcakes' queen Candace Nelson about how she got her start baking!