Knowing construction is ultimately a great thing to know. My first job, I was asked to pull garments apart and fix and send back to china, as I was an assistant technical designer. But I noticed design assistant just sat in front a mac all day, and I wanted that. I am self taught in illustrator as it wasn’t offered when I was in school. I had more of a desire to work for a big name, then to have my own line at the time.
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It is true that some have gotten by without knowing about construction and just paying the tech experts to make thier artwork a reality… however, I highly recommend that you learn at the very least the basics of draping, patternmaking, and construction. Even if you have a tech designer by your side, it would be smart to know how to make a garment. It will only add to your creative potential and give you a competitive edge in the job market. You wouldn’t try to bake a pie without knowing the recipe, right!!! In my opinion, the more tools you have the better…especially with technology finally catching up to the fashion industry… most designers don’t just sit around hand sketching all day. So by all means learn as much as you can about how a garment is made from sketch to sample.
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Having my own label helped a bit, but I had already been very passionate about fashion construction as a child: creating my own patterns, sewing my own garments, from the age of 12. Working in the industry, being passionate, and tenacious is the only way to learn. There may not be those that will teach you, so you have to take initiative if you want to learn. There are two different people in the world: those that take action and do, and those that do nothing and wait for something to happen; the latter seldom make it. I’m not the type of designer that just likes to sit behind a computer and draws pretty pictures, those are a dime a dozen. Learn your craft if you want to be a head designer, this is where you have the knowledge and ability to lead, rather than go through the industry aimlessly like most, then lose a job during these types of crisis. Learn to be indispensable by knowing more than the next person. Buy patterns online, study them and how to sew, take apart garments and understand how the construction and pattern shapes are. Let the clothing be your teacher. Good luck.
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