FASHIONLORD

Don't forget who the boss is!

When people are constantly chasing the next trend, they can easily forget who the boss is. You are the boss, I mean “you” with the wallet, ‘you’ with the money. Without you, there will be no fashion. You keep fashion designers in business, you keep tailors in business, and you keep fashion entrepreneurs in business. You set the trend. You decide on fashion. You pick a trend, flex it and customize it as well as fashion. You own the style. It’s yours.  It has been yours from the beginning.

Fashion designers, tailors or fashion entrepreneurs are here to serve you and not you them. Treat yourself like the boss. You are the boss. You have been the boss and they understand that.

Stop trying so hard.

Fashion is here to work to fit you, not to make you work to fit fashion! Dress simply and have great accent pieces." 

What You Should Take Away From This

Ignore the fashion world.

Ignore trends. Don’t allow your mind to be occupied with it.

Start building a style that is based on timeless classics.

Add little trendy stuff to your style, do this because you genuinely like the trending item, not because it’s trendy.

Don’t follow fashion; fashion should follow your style

Invent your own trend; no one says it’s only fashion designers that invent trends

Don’t  follow the crowd. Follow your own senses.

Focus on becoming stylishly you.

HOW TO CREATE A CAPSULE WARDROBE

Decision fatigue is the result of making too many decisions during the course of the day, I guess, not many are familiar with the term but we all experience it all the time.  

Don’t  waste your brainpower in the morning trying to get dressed. Instead get rid of things you can’t or don’t wear regularly and simplify your wardrobe to pieces you like.

Keep your clothing simple, so you will have the energy to tackle life’s tougher problems." 

Spending too much time choosing your outfit can ruin the rest of your day, let me help you with this few dosage.

Not all hot clothings are wearable. Don’t go about buying the hottest clothing, the ‘in’ thing. The hottest clothing item isn't clothing.

We have a lot of media showing trendy pieces; magazines, articles, celebrities, social media etc. burbling about what is the ‘in’ thing and what is not. Don’t be deceived again! True personal style is that which looks great to the outside world but makes the wearer feel even greater inside.

If you are confident in your style, it will project beauty no matter what you're wearing

Regardless of what's trending at the moment, try to stay true to yourself. Know what you look good in and what you like and stick to that.

Buy high-end styles and treasure your wardrobe

Many people think they can't afford high-end style. But you'll get more value if you spend your money on one good investment piece that you'll use for years, like a classy native senator wear,a well fitted native wear  instead of wasting money on multiple pieces that aren't classic

Fashion rules exist for a reason

Your personal style should suit your lifestyle, mood, and resources but don’t feel like you have to break the rules to create a unique personal style. The classics are called 'classic' for good reason.

Becoming A Full-Fledged Fashion Entrepreneur

There may not be a secret formula for success, but there are common traits that successful entrepreneurs share. And when it comes to the unique business of fashion, some of these traits are downright necessities.

One Step At A Time. No success happens overnight. A business takes time to start and grow. And even more time to be successful.

There will be difficult times: Things will look impossible. You will want to give up and throw in the towel. But you can’t. You need to fight off those urges and press forward. Persevere!

Determination is the difference between those who quit on their dream and those who turn their dream into a great success.

Passion: This is your “why?” This is the reason behind why you do what you do. The work will be hard, the hours will be long, and the pay will be low. And to top it all off, there is no guarantee of success! 

Your passion will motivate you through the tough times and it needs to come from inside of you.  Don’t count on money to be your motivating factor.  Your passion comes from a deeper, more meaningful place.

Resilience: Successful fashion entrepreneurs are not afraid of failure. Things don’t always go as planned. And sometimes things completely fail. Get comfortable with the idea of failure. But do not accept defeat. Try to see failure as an opportunity.

Confidence: Confidence is part of any entrepreneur’s success and fashion is one of it. You must be confident in yourself.

Vision: As the creator of a brand, you must possess a clear vision of what you want your brand to be. Your vision defines who you are, what you want to do and where you want to go.

Flexibility: Fashion is a fast-paced industry, constantly changing. As an entrepreneur you need to be flexible – able to adapt to the changing demands of your business.

Effective Communication: Your ability to communicate will affect your ability to influence others, your ability to develop relationships, and ultimately, your ability to produce results.

CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL FASHION DESIGNERS IN NIGERIA

Designers have certain traits that those who choose a different profession don’t have, or aren't motivated to acquire or learn. I’d like to share with you characteristics that I've repeatedly seen in fashion designers from all over the world.

•   Designers know that they’re surrounded by design, and they just can’t stop their minds from unearthing lessons, ideas, and solutions through the things they see and experience.
• Fashion designers will see design outside of their own interests. They understand that design is everywhere and in everything, and fashion designers have the tendency to look at it instinctively.
• A fashion designer cares about the details. He goes beyond being detail- oriented to identifying the details matter and carefully giving them the care and attention they deserve.
• Designing means to make it better than it original state, so every good fashion designer is committed to solving fashion problems. 
  

·         Great fashion designers constantly search for new ways to innovate and make things better than they are.

·         Fashion designers don’t work alone, they work with a team, and hence they have team spirit.

·         A good fashion designer knows how to communicate his concept to his team.

·         Fashion designers are flexible and very passionate people

·         What makes a fashion designer good is his creative ability. Quite obviously, you’ll need to be creative to be a good designer. You have to be resourceful, you have to be able to look at and see things in ways that may not be as readily apparent to your peers. Creativity also means developing new designs from old trends

·         Fashion designers also must be able to put their ideas on paper.

·         Fashion designers have a flair for the artistic. A sense of how colors work together and an eye for complementary fabrics are musts.

• Fashion designers need an aptitude for graphic art and design.
• Fashion designers should be able to visualize an outfit before sketching a single stitch, possess a sense of style and have the ability to constantly dream up fashion ideas.

QUALITIES OF A GOOD FASHION DESIGNER

We have a lot of persons who go by the name fashion designers in Nigeria, but very few names stand out in the industry. Such names as mudi Africa, Yomi Casual, Dr.Legend Clothing, Vanskere, Vicky Legend clothing, Climax, Victor Okoros.

Here are some of the qualities you'll need to succeed as a fashion designer

1. A good fashion designer understands how fabrics move, drape, breathe, react even when worn.
2.  Any good fashion designer knows where to source materials from.
3. Good fashion designers know every  current fashion trends.
4. Have a good eye for anticipating what your audience will respond to next.
5. Build your sewing skill to enable you to construct the garments you design.
6. You understand what materials work best in the designs you are developing.
7. Develop your drawing skills, so that you can easily sketch your ideas onto paper to start the production process.
8.  A great fashion designer has a great sense of style and is constantly coming up with new ideas for fashions.
9. He has a healthy sense of competition. He strives to do better than his peers in the industry by creating quality innovative designs just in time.
10.  A good fashion designer has a strong visual ability. He sees the finished product  well before the production begins and can put his ideas in words and paper for others to grasp 

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Signs You’re Meant to Be a Fashion Designer

Skill can be acquired by anyone but there are people born to lead in different spheres of life. When you discover your place, you will not struggle to excel or to stand out from the crowd.

You know you're destined to be a fashion designer if you find yourself always doing most of the following;

If you see design in everything and you just can’t stop your mind from unearthing lessons, ideas, and solutions through the things you see and experience.

If you spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends.

If you always catch yourself studying design in things other people don’t think is possible.

If you are a good student of fashion magazines instead of your school books.

If you probably ran a boutique out of your basement at age twelve. 

In other words: if you want to be the next Dr. LegendClothing, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion. 

What Makes A Good Fashion Designer In Nigeria

The fashion industry is exploding and becoming more intense than it has ever been in the history of fashion. However, there is no rule that says if you don’t have a formal education or certification, you can’t become a successful fashion designer in Nigeria, but that doesn't make the feat any easier.

To become a good fashion designer in Nigeria, you will need to have a combination of drawing, sewing, and design skills, knowledge of the fashion industry, and unparalleled perseverance. You'll also need to create a strong fashion portfolio and strengthen your knowledge of business and finance in general.

Learn more. If you can, it makes good sense to get a diploma or degree in fashion design or a related program.

Another way you can learn is by giving yourself to be trained by a fashion designer who has conquered the industry, either as a formal apprenticeship or internship program.

Enhance your skills. Successful fashion designers have a wide array of skills, including drawing, an eye for color and texture, an ability to visualize concepts in three dimensions, and the mechanical skills involved in sewing and cutting all types of fabrics.

Decide which designing field is your principal interest. You may need to start at the bottom but you do need to have some goals in mind as to the type of designing you want to undertake lifelong.