Fashion Design
Fashion Designer
Job Description
- Gather information on fashion trends, clothing materials (e.g. fabrics and other accessories) and clothing market (e.g. to keep abreast of the trends of other fashion markets by maintaining contact with overseas buyers)
- Create designs for clothing products, including producing design sketches and production drawings, marking the colour schemes and specifying the use of fabrics and other accessories. During the process, a fashion designer always has to work with the management, merchandising and manufacturing staff as well as buyers to ensure that the designs are within the cost limits and meet the technical and sales requirements
- Supervise the production of first samples and follow up the fittings for samples
- Ensure that seasonal fashion collections are made according to the schedule of the management or clients
- Assist in the promotion of label collections, such as developing ideas for fashion catalogues, advertisements and other promotional activities, so that the style and effect can match the design of garment products
Qualities and Qualifications
- Trained in fashion design
- Sensitive to fashion market trends with experience in the international clothing market
- Have artistic sensitivity and creative talent, and the ability to accommodate different market requirements so as to achieve a balance between artistic and commercial elements in fashion design
- Familiar with garment production
- Tactful in dealing with people and have good communication skills to communicate or work with buyers, suppliers and manufacturers all over the world
- Good at time management
- Receptive to new ideas for fashions
Professional Qualifications
The Government has not yet established a registration system for fashion designers. However, there are various professional bodies of fashion designers in Hong Kong which seek to foster the cohesion of the profession and promote their professional status. The contact information is as follows:
Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association
In addition, the Hong Kong Design Centre was established in 2001. It is a public-funded and non-profit-making organization which plays a leading role in consultation, provision of design education and policy development.
Hong Kong Design Centre
Career Path
To become a fashion designer, one usually works his way up the ladder by joining the profession as a fashion design assistant or assistant designer in order to lay a sound foundation and acquire work experience. Those with considerable experience and outstanding performance can be promoted to designer or even senior designer. A senior designer may be required to supervise a team of designers and oversee certain lines of collections or create label collections.
Fashion Co-ordinator
Job Description
- Work with the aid of computer technology to assist fashion designers in the preparation of production drawings, printing sketches and other graphic works such as fashion graphics, prints and knitting patterns
- Liaise with suppliers of materials and accessories for the production of suitable accessories to match the style of design
Qualities and Qualifications
- Form 5 standard with appropriate training in related fields
- Sensitive to fashion market trends
- Have good drawing skills and knowledge of computer-aided design techniques
- Familiar with garment production
- Tactful in dealing with people and have good communication skills to communicate or work with buyers, suppliers, manufacturers and designers all over the world
Sample Co-ordinator
Job Description
- Work with fashion designers
- Co-ordinate the production of samples, aware of the design requirements of designers, liaise with other departments for the preparation of sample patterns and procurement of raw materials and accessories
- Take charge of the sample room and supervise the work of sample makers
Qualities and Qualifications
- Form 5 standard with training in related fields
- Sensitive to fashion market trends
- Good at reading sketches and possess strong technical skills in sewing and pattern-making
- Familiar with garment production
- Tactful in dealing with people and have good communication skills to communicate or work with buyers, suppliers, manufacturers and designers all over the world
Fashion Model
Job Description
- Demonstrate samples or completed garments to the audience and the buyers in fashion shows or fashion parades
- Fit on sample garments as fitting models for designers to make adjustments on the designs created for certain groups of target customers (e.g. foreigners of strong build)
- Serve as still photo models to demonstrate particular fashion collections for photo shoots. The photos are mostly used for fashion catalogues, advertisements or other printed media
Qualities and Qualifications
- Conform to particular measurements of physical qualities
- Have fashion sense and the ability to give advice to fashion designers on matters such as comfortableness of clothing
Career Path
Models with considerable experience may become a fashion merchandiser or be promoted to this post.