Career Spotlight: Textile Designer
Textile Designer
When you think of fashion jobs, the usual tropes from movies and television shows come to mind: assistant to the editor in chief, photographer, designer, model. But there are so many other fashion jobs that aren’t usually in the spotlight. This time we’re shining the spotlight on the job of Textile Designer.
What is it?
Textile design (also known as textile print design) is a creative career that can be found in many high fashion and fast fashion companies. Printed fabrics are a much needed and versatile good that even home good companies need for couches, curtains, napkins, bedding, and anything else that uses fabric. Textile designers create prints and patterns to be reproduced on fabric that a designer may use. They can work in-house at a specific brand, or work at a fabric supplier.
How does it work?
There are many ways of designing and printing textiles. Most professional textile designers use computer programs to create their designs and print them on yards of fabric. Some designers will use a combination of analog and digital, first hand-drawing or painting a print, and then scanning it before editing in a program. Textile designers also choose the type of fabric they want to work with, and the printing method. Some designs are commissioned and textile designers are tasked with making another person’s idea come to life!
How can I get there?
A typical textile design job usually requires some type of degree in design, printmaking, illustration, or any related fields. Knowledge of design programs such as Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Illustrator are a must, as well as a portfolio of your work and internship experience.
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