Fashion Design Schools in Iowa

If you love being in synch with what’s in style – the latest in fashions, hair styles, cosmetics, and more, and you are willing to work hard, putting in long hours, a career in the fast-moving world of fashion design in Iowa could be a great career choice for you! Fashion designers and stylists create clothing and accessories for men, women, and children, usually for casual and business wear, although some designers still focus on the traditional evening wear. Stylists pick out clothing for different occasions (think Red Carpet!, think mother of the bride!) that are suited to a particular individual, flattering their body size and shape, as well as hair, skin, and eye coloring.

State License Requirements

ou don’t need a specific license to work as a fashion designer or any other position in the fashion industry. However, there are professional and trade organizations that may be of benefit to your career, and that you should consider looking in to.

Education Details

There are many different careers you can pursue in the fashion design industry. You may choose to work in retail, merchandising inventory and helping customers select items that work for them. You can go into buying, where you travel across the globe going to shows to see the latest designs on offering by different designers, and then select which designs you will purchase for your store to sell. Fashion design is offered as a major in two Iowa universities: Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa. These programs lead to a four year bachelor’s degree. The curriculum for the major in apparel, merchandising, and design at Iowa State University in Ames teaches courses in fashion design, textiles, apparel production, fashion history, merchandising and marketing strategy, product development, business practices, and consumer behavior. If you wish to pursue the field beyond the four year bachelor’s degree, Iowa State University also offers master’s degree and doctoral degree programs. Of course, you may choose to enroll in a fashion design school out of state. New York City is home to Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Parson’s School of Design, both of which offer fashion design and merchandising majors, and the state of California offers several degree programs in fashion design. Of course, New York City is the very epicenter of fashion and design in the United States, so you would get to be right in the middle of the action!

License Renewal

Iowa Fashion Design Careers

In the state of Iowa, fashion designers earn an average salary of $64,030 (O*Net 2016). While the demand in this industry is expected to stay about the same between 2012 and 2022, the design field is fast-moving, and there is always a need for fresh ideas and young talent!

Fashion design is one of the most strenuous and demanding industry in terms of working long hours and busy weeks. Fashion is constantly changing, and what was fresh and new yesterday is old hat today. Fashion designers must always be on the look-out new trends and styles, often from the mostly unlikely of places. You must be able to wear different hats and perform many different tasks within a day. For example, you may need to meet and consult with clients, make sketches and designs, cut patterns, sew, drape, and fit. If you work in merchandising you will be arranging fashion and accessory items in attractive displays to catch the customer’s eye and bring in sales. One way to get a start in the fashion design field is by working as a personal shopper/stylist in a department store, shopping the store for items that will both please and flatter a specific client. Personal shoppers/stylists often develop relationships with some of their clients and are asked to select suitable items for different occasions over time. Good listening skills are critical for fashion designers. If you choose to become a buyer, you will travel the world, selecting the styles you will then have produced to sell in your store to consumers. Or, you may get your start in business as an assistant to an established fashion designer. All of these options and more are available to people in the fashion industry in Iowa. Iowa hosts an annual Fashion Week filled with runway shows and clothing exhibitions featuring the latest styles and design in fashion from Iowa designers of apparel and footwear. Everything from long johns, to windbreakers, to hooded sweatshirts can be seen, as well as the more traditional casual, business and evening wear for men and women. The latest colors are also featured. It is an exciting event that features a veritable who’s who of Iowa society!

Contact the Iowa State Board of Fashion Design