5 Things You Must Check Before Hiring a Fashion Designer

There is no other way to put it: the competitiveness of the fashion industry is cut-throat. When you are looking forward to hiring a fashion designer, there are several things you must check to make a proper judgment. There will be all kinds of candidates you will come across, from those with exceptional credentials to those with a promising future. However, the most important thing to consider is what you want out of the designer you would ultimately hire.

While there is no standard checklist, there are a few things that are inseparable to the whole task of hiring fashion designers. You must take note of these things I am going to talk about in this article and implement them whenever you think of making the final call. So, here are 5 things you must check before roping in a fashion designer.

1. Always get a sample or worksheet
   Often called a tech pack, the best way to evaluate a fashion designer’s suitability to your needs is by seeking samples or giving worksheets. It is up to you whether the candidate should design a sample of your choice or provide you with whatever he feels like providing. Of course, an interview is a great way to judge the personality of the designer but you can never be sure of the skills unless you see them work. If in case you aim for a certain type of design, then you should consider asking the candidate to provide samples for the said design.
2. Updated With The Happenings of the Industry
   There is no point in hiring a designer who is not updated with the latest in the industry. The fashion industry is fluid and ever-changing. You can never be sure when a particular design would become a trend or lose popularity. So, it is essential for those who are a part of it to keep themselves updated with the changes occurring in the field. So, when you interview any designer, you must test his general knowledge on the most important trends in the industry. Knowledge about the latest trends will arm the designer with better decision-making capacity which will reflect in the work he performs.
3. Education
   One of the first things anyone notices in a resume is the educational background of the candidate. It is a natural tendency to check where the candidate has studied from and what the reputation of that institution is. The reputation of the institution is a major factor in evaluating the skills and knowledge of the candidate. So, it is obvious that you should check where the designer has got his higher education done. If he is a graduate of a popular fashion school, then you can presume that he should be a good candidate (though, this may be not always true!). If a candidate is from a lesser-known institute, you might want to consider evaluating his skills based on other credentials mentioned in the resume to form a prima face opinion.
4. Work Experience
   Work experience matters—and not just that, the quality of work experience matters even more. If the job profile you are offering requires expertise, then you are most likely to look for an experienced designer. In addition to the number of years of work experience, it is also important to examine the nature of the work performed by the candidate. Also, there is no rule against hiring freshers. However, since they are fresh out of college, it is necessary to put them in a team so that they can learn and contribute better.
5. Your Budget
   Every fashion designer will name his price for the job done. Your work should have a budget, and it is within the limits of this budget, you have to consider hiring a designer. Consider these aspects carefully: whether you need a full-time or freelance fashion designer; whether you are aiming for production of luxury retail or not; whether you want work done in a short period of time or not; and others. All of these will determine how much you can pay to the designer and whether the designer should be willing to work at the stipulated remuneration. So, before anything else, make yourself clear about the budget to the designer.

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