Fashion design

Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories.

Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories. Some work alone or as part of a team. They attempt to satisfy consumer desire for aesthetically designed clothing; and, because of the time required to bring a garment onto the market, must at times anticipate changing consumer tastes.

Fashion designers attempt to design clothes which are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. They must consider who is likely to wear a garment and the situations in which it will be worn. They have a wide range and combinations of materials to work with and a wide range of colors, patterns and styles to choose from. Though most clothing worn for everyday wear falls within a narrow range of conventional styles, unusual garments are usually sought for special occasions, such as evening wear or party dresses.

Some clothes are made specifically for an individual, as in the case of haute couture or bespoke tailoring. Today, most clothing is designed for the mass market, especially casual and every-day wear.

Fashion education

A classroom filled withsewing machinesandDressforms.

A studentfashion show, 2007

There are a number of well known art schools and design schools world wide that offer degrees in fashion design and fashion design technology. Some colleges also offer Masters of Fashion courses. 

Though it is not a requirement to have a Masters level, it is recommended by those already working in the industry to study at this level. The most notable of design schools in Europe include London College of Fashion,Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design,University of West minster and Kingston University in London, and the Edinburgh College of Artin Scotland.

Limerick School of Art and Design,Griffith College and the National College of Art and Design offer reputable BA of Fashion Design courses in Ireland. Institution Rangoon,Domus Academy,Politecnico of Milan,NABA - Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti Milano,Istituto Europeo di Design,University Iuav of VeniceinItaly, the Fashion Federation PARIS] European Fashion Accreditation www.Fashion-Board.com, Antwerp Fashion Academy inBelgium. There is Fashion Institute of Technology,Parsons The New School for Design, and the Pratt Institute in New York City. Elsewhere in the United States there is the Academy of Art University in San Francisco,Savannah College of Art and Design,Virginia Commonwealth University,Otis College of Art & Design, and Fashion Institute of Design & MerchandisinginLos Angeles,School of the Art Institute of ChicagoandColumbia College ChicagoinChicago. TheNational Institute of Fashion Technologyin India,Shih Chien Universityin Hong Kong,RMIT Universityin Melbourne,Fu Jen Catholic Universityin Taiwan and the Asian University chain,Raffles College of Design and Commerce, all have reputable fashion design courses.

The only Ivy League University having a Fashion Design undergraduate program is Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. The program is offered by the department of Fiber Science & Apparel Design.Cornell University also offers a Ph.D. program in apparel design. An updated list of fashion design masters and Ph.D programs can be found at ITAA. org.^[3]The programs are intended to address the needs of academia, industry and research by considering apparel design as an applied science that embraces design, technology, physical sciences, the humanities and social sciences in order to meet the human needs for clothing. There are many universities that offer fashion design throughout the United States. The major incorporating fashion design may have alternative names like Apparel and Textiles or Apparel and Textile Design and may be housed in departments such as Art and Art History or Family and Consumer Studies.

Areas of Fashion Design

Area	Brief	Market
Women's Day wear	Practical, comfortable, fashionable	Haute couture, ready-to-wear, mass market
Women's Evening wear	Glamorous, sophisticated, apt for the occasion	Haute couture, ready-to-wear, mass market
Women's Lingerie	Glamorous, comfortable, washable	Haute Couture, ready-to-wear, mass market
Men's Day wear	Casual, practical, comfortable	Tailoring, ready-to-wear, mass market
Men's Evening wear	Smart, elegant, formal, apt for the occasion	Tailoring, ready-to-wear, mass market
Kidswear	Trendy or Classy, practical, washable, functional	Ready-to-wear, mass market
Girls' Wear	Pretty, colorful, practical, washable, inexpensive	Ready-to-wear, mass market
Teenager Girl Wear	Colorful,comfortable,glamorous,pretty,	Ready-to-wear, mass market
Sportswear	Comfortable, practical, well-ventilated, washable, functional	Ready-to-wear, mass market
Knitwear	Right weight and color for the season	Ready-to-wear, mass market
Outerwear	Stylish, warm, right weight and color for the season	Ready-to-wear, mass market
Bridal wear	Sumptuous, glamorous, classic	Haute couture, ready-to-wear, mass market
Accessories	Striking, fashionable	Haute couture, ready-to-wear, mass market