How to become a designser

Ok not going to a fashion/design school. I want to be self taught.

What are the steps?

What books do you recommend?

Best websites and forums to browse/post?

Where do I learn about style?

Might be open to online fashion schools, which are the best?

Any advice in general?

You don't stand a chance unless you're incredibly talented/creative or have ton of capital.

Thanks user.

Anyone else?

Do you know how to run a business?

I'll learn, why?

this is definitley not the place to be asking these questions

Why not? And where should I go then?

just start designing stuff. get an idea, refine it and make it. Literally all there is to it. Best way to develop design skills is to do it. Don't worry about your output too much when you start, everything you do will be shit. figure out why they are shit and what you can do about it. learn from mistakes.

alcoholic queer paradise cruise

Be a faggot to some degree

He's right though. I'm a designer student, the first thing the headmaster of my school told us was litterally that the self-taught designer myth was over.

If you don't want to accept it you'll most likely never succeed

Thank you, will keep this in mind.

What books are you reading in school? Help me out here user, just the basics.

So if I don't plan on going to school or somehow get a mentor, I should just give it up?

Start by investing in a sewing machine, maybe take some sewing classes, be constantly sketching out your ideas for clothes. Thrift and resize clothes because it's good practice.

Clip pictures that you like out of magazine, save pictures of clothes to your inspo folder, watch project runway (it won't make you good without practice but it gives you a bit of insight into creating clothes, what to look for in good clothing, some history and a bit of insight into the business), learn about colors and shapes.

Take inspiration from anything and anyone, copy your favorite designers.

Spend lots of time at the fabric and notions store. Touch everything.

Practice and more practice, stay up to date on current style.

If you're thinking about turning this into a career be forewarned that it takes a very long time to break into fashion, it's hard as fuck.

user I run a sweatshop in the Philippines. It isn't fucking rocket science. Don't listen to these anons telling you that you need lots of money. You don't.

You don't NEED to learn how to sew. What you need to learn is what you want to make and if people give enough of a shit to pay for the stuff you make. If they don't want to buy it then make normie wear. You have to be the opposite of autistic. I had panic attacks in the US. I no longer have them because I'm always social even though I still hate people. I still sell everyday and it's not hard when you het it set up. Just torrent some shit and read some books. Learn about business, how to handle shitty employees, and how to do the accounting yourself. Not very hard.

Well yeah there's that way too, of just screen printing some tees with your logo on it or getting someone else to sew up the pattern and samples. However, it sounds like OP wants to be a designer in the high fashion sense, so learning to sew and how to construct and fit clothes would be important.

I dont have any book reccomendations or resources but the most valuable tip I can give you is dont listen to these literally whos telling you its impossible

DIY dude

want it

work for it 24/7

if you can uphold a sick work ethic & you have killer taste then its yours

fuck everyone!

Virtually yes you can't get famous without a mentor, a plug or something anymore. People that are in major schools ( think Central StMartin, Antwerp, Bunka ) are just getting way too good for a self-taught to be better. Except if you have an incredible talent but by now you should've figured it out.

However getting mentored can channel the creative aspects of your personnality and evolve into something you like and are actually talented in.

You want books about general design ( product, industrial, space ) or just fashion ?

That's part of being a designer nowadays.

I'm For fucks sake, those of you that never worked in any design field and thus are clueless stop giving him shit advices about believing in yourself.

you especially your advices are retarded, every artistic field has evolved way too much ( even fashion which is crazy young ) for a self-taught to become dominant in his field

>running a sweatshop = being a designer
lol

Read Tommy Hilfigers book. He didn't sew anything himself. Not the guy on top and I'm no Fashion historian or brainiac but he just didn't sew anything. He knew what he wanted and that was that. He has people in India and china do it for him because well the labor is cheap and the company that owns him makes more money that way.

I'm no designer either but I make decent money and I sell clothes. You have to start somewhere and you can't just teleport to the top. I don't think getting there is unrealistic but again you have to start somewhere near the bottom. Of you want to start then doing it in the US isn't the right move. Especially doing it yourself. You have to, you need to go to some 3rd world country and figure it out. I'm not going to spell out how to sweatshop but like I wrote before it isn't fucking rocket science and you can make money doing it if you have some skill.

I concur. I've only written about OP user going to almost any 3rd world country and starting a sweatshop like all big labels have but obviously a really small one. Like start with 5 old ladies and move up to 10 old ladies and so on.

You don't get 50 old ladies sewing clothes because can do spirit and smiling and not reading any books on managing how all the puzzle pieces fit together. It's pretty complicated if you just jump in head first.

user I didn't write that I was a designer. It's not a bad place to start. That's all I meant

Thank you dude, this is the type oc adcice I'am looking for.

Ha ha ok, thank you

Yes, sorry should have mentioned in op, I want to create high end fashion.

Thank you, user, and yes, fuck everyone!

I'd like books on both design and fashion, if you don't mind. Thank you.

Got it, thanks

Most if not all of the "designer" clothes are made in shitty Asia so if you want to do it and be a designer then you should just move over here and figure everything out.

I gotcha Tomy Hilfiger was the Steve Jobs type.

I actually don't like his clothes but that's neither here nor there.

OP may not have the funds to get his clothes made in a Chinese sweat shop and shipped back to his country to be sold or even have some other company pick up the distribution.

So it's not bad advice but it's not exactly realistic.

You're acting all confident in your ability to pursue this and shooting down any negative comments, but the reality is that you are only at step 1 and are already asking everybody else to do the work for you.
You're asking other people to do the research and gather the resources for you.
You are lazy/immature and have probably never even attempted to sew a simple dress.
Kys.
Kys also.

Not really, you don't know what I know and what I don't. Just asking for some guidence from the Veeky Forums community, I don't see the wrong in that. Many of which could have industry experience, which I clearly don't or even be fashion students (at least one has already posted).

If you think I haven't googled my ass off and read thread after thread , after thread, on various different forums, you're an idiot. Also I didn't just wake up and want to design, its something thats been in the back of my head for years, but was never confident enough to think I'd ever be good enough to do so, but I don't care anymore. I' m going for it.

Where in asia?

Yeah although I'm willing to learn how to sew and pretty much whatever else it takes to "make it" I'd much rather focus on the actual design, creative and business aspects, would for sure want to outsource as much of the manual labor as possible, as soon as possible.

Stop embarrassing yourself, people who are great at what they do are people who honed their craft on a daily basis because they're too passionate not to. It's the people who have been sewing since it first piqued their interest, the ones who make clothing for themselves for their own satisfaction/tastes. Not people who "have had it in the back of their head for a while".
Lmaoooooooooooooooo

Also if you've been researching this for so long I'm assuming you've at least drawn up some basic designs, maybe even a pattern.
I'm sure you've at least sewn/upcycled a garment? I'd love to see what you have.

...No? Nothing?
Oh.. o-okay.... :)

We all start somewhere

I'm starting that soon :) maybe I'll share with Veeky Forums once I get food.

Why are people so negative, holy shit.

Good* fuck

>I've been researching and googling my ass off
>Read thread after thread
>Been in my head for YEARS

>Still hasn't created a single thing, not even a little doodle

Yeah, soon! I bet!
...lol

Do your thing man and don't worry about the negativity you're about to embark on your creative goals, there are going to be many critics and people telling that you shouldn't do something. Keep the good, constructive criticism and advice, step over the rest of the hog wash. You might not be mega successful at it but there may be some small victories here and there. Have fun.

:)

I'll keep this in mind, thanks user

Bump

bumping for interest, also interested in designing.

OP have you tried internships/apprenticeships in the field?

Though I guess most ask for experience or studies in the field.

Classes would be best I reckon, also it would be good to keep note of all your local fabric shops and such.

What country are you in?

my god I hate you " do your thing " guys that don't understand shit about fashion design and the industry it's part of

yes positivity is good but sometimes you have to be straight forward

What would you tell OP instead? They've already got all of the warnings about hard work, talent, creativity, initiative, critique or judgment, and how hard it is to break into fashion or how you need to be business savvy.

What else do you want to pile on? You need one voice of encouragement.

Now instead of helping OP you've just come in to make snarky comments about the people that's simply saying "You can do it if you work hard for it."

I'm in the U.S.A.

How about some advice?

This

If anything I'll probably have to try to break into the high end club scene in a big city like nyc, get around models and just the fashion crowd in general and network, maybe even try to score me an older designer bae, become her toy in exchange for some guidence. ;) Who knows, but I'm going for it.

Btw does anyone know anything about fashion in latin america? Spanish speaking latin america that is. I like latino culture and women a lot more than asian.

>every artistic field has evolved way too much ... for a self-taught to become dominant in his field
Music?

Start making tacky dresses out of reclaimed parachutes and then apply to project runway and act like a massive faggot asshole the entire time while low key promoting your online store. This is the only way op.

Name one (1) underground, self-taught musician who has dominated the music industry with this decade, or the 2000s.

Chance the rapper

Hes garbage

Bump