PPD1 - careering towards the edge of fashion !

I got 59% for my millinery elective I was a little gutted that I was one mark off a 2.1 though. I really enjoyed the millinery week and I might do it again for second year.

I had a PPD1 session earlier and it was really helpful, we looked at different professions within the fashion industry- we had to randomly pick a fashion job out of a hat and research it, putting together a mini presentation for the class. My group got garment technologist as the job title. I found out a lot about it, but if anything it made me quite sure that it was something I didn’t want to do as it was too technical and not very creative.

We had a list of questions to address:
1. How would you generally describe this job?
2. What would it involve on a day to day basis?
3. What kind of salary would you receive?
4. What would the working hours be?
5. What is the next step up on the career ladder?
6. What are the good things about the job?
7. What are the bad things about the job?
8. What kind of people would this person be working along side?

We were told to research 3 other jobs that interest us in the fashion profession so I began with fashion illustration…..

Fashion Illustration

1. They conceptualize and draw clothing and accessories by hand or use special computer software programs (e.g., computer aided design/CAD). Fashion illustrations are used in newspaper and magazine advertising layouts, department store ads, direct mail catalogues, television commercials, films, brochures, and flyers.

2. On a day to day basis a fashion illustrator might research a brief, create initial concepts or final art work pieces, working on Photoshop and illustrator manipulating designs and by hand.

3. Average £14,000 to 25,000 however with chances to go up to a higher wage depending on the illustrators experience and previous clients

4. 12 to 15 hours a day – but this can alternate depending upon a deadline.


5. There are no specific steps to follow on the career ladder, but a freelance illustrator may want to form a brand putting his/her illustration onto objects, clothing or furniture or illustrating for designers collections etc.

6. The good things about the job are
• you get the chance to be creative
• variety of different briefs to illustrate for
• fulfilling once you’ve finished a piece
• can work from home as a freelancer (may be seen as good or bad point)

7. bad things
• no guarantees like all freelance careers
• not everyone likes what you illustrate – only to certain peoples tastes
• criticism as like all art its subjective and it depends on the person who looks at it
• Time pressure – deadlines need to be in on time, you need to be reliable.

8. work with a variety of people, professional fashion artists may work on a freelance basis for an advertising agency, manufacturer, or department store, or out of their own studio for there own company or brand or for other designers.

“What qualities you need to be a fashion illustrator?”

• Exceptional drawing skills
• Excellent computer skills (especially CAD software)
• High level of creativity and artistic impression
• Basic business know how
• The ability to understand a clients brief
• Discipline to make sure work is completed by a deadline
• The ability to sometimes think outside the brief