Inside scoop for Fashion Design Students

Hey, any high school juniors and seniors out there thinking about Fashion Design as a career? I have an insider scoop for you!

Pattern making + 3D = employment for life.

You will NEVER be unemployed. Well, at least for not having industry-needed skills. Why?

1. All humans wear physical clothing.
2. You need a pattern in order for the garment to fit a human.
3. You can’t create pretty 3D images without a pattern.
4. The Apparel Industry is quickly moving toward 3D-based workflows.

The employees who will be successful, thrive and grow in their future Fashion careers are the ones who are experts in BOTH 3D and pattern making.

"But Mary, I'm not a student. I'm a small company just starting out and/or venturing into a new product category/new size range. What does this mean for me?"

The exact same concept should be applied to building a team.

1. Hire pattern makers that know 3D.
2. Hire designers/product developers that know 3D or are at least open & interested in adding it to their toolbox.

There will not be time or extra salary budget for you to add the needed employees with these skill-sets in later.

Do it at the beginning & build yourself a solid foundation.

P.S. When I googled "fashion design student", I'm pretty sure they were all AI, because none of them showed any of the tired, cranky & over-caffeinated students I remember being...