Working as a fashion designer can seem glamorous, especially when stories about runway shows for the next season are filling the news, but it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a fashion designer. Many people fail along the way or find that the industry is not suitable for them, and it pays to move into a career in fashion slowly, rather than plunging in and finding out that it will not work out. One of the most important things to be aware of is that only a small percentage of designers work for the big fashion houses designing the creations seen on the runway, and most designers work for smaller companies and focus on the production of lower-end garments, although their work is just as important.

There are two career paths which someone can take to become a fashion designer. The first starts with education in an art school, which provides the candidate with information about fashion, the industry, and the history of fashion. In addition to grounding students with education, art schools also provide internship opportunities, which can create experience, and many design houses also prefer to work with people who have art degrees. Once a student graduates, he or she can start to apply for work in the fashion industry to get experience, which is strongly recommended before striking out on one's own with a boutique or fashion line.

The second option is apprenticeship, which is more traditional in some of the big fashion houses like those in Paris. In an apprenticeship, the candidate starts out on the lower rungs, and works his or her way up to actually designing pieces and collections. This provides the candidate who wants to become a fashion designer with a huge depth of experience in the industry, along with invaluable access to people working in fashion. Someone who wants to become a fashion designer through apprenticeship should plan on years of work before a single item appears in stores or on the runway.

Being a fashion designer is not just about being able to design interesting, pretty, and functional clothes. People in fashion design also need to be aware of trends in the industry, the history of fashion, and the process that goes into the manufacture of clothing on a large scale. It's vitally necessary to have a very good head for business, and the skills to market collections and abilities. A great fashion designer will get nowhere without exposure, and exposure can be hard to get for people who are not intimately acquainted with the business of fashion.

Becoming a famous fashion designer requires an almost mystical combination of factors: skills, coming along at the right moment, a forward-thinking attitude about fashion, the ability to market extremely well, and connections to people who can propel a collection or name into the spotlight. It's better to start with low expectations and the understanding that a lot of hard work is necessary than to try to become a fashion designer and expect to leap instantly into the heart of the industry. Fashion, like many other ancient businesses, has a very hierarchical structure and a firm pecking order and political system which can be difficult to navigate for the inexperienced.