We surveyed 3,794 fashion designers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical fashion designer. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a fashion designer?

Low

High

Working as a fashion designer typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.

Can I learn to become a fashion designer?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a fashion designer typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a fashion designer?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically quite difficult to find a job as a fashion designer. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for fashion designers.

Info

Do fashion designers work full-time or part-time?

63% of fashion designers work in full-time roles while 38% work part-time.

Is being a fashion designer stressful?

Low

High

Stress is not uncommon amongst fashion designers, with daily work sometimes being quite demanding.

Is being organized important as a fashion designer?

Low

High

Some level of organization is generally required to be a fashion designer.

How competitive is the workplace for fashion designers?

Low

High

Fashion designers tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.

Does being a fashion designer require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Fashion designers will see frequent time pressure on the job, likely contributing to an occasionally stressful work environment.

Are fashion designers allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Creativity is intrinsic to being a fashion designer, and a highly valuable part of the career.

Do fashion designers have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

While sometimes the direction is set, occasionally fashion designers will have some flexibility over the direction of their work.

Is being a fashion designer physically demanding?

Low

High

Being a fashion designer may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.

Are fashion designers exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

The workload of a fashion designer changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.

Does being a fashion designer require attention to detail?

Low

High

Attention to detail is a vital skill for fashion designers, as small mistakes can make or break one's ability to succeed in the career.

Does being a good fashion designer require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

Being compassionate and empathetic is considered helpful to those looking to pursue careers as fashion designers.