5 ways to get into fashion design

If you dream of a career in fashion design you probably know that the industry is incredibly competitive, but with talent and tenacity you may find your big break through one of these routes. Discover how to become a fashion designer

Fashion design degrees

With knowledge and experience, it's possible to gain entry to fashion designer jobs without a degree - but due to the competitive nature of the industry, this is becoming increasingly unlikely.

If you have aspirations to become the next Coco Chanel, Giorgio Armani or Donatella Versace, a fashion design degree is the way to go. Employers and design houses prefer candidates with a related undergraduate qualification, in areas such as:

• fashion
• textiles
• art and design
• knitwear
• clothing technology
• fashion buying and merchandising.

University courses provide you with historical and contextual knowledge that other routes may not, and such programmes are usually well connected with industry, meaning they're a great way to network and build contacts.

The BA Fashion at University of the Arts London (UAL): Central Saint Martins (CSM) takes three years to complete full time (or four including a sandwich year).

Students can choose from five main design pathways:

• communication
• knitwear
• menswear
• print
• womenswear.

After two years you'll get the chance to undergo a full-time work placement. You could work with a range of big-name sponsors, such as L'Oreal, Dior and the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum.

Notable alumni of the CSM BA Fashion course include Stella McCartney and Matthew Williamson.

Entry onto the course requires one or more of the following Level 3 qualifications:

• Foundation Diploma in Art and Design (Levels 3 or 4) and an A-level pass at grade C or above
• BTEC Extended Diploma
• UAL Extended Diploma
• Access to Higher Education Diploma.

You'll also need three passes at GCSE grade 4 or above.

In the first year of the three-year BA Fashion Design at Leeds Arts University, you'll be introduced to fashion processes such as colour awareness and application, material use and behaviour and fashion illustration. Your second year involves developing skills by engaging in live projects and deepening your understanding of how trends inform the design process. You'll build your portfolio in your final year through reflective writing, live projects and compiling the work you've completed throughout the course.

Discover what you can do with a degree in fashion.

While a pre-entry postgraduate qualification isn't a requirement to become a fashion designer, an MA in fashion or textile design can improve opportunities, particularly for aspiring designers from other academic backgrounds.

Here are ten institutions that run postgraduate fashion design courses:

• Birmingham City University
• Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU): Manchester Fashion Institute
• Middlesex University London
• Northumbria University Newcastle
• Nottingham Trent University
• UAL CSM
• University of Central Lancashire (UCLan)
• University for the Creative Arts (UCA)
• University of Salford
• University of Southampton.

To find a relevant Masters degree, search for postgraduate courses in fashion design.

Fashion apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are perfect for those seeking an alternative to university and are an excellent way of opening doors to creative careers. An apprenticeship enables you to earn while you learn and gain valuable hands-on experience.

Within the creative industries - especially fashion - networking is essential and fashion apprenticeships are a good way to build up industry contacts while actually designing clothes.

Intermediate (Level 2) and advanced (Level 3) fashion and textiles apprenticeships are equivalent to GCSE and A-level passes. These fashion apprenticeships train you in the technical and practical skills required.

You can specialise in:

• apparel
• footwear
• leather goods
• saddlery
• textiles.

For instance, Fashion Enter, sister company to FashionCapital, provide a number of fashion apprenticeships:

• Level 2 Sewing Machinist
• Level 2 Textile Care Operative
• Level 3 Diploma for Fashion Studio Assistant
• Level 3 Pattern Cutter
• Level 4 Product Technologist
• Level 5 Bespoke Tailoring.

In the future, there may be opportunities to study a Bachelors or Masters-level qualification while working and earning by completing a fashion design degree apprenticeship. While already popular in industries such as engineering, IT and construction, they're a relatively new  option in the creative arts and design sector.

For more information on salaries and what to expect, see what is an apprenticeship?

If you think this is the route for you, read up on how to apply for an apprenticeship.

Fashion internships

Internships are a great way to develop your skills and experience within the fashion industry. They're also a useful way to make contacts and network . Coupled with a degree, fashion internships will make you an attractive prospect to potential employers.

Take advantage of placement years while at university and any industry connections you make while studying.

Most fashion internships are short term, typically between three months to a year. They're advertised often and filled quickly. Voluntary placements typically last between one and three months.

For work experience and fashion internship opportunities, look to design houses, fashion magazines and retailers.

The speculative approach often proves successful, especially when trying to seek out unadvertised opportunities. Do some research into the design houses that you'd like to work for and put together a speculative application that outlines what you can do for them.

The following design houses and retailers often advertise fashion internships:

• Alexander McQueen
• Erdem
• French Connection
• House of Holland
• Julien MacDonald
• Marks & Spencer
• Mary Katrantzou.

Other fashion retailers such as ASOS, boohoo, Jules B, River Island, Kurt Geiger, L.K.Bennett and Tu Clothing also take on interns and work experience students.

Also consider enquiring about intern positions at fashion start-ups. It's not all about the big labels - new organisations rely on the help of interns and can often provide more learning and development opportunities.

If you're struggling to find specific design experience, try widening the net as any fashion experience will impress on your CV. Contact fashion magazines and blogs for work experience.

It's also worth looking into less obvious areas of fashion for placement opportunities, such as the costume departments of film, television and theatre companies. Work experience of this nature is extremely sought after so aim to apply a good six months in advance.

Also, volunteering for fashion-related charities such as Fashion Awareness Direct (FAD) and Dress for Success demonstrates your passion for the industry and enables you to gain valuable fashion experience while giving back to the community.

Read more about work experience and internships.

Shows and competitions

Getting involved in fashion shows and competitions is another great way to display your designs and the quality of your work. Whether it's a university show or a regional or national event, you'll get the chance to put your clothes out there for the public to admire.

Such events give you the chance to meet like-minded people and get your designs spotted by industry professionals. Look to see if your city hosts its own fashion week (for instance, Liverpool Fashion Week), get involved in London and Graduate Fashion Week and attend the Clothes Show and any other fashion-related exhibitions.

Presenting your collections at shows and competitions can be stressful. These events require a lot of planning and preparation, and you may need to travel and transport your designs. However, fashion houses are often known to scout out new talent at student fashion shows and competitions, so your hard work and perseverance could pay off.

If there's nothing in your local area, don't be afraid to organise your own fashion show. Use your friends as models and keep your fashion blog and social media updated with all of your goings-on. Creating your own opportunities shows tenacity and drive.

Fashion blogs

Blogging and vlogging are popular platforms to showcase your creative talent. If you want to make it in the contemporary fashion world, the most important place to be is online.

Setting up a fashion blog to display your designs or vlogging your fashion journey could be a smart career move. Through blogging networks you'll be able to follow other fashion bloggers or vloggers for inspiration and professional support and take part in meetups and events. However, to promote your fashion blog you'll need a wide social media presence.

Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn are useful tools not only when promoting your own work but also for keeping up to date with industry happenings.

Pinterest is also a useful resource for holding all of your creative ideas and inspirations, while fashion networking sites such as Fashion United and Fashion Industry Network are great places to make contacts and uncover job opportunities.

Explore the media and internet sector and read about building your online presence and setting up your blog at 5 tips for getting media work experience.

Find out more

• Learn how to get into buying and merchandising.
• See what the retail sector has to offer.
• Take a look at UAL's tips on how to become a fashion designer.