A CAREER AS A FASHION DESIGNER begins in your imagination. Are you a person who looks at clothing, shoes and hats as they pass by and imagine another way that they might have been made to look, a different color, perhaps, or another fabric choice, or a change in emphasis of some feature? Do you look at the world around you and see the pattern of shadows a fence casts on a wall and picture a coat with that same pattern? Do you notice the color of the sky on a late afternoon in summer just as storm clouds move to cover the sun and think what an elegant shade that would be for a shirt? Do you feel how comfortable to the touch is the wood used in the benches at a railway station? Imagine how excellent it would be to have buttons made with the same kind of wood? If these are typical of the types of thoughts that go through your mind, then you are on the right track when it comes to considering a career as a fashion designer. This is not an easy career by any means. It is a highly competitive category with many ego-driven participants, some with dreams of glory that may make them less than pleasant to be around, much less work with. Nevertheless, there are many kind, creative, and cooperative people in the industry, which is a good thing since so much of what goes into the development and marketing of new fashion designs is a team effort. If you know you were born to be a fashion designer then you should consider getting the best training you can find so that the gifts you have can be developed to their fullest. Of course, it is possible to have a career as a fashion designer without a formal education, but there is much to be learned in a college or technical school program, including how to prepare a portfolio, the necessary steps to landing a job or, if you are determined to be your own boss, to win the confidence of potential clients. In fact, one of the earliest decisions you will likely make as a would-be fashion designer is whether you are going to seek employment with a manufacturer, or whether you plan to go out on your own. About a third of all fashion designers are self-employed, meaning they have their own shops or companies where they sell their own designs, and perhaps some creations of friends and colleagues. These independent fashion designers can also work on a contract basis for apparel manufacturers. It is possible that until your career takes off, you will have to do other work to support yourself while moving toward your goals. Within the fashion industry there are opportunities to work with established designers as an intern or an assistant. If you have the skills, you can work as a fashion illustrator or in construction, sewing garments, or in the business end of fashion design, helping to set up displays and shows. Whatever you can do to get your foot in the door is worthwhile in this competitive field. This new Careers Ebook contains a wealth of unbiased information about an occupational field, based on the latest national surveys. Careers Ebooks cover attractive and unattractive sides, opportunities, education necessary, personal qualifications required, earnings, descriptions of different job specialties, first person accounts by those in the field, and how to get started; including practical advice on what to do now. There are live links to schools and colleges, associations, periodicals and other sources of reliable information.