Fashion Designers

ANZSCO ID 232311

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
3,500
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
72%
Female Share
86%
Average age
35

Summary

Fashion Designers plan, design and develop clothing, accessories, footwear or other items of personal apparel considering the form and construction of clothing, historical styles and contexts, contemporary and cultural trends, colour, fabric, and decoration, and the techniques and processes available for manufacture.

Specialisations: Costume Designer.

A formal qualification in fashion design or another related field is usually needed to work as a Fashion Designer. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Tasks

  • Determines objectives and constraints of the design brief by consulting with clients and stakeholders.

  • Does product research and analyses functional, commercial, cultural and aesthetic requirements.

  • Formulates design concepts for clothing.

  • Prepares sketches, diagrams, illustrations, plans, samples and models to communicate design concepts.

  • Negotiates design solutions with clients, management, sales and manufacturing staff.

  • Selects, specifies and recommends functional and aesthetic materials, production methods and finishes for manufacture.

  • Details and documents selected designs for production.

  • Prepares and commissions prototypes and samples.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Creative
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Fashion, Industrial and Jewellery Designers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 72% of people employed as Fashion Designers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 6 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Retail Trade
28.8%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
22.6%
3
Manufacturing
17.2%
4
Wholesale Trade
10.5%
5
Other industries
7.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

35.8% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

42.7% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

11.4% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

3.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

6.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.5% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.2% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.3% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Fashion Designers All Jobs Average
NSW 35.8 31.6
VIC 42.7 25.6
QLD 11.4 20.0
SA 3.2 7.0
WA 6.0 10.8
TAS 0.5 2.0
NT 0.2 1.0
ACT 0.3 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
35
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
86%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Fashion Designers is 35 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 86% of the workforce. This is 38 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Fashion Designers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 8.7 9.3
25-34 38.7 22.9
35-44 25.8 22.0
45-54 17.0 21.6
55-59 5.0 9.0
60-64 2.4 6.0
65 and Over 1.9 4.2
Median Age 35 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A formal qualification in fashion design or another related field is usually needed to work as a Fashion Designer. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Textiles, Clothing & Footwear and Metal and Engineering VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Fashion Designers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 5.4 10.1
Bachelor degree 38.9 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 29.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 9.3 21.1
Year 12 12.7 18.1
Year 11 1.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.6 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Fashion, Industrial and Jewellery Designers who are creative, can self-manage and are motivated.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 55%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 54%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 54%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 54%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 54%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 52%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 52%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 50%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 50%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 48%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 48%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 48%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 48%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 46%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 45%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 45%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 45%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 54%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 52%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 48%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 48%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 47%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 41%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 40%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 39%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 37%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 37%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 33%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 32%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 31%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 28%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 27%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 25%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 25%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 21%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 18%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 15%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 63%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 55%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 55%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 52%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 52%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 52%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 52%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 50%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 48%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 48%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 46%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 46%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 45%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 41%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 41%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 92%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 82%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 82%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 81%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 77%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 76%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 76%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 75%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 74%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 73%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 72%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 71%

    Influencing people

    Convincing people to buy something or to change their minds or actions.

  • 69%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 69%

    Drafting, laying out, and specifying parts

    Detailing and describing how devices, parts or equipment are to be made, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

  • 64%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 63%

    Managing payments and orders

    Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.

  • 61%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 60%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 54%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 48%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 86%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 57%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 33%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 24%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 19%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 76%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 67%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 57%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 29%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 95%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 94%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 94%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 91%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 88%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 85%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 83%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 82%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 82%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 82%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 81%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 80%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 79%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 76%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 76%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 72%

    Conflict situations

    Deal with conflict or disagreements.

  • 71%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 70%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 67%

    Cramped work space

    Work in an awkward position or in cramped work spaces.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-1022.00 - Fashion Designers.


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