Fashion Designer
Kaihoahoa Kākahu
Alternative titles for this job
Fashion designers design clothing and accessories.
Pay
Junior fashion designers usually earn
$47K-$50K per year
Experienced fashion designers usually earn
$50K-$160K per year
Source: NZ Fashion Tech and Competenz, 2017.
Job opportunities
Vocational PathwaysPay
Pay for fashion designers varies depending on skills and experience.
- Junior fashion designers with up to three years' experience usually earn between $47,000 and $50,000 a year.
- Intermediate fashion designers with four to six years' experience can earn between $50,000 and $75,000.
- Senior fashion designers with more than seven years' experience or designers who work with large companies can earn between $75,000 and $160,000.
Self-employed fashion designers may earn less than this.
Source: New Zealand Fashion Tech 2017; Competenz, 2017.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)
What you will do
Fashion designers may do all or some of the following:
- create or update fashion designs
- prepare drawings of the designs
- adapt patterns to a new style or create new patterns
- select and buy fabrics or have fabrics developed
- estimate how much the work will cost
- inspect the quality of garments
- plan clothing production methods
- market garments.
Skills and knowledge
Clothing designers need to have knowledge of:
- current clothing styles and trends
- the history of fashion
- design and drawing techniques
- fabric types, colours and fabric care
- sewing and tailoring techniques
- garment construction and pattern-making techniques
- different body shapes
- computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Working conditions
Fashion designers:
- may work long and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends
- work in offices, workshops, factories or clothing shops
- may travel to different factory sites and to local or overseas fashion shows.
What's the job really like?
Anjali Stewart
Fashion Designer
Entry requirements
To be employed as a fashion designer you usually need to have a New Zealand Diploma in Fashion Technology (Level 5).
You may need a New Zealand Certificate in Fashion Technology (Level 3) and work experience to enrol for the diploma.
You may be able to learn through an apprenticeship in apparel.
Secondary education
NCEA Level 3 is required to enter tertiary training. Useful subjects include design and visual communication (graphics), digital technologies, maths, processing technologies, and painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking combined.
Personal requirements
Fashion designers need to be:
- creative and imaginative
- motivated and dedicated
- organised
- confident
- adaptable
- able to work well under pressure
- accurate, with an eye for detail.
Useful experience
Useful experience for fashion designers includes:
- sewing, fabric cutting or patternmaking experience
- experience as a garment technician
- fashion buying experience
- clothing factory or workroom experience
- draughting or computer-aided design (CAD).
Physical requirements
Fashion designers need to have normal colour vision and good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses).
Find out more about training
- Competenz
- 0800 526 1800 - www.competenz.org.nz
What are the chances of getting a job?
Networking gives fashion designers a greater chance of finding work
Chances of fashion graduates finding work as designers are poor as competition for vacancies is strong. This is because there are more fashion graduates than jobs available. Most new positions aren't advertised, so its better to network with people in the industry and approach employers yourself.
Opportunities are better for experienced fashion designers, as fashion companies often have trouble finding skilled staff.
According to the Census, 934 fashion designers worked in New Zealand in 2018.
Fashion designers work their way up
Fashion designers often get into the industry by starting off as garment technicians or design assistants.
Another good way to get experience in the industry is through internships, which can lead to fashion design jobs.
Types of employers varied
Fashion designers may work for:
- small fashion houses
- large clothing manufacturers
- fashion retailers
- fashion buyers.
Many fashion designers are self-employed.
Sources
- Edmunds, S, 'New Zealand Designers Carve Out Niche to Take on Fast Fashion', 16 April 2017, (www.stuff.co.nz).
- Marshall-Smith, V, academic director, NZ Institute of Fashion Technology Ltd, Careers Directorate – Tertiary Education Commission interview, November 2017.
- Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 'Occupation Outlook – Tailors and Patternmakers', accessed October 2017, (www.mbie.govt.nz).
- New Zealand Apparel, 'Is NZ-Made Dead?', 2 August 2017, (www.apparelmagazine.co.nz).
- NZ Fashion Tech, 'Changing Times', accessed October 2017, (www.nzfashiontech.ac.nz).
- NZ Fashion Tech, 'Gaining Employment', accessed October 2017, (www.nzfashiontech.ac.nz).
- NZ Fashion Tech, 'Industry Opportunities', accessed October 2017, (www.nzfashiontech.ac.nz).
- Ryan, H, 'Fashion Industry's Moment to Shine', 26 August 2017, (www.nzherald.co.nz).
- Stats NZ, '2018 Census Data', 2019.
(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)
Progression and specialisations
Fashion designers may progress to set up their own design business or become design room managers or product developers. Product developers design a whole fashion range for a retailer or clothing manufacturer, or can design items such as paint ranges or car upholstery.
Fashion designers may specialise in a number of roles including:
- CAD Operator
- CAD (Computer Aided Design) operators or computer-aided designers create clothing using CAD software.
- Costume Designer
- Costume designers create clothing to be used in theatre, film and television productions.
- Textile Designer
- Textile designers use traditional and modern textile manufacturing and decoration processes to create textiles for clothing and furnishings.
Last updated 16 June 2023