Would it be impossible for someone in the midwest to become a fashion designer?
I live in the midwest, you know where all the corn and stuff are. But every time I open a fashion magazine like W or Vogue or Elle, my heart skips and I get so excited. I love the idea of people wearing my clothes not just because it’s fashionable but it’s comfortable and a classic. I’ve seen and heard girls everywhere striving to be a fashion designer, but it seems 1 out of 99 people actually get somewhere. And I’m guessing where you live makes a big impact on your career. Like if I lived in New York, I might have access to fashion shows and boutiques. But since I live in the midwest, there are hardly any Chanel or Burberry stores here, let alone fashion shows. Do you think it’s possible for me to become one or should I just let this dream go?
First, the GOOD news..
Where you were born,
means nothing even at the top of the fashion industry.
Take Gianne Versace, for example. King of the Fashion world.
He was born and raised in Province of Reggio Calabria in Italy, which is the Italian equivilant of Nebraska….a rural and isolated farming town.
Now the BAD news, you have a lot of work to do before you handing out portfolios and trying to get professional connections at boutiques and shows.
First, you need a degree. Colleges that offer bachelor’s degrees in Fashion/Fashion Merchandizing are all over the country, google it. Most of them are parts of established Business schools. (Yes, Merchandizing includes Design and manufacture)
Second, you’ve got to put your time in in the industry. If you do well in college, you could be recruited right after graduation to work as an assistant in an established design house. If you are anyone but the first in your class, expect to have to hit the job market the old fashioned way (no pun intended)
Don’t go hopping on a plane unless a school or a job is waiting for you there. Go through the usual pathways, and don’t be ashamed of your country roots, that’s about 90% of the people in the industry anyways.
Good luck
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