my future career fashion designer essay

Fashion Design and Famous Designers Essay

Fashion design is an expression of a particular character’s art and uniqueness. It is mainly based on original work, while others are borrowed and improved. It is how individuals show their creativity and talent through their productions. The designers have grown to influence the world with their products globally. They are known internationally for their products supplied globally due to their efficient expression of art in original work. This project is about fashion design because it focuses on the most exciting journeys of widely known designers and their influence in the industry. Considering the stories of the most famous individuals, the upcoming designers are inspired to keep growing. They start looking up to these influencers and admiring their brands, which are the most significant influence in society.

Martin Margiela

Martin Margiela is referred to as the silent designer whose clothes tell his story. This is because since he started his career in 1988, he had never appeared before the press or conducted an interview. This brought up the character narrative of Martin Margiela as one who would not take a bow for his achievements but let his art express him. Martin Margiela challenged all that was deemed traditional couture when he first began working in early 1980. Margiela’s designs were motivated by his mother’s reconstruction of furniture, frequently revealing the layout of the garments and intentionally exposing the linings and seams. One of the most prominent looks that Martin Margiela pulled on the runway was during their first show for his eponymous label in the fall of 1989. Against all other expectations, his collections included ripped sleeves, frayed hems, and clumpy shoes in uneven runaway and stumbling models.

Demna Gvasalia

Demna Gvasalia is a Georgian fashion designer who innovates a streetwear-savvy brand that has dominated the fashion industry. He has been the creative director of Balenciaga collections since 2015. His general approach to the design philosophy is to recreate something which dismantles the boundary between vernacular, street, and luxury wear. Some of his creations are crocs, satirical prom suits, leather Ikea bags, baggy tracksuits, subversive tailored denim, and others that made the headlines on the platforms. He dresses most celebrities, such as Kanye West and the Kardashians, which is the best platform to express his art. One of the most prominent looks that Gvasalia sent to the runway was a chic, floor-sweeping, cap-sleeved gown overlaid with an understated veil, which was contrary to what a bride would look. He is portrayed as one who fearlessly expresses his art and talent without fear of public opinion or online critics.

John Galliano

John Galliano was the founder and the creative director of his eponymous label John Galliano and French fashion houses Givenchy and Dior, respectively. His design philosophy is romantic historicism with technical skills and progressive aesthetics. He represented the garments that people wore on romantic occasions. Galliano’s designs became known for their twisted romanticism. His work was intricate, feminine, and undeniably beautiful – but also sinister, slightly frightening, and lavish to the point of showy. Galliano has always seen the runway as a storytelling medium. The designer told the story of an escaped Russian princess on a journey of self-discovery in his spring/summer 1994 collection. The fashion elite praised Galliano’s “Princess Lucretia” show for its crinolines, capes, and impossible-flowing locks. However, the most outstanding character of John Galliano came up when he was fired from Dior due to the racist utterances that he made. Regardless of the controversies, he is one of the most fabulous designers.

Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh has worked with different brands as a fashion designer, such as Off-white and Louis Vuitton. He was the first African American to be the artistic director of a French Luxury Fashion House when he joined Louis Vuitton in 2018. His most extensive design philosophy is based on compromising between two different options. He brought streetwear into the world’s high fashion when working with Off-white. He has proven to be a team player from his many successful collaborations. The main was his collaboration with Kanye West, which was brought about by the success of Off-white. He uses that to inspire the success of black children in the fashion world. Some of his most significant creations are Nike x Off-White™ “The Ten” Jordan 1, which was made in collaboration with Nike. The most iconic runway moment was Louis Viton’s first outing, as he demonstrated menswear for the following male celebrities.

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto is a master tailor known for his avant-garde tailoring featuring Japanese design aesthetics. He has worked as a fashion designer with brands such as Adidas and Hermes. His signature aesthetic, which distinguishes his collections, is that all his collections are black. He put a new spin on tailoring and stood out among the cinched waists, shoulder pads, and bold block colors that ruled the 1980s fashion scene. His design philosophy states that he does not look for perfection because perfection is ugly. However, black is modest, and it also brings the imperfections, such as arrogance, which is what he likes to show. His narrative explains the display’s unisexual oversized apparel, which means that any gender can express fashion. The Yohji Yamamoto spring/summer show is one of the hugest demonstrations of his collections, which shows different designs of all-black apparel with other models who strive to bring back to the 1990s.

Alexander McQueen

He is the founder of a luxurious British fashion house known as Alexander McQueen. His label does not only include clothes but also shoes, perfume, and fashion accessories. McQueen is widely known for his well-tailored clothes and other controversial designs. He took classic pieces and redesigned their form to look chic and unique. His design philosophy was to make a piece that could go beyond any trend and still be relevant in a hundred years. His character narrative is about the blend of the past and the present as he tries to make his collections more relevant. The skull scarf and armadillo shoes are two of his most well-known creations. The LACMA Museum is currently displaying “Mind, Mythos, Muse,” a collection of imaginative clothing. McQueen’s most controversial runway show was the fall/winter of 1997, which was the theme of the jungle. The animalistic designs included tiger stripes, cowhide material, and horned headpieces.

Jean Paul Gaultier

Jean-Paul Gaultier was a seven-year fashion director at Hermes. He did not only sell clothes but also his fragrance and colognes. His designs are primarily costumes, which are simple and ambient. His design philosophy is for the ateliers to work hard to present the designer’s collections to the world. He believed that having different is beautiful in that representing something opposite to society’s expectations is a significant step that any designer would be willing to take. Even though the new generation has taken them over, his most outstanding designs on the runway are the naked dresses with techno dots. They have been ranked the highest viewed for the designer. He reinvented Haute Couture by using exceptional French savoir-faire to satisfy his obsession with combining different genres, cultures, and materials. His character narrative states that it is the job of the models to bring the designer’s work to the field to help them push forward.

Thierry Mugler

Thierry Mugler is a French fashion designer, creative director, and creative adviser of Mugler Fashion house. He is one of the few people who rose to dominance due to the promotion of haute culture. He was often met with racism, ageism, and critics for incorporating non-traditional models such as drag queens and transgender women. His design philosophy was to make women look beautiful and efficient with essential glamour. He is strong-willed and willing to give any woman a chance to showcase his collections with the basics of making them look gorgeous. Mugler has hosted fashion shows with over 300 exhibitions on display. When attending the Met Gala, he dressed many celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian, which was a significant step in showing his work. Pat Cleveland’s descent from the skies as a sparkling Madonna descended from the skies, pregnant and surrounded by cherubs with golden wings, was the most iconic moment.

Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld was a German designer who was represented by his signature white hair, black sunglasses, and shirts with high-detachable collars. He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel and the Italian fur and leather goods fashion house Fendi. Karl Lagerfeld has a very different design philosophy, believing that ‘less is more and emphasizing objectivity, simplicity, and elegance. He emphasizes the cut and proportion of the garment and occasionally adds details. He was known to be a person who would turn anything into gold, especially after revamping Coco Chanel and making ready-to-wear garments and a huge success. His Fall 1977 collection, one of the most celebrated of the 1970s Soft Look era, featured lace trim, headwear, and thigh-high boots in 1700s styles. His Fall 1979 collection was one of the most influential of the early years of the big-shoulder era, featured millinery reminiscent of Napoleonic bicornes. It also included button-sided spats/leggings that looked somewhat like military accouterments from the same period.

Alessandro Michele

Alessandro Michele is an Italian fashion designer who, in 2015, was appointed the creative director of Gucci. He is responsible for Gucci’s brand image and collections. His design philosophy is that fashion is more than just clothes. It is like a whole universe by itself, where everything is connected to it. This tells that he showcases style not as a dependent component of human lifestyle but as the entire independent world that humans depend on. Michele created replicas of selected models’ heads to carry down the runway as accessories for the Fall/Winter 2018 season. While other models walked down the catwalk holding baby dragons in their arms, the catwalk was transformed into an operating room. Michele worked with the Italian special effects studio Makinarium to make the fiction as accurate as possible. He explained that these post-humans represented how people build identities today and how one can expose, hide, or reshape oneself through social media, fashion, and cosmetic surgery.

Phoebe Philo

Phoebe Philo is a British fashion designer who was the creative director of fashion brands Chloe, Celine, and Louis Vuitton. Her main philosophy was to redesign and revolutionize the industry with her new aesthetic, to define the new modern look of today’s generation. Her character narrative depicts using fashion to express what she is feeling at a particular moment. She was determined to push her dream in style to the highest she could achieve, regardless of taking numerous risks. It was one of the most iconic moments on the runway when she was leaving Celine. It was graced by the presence of her preteen daughter, who was propped against a pole in the center if the runway with two of her friends. Women respond to Philo’s Céline precisely because a woman runs it. Her shows are mostly graced by women models, inspiring the young generation.

Guo Pei is the most well-known designer in China. She is the first Asian designer to be invited to become a guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. She has been dressing celebrities, eminent women, royalty, and even members of the political elite for more than 20 years. Guo Pei is a dedicated artist who aims to inspire others by showcasing the best in traditional Chinese artistry while blending modern innovation and a Western flair. Her extraordinary creations are available in the Guo Pei: Couture Fantasy exhibition at the legion of honor museum in San Francisco. One of Guo Pei’s creations includes Rihanna’s famous 2015 Met Gala Yellow Empress gown. The breathtaking yellow cape took 50,000 hours of embroidery and two years to create. Two helpers were used to aid Rihanna in climbing the gala steps because the gown weighed fifty pounds. Guo Pei described her motivation as her desire to convey the “beauty of strength” of building through works that showed a conversation between the human body and space dimension.

Miuccia Prada

Miuccia Prada is an Italian fashion designer best known for serving as the Prada fashion house’s chief designer. She is famous for fusing traditional and modern styles through minimalist designs. She serves as co-CEO and head designer for the Prada handbag and clothing empire. Her company demonstrates its influence in the fashion sector. Prada has been creating and marketing exquisitely produced and creative bags, clothing, shoes, and accessories for men, women, and even kids. Miuccia co-owns most of the world’s luxury brands, including; Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, and the historic Pasticceria Marchesi. She has won many awards, like the Glamour USA’s Women of the Year award, for her part in fashion, art, and culture in 2016.

Prada’s clothing and accessories have been characterized as traditional and unconventional, frumpy yet relaxed, and distinguished by a hazy techno-retro vibe. She once stated that she made ugly garments from terrible material, but they always looked fine. She might have been referring to looks like a Formica check pattern that looked like polyester from the 1970s.

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood, a British fashion designer, had no intention of becoming a household name in the industry. Her creations were taken from historical texts, modernized, and changed as she thought fit. She was a significant player in the ’90s fashion movement thanks to her rebellious heart. Westwood still inspires fashion today and has successfully laid out her style visions regardless of time and trends. This has contributed to winning the title of British Designer of the Year three years consecutively. She pioneered the punk movement and the androgynous movement with the Fall/Winter 2015–2016 collection and has influenced and changed fashion for over 50 years. Westwood frequently employs heavy materials like wool, tweed, and tartan and enjoys drawing inspiration from earlier times. She even has a tartan MacAndrews’ of her own. Her gowns were distinguished by their extravagant use of fabric. The distinctive aesthetic of Westwood’s collections is characterized by lush drapery, crazy pattern and color combinations, and unexpected style adaptations.

Rei Kawakubo

Rei Kawakubo is a French and Tokyo-based fashion designer from Japan. She is the founder of Dover Street Market and Comme des Garçons (CDG). Rei Kawakubo is one of the most influential and forward-thinking designers today. For about five decades, she has defied tradition to reinvent fashion. She has twisted the shape and function of clothing and reframed perceptions of beauty through her designs. She has therefore offered a new relationship between the body and dress. Rei has had many successes and styled many celebrities who looked stunning. She styled Rihanna for the 2017 Met Gala. However, she does not believe she has completed her final form yet. She once told Elle that she had not achieved anything because every time before a collection, she expresses her desire for it not to be released, but it does. Rei argues that she designs the company and not the clothing.

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Bibliography

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Fashion Designers

General information, description.

Design clothing and accessories. Create original designs or adapt fashion trends.

Business Breakdown

People in this career work in these sectors.

• Private, for profit 59.55%
• Self-employed 32.60%
• Private, not for profit 4.52%
• State and local government 1.27%
• Federal government 0.10%

Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

• Responsibility
• Exposure to job hazards
• Physical activity
• Decision making
• Repetitiveness
• Level of competition
• Time pressure

Industry areas

• Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications

Job Outlook

Employment of fashion designers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 2,300 openings for fashion designers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Similar Careers

• Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
• Commercial and Industrial Designers
• Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers
• Sewers, Hand
• Costume Attendants

Average Salary

State-by-state salary.

Gray states indicate no data available

Education & Interests

Most common education levels.

People in this career achieve this level of education.

• Associate's degree 36%
• Some college 25%
• Bachelor's degree 23%
• First professional degree 8%
• High school 3%
• Less than high school 1%
• Post-secondary certificate 1%
• Master's degree 0%
• Doctoral degree 0%
• Post baccalaureate 0%
• Post-doctoral training 0%
• Post-master's certificate 0%

Related College Majors

Select major to see colleges that offer it

• Fashion/Apparel Design
• Apparel and Textile Manufacture
• Fashion and Fabric Consultant
• Textile Science

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

You may find this career fulfilling if you consider yourself to be:

• Artistic — You have an interest in creating visual artwork, performances, written works, food or music.
• Enterprising — You have an interest in managing, negotiating and marketing, or leading and advising others.
• Realistic — You have an interest in physically working with equipment, materials or structures.

Not sure what characteristics best describe you? Take the RIASEC Test.

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

• Verbal skills
• Critical thinking & problem solving
• Equipment operation & maintenance
• Math & science skills
• Technology design & control
• English Language
• Administration and Management
• Production and Processing
• Sales and Marketing

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* Military pay may be higher based on specialty pays or bonuses. Learn more about Military benefits.

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics , National Center of Education Statistics , Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule) . Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.